Romans 15:4 "For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."
6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert[a] the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be [b]accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.
10 For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.
Call to Apostleship
11 But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. 12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.
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.
Scroll through your host of social media feeds, and you will undoubtedly be bombarded by myriads and myriads of different voices, opinions, conclusions.
Some of those messages safely grounded in legitimately proven theories, are sourced from verifiable resources. Still, some of those messages are downright dangerous laced by half truth’s or no truth at all but they are written so cleverly that they are easily believed and in turn is accepted and then become the norm.
But a lie is still a lie no matter how it sounds, no matter how often it is granted the status of truth, no matter how clever, smart, intuitive, educated the teacher.
Now that we have the internet, the World Wide Net, the Dark Internet, the sheer volume of messages is far greater now than during the time of the early church, the consequence of listening, adhering, not verifying truth, remains the same.
With such a burden of weight of information, what are those authentic truths?
Sourced from the Word of God or sourced in the glib clever words of charlatans?
Paul doesn’t beat around the bush about this in his Galatian letter. Immediately following his greeting (vv. 1–5), he gives the main reason for this letter: it is his concern about the impending apostasy of these precious young churches (v. 6).
This is perhaps Paul’s most passionate and zealous letter. Since it was possibly also his first epistle, he may have still been learning to temper his emotions.
His shock and outrage almost leap off the page!
It was unfathomable to him these followers of Christ—with whom he had shared the true grace of God—were now being so easily drawn away by a “different gospel,” which was actually “no gospel at all” (v. 6).
Paul then points a finger at the source of the problem.
Some unnamed influencers had come to the region and were creating confusion by “perverting” the gospel (v. 6). While the English verb “pervert” means to alter the course or distort what was intended, the Greek verb is even stronger.
It describes the act of turning the subject into something completely different.
These meddlers were twisting, turning the gospel into something utterly false.
To underscore the severity of the situation, Paul even pronounces (twice!) a divine curse on anyone— himself and angels included—who would proclaim a different gospel (vv. 8–9).
The only true, authentic gospel was the good news of Jesus Christ, which Paul had preached to the Galatians from the beginning, and the only appropriate motivation for this gospel ministry was centered solely to please God alone.
Going Deeper
2 Timothy 2:14-19New King James Version
Approved and Disapproved Workers
14 Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to [a]strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers. 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 16 But shun profane and [b]idle babblings, for they will [c]increase to more ungodliness. 17 And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, 18 who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some. 19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of [d]Christ depart from iniquity.”
Paul says here to study to show thyself approved unto God; we are to not just read God’s Word but we are to fellowship with it, study it, ponder it, asking the Lord to reveal the deeper truths, reveal the real living meaning into, unto, us.
I find myself to many times just reading and not mediating on the Word. If we are not careful we can unknowingly be put in a situation where someone asks us about something in God’s Word and we are unable to answer because we have not yet been studious enough, prayerful, and grasped the meaning in our heart.
This can put us to shame as a Christian. One of our greatest gifts to others is to be able show ourselves able to rightly divide God’s Word and pass it on to them.
Matthew 6:19-21 New King James Version
Lay Up Treasures in Heaven
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
What we put our time into is what we will be knowledgeable about. For example I know people who are very knowledge about classic and collectible cars and movies especially old western and crime and detective (Perry Mason etcetera.)
They can tell you who starred as most of the characters of those movies.
They have invested their time into them and became knowledgeable in them.
Me, on the other hand know very little about them because even though I enjoy watching them I have not invested the same quantity of my own time in them.
On the other hand I can tell you things about writing these biblical devotions as I have written, best guess is well over 1600 of them, shared them over the globe.
As Christian we need to invest time in God’s Word as much as possible, study and mediate upon it so we are able to answer any person’s question about the Lord and Salvation through Him.
Don’t get me wrong; it is alright to love other things and be knowledgeable about them but our first priority should be to know God personally in our heart and to be knowledge in His Word. When we do this we will never be ashamed of the Word of God and God will always be able to use us to bring others to Him.
Proverbs 4:20-24 New King James Version
20 My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. 21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; 22 For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh. 23 Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life. 24 Put away from you a [a]deceitful mouth, And put perverse lips far from you.
What “perverse lips,” “deceitful mouths” or “false gospels” vie for your attention and loyalty, contribute to your confusion, muddle up God’s Word?
How can we, with all diligence guard our heart and mind from those influences?
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 19 New King James Version
The Perfect Revelation of the Lord
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
19 The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament[a] shows [b]His handiwork. 2 Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard. 4 Their [c]line has gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world.
In them He has set a [d]tabernacle for the sun, 5 Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, And rejoices like a strong man to run its race. 6 Its rising is from one end of heaven, And its circuit to the other end; And there is nothing hidden from its heat.
7 The law of the Lord is perfect, [e]converting the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; 8 The statutes 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 forever; The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the [f]honeycomb. 11 Moreover by them Your servant is warned, And in keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. 13 Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, And I shall be innocent of [g]great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my [h]strength and my Redeemer.
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.
3 For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me. 4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. 5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: 6 that ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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.
Romans 15:4 in the King James Version of the Bible reads,
“For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”
This verse is a eye opening reminder of the importance of our learning from the ancient writings and scriptures to find hope, comfort, and patience in our lives.
The book of Romans was written by the apostle Paul to the believers in Rome, both Jewish and Gentile Christians.
In this particular passage, Paul is urging the believers to come together in unity, to accept one another, and to edify build each other up in their faith.
He emphasizes the 100% unquestionable importance of the scriptures and the wisdom found in them to bring hope, comfort, and patience to the believers as they navigate their the long winding course of life and the challenges they face.
The phrase “whatsoever things were written aforetime” refers to the Old Testament scriptures, which were the primary religious texts for the early Christian believers.
These writings include the stories of the patriarchs, the laws of Moses, the History books, the Psalms, Proverbs, Job, and the words of the prophets.
Paul is here highlighting their invaluable timeless wisdom and lessons found in these ancient texts, encouraging the believers to read, study, learn, from them.
The verse continues, “were written for our learning”. This points to the 100% relevance of the Old Testament scriptures for the New Testament believers.
Even though the Old Testament was written centuries before the time of Jesus, the teachings and stories contained within it still hold in valuable lessons and insights for believers today.
The scriptures provide a foundation of understanding and knowledge that can guide believers in their personal worship, prayer time, faith and in their lives.
Paul goes on to say,
“that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”
He is making for us here a direct connection between the scriptures and the qualities of patience, perseverance in our trials, comfort, faith and in hope.
The Old Testament scriptures offer believers patience by showing them examples of perseverance and endurance in the face of trials. They provide comfort through the promises of God’s presence and care for His people.
And ultimately, they offer faith and hope by pointing to the redemptive work of God at Calvary, His never ending faithfulness to His people throughout history.
This verse carries several important themes central to the Christian faith.
First, it emphasizes the unity and continuity between the Old Testament and the New Testament.
It shows the Old and New Testament scriptures are a cohesive whole, with the Old Testament laying the foundation for the New Testament.
It also highlights the importance of learning and studying the scriptures, recognizing them as a valuable source of wisdom and guidance for believers.
Additionally, it underscores the biblically essential qualities of patience, faith, comfort, and hope that the scriptures can bring to those who engage with them.
The context of this verse within the book of Romans is significant as well.
Throughout the letter, Paul addresses threatening issues of division and disunity within the Roman church. He is exhorting the believers to come together in love and to build each other up in their faith. By pointing to the scriptures as the source of our hope, comfort, and patience, Paul is encouraging the believers to turn first to God’s word as a unifying force in their community.
Symbolically, this verse represents the timeless nature of God’s word and the enduring relevance of the scriptures for our answering the hardest hardcore of questions for non-believers, skeptics, seekers and believers of all generations.
It points to the idea that the myriad of stories and teachings of the Bible are not just for ancient history, but living and active sources of truth and guidance for those who seek them, who desire learning, who desire transformation in life.
It also symbolizes the cutting edge transformative power of the scriptures to bring about patience, comfort, hope, power of change in the lives of believers.
Hebrews 4:12 Authorized (King James) Version
12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Romans 15:4 is a powerful cutting edge reminder of the importance of engaging with the scriptures as a source of faith, hope, comfort, patience for believers.
It poignantly emphasizes the unity between the Old and New Testaments, the value of learning from the ancient writings, and the transformative nature of God’s word. It serves as an invaluable, timeless encouragement, for believers to turn firstly to the scriptures as a source of wisdom and guidance in their lives.
