Author: Thomas E Meyer Jr

Formerly Homeless Sinner Now, Child of God, Saved by Grace.

 Then Joshua spoke unto the Lord, “O sun, stand still at Gibeon, And O moon in the valley of Aijalon.” Will we dare to pray for the impossible? Joshua 10:7-14

Joshua 10:7-14 English Standard Version

7 So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor. 8 And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands. Not a man of them shall stand before you.” 9 So Joshua came upon them suddenly, having marched up all night from Gilgal.  10 And the Lord  threw them into a panic before Israel, who[a] struck them with a great blow at Gibeon and chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah. 11 And as they fled before Israel, while they were going down the ascent of Beth-horon, the Lord threw down large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died because of the hailstones than the sons of Israel killed with the sword.

12 At that time Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord gave the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel,

“Sun, stand still at Gibeon,
    and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.”
13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped,
    until the nation took vengeance on their enemies.

Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day. 14 There has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord heeded the voice of a man, for the Lord fought for Israel.

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.

Today I want us to consider a much more obscure and unknown prayer, a very short prayer given to us by Joshua. It’s a bold and courageous prayer of just 3 words – 3 impossible words.

In Joshua 10:12 it says …Sun, stand still. Joshua asked God to do the impossible and make the sun stand still in the sky and as we read on in Joshua 10:13 we see that the sun stood still.

God answered Joshua’s prayer and did the impossible.

God kept the sun from setting.

Now let’s look at the context of this prayer, see why Joshua asked God to do this.

JOSHUA was a remarkable man. He grew up to experience firsthand his nation Israel’s deliverance from Egypt. He saw the miracles of God and trusted Him.

• He spied on the land, and with Caleb, came back with a message of faith – that God would surely help them seize the Promised Land.

• But unfortunately the majority won that day, gripped by fear. So Joshua and Israel were thrown into 40 years of unnecessary wandering in the desert.

• Yet he kept his faith in God. No complaining, no blaming God. Eventually God chose him to succeed Moses and take the nation into Canaan.

Joshua had to lead his men to fight their way into the Promised Land. He never doubted God’s promise to Israel.

• We read here in Joshua 10 that five Amorite armies were planning to attack. Joshua went for a pre-emptive strike.

• He led his entire army on an all-night march towards the enemy’s camp, under the cover of darkness so that they could launch a pre-dawn surprise attack.

The distance from Gilgal to Gibeon is about 25 mils and it takes 2 or 3 days on a leisurely pace, but Joshua’s army covered the same distance in just one night!

• The long night march took the enemy completely by surprise.

• When the enemy lines broke, the Amorites started to flee into the valley.

• God got into the battle in verse 11: “As they fled before Israel on the road down from Beth Horon to Azekah, the LORD hurled large hailstones down on them from the sky, and more of them died from the hailstones than were killed by the swords of the Israelites.” (Joshua 10:11)

As the sun set toward the horizon, Joshua knew that his time was up. Once it got dark, the enemies would slip away.

• Perhaps he realized that if he didn’t destroy them now, he would have lingering problems. And anything less than a victory would not glorify God.

• So he uttered into this outrageous prayer: “O sun, stand still over Gibeon, O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.” (Josh 10:12) It wasn’t a private prayer but a public one, before all the people.

• And if you think this is too ridiculous, God answered him! Without delay!

(1) DARE TO SAY GOD-SIZED PRAYERS

Joshua has the audacity to ask God to do something, not just miraculous, but unbelievable and unprecedented.

• The fact that he could even thought of that was remarkable. Faith knows no limits, because with God, nothing is impossible. Joshua believed in a BIG God.

• Have you ever asked God for the impossible?

Does your unbelief limit what God can do for you?

That is, you believe God only for the achievable, the believable, the possible and so you pray only decent prayers; prayers that are more reasonable to answer.

When Peter saw Jesus walking on water, he did not stretch out his hand to help Jesus get onboard.

Instead he asked to be allowed to do the same – walk on water, and get to where Jesus was!

• In Acts 3 he saw a man crippled from birth, said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” (Acts 3:6)

and guess what happened … look it up for yourself.

• James says, “Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.” (James 5:17-18)

Read that again just to be sure you read it right – “and the heavens gave rain.”

Prayer is the arena where the measure of our faith meets all of God’s abilities.

We can pray prayers worthy of the God we’re praying to.

• “Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: 27 “I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?” (Jeremiah 32:26-27)

• We worship the same God.

The only difference is Joshua, Peter, and Elijah had the audacity to pray prayers that lived up to God’s mighty power and glory.

Could it be that we are not seeing so much of God’s greatness because we have been making timid prayers? We have not been asking more than the natural?

Let us go beyond just timid prayers – giving thanks for the food I eat, asking God for a good weather day, heal from a serious illness, God to restore our land.

These are worthy prayers but we can go farther than that.

• We don’t have to worry about putting God in an awkward or embarrassing position. You’re not going to back Him into a corner (does the universe have corners?). You won’t ever challenge Him to do something beyond His aptitude.

• Let’s stretch our faith and ask God for the supernatural.

Ask for what He is capable of doing.

What is God not capable of doing when asked for in His will, Jesus’ name?

We do the natural, and trust God to for the “super natural” and we will see His supernatural works in our lives.

• When that happens, everybody will know it was God who did it.

No doubt about it, His Son will shine and He will surely be glorified.

Are we so bold, courageous to actually pray for God’s promises to be revealed?

Why was Joshua so bold?

He knows God.

He knows God’s will.

• During the march, God spoke to Joshua and gave him a promise:

“Do not be afraid of them; I have given them into your hand. Not one of them will be able to withstand you.” (Joshua 10:8)

• Joshua believed what God had promised him.

It was God’s will to defeat the enemy.

Joshua wants to see God’s purpose fulfilled.

• Someone says, “God listens to the voice of a man who himself has listened to the voice of God.”

Joshua knows God well enough to ask for the sun and the moon to stay still.

• He saw all the miracles God did back in Egypt, when He freed them from slavery.

He saw God drop food from the sky for 40 years to feed his people, Israel.

He saw how the Lord produced water from a rock and has no doubt what God can do.

• Here he did what he could as a commander, to plan and strategize, to lead the army in an all-night march and a pre-dawn strike – and let God do His part.

His faith in God comes through knowing God, and to know Him, we need to hear Him, we need to listen to Him, we need to trust Him and to obey Him.

• Romans 10:17 “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.”

• That’s where we need to focus at – if you want your faith to grow, get to know Him more. To know Him, you need to HEAR Him more.

• Matt 7:24-25 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.”

DON’T STAND IN HOPE, WALK IN FAITH

We can pray and stand in hope – in other words, we do nothing but just wait and hope that God will show up and do something.

• This is passive faith. James called it DEAD faith – faith without deeds is dead (James 2:26), it is useless. I need to show God my faith by what I do.

• We need to WALK IN FAITH – to move out, to do something to get to our destination (God’s destiny for us).

It is amazing to see the extent of human effort involved in this battle.

• Joshua’s army made a 25 mile overnight long march and launch straight into battle that lasted all the way to the next sunset. And he asked the Lord to stay the sun, for another full day! Can you sense how bold, how confident that was?

• Even though God was with them, had given them the promise of victory, and was personally involved in the battle (raining hailstones), it did free them from personal commitment.

• They knew God promised victory, they had to fight the war no matter what; they had to sweat it out, fight it out for night and days; they had to pay a price.

Success doesn’t come easy, even with God’s presence and promise.

• God wants us to be fully committed.

Victory wasn’t just a gift dropped down from the sky, right onto their laps.

• They had to believe God, have faith, trust God, fight for His ‘promised’ victory.

So too, even 4000 + years later, must we.

Possible?

Impossible?

• God has given us His promises.

God says He will be with us.

God will fight the battle for us.

But we need to do our part.

We need to put our hard work.

Walk in faith, don’t stand in hope.

CONCLUSION

The lesson we learn from Joshua 10 is that we serve a God who can transform the most adverse situations we face into opportunities to display His glory.

• Like the people of Israel, you may be facing a very difficult situation.

I cannot promise that God will stop the sun for you, but we can be sure that He can work a miracle in your life.

• He can transform whatever you are facing into something that will show His glory.

It’s human nature to want to skip straight from the promise to the payoff.

Who doesn’t want to get right to the good stuff?

But the process is invaluable.

The process is a time of strengthening.

The process is the place where you lay down your pride and learn to rely totally on God.

Most importantly, the process is the way we grow – to know God.

And that’s really the whole point – to KNOW God!

The process is the point.

Do not Fear! Pray God-sized prayers because God is more than capable of that.

Cling on to His will and what He has promised, and move on in faith.

God will always come through for you.

When Joshua faced an impossible situation – he cried out to God to do what most people would have thought was impossible – he asked God to make the sun stand still. Joshua was bold and courageous and faithful and God responded.

I believe God is waiting for us to be bold, courageous and faithful in our prayers.

I believe God wants us to pray for that which many might think is impossible but we pray it anyway because we know that with God all things are possible.

All things are possible with God which means that there is no impossible prayer.

God doesn’t want us to pray for the impossible he wants us to pray with God like conviction and Jesus’ faith for that which we know can be possible with Him.

Jesus said if we faith the size of a mustard seed that nothing will be impossible.

Philippians 4:13 I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength.

Knowing that all things are possible with God, what are all those seemingly impossible situations God wants you to pray for with boldness and courage?