Why does the Old Testament Authentically Matter?
Romans 15:3-6 New American Standard Bible 1995
3 For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.” 4 For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 Now may the God [a] who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, 6 so that with one accord you may with one [b]voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
While we may understand the importance of God’s word for our lives, we might also wonder, deep down, why we should study Old Testament stories. What can us modern people gain from such a study? Why not focus on the New Testament exclusively and the stories solely of what Jesus and His apostles did and said?
Here is the answer (among the many) I offer to the readership of this blog: these ancient segments of history are significant not just for the biblical characters or for Israel but also for you and me—indeed, for the entire world!
Such a sweeping claim may sound like hyperbole. But if we approach our study of the Bible with certain convictions in mind, we will begin to understand and be convinced, as the apostle Paul was clearly convinced, that the Old Testament was written for us, was written for us to study, instruct, that it offers us hope.
The first conviction is that there is unity to the Bible, from creation in Genesis to the new creation in Revelation.
In between is the record of humanity’s fall and the chaos and brokenness of the universe that flowed from it.
Through it all, we discover the story of redemption and the plan and purpose of God to put together a people of His very own.
We need to read the whole of that story, from start to finish.
The second conviction guiding our study of God’s word is this biblical unity exists not because it is a collection of religious documents but because it is the word of God, written by men who “spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21).
We need to read all of what God has chosen to tell us.
Thirdly, there is the conviction that we need our Bibles to understand human history, our own little histories, and our contributory place within history.
Much of what is happening within us and around us does not make sense apart from an understanding of human nature and God’s sovereignty at work as it is being revealed in and through the Holy Scriptures.
Finally, we hold the conviction that the Bible, including the Old Testament, is a prophetic book about Jesus.
If we take our eyes away from Jesus, then we don’t just lose our way around the length, width, depths, heights of the universe; we also lose our way around the Bible. The Old Testament points us to Christ, prepares us for Christ, and shows us pictures of Christ. One of the first questions we ought always to be asking is;
“How does this record of things show me good news about Savior Jesus Christ?”
With these convictions in mind, we can have real confidence as we study the Old Testament that it is instructive. But not only that: it is full of hope, for it shows us our Savior. The more we read the passages of these Old Testament as books written by God, through His Spirit, about His Son, the more we grow in hope, in faith, in His wisdom and understanding, and into the likeness of our Savior.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Proverbs 3 New International Version
Wisdom Bestows Well-Being
3 My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, 2 for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity.
3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.[a]
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. 8 This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.
9 Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; 10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.
11 My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, 12 because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.[b]
13 Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, 14 for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. 15 She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. 16 Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. 17 Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace. 18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her; those who hold her fast will be blessed.
19 By wisdom the Lord laid the earth’s foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place; 20 by his knowledge the watery depths were divided, and the clouds let drop the dew.
21 My son, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight, preserve sound judgment and discretion; 22 they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck. 23 Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble. 24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. 25 Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, 26 for the Lord will be at your side and will keep your foot from being snared.
27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act. 28 Do not say to your neighbor, “Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you”— when you already have it with you. 29 Do not plot harm against your neighbor, who lives trustfully near you. 30 Do not accuse anyone for no reason— when they have done you no harm.
31 Do not envy the violent or choose any of their ways.
32 For the Lord detests the perverse but takes the upright into his confidence. 33 The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the righteous. 34 He mocks proud mockers but shows favor to the humble and oppressed. 35 The wise inherit honor, but fools get only shame.
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.
Ecclesiastes 8:16-17 Authorized (King James) Version
16 When I applied mine heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth: (for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes:) 17 then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea further; though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.
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.
What does Ecclesiastes 8 16 17 mean?
No combination of time, labor, and wisdom can give humanity all the answers. Human reason and experience will always fall short of our comprehending God. Man may toil to understand, even never sleep day or night, spending twenty-four hours a day thinking about it—but he still cannot fully grasp God’s ways.
What is the meaning of Ecclesiastes 8 16?
No one can ever be intellectual enough to comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all their maximum efforts to search it out, no one can discover its meaning. Even if the wise claim they know, they cannot really comprehend it.
What does Ecclesiastes 8 17 mean?
God allows trials to come, but He also allows blessings to come. He is in control of every situation on earth. We can only observe the very slimmest part of the picture, but God sees the entire picture from start to finish. After all, there is too much to know. “No one can discover everything God is doing under the sun.”
We all like to have answers. In life’s endless circle of uncertainty, and especially when the world or our own personal circumstances feel hyper chaotic, we long for surety. Just think of all the experts to whom we look for guidance: medical experts, social experts, political experts, and so on.
Yet while the proliferation of so-called experts may be unique to our day, the quest for certainty is not. In every age, humans have searched for some kind of rhyme or reason or rationale to make sense of the grand events of history and the experiences of their individual lives. God’s ways are far above our capacity.
We find an ancient example of this endless quest in the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes. Its writer shares with us his attempts to understand “all that is done under heaven,” applying his heart “to know wisdom and to know madness and folly” (Ecclesiastes 1:13, 17).
Yet in the end, he concludes that “man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun.”
Most people will arrive at the same conclusion without so much effort—all we need is enough time to live our lives and trying to observe the world around us.
The wise response to this truth is to humble ourselves and live by the light of God’s word. In other words, we acknowledge that while God does not permit us to know all we might want to know, He has already given us all that we’ll need.
Genuine humility admits, even embraces, finally surrenders, to this limitation.
If we were to behold the fullness of all of God’s activity and purposes, it would be like looking up directly into a very bright sun.
The light we are meant to live by is revealed in Scripture.
It is the word of God that lights our path: “The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple” (Psalm 119:130).
It may not light all our surroundings, but it does light the way ahead—if we will walk in trust and obedience.
Rather than busying ourselves with what cannot be known, we need to come to the Scriptures humbly, expectantly, and consistently, so that we might discover the light it provides. We won’t ever understand the fullness of life entirely, but we may understand it sufficiently and wisely, and so sing with William Cowper:
Deep in unfathomable mines Of never-failing skill, He treasures up His bright designs And works His sovereign will.[1]
1William Cowper, “God Moves in a Mysterious Way” (1774).
This view of life under the sun is what will enable us to increasingly trust that God will, in His own good time and in His own good way, bring perfect order out of seeming confusion. He spoke order in the chaos at the beginning, He will use all of our circumstances now to complete all of His purposes for all of eternity.
Can we grasp the enormity, magnitude, of what God is capable of, we are not?
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 19 Authorized (King James) Version
Psalm 19
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.
1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. 2 Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. 3 There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. 4 Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, 5 which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. 6 His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.
7 The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. 8 The statutes 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 judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. 11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward. 12 Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. 13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.
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.
7 1-5 God told Moses, “Look at me. I’ll make you as a god to Pharaoh and your brother Aaron will be your prophet. You are to speak everything I command you, and your brother Aaron will tell it to Pharaoh. Then he will release the Israelites from his land. At the same time I am going to put Pharaoh’s back up and follow it up by filling Egypt with signs and wonders. Pharaoh is not going to listen to you, but I will have my way against Egypt and bring out my soldiers, my people the Israelites, from Egypt by mighty acts of judgment. The Egyptians will realize that I am God when I step in and take the Israelites out of their country.”
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.
… At the same time I am going to put Pharaoh’s back up and follow it up by filling Egypt with signs and wonders. Pharaoh is not going to listen to you, but I will have my way against Egypt and bring out my soldiers, my people the Israelites, from Egypt by mighty acts of judgment. The Egyptians will realize that I am God when I step in and take the Israelites out of their country.”
Are the 2025 Los Angeles Wildfires a Sign or a “Taste” of God’s Coming Judgment, the Arrival of God’s Judgment, upon the state of California?
Exodus 7:4 Amplified Bible
4 But Pharaoh will not listen to you, and I shall lay My hand on Egypt and bring out My hosts [like a defensive army, tribe by tribe], My people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment (the plagues).
Matthew 11:20-24 English Standard Version
Woe to Unrepentant Cities
20 Then he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I tell you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.”
Matthew 12:34-37 The Message
34-37 “You have minds like a snake pit! How do you suppose what you say is worth anything when you are so foul-minded? It’s your heart, not the dictionary, that gives meaning to your words. A good person produces good deeds and words season after season. An evil person is a blight on the orchard. Let me tell you something: Every one of these careless words is going to come back to haunt you. There will be a time of Reckoning. Words are powerful; take them seriously. Words can be your salvation. Words can also be your damnation.”
Matthew 23:23-24 The Message
23-24 “You’re hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You keep meticulous account books, tithing on every nickel and dime you get, but on the meat of God’s Law, things like fairness and compassion and commitment—the absolute basics!—you carelessly take it or leave it. Careful bookkeeping is commendable, but the basics are required. Do you have any idea how silly you look, writing a life story that’s wrong from start to finish, nitpicking over commas and semicolons?
The Great flood from Genesis … the times of Noah?
Sodom and Gomorrah?
Jonah and his mission to straighten (call to repentance) of Nineveh?
These are just a very few of the Biblical passages we can find and try to apply to our personal “set in stone” theologies to the reasons why we ourselves believe the areas around the City of Los Angeles is burning, causing great devastation to homes and businesses, areas of recreation, to animal life and much more.
Add to all of that is the inevitable loss of life and the enormous trauma each individual experiences based on what magnitude they themselves visualized, the time and duration of their exposure and the depths of their involvement.
Six California fires have devastated Los Angeles. As of this writing, two of those fires are mostly contained, but four more continue to cause vast destruction.
More than 12,000 homes both rich and poor, numerous businesses have been burned. So far, over 40,000 acres have burned, with multiple blazes still raging.
The stories coming from the area are heartbreaking, the photos are startling.
To be frank, it looks like hell.
Which, unsurprisingly, has caused many folks to make those connections to God’s judgment. To many conservative Christians, the state of California and places like Los Angeles are known as the ultimate paradigm of ungodliness. But is that true? Are these fires in L.A. an authentic expression of God’s judgment?
People on social media have quickly proclaimed this as evidence of God’s extreme displeasure and judgment. Others, like Reverend Franklin Graham, have said it’s not God’s judgment. How should we think about these things?
What Does the Bible Say about Judgment and Disasters?
The pages of Scripture are filled with disasters. We’re not even ten chapters into this almost 1200-chapter book when God floods the entire world (Genesis 6:5-7) as a direct response to humanity’s widespread unrelenting vile wickedness.
After saying he’d never destroy the world in that fashion again, by Genesis 19, we see Sodom and Gomorrah utterly destroyed by storms of fire and brimstone.
This, as a side note, was also trending on social media a couple of days ago because of people tying these fires to stories of this text of God’s judgment.
It’s clear, then, that God does use natural disasters as signs of judgment.
But it should be noted that in each instance, there are clear warnings and calls to repentance. They are always accompanied by divine revelation and there is no doubt as to their intent – the hardcore message of turn around, back to God .
Burning up a place and saying, “I hope that got your attention,” isn’t exactly the modus operandi of the God of the Universe. Psalms 86:15, Psalms 103:8 and Psalms 145:8 repeat this: He is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
Without warning or communication, an event like these wildfires as judgment would seem to go against what the Scriptures repeatedly say, how the Scripture speaks of God exercising, executing judgment of humanity by natural disasters.
But there is another sense in which all disasters and the brokenness of creation are a God’s indictment against His people consequence of our sin called pride.
Micah 6:1-8 Amplified Bible
God’s Indictment of His People
6 Hear now what the Lord is saying, “Arise, plead your case before the mountains, And let the hills [as witnesses] hear your voice. 2 “Hear, O mountains, the indictment of the Lord, And you enduring foundations of the earth, For the Lord has a case (a legal complaint) against His people, And He will dispute (challenge) Israel. 3 “O My people, what have I done to you [since you have turned away from Me]? And how have I wearied you? Answer Me. 4 “For I brought you up from the land of Egypt And ransomed you from the house of slavery, And I sent before you Moses [to lead you], Aaron [the high priest], and Miriam [the prophetess]. 5 “My people, remember now What Balak king of Moab devised [with his evil plan against Israel] And what Balaam the son of Beor answered him [turning the curse into blessing for Israel], [Remember what the Lord did for you] from [a]Shittim to Gilgal, So that you may know the righteous and saving acts [displaying the power] of the Lord.”
What God Requires of Man
6 With what shall I come before the Lord [to honor Him] And bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, With yearling calves? 7 Will the Lord be delighted with thousands of rams, Or with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my acts of rebellion, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8 He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you Except to be just, and to love [and to diligently practice] kindness (compassion), And to walk humbly with your God [setting aside any overblown sense of importance or self-righteousness]?
It was God’s judgment that booted humanity out of the Garden of Eden and here where the wild things are.
There aren’t wildfires in Eden.
This means, at least in some sense, we can say that this is a consequence of our sin and God’s judgment upon that sin.
This way of thinking is the background for Jesus’ words in Luke 13:5. Here, a massacre by Pilate and the collapse of a Tower lead Jesus to say, “Unless you repent, you too will perish.”
He doesn’t tie the disaster directly to God’s judgment but points to a universal need for repentance.
If the wildfire is judgment—it’s a judgment upon all of us and not only those who are in L.A.
The Scripture also assures us God’s ultimate purpose in allowing disasters isn’t to destroy but to redeem. In all of these graphic stories of judgment and great destruction, there is always a call to repentance and then a promise of grace.
Disasters should lead us back to God.
They are a reminder that our world is broken and we need redemption.
They propel us to long for the hope of the new creation (Revelation 21:4).
It’s because of this over-arching story of the Bible that I’m hesitant to give a measured specific answer to whether these wildfires are God’s judgment. We should be cautious in assuming or even dismissing them as God’s judgment.
Isaiah 43:1-3 Amplified Bible
Israel Redeemed
43 But now, this is what the Lord, your Creator says, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you [from captivity]; I have called you by name; you are Mine! 2 “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you. 3 “For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I have given Egypt [to the Babylonians] as your ransom, Cush (ancient Ethiopia) and Seba [its province] in exchange for you.
Why We Should Be Cautious about Assuming (or Dismissing) God’s Judgment
I imagine a reporter thousands of years ago interviewing one of Job’s friends. Perhaps he was commissioned to write an article to give his opinion on Job’s misfortune. To be honest, the whole thing feels a little icky. I don’t smell the smoke from the fires. I am not directly impacted. For that reason, it feels a little too detached to give my opinions on what God is or is not doing in the L.A. fires.
I am cautious, then, that I not be like Job’s friends. They were miserable counselors. They tied together a few strands in their theology and jumped to a conclusion about Job. They believed that bad things didn’t happen to good people, but bad things were clearly happening to Job. Their only recourse, then, was to assume that Job must have been doing something wrong. But they were foolish, and God rebuked them.
Isaiah 55:8-9 tells us that God’s thoughts are not our thoughts. For that reason, unless God has clearly revealed something, I’m going to be very hesitant proclaiming a “thus says the Lord” over a natural disaster. But that goes both ways. I also don’t have the confidence to say it absolutely is not God’s judgment. In Amos’ time, several disasters hit Israel. They were designed to lead the people to repentance—but they quickly dismissed them. I don’t want to err on that end, either.
As unsatisfactory as it may sound, my answer to the question at hand is simply “maybe.” I lean towards saying that it isn’t because, typically, God will give warnings and communication. In fact, I’d go so far as to say I’d be shocked if it was a pointed judgment. But that doesn’t mean that I believe God isn’t communicating through these fires. Nor is it saying that in no way can we speak of these things as judgment.
But what we need to be very cautious about is not heeding the counsel of Luke 13. Jesus drew attention back to our own hearts. If you’re looking down your nose at those in L.A. but not taking a look at your own soul, I don’t believe you’re thinking about this biblically. You’re not responding to disaster as a believer ought to respond.
How Should Christians Respond to Disasters Like This?
When faced with disasters like the L.A. wildfires, Christians are called to respond with compassion. Alongside this compassion, we are called to point to Christ as the hope and answer for all that besets us outside of Eden.
Galatians 6:2 calls us to bear one another’s burdens.
We should not look upon these fires with glee or celebrate that godless people are receiving their comeuppance. That’s foolishness. Rather we should bear their burdens and seek to love our hurting neighbors. That’s our first response.
Let’s just think for a moment about the purpose of a question like the one proposed in this devotional effort.
What good does it serve?
Let’s say we come to the conclusion it’s absolutely not a sign of God’s judgment.
Well, that’s a good thing. But is there still not a call for us to repent and turn to Christ? Are we willing to say that God isn’t doing anything in a disaster like this?
Surely not. We want to see even something as devastating as this be used for our good and the furtherance of God’s kingdom. Do I have to declare unequivocally that it is or is not judgment in order to love people and point them to Jesus? No.