What impossible situation in your life is God just waiting for you to pray about so he can amaze you with his power and grace and goodness?

Is it a relationship that needs to be healed or a financial problem that needs to be fixed?

Is the impossible or possible situation a spiritual transformation in your life or in the life of someone you know or love?

Is it a prayer for physical or emotional healing, power to overcome temptation or finally to achieve a certain goal that has eluded you for an entire lifetime?

What is the impossible situation in your life that God wants to make possible?

Can you name it – write it down and start getting specific with God about what you want?

God is waiting for us to be bold and courageous in our prayers – so what is the impossible prayer (or possible prayer) you need to be praying today?

Now… what will take for you to pray this impossible prayer with boldness, faith and confidence?

What will it take for you to pray like Joshua knowing that God can 100% make it happen? What does it take for us to ask God to do that which is impossible to us?

Praying for the impossible means we stop trying to do it ourselves and start asking God.

Whether it’s in relationships, finances, health, our jobs, our community or finding our place in the church or in our world, when we finally stop trying to do it on our own, start asking God to do it for us, God can finally step in, do it.

So what it takes to pray for that which seems impossible is

  • A vision of God’s Power
  • An understanding of God’s love
  • Being in synch with God’s word
  • Humbling ourselves in the Presence of God.

That’s what it takes to pray for the impossible

– all that’s left now is to actually pray.

Are you praying yet?

One final thought, while Joshua prayed his prayer once and God did it, that prayer only came after a lifetime of Joshua praying and walking with God.

God may not answer our prayers the moment we pray them, it may take a bit of patience and perseverance and persistence in prayer until God answers – so don’t pray once and then give up when the sun sets. Pray every day until God reveals Himself and moves in your situation or moves in your heart and life.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 29 English Standard Version

Ascribe to the Lord Glory

A Psalm of David.

29 Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings,[a]
    ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
    worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.[b]

3 The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
    the God of glory thunders,
    the Lord, over many waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is powerful;
    the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.

5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
    the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf,
    and Sirion like a young wild ox.

7 The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.
8 The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
    the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

9 The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth[c]
    and strips the forests bare,
    and in his temple all cry, “Glory!”

10 The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
    the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.
11 May the Lord give strength to his people!
    May the Lord bless[d] his people with peace!

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.

https://translate.google.com/

“God is looking for people through whom He can achieve the impossible. What a pity we plan only the things we can do all by ourselves.” Reverend Dr. A.W. Tozer. Psalm 18:31-36 

Psalm 18:31-36 English Standard Version

31 For who is God, but the Lord?
    And who is a rock, except our God?—
32 the God who equipped me with strength
    and made my way blameless.
33 He made my feet like the feet of a deer
    and set me secure on the heights.
34 He trains my hands for war,
    so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35 You have given me the shield of your salvation,
    and your right hand supported me,
    and your gentleness made me great.
36 You gave a wide place for my steps under me,
    and my feet did not slip.

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.

Tozer’s powerful line quoted in sermons & books, ‘What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us. ‘ It’s a simple but sharp wake-up call for us to examine the connection between our ‘theology’ (conscious or unconscious), and too everything else about our “Christian” lives.

With that being said, it will always be true that the Word of God encourages all believers to fully rely on God’s strength and His guidance in facing life’s battles, towards enlightening understanding the enemy’s tactics, and achieving victory.

Psalm 18:34-35

34 He teaches my hands to war, so that my arms bend a bow of bronze.
35 You have also given me the shield of your salvation.
Your right hand sustains me. Your gentleness has made me great.

The Bible says that we are to fight the good fight of faith and to put on the full armor of God so that we can stand strong and uptight and faithful against the enemy. It also says that the kingdom of God suffers violence and the war-like take it by force. There is no question that there is a raging battle going  on in the earthly, spiritual realms and we are called to take our stand, to resist the enemy.

In Psalm 18’s Davidic promise, King David paints an intimate picture of how God Himself intercedes in the affairs of mankind and trains David for battle.

I am seriously encouraged by the NIV Bible translation of Psalm 18:34-35 …

34 He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.35 You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great. (NIV)

What a picture of strength intimacy!

God gets intimately, personally involved, up close, face to face and eye to eye.

Even in the midst of preparations for battle, David speaks of a God that gently trains him and sustains him and even stoops down from heaven to make him great. No matter what battle we are facing today, be comforted in knowing that it is God Himself that will put His face to ours, put His Hands on us, equip us to fight the good fight, for every battle belongs to the Lord. He will stoop down beside us, give us His shield of victory and His gentleness will make you great!

On all those battlefields, in hand to hand, eye to eye, combat, on the high seas, and in more contemporary times, in the air – jet plane to jet plane, computers to computers, in the invisible face of terrorism which can explode on the scene at anytime anywhere, to ordinary service men and women who signed their name on the dotted line to serve their country, even during peace time when there are no declared wars – God is always close to those He prepares for war.

In this verse, David reflects on how God equips and empowers him for battle.

He fully acknowledges that it is God and God alone who teaches him the skills of warfare, gives him the strength to persevere, a profound recognition that all of his physical and spiritual capabilities and victories stem from divine assistance.

What does it mean – David: “so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze” mean?

The image comes from Psalm 18, “He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.”

First logical question to ask ourselves is “Does bronze bend or break?”

Please realize that Bronze is a very sturdy and strong material that does not bend very easily. Its high corrosion resistance also makes it very durable.

Since it’s nearly impossible for someone, anyone, to bend a rod of bronze, I now believe that the bending of the bow symbolizes for the reader the supernatural strength, God alone grants which enables people to do what seems impossible.

Psalm 18:32-34 New American Standard Bible 1995

32 The God who girds me with strength
And [a]makes my way [b]blameless?
33 He makes my feet like hinds’ feet,
And sets me upon my high places.
34 He trains my hands for battle,
So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

What is the meaning of Psalms 18:32-34?

This means that whatever battles you and I have in our lives, bear in mind that God and God alone has trained our hands to war, and makes our arms to bend a bow of bronze and fire… any issues that we might have: sickness, challenges, poverty, (you name it) and beside all this, God will always keeps our way secure!

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 29 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Voice of the Lord in the Storm.

A Psalm of David.

29 Ascribe to the Lord, O [a]sons of the mighty,
Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory [b]due to His name;
Worship the Lord in [c]holy array.

3 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters;
The God of glory thunders,
The Lord is over [d]many waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is powerful,
The voice of the Lord is majestic.
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
Yes, the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
And Sirion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord hews out [e]flames of fire.
8 The voice of the Lord [f]shakes the wilderness;
The Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the Lord makes the deer to calve
And strips the forests bare;
And in His temple everything says, “Glory!”

10 The Lord sat as King at the flood;
Yes, the Lord sits as King forever.
11 [g]The Lord will give strength to His people;
[h]The Lord will bless His people with peace.

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.

https://translate.google.com/

The law of the Lord is 100% perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. Psalm 19:7-9

Psalm 19:7-9 Revised Standard Version

7 The law of the Lord is perfect,
    reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure,
    making wise the simple;
8 the precepts of the Lord are right,
    rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is pure,
    enlightening the eyes;
9 the fear of the Lord is clean,
    enduring for ever;
the ordinances of the Lord are true,
    and righteous altogether.

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.

Christians usually don’t like the word “law” because they think and believe it means an endless array of strict and pointless rules we are all expected to obey.

But Torah, the word we use to mean “law,” has a very different meaning and focus in Hebrew. Torah comes from the root word yarah, which means “to flow like water.” Figuratively, it means to show, teach, tell, inform, or point out.

https://www.blueletterbible.org/net/zec/7/12/t_conc_918012

A better translation is the word instruction. 

https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h8451/net/wlc/0-1/

Just as loving parents establish rules, boundaries to protect, guide, and nurture their children, God, our Heavenly Father, provides us with commandments to ensure our spiritual well-being and to help guide, direct us, lead fulfilling lives.

Instruction

Torah means “instruction” in English, which means “God’s instruction to man.”

Whatever God teaches us, we must follow to enjoy a good life here on earth.

Torah reminds us that God is not just a lawmaker or a police officer ready to arrest, punish judge us. God is also the loving parent who teaches His children how to live. Jesus was just exactly reflecting His Father when He taught all His disciples and the people how to have life and have it more abundantly.

No One Can Keep the Law

No one, no matter how many or how few, or how wise or clever or smart or how manipulative, can properly keep all the laws (Ecclesiastes 7:20; Romans 3:23).

In truth, no one can keep all ten commandments properly.

The Law exposes our wickedness (Romans 7:7).

The Law was given by God to identify sin and highlight our need for a Savior.

The only person who has perfectly obeyed the Law is Jesus. He fulfilled all of God’s righteous commands via His life, death, and resurrection.

A Stream of Water

We should view God’s law as a source of wisdom and learning, an invitation to grow, flourish under His direction, like a plant thriving by a stream of water.

In Hebrew, ‘Torah’ comes from the root word ‘yarah,’ which intriguingly means “to flow like water.”

This imagery is far removed from the rigid connotations often associated with the word ‘law.’

Instead, it suggests something way more organic, dynamic, and life-giving.

‘Torah’ encompasses showing, teaching, informing, and pointing – it is a guiding principle rather than a set of restrictive rules.

Thus, a more accurate translation of ‘Torah’ might be ‘instruction’ rather than ‘law.’ This shift in understanding transforms the perception of God’s law from a list of do’s and don’ts into a form of divine guidance, akin to a flowing stream or river that nurtures and directs rather than confines.

I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. Jeremiah 31:33

On Mount Sinai, God gave his people the Torah covenant.

On the Feast of Pentecost, Christ sent his Spirit to seal a new covenant of sin-forgiveness.

The Spirit, like the Torah, reveals God’s truth, instructs us, and convicts us of sin. However, unlike the Torah, the Spirit enables us to live in communion with God by changing our hearts from within, which the law could not do (Romans 8:5-7).  

Summary of the Law

Jesus said the most important commands are summed up in loving the Lord your God with all your heart and loving your neighbor as yourself.  

He didn’t say the entire Law was replaced by loving God and your neighbor.

He literally meant it as a summary- the main idea. Just as the summary of Constitution of the USA is the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, but is does not actually replace the entire Constitution nor the amendments.

The Law is Eternal

Jesus explained the law is eternal.  Our Torah continues to be a source of guidance, direction, and instruction for people of faith.

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets;
I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,
not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

Matthew 5:17-18

Not only did Jesus fulfill the law, but the law will remain unchanged until heaven and earth disappear (i.e., until the end of the era).

Not even the slightest detail, not even the smallest stroke of a pen, shall be spared from God’s law.

The statement of Jesus confirms the full authority of every word and letter of Scripture. 

613 Laws

God gave 613 commandments to show us how to live here on earth. 

The Ten Commandments are the first ten of the 613 commandments. God gave the Law to disclose His standard of absolute righteousness, to convince us all of our true sin before Him, and to show us the need for the gospel. 

There are many different laws in the Bible. The law of sin and death was nailed to the cross. The laws dealing with sacrifices were only for the Temple period. 

The New Testament verses concerning God’s law explain that those who love God will follow God’s instructions—His ways, His paths (Romans 2:23; Ephesians 6:2-3; Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16; Hebrews 10:16; James 1:25; 2:11; 8-26; 1 John 2:3-4, 24; 3:22; 5:2,3; 2 John 6; Revelation 22:14).

The Law is Written on Our Hearts

I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. Jeremiah 31:33

On Mount Sinai, God gave his people the Torah covenant.

On the Feast of Pentecost, Christ sent his Spirit to seal a new covenant of sin-forgiveness. The Spirit, like the Torah, reveals God’s truth, instructs us, and convicts us of sin.

However, unlike the Torah, the Spirit enables us to live in communion with God by changing our hearts from within, which the law could not do (Romans 8:5-7).  

Summary of the Law

Jesus said the most important commands are summed up in loving the Lord your God with all your heart and loving your neighbor as yourself.  

He didn’t say the entire Law was replaced by loving God and your neighbor.

He literally meant it as a summary- the main idea. Just as the summary of Constitution of the USA is the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, but is does not actually replace the entire Constitution nor the amendments.

The Intention of the Law

The intention of  laws is to bring holiness to God’s people. “And the Lord spoke unto Moses and said, ‘Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel and say to them; You shall be holy, for I the Lord you God am holy.’”

God established moral and ceremonial regulations to assist people in loving him with all of their hearts and minds. However, by Jesus’ time, religious leaders had twisted God’s laws into a jumbled mess of rules. When Jesus spoke about a new way to comprehend the law, he was attempting to return people to its original purpose. Jesus did not criticize the law in and of itself, but rather the abuses and excesses to which it had been subjected.

Under the Law of Christ

Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice–no more sacrifices needed (Hebrews 8). The Old Testament law has not been repealed, but it must now be reinterpreted and used in light of Jesus. God never changes his mind.

We are not without the law but under “the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:2). There are laws that apply to believers today that deal with our relationships with other people. The law is good and just and perfect–there is a problem with the law–there is a problem with man. Man, with his sin nature, is unable to keep the law.

Freedom is not absence of law; absence of law is anarchy.

The law was never meant to save—only to guide.

Without God’s instruction, it would be impossible for people to live together. Without God’s law, there could be no grace.

As David said in Psalm 119, God laid down precepts that are to be obeyed.

He said he meditated on God’s precepts and ways, and if we walk in God’s paths our hearts are set free.

The Law is Never Earning Salvation

The Jews never believed that anyone could earn their way to salvation.

They know salvation is only by grace through Messiah (and we are praying they will have their eyes opened to see the Y’shua (Jesus) is the Messiah).

Neither Jesus nor Paul ever taught God’s law was “done away with.”

Obedience to God’s Law was a show of trust in God, and only those who offered such to God were truly His people.

Paul’s letters to the Gentiles speak against upset with those who twisted the law–those who abused it such as making it a prerequisite for salvation.

Paul made it clear the Gentiles did not have to live by the law to attain salvation.

He did encourage the Jewish believers to keep the law–but never made it a condition of salvation.

Paul never implied that believers in Christ were to start a “new religion” that did away with the Old Testament.

In fact, Paul explains we should thank God for His mercy that by faith we are grafted into Israel and we are not to boast for their eyes are blinded, in part, until the fullness of the Gentiles– see Romans 11:16-36.

Did Grace Replace the Law?

The idea that grace replaced the law began in the second century. The first section of this book explains how the Early Church left their Hebraic roots.

During the second century, Marcion, a heretic who twisted Paul’s writings, caused a radical opposition between the Law and the Gospels.

What do the Marcionites believe?

Marcionites held the God of the Hebrew Bible is inconsistent, jealous, wrathful and genocidal, and that the material world he created was defective, a place of suffering; the God who made such a world is a bungling or malicious demiurge.

Marcion suggested the entire Old Testament be omitted from the canon.

He broke away from the Roman church in 144 and set up his own very successful group.

Polycarp referred to Marcion as the Son of Satan.

Marcion believed the God described in the Old Testament was cruel, so he refused to acknowledge the God of the Old Testament but embraced the portions of the New Testament that expressed God’s love.

Marcion created a reduced version of the New Testament consisting of Luke and parts of Paul’s letters–purposely leaving out all Jewish interpolations.

Marcion’s legacy lives on.

A study of Marcion and his immense influence on Christian leaders in church history is highly advisable to anyone truly serious about studying God’s law.

Nine-Fold Purpose of the Law

  1. To teach the believer how to serve, worship and please God [Psalm 19:7-9; Acts 18:13, 14].
  2. To instruct the believer how to treat his fellow man and have healthy relationships with him [Leviticus 19:18; Galatians 5:14; Galatians 6:2].
  3. To teach believers how to be happy and prosper here on earth by manifesting the power and authority of God’s reign in their lives [Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:1-3; Luke 12:32].
  4. The Law was given, not to save, but to measure man’s deeds both toward God and his fellow man, straightening out all matters contrary to sound doctrine [I Timothy 1:8-10; II Timothy 2:5; I Corinthians 6: 1- 12; I Corinthians 3:13; Romans 2:12; Revelation 20:12, 13].
  5. The Law is a schoolmaster showing that we are guilty and then leading us to Christ our Messianic justification [Galatians 3:21-24; Romans 3:19].
  6. The Law gives us both the knowledge and depth of our sin [Romans 3:20; Romans 4:15; Romans 7:7, 8; Luke 20:47 – greater damnation].
  7. The Law reveals the good, holy, just, and perfect nature of God and serves as the visible standard for God’s will [Romans 2:17, 18; Romans 7:12; II Peter 1:4].
  8. The Law is to be established or accomplished by our faith, therefore, it is called the Law of faith [Romans 3:27; Romans 3:31].
  9. The same Law today is written on our hearts, and through God’s Spirit we can delight and serve the Law of God [Romans 7:6-25] (Mosley 1996).

We fulfill the law when we love one another and God, and God rejoices over us!

So, by all means, let us “Rejoice in the Law” alongside Israel.

It is part of our inheritance in Jesus, doing so is consistent with New Testament teaching and acknowledges the loving heavenly Father who gave us the law.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 29 Authorized (King James) Version

Psalm 29

A Psalm of David.

1 Give unto the Lord, O ye mighty,
give unto the Lord glory and strength.
2 Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name;
worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

3 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters:
the God of glory thundereth: the Lord is upon many waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is powerful;
the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
5 The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars;
yea, the Lord breaketh the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He maketh them also to skip like a calf;
Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn.
7 The voice of the Lord divideth the flames of fire.
8 The voice of the Lord shaketh the wilderness;
the Lord shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the Lord maketh the hinds to calve,
and discovereth the forests:
and in his temple doth every one speak of his glory.

10 The Lord sitteth upon the flood;
yea, the Lord sitteth King for ever.
11 The Lord will give strength unto his people;
the Lord will bless his people with peace.

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.

https://translate.google.com/

“Have faith in God?” “Whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours?” The seeds of faith to move the mountains. Mark 11:20-25

Mark 11:20-25 Revised Standard Version

The Lesson from the Withered Fig Tree

20 As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. 21 And Peter remembered and said to him, “Master,[a] look! The fig tree which you cursed has withered.” 22 And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. 23 Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received[b] it, and it will be yours. 25 And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against any one; so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”[c]

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.

As Jesus and his disciples walked along toward Jerusalem, they came across an unexpected surprise: a fig tree in full leaf.

This was a surprise because it was too early in the year for figs.

But where there was a fig tree in leaf, you could expect figs.

So Jesus and the disciples went over to the tree to see if it had any fruit.

It had none.