What I like to say when we tackle sticky questions like this is that it’s a bit like a sumo-wrestler river-dancing on thin ice. He might get in a few sweet moves, but eventually, he’s is just as likely to lose his balance, to make a big splash, and all those in close proximity will get wet, miserable because of it, especially him.
The only reason why our sumo-wrestler would venture out onto thin ice to do something so foolhardy is to show off or entertain.
And neither of those are needed nor the least bit appropriate at a time like this.
It’s far better position to speak powerfully about what we do know (Christ and Him crucified) what we believe; love wholeheartedly the person in front of us.
John 3:16-21 Amplified Bible
16 “For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] [a]only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge and condemn the world [that is, to initiate the final judgment of the world], but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 Whoever believes and has decided to trust in Him [as personal Savior and Lord] is not judged [for this one, there is no judgment, no rejection, no condemnation]; but the one who does not believe [and has decided to reject Him as personal Savior and Lord] is judged already [that one has been convicted and sentenced], because [b]he has not believed and trusted in the name of the [One and] only begotten Son of God [the One who is truly unique, the only One of His kind, the One who alone can save him]. 19 This is the judgment [that is, the cause for indictment, the test by which people are judged, the basis for the sentence]: the Light has come into the world, and people loved the [c]darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20 For every wrongdoer hates the Light, and does not come to the Light [but shrinks from it] for fear that his [sinful, worthless] activities will be exposed and condemned. 21 But whoever practices truth [and does what is right—morally, ethically, spiritually] comes to the Light, so that his works may be plainly shown to be what they are—accomplished in God [divinely prompted, done with God’s help, in dependence on Him].”
John 13:34-35 Amplified Bible
34 I am giving you a new commandment, that you [a]love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too are to love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love and unselfish concern for one another.”
John 15:13-16 Amplified Bible
13 No one has greater love [nor stronger commitment] than to lay down his own life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you keep on doing what I command you. 15 I do not call you servants any longer, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you [My] friends, because I have revealed to you everything that I have heard from My Father. 16 You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and I have appointed and placed and purposefully planted you, so that you would go and bear fruit and keep on bearing, and that your fruit will remain and be lasting, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name [as My representative] He may give to you.
Disasters are an opportunity to point to the hope we have in Christ. While the world groans under the weight of the curse (Romans 8:20-22), we can offer the solution. We do not have to respond in despair or judgment, but rather, we are positioned to give practical love and care while we share the love of Christ.
Romans 8:1-8The Message
The Solution Is Life on God’s Terms
8 1-2 With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ’s being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death.
3-4 God went for the jugular when he sent his own Son. He didn’t deal with the problem as something remote and unimportant. In his Son, Jesus, he personally took on the human condition, entered the disordered mess of struggling humanity in order to set it right once and for all. The law code, weakened as it always was by fractured human nature, could never have done that.
The law always ended up being used as a Band-Aid on sin instead of a deep healing of it. And now what the law code asked for but we couldn’t deliver is accomplished as we, instead of redoubling our own efforts, simply embrace what the Spirit is doing in us.
5-8 Those who think they can do it on their own end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle but never get around to exercising it in real life. Those who trust God’s action in them find that God’s Spirit is in them—living and breathing God! Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life. Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God. Anyone completely absorbed in self ignores God, ends up thinking more about self than God. That person ignores who God is and what he is doing. And God isn’t pleased at being ignored.
I don’t know all the details of why these wildfires are raging.
I do not know what purpose these fires are continuing to burn, why we are now struggling so mightily against water shortages , low water pressures, the Santa Anna Winds, and etcetera, I don’t know what purpose Jehovah God has in mind.
But I do know this because the Word of God tells me, informs and teaches me:
Isaiah 58 The Message
Your Prayers Won’t Get Off the Ground
58 1-3 “Shout! A full-throated shout! Hold nothing back—a trumpet-blast shout! Tell my people what’s wrong with their lives, face my family Jacob with their sins! They’re busy, busy, busy at worship, and love studying all about me. To all appearances they’re a nation of right-living people— law-abiding, God-honoring. They ask me, ‘What’s the right thing to do?’ and love having me on their side. But they also complain, ‘Why do we fast and you don’t look our way? Why do we humble ourselves and you don’t even notice?’
3-5 “Well, here’s why:
“The bottom line on your ‘fast days’ is profit. You drive your employees much too hard. You fast, but at the same time you bicker and fight. You fast, but you swing a mean fist. The kind of fasting you do won’t get your prayers off the ground. Do you think this is the kind of fast day I’m after: a day to show off humility? To put on a pious long face and parade around solemnly in black? Do you call that fasting, a fast day that I, God, would like?
6-9 “This is the kind of fast day I’m after: to break the chains of injustice, get rid of exploitation in the workplace, free the oppressed, cancel debts. What I’m interested in seeing you do is: sharing your food with the hungry, inviting the homeless poor into your homes, putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad, being available to your own families. Do this and the lights will turn on, and your lives will turn around at once. Your righteousness will pave your way. The God of glory will secure your passage. Then when you pray, God will answer. You’ll call out for help and I’ll say, ‘Here I am.’
A Full Life in the Emptiest of Places
9-12 “If you get rid of unfair practices, quit blaming victims, quit gossiping about other people’s sins, If you are generous with the hungry and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out, Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness, your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight. I will always show you where to go. I’ll give you a full life in the emptiest of places— firm muscles, strong bones. You’ll be like a well-watered garden, a gurgling spring that never runs dry. You’ll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew, rebuild the foundations from out of your past. You’ll be known as those who can fix anything, restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate, make the community livable again.
13-14 “If you watch your step on the Sabbath and don’t use my holy day for personal advantage, If you treat the Sabbath as a day of joy, God’s holy day as a celebration, If you honor it by refusing ‘business as usual,’ making money, running here and there— Then you’ll be free to enjoy God! Oh, I’ll make you ride high and soar above it all. I’ll make you feast on the inheritance of your ancestor Jacob.” Yes! God says so!
God is able to restore the years the locusts have eaten (Joel 2:25), which means He can bring beauty out of the ashes.
Let’s focus our attention on participating in His work of redemption.
Do I personally believe these fires are an expression of God’s Judgment?
In a limited and narrow way = YES!
But only to an extent that back in Genesis, God promised to never repeat the flood – God set His rainbow in the sky …
Genesis 9:8-11 The Message
8-11 Then God spoke to Noah and his sons: “I’m setting up my covenant with you including your children who will come after you, along with everything alive around you—birds, farm animals, wild animals—that came out of the ship with you. I’m setting up my covenant with you that never again will everything living be destroyed by floodwaters; no, never again will a flood destroy the Earth.”
And God does not change, does not walk back His promises. Hebrews 13:8
Hebrews 13:8 New American Standard Bible
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, and forever.
Only to the extent that the Message of John the Baptist and Jesus from the Gospel of Mark is Repent for the Kingdom of God is near and among us.
Mark 1:1-8 New American Standard Bible
Preaching of John the Baptist
1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God,
2 just as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:
“Behold, I am sending My messenger [a]before You, Who will prepare Your way; 3 The voice of one calling [b]out in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight!’”
4 John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, [c]preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And all the country of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. 6 John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist, and [d]his diet was locusts and wild honey. 7 And he was [e] preaching, saying, “After me One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to bend down and untie the straps of His sandals. 8 I baptized you [f]with water; but He will baptize you [g]with the Holy Spirit.”
Mark 1:14-15 New American Standard Bible
Jesus Preaches in Galilee
14 Now after John was [a]taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, [b] preaching the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God [c]is at hand; repent and [d]believe in the gospel.”
God sent His Son to us, fully human fully God to live among us, to be in mission and ministry with us, gave us the Great Communion and finally to die for us all.
The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away-and still blessed be the Lord’s name. Job 1:20-21
20 Then Job got up, tore his robe, and shaved his head; then he fell to the ground and worshiped. 21 He said,
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked I shall return there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
If it was God’s intent to “take creation away” after He spoke it into being …
Why send His Son into the World – to Save it – Not to Condemn it?
God gives us opportunities to turn away from our sin, offers forgiveness.
What do you believe – executing ‘final’ Judgement or Call us to Repentance?
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 8 Authorized (King James) Version
Psalm 8
To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of David.
1 O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.
2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. 3 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; 4 what is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? 5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. 6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: 7 all sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; 8 the fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.
9 O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all 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.
17 Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and [a]hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. 18 For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own [b]appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting.
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.
Apostle Paul became increasingly aware that after his departure, the enemy would not only seek to divide the Church through false teachers and demonic doctrines, but would also use clever words, internal dissentions and disunity to cause chaos, havoc and distress among Christians and divide the Body of Christ.