What seemed at first to be a remarkable tree turned out to be a disappointment.

So Jesus said to the tree: “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.”

And he walked away.

The next day, as they left Jerusalem and passed by the same tree, the disciples were astonished to find the tree totally withered.

When Peter expressed his surprise about the tree, Jesus used the opportunity to teach two lessons.

The first lesson was about failure. The empty tree serves as a stern hardcore warning we cannot pretend to be spiritually alive, for we won’t bear any fruit.

The second lesson is about faith. Jesus says, “Have faith in God.” We are to 100% trust in him for all the life and strength we need in order to serve him.

When we are rooted in Jesus through sincere prayer, our faith will bear fruit.

Our faith in Christ will be strong enough to help move people to believe in Jesus and enter his kingdom. Through his strength in us, we will show he is alive!

Probable or Improbable: Faith to Move Mountains

In reading our Bibles, we will come across verses that seem straightforward and easy to understand immediately.

On the other hand, there are also verses like this one!

“Whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours,” says Jesus.

We are tempted essentially to sidestep what these words say.

We try to bury them under a hundred qualifications.

The misapplication of such verses has scared some of us so much that we hardly give any attention to the sheer encouragement and the challenges they contain.

In this bold command, Jesus reminded His followers to trust God, because it is actually faith’s foundation in God that gives that faith significance. We should not have faith in faith or faith in ourselves, but 100% faith in God, God alone.

The metaphor that Jesus employed—that of someone commanding a mountain to be thrown into the sea—was perhaps familiar to the disciples; it was similar to a common rabbinic figure of speech for accepting an impossible challenge to then, with all effort accomplishing something that was seemingly impossible.[1] 

1 Alfred Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah (Longmans, Green, and Co., 1898), Vol. 2, p 376 (footnote).

The way to get real-life results in prayer is to seek God with an attitude that says, “No matter how long it takes, or whatever I have to do, I will not be denied.”

This is not arrogance; it is Godly hunger. It is not about pushing God to give us what we want and how and when we want it, but about pushing yourself into God. It is not praying for the sake of praying. It is praying to see the hand of God move. It is desperate hardcore praying. It is the type of prayer that gets answers.

The disciples would not have misunderstood Jesus as suggesting that they  can literally hurl the Mount of Olives into the Dead Sea over 4,000 feet below them.

They would have understood his words as a proverbial statement indicating God wants to do extraordinary things through His children, for His children.

We discover vivid proof of Jesus’ teaching on faith and prayer throughout the book of Acts.

Early on, when a lame beggar asked Peter and John for money, Peter told him instead to look up, to stand up and walk in the name of Jesus Christ(Acts 3:6).

Perhaps as he spoke to this man, Peter was remembering Jesus’ words and he was thinking to himself, “Whatever you ask in my (Jesus) name … believe…”

When God is the object of our faith, we can have an audacious faith—a faith that believes the impossible to be possible with Him.

We can know that we are speaking to someone who is able to do far more than we can even imagine (Ephesians 3:20-21), we can do even greater works than Jesus (John 14:12-14).

12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father. 13  Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son; 14 if you ask[a] anything in my name, I will do it.

Jesus essentially says to us, I want you to pray in a way that says you actually truly believe in One God who is too wise to make mistakes, who is too kind to be cruel, and who is too powerful, unchangeable to be subdued by the great forces of the universe.

Don’t set aside these verses with hundred impossible improbable qualifications.

Just let them sit there in your spirit for a minute – preferably a whole lot longer.

Enjoy the truth that God is able to do things beyond anything you can imagine.

Rest secure in the indelible reality Father, Son, Spirit, know no impossibility.

And then ….

Pray Until Something Happens!

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Psalm 20 Revised Standard Version

Prayer for Victory

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

20 The Lord answer you in the day of trouble!
    The name of the God of Jacob protect you!
2 May he send you help from the sanctuary,
    and give you support from Zion!
3 May he remember all your offerings,
    and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices! Selah

4 May he grant you your heart’s desire,
    and fulfil all your plans!
5 May we shout for joy over your victory,
    and in the name of our God set up our banners!
May the Lord fulfil all your petitions!

6 Now I know that the Lord will help his anointed;
    he will answer him from his holy heaven
    with mighty victories by his right hand.
7 Some boast of chariots, and some of horses;
    but we boast of the name of the Lord our God.
8 They will collapse and fall;
    but we shall rise and stand upright.

9 Give victory to the king, O Lord;
    answer us when we call.[a]

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.

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Will we ever allow ourselves to .01% believe the Lord is always close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit? Psalm 34:17-18

Psalm 34:17-20 Revised Standard Version

17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears,
    and delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted,
    and saves the crushed in spirit.

19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous;
    but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
20 He keeps all his bones;
    not one of them is broken.

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.

On the radio the other day I heard a familiar song about how heartbreak feels.

There are probably hundreds, if not thousands, if not more of songs written throughout history about broken hearts and lost loves. Have you ever wondered why musicians and music producers keep writing about that same thing?

Songs like Psalm 13.

Songs like Psalm 137.

Which are the psalms of lament in the Word of God?

Individual psalms of Lament include: 3, 4, 5, 7, 9-10, 13, 14, 17, 22, 25, 26, 27, 28, 31, 36, 39, 40:12-17, 41, 42-43, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 59, 61, 64, 70, 71, 77, 86, 89, 120, 139, 141, 142. Corporate psalms of Lament include: 12, 44, 58, 60, 74, 79, 80, 83, 85, 89, 90, 94, 123, 126, 129, 137.

Maybe people of whatever time frame -ancient or contemporary, do not tire of those types of songs because everyone can relate to them in some way. Nearly everyone has experienced those hard feelings of emptiness after a breakup, or they have asked themselves “What went so wrong?” after losing their love.

Thankfully God’s Word provides some guidelines to help us hard answer our questions and give us peace of mind when heartache and heartbreak happen.

Psalms of Lament

The psalms of lament are songs and poems in which the psalmist cries out to God in times of deep distress and despair.

In Psalms of lament, the psalmist asks God for intervention to deliver him from suffering, sorrow, great loss, failures, and enemies.

These petitions often give way to the Psalmists expressions of trust in God to act in the psalmist’s favor, leading to hope and joy, faith and peace and love.

There are more psalms of lament than any other type of Psalm.

These Psalms fall into the broad categories of individual or communal (or sometimes both).

Their basic structure includes:

  1. Address to God
  2. Description of complaint
  3. Request for God’s help
  4. Expression of trust in God

Psalm 13

For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

1 How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever?
How long will You hide Your face from me?

2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul,
Having sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long will my enemy be exalted over me?

3 Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
Enlighten my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death,

4 And my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
And my adversaries will rejoice when I am shaken.

5 But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness;
My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.

6 I will sing to the Lord,
Because He has dealt bountifully with me.

When we hurt, Scripture can provide comfort.

It also gives us a way to express how we feel, especially when we don’t know what to say or how to say it.

Much of that language can be found in the Psalms, and many psalms were written by people who shared their feelings candidly and honestly.

https://www.christianity.com/wiki/bible/psalms-of-lament-to-remind-us-we-are-not-alone.html

David, the writer of Psalm 34, didn’t have to search long for peace, and neither do we. God is near to those who hurt, and we can trust today that the One who gave the sun its ability to shine, who told the waters how far they could go, and who constantly watches over the universe is also near to you—and he’s saying,

“I’ve got this, and I’ve got you.”

Why You Can Be Sure ‘the Lord Is Close to the Brokenhearted’ (Psalm 34:18)

When emotions are strong, I find comfort when reading Psalms.

The heart of a Psalmist is familiar with suffering and consistent in hope.

This pattern emerges time and time again.

The writer expresses an honest struggle, makes a request, and ends with a choice to trust in God.

Some Psalms focus on lament, which means to grieve the loss of something or someone.

Some focus on praise.

But many combine the two, even when several verses reveal the pain of suffering.

One of my favorites is Psalm 34.

The New Living Translation says, “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.”

Eugene Peterson interprets this verse the Message as, “If your heart is broken, you’ll find God right there; if you’re kicked in the gut, he’ll help you catch your breath.”

What Does Psalm 34:18 Mean for the Brokenhearted?

A brokenhearted person can literally feel the pain of brokenness.

We have physiological responses to loss, grief, and hurtful situations.

Emotional pain can be felt in a very real way, in the body, the mind, and the heart.

Our bodies are actually wired in such a way that emotional pain affects us physically. This is one reason it’s so vital to get honest with our emotions and pursue healing because it impacts all of who we are and how we live.

Brokenheartedness can feel so intense because we do not have what we once did, or what we thought we should have. We have lost something or someone. Also, we may feel all alone. Our body reacts to grief, anger, sadness, and fear.

When we are in this place, our need for something beyond ourselves becomes more evident.

Our enemy would love to keep us from knowing God’s love deeply and receiving the courage we need to move forward when life is hard.

God loves to help us know Him and know His presence with us, especially when life is hard.

Psalm 34:18 reminds us God is not only present with us, but near.

Near to the pain we feel.

Near to the loss we can’t fill.

Near to the needs we have and can’t yet express.

For the brokenhearted, God gives nearness.

God is not removed from knowing about the pain, or from our experience of pain. He is always available and close to those who suffer.

Not only is He near, but he stays with us and will help us get through.

He is not surprised or deterred, no matter how deep the brokenness feels.

God gives us the courage we need to breathe again.

Emotional pain sometimes leaves us speechless.

This Psalm provides words to remind our hearts and talk to God when we cannot find the words ourselves.

God’s presence with us in our messy moments is of great comfort.

What Does Psalm 34:18 Mean for the Crushed in Spirit?

I love the way Eugene Peterson describes how God saves, or rescues, us when our spirits are crushed.

When we feel kicked in the gut, He helps us catch our breath.

When everything has been knocked out of us, and we are depleted, He has what we need to take that first step of getting up again.

God sees and knows the impact of a soul that’s weary and worn.

Consider the following verses:

Proverbs 18:14 “The human spirit can endure in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?”

Proverbs 17:22 “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”

Proverbs 15:13 “A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit.”

These verses help me feel seen by God because He gets what it feels like to be crushed in spirit.

He’s been there, all alone at the Garden of Gethsemane preparing to suffer and die for us.

He knows it is painful.

It can feel like you’re emptied out, dried up because there’s nothing left to give.

It’s time to receive.

God rescues, or liberates, us from great pain and a weakened spirit, through His great love for each of us.

He sees the distraught places in our hearts and offers to fill them up again.

When we breakthrough to God, receive His love and the gift of His presence, our hearts are calmed, our hearts are sated, which frees us to finally move forward.

What Else Can We Glean from Psalm 34?

Encouragement and praise permeate Psalm 34, especially for the worn-down individual.

Verse 2, “I will glory in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.”

Verses 6-7, “This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.”

Verse 15, “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry;”

Verse 17, “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.”

David also invites us to “taste and see that the Lord is good” (verse 8).

Because when we seek refreshment for weariness, we find goodness in God that renews us, restores us, refreshes us. And it’s available as often as we all need it.

God listens. God hears. God acts decisively.

And He is near – as close as the next breath you take.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 23 Revised Standard Version

The Divine Shepherd

A Psalm of David.

23 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want;
2     he makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters;[a]
3     he restores my soul.[b]
He leads me in paths of righteousness[c]
    for his name’s sake.

4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,[d]
    I fear no evil;
for thou art with me;
    thy rod and thy staff,
    they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies;
thou anointest my head with oil,
    my cup overflows.
6 Surely[e] goodness and mercy[f] shall follow me
    all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
    for ever.[g]

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.

https://translate.google.com/

Intentional or Unanswered? How long, Adonai? Will you forget me forever? How long, Adonai will you hide your face from me? Psalm 13

Psalm 13 Complete Jewish Bible

13 (0) For the leader. A psalm of David:

2 (1) How long, Adonai?
Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
3 (2) How long must I keep asking myself what to do,
with sorrow in my heart every day?
How long must my enemy dominate me?

4 (3) Look, and answer me, Adonai my God!
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death.
5 (4) Then my enemy would say, “I was able to beat him”;
and my adversaries would rejoice at my downfall.

6 (5) But I trust in your grace,
my heart rejoices as you bring me to safety.
(6) I will sing to Adonai, because he gives me
even more than I need.

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.

David the psalmist had feelings of being God-forsaken.

He had times of being surrounding by enemies.

In Psalm 13, He wrote of the depths of aloneness one can feel when it seems God has turned away, failed to listen or act timely and now the enemy is at the gate.

“Has God lost track of me way out here in this God-forsaken, sun and wind, and scorched, waterless wilderness where only dust devils, tumbleweeds blow ?”

Psalm 137 expresses a similar depth of forsakenness and deep lament: “How long will God forget me, … How long will he keep forgetting, forsaking me?”

137 By the rivers of Bavel we sat down and wept
as we remembered Tziyon.
2 We had hung up our lyres
on the willows that were there,
3 when those who had taken us captive
asked us to sing them a song;
our tormentors demanded joy from us —
“Sing us one of the songs from Tziyon!”

Unanswered Prayer or Intentionally Forsaken?

John 11:4-7 Christian Standard Bible

4 When Jesus heard it, he said, “This sickness will not end in death but is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” 5 Now Jesus loved Martha, her sister, and Lazarus. 6 So when he heard that he was sick, he stayed two more days in the place where he was. 7 Then after that, he said to the disciples, “Let’s go to Judea again.”

John 11:28-37 Christian Standard Bible

Jesus Shares the Sorrow of Death

28 Having said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.”

29 As soon as Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 Jesus had not yet come into the village but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31 The Jews who were with her in the house consoling her saw that Mary got up quickly and went out. They followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to cry there.

32 As soon as Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and told him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother wouldn’t have died!”

33 When Jesus saw her crying, and the Jews who had come with her crying, he was deeply moved[c] in his spirit and troubled. 34 “Where have you put him?” he asked.

“Lord,” they told him, “come and see.”

35 Jesus wept.

36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Couldn’t he who opened the blind man’s eyes also have kept this man from dying?”

Have you ever found yourself pleading and praying, yet seem to only receive delay after delay, silence and more silence as a response?

Or, arriving on the other side of the circumstances only to discover none of what you desired or anticipated came to pass?

Where was the Good Father in the midst of your trials?

The Bible is full of assurances that God will never leave or forsake us (Deut. 31:6), knows what we need before we ask (Matt. 6:8), and encourages us to bring our petitions to the Lord because what we request will be given to us (Matt. 7:7).

If all of these promises of God are true, why do our prayers go unanswered?

Is the Lord taking one of his Sabbath days rest (how long is a Sabbath days rest for an eternal God?), uncaring and aloof; standing just outside of our troubles and intentionally forgetting, or punishing or refusing to come unto our aid?

It can be disheartening and even confusing when we diligently pray as the Word directs us, yet apparent provision is not provided.

One of the most helpful examples of this in scripture can be found in John chapter eleven, we encounter the death and ultimate resurrection of Lazarus.

Jesus knew Lazarus was going to die.

He could have prevented this tragedy with a single thought as with Jairus’ daughter or the Centurion’s servant yet He chose to allow it to unfold without intervention. Lazarus continued to suffer his illness until his physical death.

His sisters and close friends mourned deeply for days.

Even Jesus, himself, wept when he arrived at the mournful scene.

Why would the Lord allow so much unnecessary sorrow when ultimately Lazarus would be spared the finality of death?

Our Heavenly Father sees far beyond our momentary light affliction (2 Cor. 4:17).

His ways are not our ways, and his thoughts are not our thoughts (Isa. 55:8).

He allowed great heartache and even physical pain for Mary, Martha, Lazarus, and others “for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it” (John 11:4, NIV).

We see an even greater example of this in the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

How difficult is it for anyone to observe their kids, close family member, suffer?

For the sake of his treasured creation (John 3:16-17), God allowed his only son to take on mortal form and then endure horrific torture and temporal death so salvation could come to us.

Nothing could have possibly cost anyone more.

Yet, the final outcome far outweighed fleeting anguish.

It is unimaginable for us to comprehend the depth of this transaction, but it is clearly evident our Father’s love knows no bounds.

It far supersedes all worldly understanding.

How can this perspective alter our viewpoint on our own circumstances?

Despite our unwelcome travails, the Lord is working for the same good in our lives today that was displayed through Lazarus 2,000 years ago.

It is amid our own journeys that our Savior’s unfathomable love is evidenced to the desperate and hopeless. Even in our darkest hours, his light shines through.

Though your prayers may appear unanswered, there are actually intentional, eternal purposes at work. And his work is always for His glory, our greater good.

Intersecting Faith & Life:

Take time to read through the Psalms of Lament, entire chapter of John 11.

Test and challenge yourself … Can you see that although Jesus could have prevented the death of Lazarus, he intentionally chose not to answer the fervent prayers of Mary and Martha so that God’s glory may be made known?

Challenge yourselves … How can you see his omniscient plans displayed in your own life today, even when the outcome is long delayed or not what you desired?

Can you recall a time when an “unanswered” prayer was actually revealed by the Living Word of God and the divine work of the Holy Spirit to be a blessing?

There shall be showers of blessing:
This is the promise of love;
There shall be seasons refreshing,
Sent from the Savior above.

Showers of blessing,
Showers of blessing we need:
Mercy-drops round us are falling,
But for the showers we plead. (refrain)

There shall be showers of blessing,
Precious reviving again;
Over the hills and the valleys,
Sound of abundance of rain. [Refrain]

There shall be showers of blessing:
Send them upon us, O Lord;
Grant to us now a refreshing,
Come and now honor Thy Word. [Refrain]

There shall be showers of blessing:
Oh, that today they might fall,
Now as to God we’re confessing,
Now as on Jesus we call! [Refrain]

https://hymnary.org/text/there_shall_be_showers_of_blessing_this

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 23 Authorized (King James) Version

Psalm 23

A Psalm of David.

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul:
he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

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.

https://translate.google.com/

Our families are a circle of strength founded on faith, joined in love kept by God forever. Genesis 2:21-24

Genesis 2:21-24 Authorized (King James) Version

21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; 22 and the rib, which the Lord  God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. 24  Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

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 Genesis 2:21-24 we find a close-up of the first wedding ever celebrated.

It took place in Paradise at the beginning of history, and it was one of the most impressive events ever.

The setting was more beautiful than at any other wedding.

The first bride and groom, Adam and Eve, were surrounded by the unstained, breathtaking beauty of God’s creation.

No modern-day florist or outdoor photographer could begin to capture the beauty of that setting.