As he brings his long, instructive Roman epistle to a close, the one message Paul was prompted to leave with these dear people was about discord among the saints: “Keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned,” he warned, “and turn away from them.”
His final comments to the brethren in Rome concerned the gravest dangers of internal conflict and contention. Wrangling and verbal strife among Christian brethren and internal bickering is at great variance to the gospel of grace and ultimately seeks to create great “who is right?” destroy the unity of the Spirit.
1 Corinthians 1:10-13 New American Standard Bible 1995
10 Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all [a]agree and that there be no [b]divisions among you, but that you be [c]made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe’s people, that there are quarrels among you. 12 Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, “I am of Paul,” and “I of Apollos,” and “I of Cephas,” and “I of Christ.” 13 [d]Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized [e]in the name of Paul?
In his final comments, Paul greeted twenty-six people in the Roman Church by name. Was he implying that some of them just might be contentious or was he warning them to watch for others who might cause disunity among the saints?
In either case, Paul knew the great damage caused when conflict and strife from conflicted interpretations of Torah, allowed to permeate the Christian Church.
False teachers and destructive doctrines infiltrating the Body of Christ was the biggest danger about which all the apostles warned in their letters, and in Acts 20, we read that Paul knew that vicious wolves would soon come smiling into the Church, twisting the truth, and scatter the flock of God after his death. But during his lifetime, we see Paul addressing internal strife among Christians.
Conflict, division, between believers was a deep concern that Paul challenged unrelentingly in a number of his epistles, because once murmuring, bickering, squabbling, and disunity, is allowed to percolate, the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace is crumbled, destroyed, and contrary to the teaching of the Word.
Misinformed, badly educated by teachers who are themselves badly taught, upside down biological teachings in scholastic institutions at all levels, young children. False teachers and heretical doctrines have become an increasingly serious problem in church communities and Christian fellowships today, but too often they are conceived by those who desire to cause division and disunity.
We should be alert and ready to know what the truth of the Gospel teaches and be knowledgeable of correct interpretations, sound accurate contextual biblical applications, studying to show ourselves approved of God, willing to turn away, correcting them, from who have this destructive spirit of division and discord.
Drifting away from biblical truth into apostasy or the deliberate infiltration of heretical teachings are a serious problem in any Christian fellowship, but let us never forget that they are often spawned from internal disagreements, division, and disunity, and should be dealt with before the witness of Christ is tarnished.
The enemy of God is the same evil one that comes to steal our peace, kill our hope, accuse the saints, and destroy our testimony.
He not only comes as a roaring lion but also as an angel of light.
With this in mind, just as individual members of the Church in Rome were exhorted to diligently identify those who caused division within their own congregation and turn away from them, we too should be prepared to address such disunity within our own churches and quickly deal with those that cause worldly dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching of God’s Word.
I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned, Keep away from them. –Romans 16:17
Africa’s Victoria Falls produces a cloud of mist that is often heavy enough to impair visibility.
Once a man was walking the path that skirts the giant gorge, and he noticed a sign on the rim but could not fully make it out. Not wanting to miss whatever it might be noting, he slithered and slid and slipped, slogged his way through the mud out to the very brink only to read the message:
“Danger! Your standing on the very edge of a slippery, Crumbling Edge.”
As Christians, it can sometimes be easy to unwittingly miss the danger you’re in until you’ve gone too far.
This is especially true when it comes to right and wrong ideas of God.
You flip through the channels on TV at night and come across a preacher whose message sounds great at the beginning.
But when you really understand the kind of gospel he’s preaching, you realize it may be very different from what the Bible teaches.
Sadly, many once-faithful followers of Christ have built their house on this misty mud covered “crumbling edge” of mistaken misinformed faith, and their whole spiritual life is one fatal step away, fallen out from under them because they forgot to stand on the correctly educated e high ground of biblical truth.
So if you find yourself tempted to walk out into the heavy mist of dangerous doctrine where things may not seem as they should, watch out for the warning signs! Stay grounded in the truth of Scripture. Stay engaged with self and group Bible Study. Recognize when what’s being taught is not what the Bible teaches.
When you take the time to do that, you can be sure you’ll build your faith on the dry, solid rock of good doctrine and not on the crumbling edge of bad theology.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 25 Authorized (King James) Version
Psalm 25
A Psalm of David.
1 Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. 2 O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me. 3 Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause. 4 Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. 5 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day. 6 Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old. 7 Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness’ sake, O Lord.
8 Good and upright is the Lord: therefore will he teach sinners in the way. 9 The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way. 10 All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies. 11 For thy name’s sake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great. 12 What man is he that feareth the Lord? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose. 13 His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth. 14 The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant. 15 Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.
16 Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; for I am desolate and afflicted. 17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged: O bring thou me out of my distresses. 18 Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins. 19 Consider mine enemies; for they are many; and they hate me with cruel hatred. 20 O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee. 21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee.
22 Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles.
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.
36 Then he put a little child among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf[a] welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not only me but also my Father who sent 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.
We like to think that welcoming someone is simple, easy, and uncomplicated.
As Christian people, Jesus calls us to welcome people in his name and, by doing so, welcome him and the one who sent him.
And so, we open our homes and enjoy times of fellowship or fun. We host bible studies and dinners; we build up our blessed small groups.
Sure, arranging for a dinner party or a social gathering or bible study may be hectic at times, but the payoff is worth it.
We surround ourselves with the people we enjoy, and, if we welcome others well, then, in turn, they welcome us. It’s a win/win situation.
But welcoming people, in the way Jesus calls us to, is not as polite or as neat as we might think. To welcome people, as Jesus does, is to reach out to the people we would rather not associate with – the people who don’t belong to our friend group or our inner circle.
In Luke 14:12-13, Jesus advises, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid.But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind.”
Jesus turns the very idea of welcoming on its head, and it is this call to radical welcoming that he illustrates when he tells the disciples to welcome a child.
Now, today, we might think that it’s easy;
“Who wouldn’t want to welcome children?” we might say.
Children are cute and cuddly; they are the symbol of innocence and purity.
But in Jesus’ day, that’s not how children were viewed. Children were a nuisance. They were bothersome. They were a symbol of people who were dependent and in the way and who couldn’t contribute. The child was an image of the quintessential other, a person we would rather not have in our midst.
But this is the call of Christ.
We must be willing to see the presence of Christ in the other.
Jesus says, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me.”
To welcome others in Jesus’ name is not just to think about Jesus as we embrace the other person but to embrace the other just like you would embrace Jesus – with respect, with care, with love, and with service.
And where the proverbial rubber means the road is the call to do that to the people we would rather not associate with: the other, the annoying, the critical, the bothersome, the unfriendly.
Can we welcome the unwelcome as we would welcome Jesus?
Now this may make us feel uncomfortable.
But welcoming involves bearing possible discomfort for the sake of another person’s inclusion, care, and healing. After all, that’s what Jesus did for us.
The biggest example is the cross, where Jesus is handed over to suffering and death, so that we might feel the welcoming embrace of God.
There are times when Jesus stretches us beyond our comforts and calls us to welcome someone we would rather not welcome. We might even find ourselves praying, “Oh Jesus, please not them!” But Jesus makes clear that when we open our homes, our hands, and our hearts to the other—whoever they might be—He is present, and his gracious and healing love is revealed in powerful ways.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let’s Pray:
Precious Jesus, I thank you for all the ways that you welcome me. I thank you that despite my failings and my sin, your arms are continually open to me. Time and again, despite what I have done, you extend your love to me – not because I deserve it, but because you are gracious and merciful and abounding in love. In that love, I hear your call to welcome others – to open my heart in an expression of your care. Lord, today, I feel your call to welcome someone whom I regard as different from me. Inside, I feel a lack of desire to welcome them; I may even go so far as to say that I dislike them. This person doesn’t fit my comfortable idea of welcoming.
But you remind me that refusing to be stretched marks a refusal to be transformed, and so I ask you to help me step forward in faith. Give me the strength to follow you outside my comforts. Help me embrace the people you bring me to, regardless of who they are. Give me eyes to see you in the people I welcome. And when this call makes me uncomfortable, remind me of the grace in which I stand—and the grace you call me to express. I pray all this in your holy name, Jesus, Amen.
Psalm 24 New Living Translation
Psalm 24
A psalm of David.
1 The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him. 2 For he laid the earth’s foundation on the seas and built it on the ocean depths.
3Who may climb the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? 4 Only those whose hands and hearts are pure, who do not worship idols and never tell lies. 5 They will receive the Lord’s blessing and have a right relationship with God their savior. 6 Such people may seek you and worship in your presence, O God of Jacob.[a] Interlude
7 Open up, ancient gates! Open up, ancient doors, and let the King of glory enter. 8 Who is the King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty; the Lord, invincible in battle. 9 Open up, ancient gates! Open up, ancient doors, and let the King of glory enter. 10 Who is the King of glory? The Lord of Heaven’s Armies— he is the King of glory. Interlude
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.
15 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He [a]prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already [b]clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in Me, [c]and I in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit [d]of itself [e]but must remain in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him [f]bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown away like a branch and dries up; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you remain in Me, and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so [g]prove to be My disciples.
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 Christian life is meant to be marked by union with God. By the powerful sacrifice of Jesus, from heaven to earth, to show the Way, the Truth, the Life and back to Heaven again – leaving an indelible physical presence with us all.
Jesus ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of God. The Holy Spirit now dwells within us—longing to make his nearness known. He longs for his perfect love, peace and wisdom to be the foundation of everything we do, think, we feel.
Brother Lawrence wrote about a life lived in continual communion with God in the book, The Practice of the Presence of God.
He said
“I cannot imagine how religious persons can live satisfied without the practice of the presence of GOD. For my part I keep myself retired with Him in the depth of the centre of my soul as much as I can; and while I am so with Him I fear nothing; but the least turning from Him is insupportable.” The more we grow in our knowledge of the profound union that exists between our spirit and the Holy Spirit, the more we will discover our great need of his tangible, constant presence.
Maybe, individually, we are at a place where we don’t feel like we really know God. Maybe we believe we know of Him, know some small things about him, but don’t know him like a friend. Perhaps our churches are in that mindset?
In describing the process of coming to know God, Brother Lawrence wrote,
“In order to know God, we must often think of Him; and when we come to love Him, we shall then also think of Him often, for our hearts will be with our treasure.”
Ponder the imponderable! An amazing transformation takes place in our hearts as our long sleeping souls awake to our union with God. The truly immeasurable depths of His love, of His ultimate sacrifice in the face of his enemies, has that power to ignite us toward a lifestyle of seeking a greater communion with him.
In so many ways our God is infinitely more knowable than any other person.
Because God is spirit and now dwells within the hearts of believers, He is now perfectly able to reveal himself in deeper, more intimate more knowable ways than we can possibly have that measure of complete access to with anyone else.
He has the ability to reveal his thoughts, feelings, power, love, and will moment by moment and in ways that far surpass the miscommunication that language often brings. He speaks straight from his Spirit to ours that we may truly know him to greater depths than anyone else. The question is not can we know God, but are we willing to center our hearts and lives around the knowledge of him.
Pondering the imponderable! Take time in guided prayer to experience union with God. Ask Him to test your thoughts, reveal his nearness that you might know him in deeper, more tangible ways. May our moments be marked by God’s presence and love moment by moment as we seek to walk with Him in all we do.
Guided Prayer:
1. Meditate on Scripture about God’s nearness.
Allow the word of God to build up your faith to meet with God.
“Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.” Psalm 139:7-10
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:20
2. Do you, will you, live in moment by moment union with God?
Is your whole life marked by his nearness? Know that God has the fullness of grace and mercy for you no matter what your relationship with him looks like.
Tell God to investigate your life, to rigorously test you and know your thoughts, reveal to you if there is any wickedness that desperately needs to be removed.
Offer that ultimate sacrifice of yourself, greater and greater still the greatest depths of your selfishness to desires that you’ll know his love to greater depths.
3. Ask God to reveal his nearness to you.
Take time to simply seek a greater knowledge of him. By straining the eyes of your heart and your soul, ceaselessly, relentlessly seeking only his face you will open your heart to experience that everything that comes from union with him.
Psalm 27:7-9 New American Standard Bible
7 Hear, Lord, when I cry with my voice, And be gracious to me and answer me. 8 When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You, “I shall seek Your face, Lord.” 9 Do not hide Your face from me, Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not abandon me nor forsake me, God of my salvation!
“Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord.” Jeremiah 29:12-14
“The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.” Lamentations 3:25
“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” Hebrews 11:6
Your God is both patient and kind. He longs to be with you so you might know his peace. Jesus is ALIVE! He longs for the foundation of your life to be his love.
Seek his face throughout your day today that your life may be marked by his nearness.
Don’t settle for an ordinary day, strive for the fullness of life God has for you.
May your life begin His Way, His Truth, His Life; to be marked by a moment to moment knowledge of God’s most intimate measures of His nearness and love.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 27 New American Standard Bible
A Psalm of Fearless Trust in God.
A Psalm of David.
27 The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom should I fear? The Lord is the [a]defense of my life; Whom should I dread? 2 When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh, My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell. 3 If an army encamps against me, My heart will not fear; If war arises against me, In spite of this I am confident.
4 One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, To behold the [b]beauty of the Lord And to [c]meditate in His temple. 5 For on the day of trouble He will conceal me in His [d]tabernacle; He will hide me in the secret place of His tent; He will lift me up on a rock. 6 And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me, And I will offer sacrifices in His tent [e]with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.
7 Hear, Lord, when I cry with my voice, And be gracious to me and answer me. 8 When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You, “I shall seek Your face, Lord.” 9 Do not hide Your face from me, Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not abandon me nor forsake me, God of my salvation! 10 [f]For my father and my mother have forsaken me, But the Lord will take me up.
11 Teach me Your way, Lord, And lead me on a level path Because of my enemies. 12 Do not turn me over to the [g]desire of my enemies, For false witnesses have risen against me, And the violent witness. 13 I certainly believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living. 14 Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord.
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.
29 “But I said to them, ‘Don’t be afraid! 30 The Lord God is your leader, and he will fight for you with his mighty miracles, just as you saw him do in Egypt. 31 And you know how he has cared for you again and again here in the wilderness, just as a father cares for his child!’
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.
Echoing the ancient pleading words of God’s sure and ancient promises,
that our heavenly Father desires us to hear and hear and hear for all eternity …
“Do not be Afraid!”
“The Lord is your Leader!”
“The Lord will fight for you with His mighty miracles!”
“The same way as He did when He led His people from Egypt to His Mountain!”
“He has cared for you, He has carried you, again and again, as a loving father constantly, continually, cares for his children, carry’s them on His shoulders!”
Deuteronomy 1:29-31 Complete Jewish Bible
29 “I answered you, ‘Don’t be fearful, don’t be afraid of them. 30 Adonai your God, who is going ahead of you, will fight on your behalf, just as he accomplished all those things for you in Egypt before your eyes, 31 and likewise in the desert, where you saw how Adonai your God carried you, like a man carries his child, along the entire way you traveled until you arrived at this place.
The picture of a father gently carrying his son is an incredibly heart and soul grabbing image of God’s love, and protection extended unto us as his children.
When we cannot go any further, when we cannot take one more step to save our lives, we’re drained of our desire, drive to thrive, too exhausted to keep going.
We feel beat up by life’s circumstances and don’t want to show up anymore.
I remember vividly watching a replay of the 1992 Olympics men’s 400-meter semifinals in Barcelona when British runner Jim Redmond injured his leg.
The announcer said, “He’s out!” Redmond was in obviously severe pain and couldn’t run, but he stood up, hopped on one foot, heading for the finish line.
The crowd cheered and clapped because he didn’t stop. He refused to quit. He wouldn’t let anyone help him until his dad ran out onto the course and wrapped his arms around him, told the officials he was the runners father, supporting, carrying his crying hopping son to the finish on the Olympic and World stage.
Redmond’s dad wore a cap that said, “Just Do It.” But Redmond’s pain was too intense, barely able to go one hop further and he cried hard. Yet the crowd never stopped cheering. The father held up his son until he made it to the finish line.
When we’re running our race in life and we cannot see our way through, losing our desire, our will to continue, the angels are in heaven, cheering (Psalm 91:11) and our heavenly Father will come to us, hold us up, gently carry us all the way.
Sometimes, life walks and tries to balance itself on the most decrepit of fences.
Still we are summoned by God and our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ to stop trying to do our own healing, place our full trust in our Heavenly Father.
Proverbs 3:5-8 Complete Jewish Bible
5 Trust in Adonai with all your heart; do not rely on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him; then he will level your paths.
7 Don’t be conceited about your own wisdom; but fear Adonai, and turn from evil. 8 This will bring health to your body and give strength to your bones.