Most impressive about that first wedding, though, was that God himself conducted the ceremony:

“the LORD God made a woman … and he brought her to the man.” This is the Bible’s way of telling us that marriage is from God, established as a creation ordinance. Marriage was not invented by a human being; it was instituted by God when he created us “male and female” (Genesis 1:27) and brought Adam and Eve together.

Marriage, then, is sacred.

All who marry receive a special gift from God’s own hands.

And because marriage is from God, we need to listen carefully to God’s expectations for marriage.

Many people see the outcome of their marriage as a toss-up.

Some see their marriage as a reason, as an opportunity, to start a reality television show to gain their fame and fortune and celebrity recognition.

Then to protect themselves and their individual estates, they sign complicated prenuptial agreements spelling out in greatest legalese, detailing their assets.

Consider that the wisest of the wise Kings Solomon had 600 wives and 300 concubines – and while God clearly held greatest relevance to Solomon in the beginning of his reign, by the time his reign concluded – it was a marital mess.

Who really knows if love truly exists in those relationships?

Who knows if God is even .01% relevant in that relationship?

But marriage has the God-given potential to be a powerful source of blessings, unity to all who choose to follow the instructions of the One who ordained it.

What Is God’s Purpose for Our Family?

Families. We all have one, whether it’s a biological family or an adopted family.

Families change when babies are born or adopted, and when marriages and deaths occur.

When one gets married, it’s normal to accept their spouse’s family as their own.

And there are times when, after the death of a spouse, the widow or widower maintains familial relationships with the family of their deceased spouse.

If one re-marries, the family increases.

Family is an important concept in the Bible.

God instituted family when He created Eve as a helpmeet for Adam.

The rest of the Bible speaks of family in its various roles, and most important is the church as God’s family.

What Does the Bible Say about Family?

The Bible defines the family as do we – those of the same household, that being the pairing of a husband (man) and wife (woman), along with their children.

Because God created the family, He is intimately involved with each one. 

Scripture is our great instructor of monogamy—the lifetime union of one man and one woman in marriage as the foundation of the family (Genesis 2:21-24).

Throughout the Bible, the institution of family as the model God created it to be is prevalent; all other relationships are to stem from the family, God’s building block of society. 

If we regard the Ten Commandments, we see the first four of them concern our relationship to and with God, the other 6 speak to our relationship with others.

Three are directly related to the family.

The fifth commandment says to honor one’s father and mother (the family foundation) (Exodus 20:12).

The seventh commandment says, “You shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14), thus preserving the sacred nature of the family.

The tenth commandment, “you shall not covet,” (Exodus 20:17) speaks to God’s command for fidelity of heart. For within a family, it is not good nor godly to covet what others have, including a different family.

Jesus said in Matthew 15:19, “out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.”

Actions proceed from the heart’s intent, and God is all about preserving the family as He created it. He therefore gets the glory (Ephesians 3:14-21).

The New Testament includes historical narratives and epistles which include instruction (and reiterations from the Old Testament and Jesus’ teachings) as to what the family is to be according to God.

Paul spoke to them when he said, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right” (Ephesians 6:1) and “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord” (Colossians 3:20).

Why Is Family So Important in the Bible?

God uses families throughout history to enact His will.

The promise God made to Abraham in Genesis 15:5 involves family.

“‘Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.’ Then He said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’”

A later unfolding of the Abrahamic Covenant reveals more details as God tells Abraham He has made him “the father of a multitude of nations…I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you.”

God established His everlasting covenant with Abraham and his progeny (Genesis 17:4-7). Thus began a family too large to number.

And within the family of Abraham, offshoots came.

The most significant is the progression of families which led to the birth of Jesus Christ, Savior of the world.

We can trace His genealogy at Matthew 1:1-17 (a possible trace of Joseph’s side of the family) and Luke 3:23-38 (a possible trace of Mary’s side of the family).

Not an insignificant aside is God used all sorts of people, including a Moabite woman (Ruth in Ruth 4:18-22), a prostitute (Rahab in Joshua 6:23-25 and Matthew 1:5), and an adulteress (Bathsheba in 2 Samuel 12:24).

The point is God shows no partiality, and He will use families for His purposes in His perfect timing (Isaiah 55:8; Acts 10:34; Romans 2;11; Galatians 4:4).

Who Is Our Family, according to the Bible?

Mark 3:31-35 Authorized (King James) Version

31 There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, calling him. 32 And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee. 33 And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren? 34 And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! 35 For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.

Is our family only biological?

Happily, no.

As Christians, we gain a two-fold family life when we accept and proclaim Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

In one sense, we do have biological families (those who belong to us in the way God intended), for example mother, father, and siblings.

In a second sense, as people belonging to Jesus, we have been adopted into the family of God (Romans 8:16-17).

Christians who have been adopted by other families here on earth are part of a three-fold family (biological, adopted, and God’s family). 

We can consider the family as a model for who we (as believers) are as God’s children. Each Christian is a child of God (Romans 8:16; 1 John 3:1).

And, according to God’s design, we each have a father, mother, and siblings (usually).

Each part of a person’s biological family is to act as God has mandated in His word.

And each spouse is to be one with the other (Matthew 19:5), just as we are one in Christ (Galatians 3:28). 

As far as the three possibilities, only one will endure forever, and that is the family of God.

We are indeed to love our biological family, yet we will spend eternity worshiping the Lord with our church family (which may indeed include members of our biological families).

Jesus, in Matthew 10:37, “Whoever loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me, and whoever loves son and daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me” (See also Matthew 12:50; Luke 14:26).

What Is God’s Purpose for the Family?

The Lord spelled out His reason for a family in Genesis 1:28 when He said,

“Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Families are to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth, just as God said would happen to Abraham’s family.

God uses each one born to continue that process through the means of families. 

In the end, however, each family member’s purpose is to,

“Fear God and keep His commandments” (Ecclesiastes 12:13); God’s ultimate purpose for us is to bring Him the glory He so rightfully deserves.

We are to seek His kingdom 1st as individuals, teach our families to do the same.

We are, as families, to grow in Christ and be witnesses to the world.

A cord of three strands is not easily broken; Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

we stand united in Christ to worship Him and enact His will, edify His Kingdom.

Yes, we are all born into a family.

Yet what matters, in the end, is to have been born again into the family of God (John 3:3).

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 45 Complete Jewish Bible

45 (0) For the leader. Set to “Lilies.” By the descendants of Korach. A maskil. A lovesong:

2 (1) My heart is stirred by a noble theme;
I address my verses to the king;
My tongue is the pen of an expert scribe.

3 (2) You are the most handsome of men;
gracious speech flows from your lips.
For God has blessed you forever.
4 (3) Warrior, strap your sword at your thigh;
[gird on] your splendor and majesty.
5 (4) In your majesty, succeed, ride on
in the cause of truth, meekness and righteousness.
May your right hand teach you awesome things.
6 (5) Your arrows are sharp. The people fall under you,
as they penetrate the hearts of the king’s enemies.
7 (6) Your throne, God, will last forever and ever;
you rule your kingdom with a scepter of equity.
8 (7) You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness.
Therefore God, your God, has anointed you
with the oil of joy in preference to your companions.
9 (8) Your robes are all fragrant with myrrh, aloes and cassia;
from ivory palaces stringed instruments bring you joy.
10 (9) Daughters of kings are among your favorites;
at your right stands the queen in gold from Ofir.

11 (10) Listen, daughter! Think, pay attention!
Forget your own people and your father’s house,
12 (11) and the king will desire your beauty;
for he is your lord, so honor him.
13 (12) Then the daughter of Tzor, the richest of peoples,
will court your favor with gifts.

14 (13) Inside [the palace], the king’s daughter looks splendid,
attired in checker-work embroidered with gold.
15 (14) In brocade, she will be led to the king,
to you, with the virgins in her retinue.
16 (15) They will be led in with gladness and joy,
they will enter the king’s palace.
17 (16) You will have sons to succeed your ancestors;
you will make them princes in all the land.
18 (17) I will make your name known through all generations;
thus the peoples will praise you forever and ever.

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.

https://translate.google.com/

“What is the supposed plan here?” from the viewpoint of all those 5000 gathering, what are we be pondering, our viewpoint, thoughts, theirs, our 2024 expectations? Matthew 14:13-18

Matthew 14:13-18 Complete Jewish Bible

13 On hearing about this, Yeshua left in a boat to be by himself in the wilderness. But the people learned of it and followed him from the towns by land. 14 So when he came ashore, he saw a huge crowd; and, filled with compassion for them, he healed those of them who were sick.

15 As evening approached, the talmidim came to him and said, “This is a remote place and it’s getting late. Send the crowds away, so that they can go and buy food for themselves in the villages.” 16 But Yeshua replied, “They don’t need to go away. Give them something to eat, yourselves!” 17 “All we have with us,” they said, “is five loaves of bread and two fish.” 18 He said, “Bring them here to me.”

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.

This story about Jesus feeding more than 5,000 people is usually told from the viewpoint of the disciples.

I see Jesus – this whole story revolves around his actions.

I see the twelve disciples.

I see the enormous expanse of curious people coming from all directions.

I sit here in my dining room writing this devotion, from a viewpoint focused squarely on what I know what Jesus is about to do – his healing of the sick and the disabled, his challenging his disciples to come up with a plan that will feed all those who have come right there in that moment – not sending them home.

I look at the wonderment coming from the confused minds of his 12 disciples at the enormous task that their Rabbi just handed over to them with that obvious expectation they will arrive at a workable doable solution and feed everyone.