There’s no reason to feel shame or guilt because you failed or fell far behind. We cannot “just do it.” Trust God will carry us through the wilderness. God is 100% always with us, wherever we are, He promises us that we WILL make it through.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let’s 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.
153 Look down upon my sorrows and rescue me, for I am obeying your commands. 154 Yes, rescue me and give me back my life again just as you have promised. 155 The wicked are far from salvation, for they do not care for your laws. 156 Lord, how great is your mercy; oh, give me back my life again.
157 My enemies are so many. They try to make me disobey, but I have not swerved from your will. 158 I loathed these traitors because they care nothing for your laws. 159 Lord, see how much I really love your demands. Now give me back my life and health because you are so kind. 160 There is utter truth in all your laws; your decrees are eternal.
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.
With every botched career move, failed relationship, and deferred hope, we hear that familiar, accusatory whisper in our ears getting louder. “It’s too late now.”
Are you now, have you already, going through that soul shredding separation, divorce? Didn’t get that promotion? “Don’t preach “Just be happy where you’re at.” Another loan rejection? Did you really think this time would be different?”
Your Primary Care Doctor just told you that your heart is showing how tired you are, that shortness of breath you have been having is not due to “just age” but is actually the arteries around your heart working too hard to keep up with stress, and you need to be admitted to the Hospital to determine how close your Heart Attack is. Trust in the Lord with all your Heart suddenly means something else!
Death from a badly diseased poorly cared for heart or Death to those whispers?
“It sucks getting older … it is really a major drain when our body breaks down! And then it becomes to late to do anything meaningful or .01% life preserving.
I still love God with everything I have, but I don’t have that much left anymore.
Does it mean that my love for God is exponentially diminishing, disappearing?
Is it too late for me to pray expectantly for God to lift high my recovery, my rehabilitation, my last ditch, my only once in a lifetime John 16:33 moment?
John 16:31-33 Living Bible
31 “Do you finally believe this?” Jesus asked. 32 “But the time is coming—in fact, it is here—when you will be scattered, each one returning to his own home, leaving me alone. Yet I will not be alone, for the Father is with me. 33 I have told you all this so that you will have peace of heart and mind. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows; but cheer up, for I have overcome the world.”
It’s never too late to overcome.
To think and act differently.
To see that dream become reality or overturn 50 years of hard living or regret.
Truth: There are no time constructs or limits in God’s Kingdom, so we need to cease our believing the lies and focus on His truth. Beginning with the best one.
#1: God Never Gives Up
Ecclesiastes 3:11-14 Complete Jewish Bible
11 He has made everything suited to its time; also, he has given human beings an awareness of eternity; but in such a way that they can’t fully comprehend, from beginning to end, the things God does. 12 I know that there is nothing better for them to do than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live. 13 Still, the fact that everyone can eat and drink and enjoy the good that results from all his work, is a gift of God. 14 I know that
whatever God does will last forever; there is nothing to add or subtract from it; and God has done it so that people will fear him.
God is the giver of second, third, and 1,000 chances.
He never stops believing in us, and time is irrelevant for Him.
He knows our dreams because He’s the one who imparted them within our minds and hearts when He created us.
The most important truth to remember when being tempted to quit going after a dream or goal is that God never quits nor forsakes us.
He’s always working for our good, always there for strength, and never gets discouraged by our failures, setbacks, or snail-like progress.
Whether you’re attempting to finally get healthy, rebuild your marriage, or restore a broken part of yourself, He won’t give up on your efforts, so don’t let the enemy mortgage any living space in your Temple convince you otherwise!
1 Corinthians 6:15-20 English Standard Version
15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined[a] to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” 17 But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. 18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin[b] a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
Read the Word of God, study the Word of God, pray the Word of God asking God to increase our faith that He will move you forward to finish a good work in you.
Whether it’s an entrepreneurial venture, new mission or ministry endeavor you’ve been chipping away at for years or a bad habit you’ve been half-kicking and half-bearing more of the burden for decades, it’s simply never too late.
Choose to believe every morning brings new mercies, pressing in with prayer and trust that in God’s timing will be just right. This leads us to the next truth.
#2 Sometimes the Wait is Supposed to Feel Like an Eternity
Isaiah 40:27-31 Complete Jewish Bible
27 Why do you complain, Ya‘akov; why do you say, Isra’el, “My way is hidden from Adonai, my rights are ignored by my God”? 28 Haven’t you known, haven’t you heard that the everlasting God, Adonai, the Creator of the ends of the earth, does not grow tired or weary? His understanding cannot be fathomed. 29 He invigorates the exhausted, he gives strength to the powerless. 30 Young men may grow tired and weary, even the fittest may stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in Adonai will renew their strength, they will soar aloft as with eagles’ wings; when they are running they won’t grow weary, when they are walking they won’t get tired.
In today’s instantly gratified world, we want immediate if not quicker results.
“We’ve prayed every day for a year, for five years, a decade, for two, three and four of those now, Lord. Why the holdup now? Who, what’s, holding you back?”
But sometimes God’s “slowness” is quite intentional, purposeful and can be an unexpected blessing arriving at a (God only knows) critical moment in our life.
He may be allowing us to sit in the pain or growing process (think cocooned caterpillar) until we’re refined, prepared, and positioned for the right time.
Take relationship struggles, for example. Heart and soul lessons can be learned, and revelations can be experienced during our process of working through a difficult relationship or heavily challenged marriage or a serious health crisis.
Psalm 139:23-24 Complete Jewish Bible
23 Examine me, God, and know my heart; test me, and know my thoughts. 24 See if there is in me any hurtful way, and lead me along the eternal way.
When it comes to our personal ambitions, our circumstances, our crises, what if we’re not quite mature enough for the influence/following/success change we have been praying for and working towards…just yet? Our taste for seeing, for accepting, the works of the Lord in our challenges, isn’t sufficiently developed?
It’s easy to mistake God’s slower pace for ambivalence or even abandonment.
It can feel utterly defeating when we still haven’t seen a prayer answered or years of toil come to fruition, but God is faithfully working in the meantime.
When struggling to believe God’s ability or even desire to help us change, the enemy would love for us to believe one of three lies: God’s forgotten about us. He’s obviously punishing us. Or he’s just plain chosen ambivalence towards us.
Maybe God’s trying to “test us” to see if we’ll crack, backslide, complain, etc.
All lies!
Consider viewing perceived delays and elongated struggles as His desire for our completeness instead. Crow’s feet and laugh lines aside, one of the true perks to our aging is seeing so many “waits,” and unanswered prayers come to fruition in ways no one could, would, never have expected in uncountable generations.
Psalm 33:11 Complete Jewish Bible
11 But the counsel of Adonai stands forever, his heart’s plans are for all generations.
Psalm 89:1-3 Complete Jewish Bible
89 (0) A maskil of Eitan the Ezrachi:
2 (1) I will sing about Adonai’s acts of grace forever, with my mouth proclaim your faithfulness to all generations; 3 (2) because I said, “Grace is built to last forever; in the heavens themselves you established your faithfulness.”
When you’re tempted to feel like it’s just too late, try to shift your focus to expectation, thanking God ahead of time for the change you’re believing and striving for. This will increase your faith and convert anxiousness to His hope.
#3 If We’re Not Dead Yet, It’s Not Too Late
In this youth-obsessed culture, it’s common to feel pressured to achieve, overcome, and accomplish all our life’s goals before age 40 or even 30.
I remember hitting 35 and feeling so disappointed that I hadn’t fulfilled my dream of getting married. I eventually did, several years later – thirteen to be more precise, but I remember wondering why on Earth I felt so panicked.
I often reflect on Joel 2:28-32,
“In the last days, I will pour out my Spirit on all people; your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.”
Then I reflect upon this part of Peter’s sermon at Pentecost … several hundred years later;
Acts 2:14-21 Living Bible
14 Then Peter stepped forward with the eleven apostles and shouted to the crowd, “Listen, all of you, visitors and residents of Jerusalem alike! 15 Some of you are saying these men are drunk! It isn’t true! It’s much too early for that! People don’t get drunk by 9:00 A.M.! 16 No! What you see this morning was predicted centuries ago by the prophet Joel— 17 ‘In the last days,’ God said, ‘I will pour out my Holy Spirit upon all mankind, and your sons and daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men dream dreams. 18 Yes, the Holy Spirit shall come upon all my servants, men and women alike, and they shall prophesy. 19 And I will cause strange demonstrations in the heavens and on the earth—blood and fire and clouds of smoke; 20 the sun shall turn black and the moon blood-red before that awesome Day of the Lord arrives. 21 But anyone who asks for mercy from the Lord shall have it and shall be saved.’