I can see them scratching their collective heads, waving their collective arms all over the place, pushing, chattering and shouting and screaming at each other.

I can see Peter struggling to use some semblance of authority trying to gain some sense of control and give order – but the huge scope of the mission is not allowing for any fruitful results – and the longer that it goes on, the greater the chaos to fulfill their Rabbi’s command. From my 2024 eyes – I am bewildered.

I wonder what it was like to be those panicked disciples, a person in the crowd?

I would have loved to been that fly buzzing around from shoulder to shoulder trying to listen to their confused and chaotic efforts, a fly on Rabbi Jesus hands.

I can imagine walking around, or observe myself flying around surrounded by those thousands of people—men, women, children of all shapes, sizes, ages.

Everyone is trying to find their places to sit and keep their families together.

You would probably see oblivious young children rollicking, running around in play as their parents are desperately trying to corral them along the shoreline.

And seniors slowly shuffling to find a place close enough to Jesus so they could hear him speak.

It was probably an example of what people have called “organized chaos.” Even Jesus’ disciples didn’t know what to do with the hungry followers (vv. 15-17).

What was it like to observe the calm and measured face of Jesus in the midst of such a hectic scene? How did Jesus know he could actually feed all those hungry, exuberant newly healed people with just “five loaves of bread and two fish”?

Jesus always knew he could and would feed the healed, starving crowd because he was and is the compassionate Son of God, who not only provided the bread and fish but too created the earth, established everything in it, from the waters where the fish lived to the land which provided the grain used to bake bread.

Knowing the power of the Creator gave Jesus the opportunity to invite others to know him too. But in this moment, what was it that the twelve disciples knew of their Rabbi, could wrap their finite intellect around and the crowd of thousands, how much did they know, even care aside from the healings which stirred their “what is next” curiosity, did they come to expect a miracle or just full bellies?

What will happen to us if we are generous? We never run out of things to give be it money, goods, intellect or anything that we are generous of giving. Everything flows back in return a hundredfold.  Why is this so? The reason behind is, the moment we give; we don’t only give to the person who needs it we also give to Jesus. And Jesus whom we can never outdo in generosity gives back to us many times over what we give Him.

The crowd in the gospel who were following Jesus had nothing more left in them, they were hungry. And Jesus saw this that’s why He graciously did the miracle of loaves and fish. With five loaves and two fish He feed the nearly five thousand people not including women and children. After all of them had eaten from this miraculous abundance, they had an excess of twelve wicker baskets.

The simple message of the gospel for us from this text is we must be generous and thankful at all times. This is for the reason that God will never run out of anything to give and the more that he give the more that we would give also. God has no limits or boundaries on what He will provide, responding to us all.

As we witness Jesus being compassionate, merciful and generous to the utmost especially to the poor so we must be also make our own sacrifice of self. Let us not worry if our pockets will hurt from our being merciful and generous. For Jesus will always see to it we’ll be filled, motivated with anything that we need, observe with compassionate eyes, act with healing hands, not minding chaos. 

Having observed the twelve, the crowds, what are our 224 collective responses?

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

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Psalm 23 King James Version

23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

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.

https://translate.google.com/

Spurring one Another On, Bringing Out The Best In Others: How Well Does Anyone Really Recognize The Truest Urgency of Encouragement? Hebrews 10:19-25

Hebrews 10:19-25 Christian Standard Bible

Exhortations to Godliness

19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have boldness to enter the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus— 20 he has inaugurated[a] for us a new and living way through the curtain (that is, through his flesh)— 21 and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water. 23 Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, since he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, 25 not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.

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 word for “encouraging” here means literally “to stand alongside.”

https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g3870/kjv/tr/0-1/

It has to do with assuring someone that you care, strengthening them by just being there, by coming alongside of them. It’s also similar to a word used to describe the Holy Spirit—parakletos, which means “counselor, advocate.”

Is there anyone out there who does not need to be encouraged today?

There is a high probability that the answer to that question is a resounding NO!

We all do!

Anyone who says they never need encouragement is probably a hurting person.

There’s nothing wrong with desiring or needing encouragement. Jesus did.

His Father encouraged him, saying, “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased” (Luke 3:22). An angel encouraged him as he struggled alone one night, knowing he would soon be arrested and crucified (Luke 22:43).

In the Upper Room as they were all together celebrating their Passover, Jesus mightily stirred them up by declaring as he broke the bread – “this is my body which is broken for you, then declaring as he raised the cup – this is my blood which is being shed for you, then getting up he shed his tunic and he stated to wash everyone’s feet – John 13:6-8

6 He came to Simon Peter, who asked him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

7 Jesus answered him, “What I’m doing you don’t realize now, but afterward you will understand.”

8 “You will never wash my feet,” Peter said.

Jesus replied, “If I don’t wash you, you have no part with me.”

The disciples were completely stunned, disoriented by these declarations.

Jesus could easily sense this disorientation and moved quickly to encourage.

John 14:1-6 Amplified Bible

Jesus Comforts His Disciples

14 “Do not let your heart be troubled (afraid, cowardly). Believe [confidently] in God and trust in Him, [have faith, hold on to it, rely on it, keep going and]  believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many dwelling places. If it were not so, I would have told you, because I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and I will take you to Myself, so that where I am you may be also. 4 And [to the place]  where I am going, you know the way.” 5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going; so how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him,  “[a]I am the [only] Way [to God]  and the [real] Truth and the [real] Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

How well do we recognize when our neighbors need anyone’s encouragement?

One may be a student leaving home for college. Another may be a tired, frazzled mother facing the stress of child care and a strained marriage. Another may be a new widow or widower or new mother whose young child is now facing a severe life threatening medical diagnosis and facing long, lonely and uncertain days, an addict or an alcoholic who is burning one bridge after the other in their days of active use and abuse – they are just about to become unsupported, homeless.

Or perhaps there’s someone you have not seen at worship in a while. When that person is contacted, you discover their life has been put on notice when words like marital separation or divorce are being showered by tears all around them, or their house is being foreclosed, sudden loss of job, and any other countless and diverse reasons for tears. People who need encouragement are not far away.

Our children’s teachers, our worship leaders, pastors, elders—all of these folks need encour­agement. Elderly members of our congregations going through a time of transition, moving into senior or assistive living, having to surrender their driver’s license. Being available, a daily encourager can be an addictive but healthy habit. Loving by encouraging, by exhorting, can bring energy and joy.

Will you ask for it?

Will you give it?

Will you do it?

Will you receive it?

Transformation Through Exhortation

2 Timothy 4:1-5 Amplified Bible

“Preach the Word”

4 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2 preach the word [as an official messenger]; be ready when the time is right and even when it is not [keep your sense of urgency, whether the opportunity seems favorable or unfavorable, whether convenient or inconvenient, whether welcome or unwelcome]; correct [those who err in doctrine or behavior], warn [those who sin], exhort and encourage [those who are growing toward spiritual maturity], with inexhaustible patience and [faithful] teaching. 3 For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine and accurate instruction [that challenges them with God’s truth]; but wanting to have their ears tickled [with something pleasing], they will accumulate for themselves [many] teachers [one after another, chosen] to satisfy their own desires and to support the errors they hold, 4 and will turn their ears away from the truth and will wander off into myths and man-made fictions [and will accept the unacceptable]. 5 But as for you, be clear-headed in every situation [stay calm and cool and steady], endure every hardship [without flinching], do the work of an evangelist, fulfill [the duties of] your ministry.

Some of us need to be told to get off the sofa and be productive. Sometimes we just need to receive an order. That’s why there are many commands in the Bible.

Paul motivates Timothy through exhortations, such as Preach, be prepared, correct, rebuke, encourage.

Paul says, “You’ve got an important job to do. I have encouraged you; I have equipped you; I have given you an example; and now I charge you to get down to God’s business.”

The more I get to know myself, the more I realize that I often need a push to volunteer for service in God’s army. I need God himself as my drill sergeant.

We are all born with different personalities.

Hearing a command motivates some while frustrating others.

Prohibitions against disgraceful behavior can actually stir up a desire to disobey.

Something I frequently heard in my more mischievous youth; “Tell that child to stay away from the cookie jar,” and soon Mom would hear its lid rattling open.

Similarly, a “KEEP OFF THE GRASS” sign will actually prompt some soul to deliberately walk on the grass. But although commands might not work for all, most of us needed several stout words from our parents authority in our lives.

God is the ultimate authority in all of our lives.

We follow his commands because He has ultimate authority.

In awe, fear and deep reverence, we know he cares for us, has our best in mind, and acts from an eternal perspective and God’s criticism is always constructive.

And his exhortations are priceless advice. He charges us to hear, listen, obey.

Unswervingly Spur others to Greater Works …

John 14:12-13 Amplified Bible

12 I assure you and most solemnly say to you, anyone who believes in Me [as Savior] will also do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these [in extent and outreach], because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in My name [[a]as My representative], this I will do, so that the Father may be glorified and celebrated in the Son.

Unswervingly, in generic English translation it means to follow a direct path, to never turn aside and to be steadfast and loyal.

In Greek, the word is anthistemi, which means to set against or withstand without giving up or letting go.  We are to withstand without giving up on the hope we profess. We cannot turn or be turned aside from that hope.

We must hold tightly to it with a single-minded belief that this hope we have in Jesus, that which we profess is based on God’s promises which are unfailing.

The second word that grabbed me here was, spur. 

When I hear or see the word spur I think of an attachment to a cowboy’s boots which is meant to get their horses moving forward with a bit more urgency…

Spur also means to provoke or stir up, to goad in to action or to incite. 

It also means to urge or encourage to action, to move in vigorous pursuit of an object, to stimulate, to impel, to drive.

We are to spur each other on toward love and good deeds and not to neglect meeting together.

Spur does not mean suggest, imply, or consider.

It does not mean that we should think about it or wait for the right time or even to hold off till it’s convenient.

The sense of urgency here is clear.

We are to stand firm without turning aside, setting ourselves against all that comes at us in the hope of God’s promises.

Additionally, we are to drive and incite each other toward love and good deeds.

This is action! As I read this scripture with new eyes, I don’t see it as the warm fuzzy that I once did, encouraging me to remember God’s promises and to make sure I remain disciplined enough to continue to meet together with the Body.

This is a call to action.

A call for us to stand firm in the living Word of God, and the promises of God in our beliefs, our faith, to encourage one another to act as Christ has taught us.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 20 Complete Jewish Bible

20 (0) For the leader. A psalm of David:

2 (1) May Adonai answer you in times of distress,
may the name of the God of Ya‘akov protect you.
3 (2) May he send you help from the sanctuary
and give you support from Tziyon.
4 (3) May he be reminded by all your grain offerings
and accept the fat of your burnt offerings. (Selah)
5 (4) May he grant you your heart’s desire
and bring all your plans to success.

6 (5) Then we will shout for joy at your victory
and fly our flags in the name of our God.
May Adonai fulfill all your requests.

7 (6) Now I know that Adonai
gives victory to his anointed one —
he will answer him from his holy heaven
with mighty victories by his right hand.

8 (7) Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we praise the name of Adonai our God.
9 (8) They will crumple and fall,
but we will arise and stand erect.

10 (9) Give victory, Adonai!
Let the King answer us the day we call.

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.

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But God’s not finished. He’s waiting around to be gracious to you. He is gathering strength to show mercy to you. God always takes the time to do literally everything right. Those who will wait for him are the lucky ones. Isaiah 30:18-21

Isaiah 30:18-21 Easy-to-Read Version

God Will Help His People

18 So the Lord is waiting to show his mercy to you. He wants to rise and comfort you. The Lord is the God who does the right thing, so he will bless everyone who waits for his help.

19 You people who live in Jerusalem on Mount Zion will not continue crying. The Lord will hear your crying, and he will comfort you. When he hears you, he will help you.

20 The Lord might give you sorrow and pain like the bread and water you eat every day. But God is your teacher, and he will not continue to hide from you. You will see your teacher with your own eyes. 21 If you wander from the right path, either to the right or to the left, you will hear a voice behind you saying, “You should go this way. Here is the right way.”

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.

Good morning, church family! Today, we’re going to dive into a passage from the book of Isaiah, one that speaks to the very heart of our walk with Jesus.

It’s about God’s favor in times of trouble, His promise of comfort and restoration, and His blessing of divine guidance. These are themes that resonate deeply, especially in these uncertain and challenging times.

Reverend Charles Spurgeon once said, “God is too good to be unkind and He is too wise to be mistaken. And when we cannot trace His hand, we must trust His heart.”

I have to ask, Isn’t that a powerful reminder of God’s unfailing love, wisdom?

God’s Favour in Times of Trouble

In the midst of our trials and tribulations, it is often difficult to perceive God’s favor. Yet, the scripture passage from Isaiah 30:18-21 assures us that God’s favor is not absent in times of trouble, but rather, it is most profoundly present.

The first verse, “Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you,” is a powerful testament to God’s enduring love and favor towards us, even in our darkest hours.

Favor definition: The Hebrew word for favor, ‘hen’, connotes grace, kindness, and acceptance. It is a divine attribute that God bestows upon His people, not because we have earned it, but because of His utterly boundless love and mercy.

This favor is not a guarantee of a trouble-free life, but rather, it is the assurance of God’s living presence, guidance, and sustenance in the midst of our troubles.

Not a passive concept: It is not a mere comforting thought to hold onto when we are in distress. Rather, it is an active, dynamic force that propels us forward, enabling us to navigate through our trials with courage, resilience, and hope.

It is God’s favor that gives us the strength to endure, the wisdom to understand, the wisdom to stop, be still, sit still stay still and the faith to trust in His divine plan, even when the sum of our circumstances seem bleak and insurmountable.

God’s favor in times of trouble and uncertainty manifests itself in various ways:

For some, it may be the sudden provision of resources in times of need. For others, it may be the unexpected help from a stranger, the comforting words from a friend, or the inner peace that surpasses all understanding. (John 14:27)

Yet, for all, God’s sure and trustworthy promise of favor is the assurance of His utterly unfailing love, His unwavering presence, and His unchanging promises.

A transformative force:

It not only sustains us in our trials but also shapes us through them.

It molds our character, refines our faith, and deepens our dependence on God.

Through the fires of the very hottest of furnaces of affliction, we are so slowly, inexorably, transformed into vessels of honour, newly fit for the Master’s use.

Proverbs 27:17 Easy-to-Read Version

17 As one piece of iron sharpens another, so friends keep each other sharp.

A testament to His divine justice:

As the scripture says, “For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.” God’s justice is not merely punitive; but it is also restorative.

He brings good out of evil, hope out of despair, strength from weakness, and life out of death.

His favor is His divine response to our human predicament, a testament to His commitment to restore, redeem, and renew all things in His time, in His way.

Not a magic wand that instantly removes our troubles;

Rather, it is the divine assurance that in the midst of our troubles, we are not alone, we are not forgotten, and we are not defeated. It is the divine promise that though we may walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we need fear no evil, for God is with us, His rod and His staff, they always comfort us.

The Promise of Comfort and Restoration

2 Corinthians 13:5-10 Amplified Bible

5 Test and evaluate yourselves to see whether you are in the faith and living your lives as [committed] believers. Examine yourselves [not me]! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves [by an ongoing experience] that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test and are rejected as counterfeit? 6 But I hope you will acknowledge that we do not fail the test nor are we to be rejected. 7 But I pray to God that you may do nothing wrong. Not so that we [and our teaching] may appear to be approved, but that you may continue doing what is right, even though we [by comparison] may seem to have failed. 8 For we can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth [and the gospel—the good news of salvation]. 9 We are glad when we are weak [since God’s power comes freely through us], but you [by comparison] are strong. We also pray for this, that you be made complete [fully restored, growing and maturing in godly character and spirit—pleasing your heavenly Father by the lives you live]. 10 For this reason I am writing these things while absent from you, so that when I come, I will not need to deal so severely [with you], in my use of the authority which the Lord has given me [to be used] for building you up and not for tearing you down.

The promises of comfort and restoration are not just a soothing balm for our present pain, but those promises of comfort and restoration also carries with them the solemn assurance of a future restoration that God has planned for us.

God, our Single, Only Greatest Best Friend Forever

Psalm 25:12-18 English Standard Version

12 Who is the man who fears the Lord?
    Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose.
13 His soul shall abide in well-being,
    and his offspring shall inherit the land.
14 The friendship[a] of the Lord is for those who fear him,
    and he makes known to them his covenant.
15 My eyes are ever toward the Lord,
    for he will pluck my feet out of the net.

16 Turn to me and be gracious to me,
    for I am lonely and afflicted.
17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged;
    bring me out of my distresses.
18 Consider my affliction and my trouble,
    and forgive all my sins.

I will often picture God sitting on an ornate throne made of rare metals, adorned with priceless jewels, and upholstered in the finest fabric.

Some Bible passages portray God in a similar way.

But, what if, for a moment, we close our eyes, quiet our souls, and imagine God differently? What if God—still in all his glory and splendor—isn’t sitting in lavishness associated with royalty but instead is sitting at the corner booth in a local coffee shop, or on the couch in your family room, eagerly waiting for you?

What if God, who is so excited to see you, suddenly, upon seeing you, leaps from his seated position and embraces you, hugs, like a friend who longs to hear how you are doing and what you have been up to? Would you run away or stay still?

While you are sharing a meal, what if God, in both his divine and human nature, gives you his undivided attention as you sit in a corner booth in Burger King and invites you to share with him your life, your story, your joys, your concerns too?

What if . . . ?

How do you see God today?

Or, maybe a better question: How do you need to see God today?

The beauty of God is that he is not only the King of all creation but also the single most patient most attentive of best friends who will always be near.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 8 Complete Jewish Bible

8 (0) For the leader. On the gittit. A psalm of David:

2 (1) Adonai! Our Lord! How glorious
is your name throughout the earth!
The fame of your majesty
spreads even above the heavens!

3 (2) From the mouths of babies and infants at the breast
you established strength because of your foes,
in order that you might silence
the enemy and the avenger.

4 (3) When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and stars that you set in place —
5 (4) what are mere mortals, that you concern yourself with them;
humans, that you watch over them with such care?

6 (5) You made him but little lower than the angels,
you crowned him with glory and honor,
7 (6) you had him rule what your hands made,
you put everything under his feet —
8 (7) sheep and oxen, all of them,
also the animals in the wilds,
9 (8) the birds in the air, the fish in the sea,
whatever passes through the paths of the seas.

10 (9) Adonai! Our Lord! How glorious
is your name throughout the earth!

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.

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