Why would God continuously bless both younger and older people with dreams if it’s always too late for dreams to be realized?
Think of all the people who were legitimately old, let alone past 30, when God had just started his “good work” in them.
Sarah had a baby at 90 after she’d given up hope. Elizabeth’s barren womb was dry as dirt until God gifted her with a baby, and Ruth is estimated to be 40 years old (very old for the time) when she married Boaz and conceived a son, and we all know about Abraham. We shouldn’t allow this frenetic, achievement-based culture get close enough to convince us it’s ever too late to experience change.
Not knowing if we’ll ever become better versions of ourselves can be scary and unsettling. But God knows the struggle, and he’s faithful. And from all I observe about Jesus in the Bible, He was never in a rush. God’s in it for the long haul.
He sees the big “forever” picture and understands what it really takes to grow.
He always wants the best for us and is 100 percent committed and invested in our growth. After all, He’s the one who created, imparted our talents, abilities, and passions in the first place. Why wouldn’t He want to see them to fruition?
When we learn to trust God completely, we will be more confident and more peaceful while we allow Him control to work everything for your good, in His timing. You are not the exception to Philippians 1:6: “…He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Alleluia! Amen!
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 139 Living Bible
139 O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. 2 You know when I sit or stand. When far away you know my every thought. 3 You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest. Every moment you know where I am. 4 You know what I am going to say before I even say it. 5 You both precede and follow me and place your hand of blessing on my head.
6 This is too glorious, too wonderful to believe! 7 I can never be lost to your Spirit! I can never get away from my God! 8 If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the place of the dead, you are there. 9 If I ride the morning winds to the farthest oceans, 10 even there your hand will guide me, your strength will support me. 11 If I try to hide in the darkness, the night becomes light around me. 12 For even darkness cannot hide from God; to you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are both alike to you.
13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit them together in my mother’s womb. 14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! It is amazing to think about. Your workmanship is marvelous—and how well I know it. 15 You were there while I was being formed in utter seclusion! 16 You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in your book!
17-18 How precious it is, Lord, to realize that you are thinking about me constantly! I can’t even count how many times a day your thoughts turn toward me.[a] And when I waken in the morning, you are still thinking of me!
19 Surely you will slay the wicked, Lord! Away, bloodthirsty men! Begone! 20 They blaspheme your name and stand in arrogance against you—how silly can they be? 21 O Lord, shouldn’t I hate those who hate you? Shouldn’t I be grieved with them? 22 Yes, I hate them, for your enemies are my enemies too.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test my thoughts. 24 Point out anything you find in me that makes you sad, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
4-5 If you want favor with both God and man, and a reputation for good judgment and common sense, then trust the Lord completely; don’t ever trust yourself. 6 In everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success.
7-8 Don’t be conceited, sure of your own wisdom. Instead, trust and reverence the Lord, and turn your back on evil; when you do that, then you will be given renewed health and vitality.
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.
Throughout our lives, we will continue to need God’s direction. Without God’s direction, we will be prone to get lost in our Christian walk. The good news is that God never leaves us, nor does He make our paths blurry. Instead, He makes our paths straight the more we lean on Him instead of our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-8).
Proverbs 3:5-8 Amplified Bible
5 Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart And do not rely on your own insight or understanding. 6 [a]In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him, And He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way]. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord [with reverent awe and obedience] and turn [entirely] away from evil. 8 It will be health to your body [your marrow, your nerves, your sinews, your muscles—all your inner parts] And refreshment (physical well-being) to your bones.
First and Foremost; Turning to the Bible and going to God in prayer are the main ways to ascertain God’s direction. The Bible tells us the direct words of God and prayer enables us to speak personally with Him. By practicing these spiritual disciplines, we can sense where God is leading us. As we are following and obeying Him, it will be impossible to miss His guidance, direction, truth.
If you are seeking God’s direction today, you have come to the right place. Never doubt the Lord’s guidance—He will always lead us where we need to be.
Here are a few Bible verses to turn to when you need God’s direction. Through these passages, trust you will be directed by the Lord in the way you should go:
1. Psalm 32:8
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.” Psalm 32:8
Whenever we need God’s direction, we can turn to Psalm 32:8.
In this ancient passage, we are told by God that He will instruct us, teach us, and counsel us.
Since this is true, we take comfort in knowing God is already directing our steps.
His direction has already been made known to us as we are following Him today.
He is instructing us and teaching us in the way we should go through the Bible.
It is also comforting to know God is counseling us with His loving eye on us.
This means God always has His eyes on us and is protecting us.
Never will the Lord fail us.
He is directing us and guiding us each day.
Listen to His gentle nudge and continue to follow Him. (1 Samuel 3:1-10)
God will keep you safe and protected as you continue to follow Him.
2. Psalm 37:23-24
“The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.” Psalm 37:23-24
If we are faithfully following God, He will make our steps certain.
Psalm 37:23-24 starts out by saying, “The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him.”
What this part of Psalm 37:23-24 tells us is the Lord will make our steps firm if we are delighting in Him.
Those who delight in Him are those who love Him, obey Him, and follow Him.
If we are delighting in the Lord, He will make our steps firm and steadfast.
We also see that although we know we will certainly stumble, we will not fall.
The Lord will uphold us with His hand.
Therefore, even if we weave off course sometimes, God will place us back on the path we should be walking.
There will be times when we do stray; however, God will not allow us to fall.
Trust that He will straighten our paths and ensure His directions are known.
3. Jeremiah 10:23
“Lord, I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps.” Jeremiah 10:23
The prophet Jeremiah is calling out to the Lord. He tells the Lord he knows the people of Israel’s lives are not their own, it is not for them to direct their steps.
Instead, it should be God directing their steps.
The lives of Israel belong to Him just as the lives of everyone in the world today belong to Him. Never should we be as bold to say we should direct our own steps—instead, we need to wise up, look up, look forward, trust God’s instructions to allow the Lord to direct our steps (Genesis 12:1-3).
Allowing the Lord alone to direct our steps looks like faithfully following Him, obeying Him, trusting Him and loving Him. Jesus will direct our steps if we let Him. It might be hard to discern His direction at times, but as long as we are obeying Him, we can trust that we are following His direction in our lives.
God has detailed plans for each one of our lives, and He will ensure we follow the right directions in order to fulfill these plans (Jeremiah 29:10-14).
4. Proverbs 20:24
“A person’s steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand their own way?” Proverbs 20:24
Each and every step is directed by the Lord.
As the writer of Proverbs says, “How then can anyone understand their own way?”
While this can be a confusing statement, we can interpret it to mean that God will direct our steps even if we are not aware at the time.
This is because God will fulfill His purposes in our lives—even if we mess up, even if we don’t know what’s next.
Whether we fail or not, God will still work through us and ensure we are going in the right direction.
If you are unsure of where God is leading you today, go to Him in prayer.
Use Proverbs 20:24 as a passage to direct your prayer.
Trust the Lord will give you clarity and guidance.
While we will not know all parts of God’s will on this side of heaven, we can trust Him with our steps. His directions will guide us and make our paths level.
5. John 14:6
“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” John 14:6
Our ultimate map is Jesus.
Since Jesus is “The Way,” we can know we are following the Father’s direction by obeying the Lord.
Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Trust Him, with baby steps, Follow Him with your entire heart today.
The Lord is the way to everything we need for our life and the life to come.
His directions will never fail us because He is our Good Shepherd (Psalm 23).
As you follow Jesus, don’t be afraid of where He leads.
Sometimes His directions might feel intimidating or scary, but resolve to make the choice to trust Him. Trust He will protect you and keep you safe. Whether He guides you to go on short and or long-term mission trips in distant lands, start leading a Bible study, or break away from a bad relationship, trust His direction.
God has a way of speaking to us and making His directions clear.
Listen to His voice and obey Him (Psalm 19).
God truly knows what is best for us, even if we don’t understand it at the time.
Go to Him in prayer, ask for His directions, and faithfully follow His leading.
The Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are worthy of our trust.
God’s guidance in our lives will bring about our ultimate joy and sanctification.
The path might be difficult and strenuous at times; however, we can know God is working it out for our good (Romans 8:28).
Be it resolved then …
Choose to follow His direction today, see how your life changes for the better.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 121 Authorized (King James) Version
Psalm 121
A Song of degrees.
1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. 2 My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. 3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. 4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. 6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. 8 The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.
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.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 