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."
3 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; 3 a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6 a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 7 a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.
The God-Given Task
9 What gain has the worker from his toil?
10 I have seen the business that God has given to the sons of men to be busy with. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time; also he has put eternity into man’s mind, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for them than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live; 13 also that it is God’s gift to man that every one should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil. 14 I know that whatever God does endures for ever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; God has made it so, in order that men should fear before him.
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.
God, the Eternity Setter
I can still remember the sound of the little tiny bird that popped out of the old cuckoo clock on the back wall at the now gone clock store. Every hour, on the hour, a red faded bird would announce the time. I also recall that when the bird was quiet, I could yet hear the second hand ticking away the seconds of the day.
It’s often said that you can’t get time back, you cannot reset time to the better life you had however many years ago you had them, you can’t return to the days when you first saw your spouse, so it’s best to make use of the time you have.
And you certainly cannot go back to the first days of creation when God spoke and there was light, there was dark, there were the first stars, first life on earth.
You cannot return to the days of David and Goliath and witness that victory.
You cannot interview any of the ancient heroes of the faith, Moses, Abraham, Joshua, Gideon or Samuel or Elijah or Elisha, the psalmists or all the prophets for your school essays, master’s thesis, college dissertations, next sermons.
There will be no eye witness accounts of Mary’s encounter with Angel or the virgin birth, the shepherds being shocked in the middle of the night by angels.
As much as we would certainly welcome the opportunity, we will never hear our names really being spoken out loud by an itinerant Master Rabbi named Jesus.
There is no chance we will witness the miraculous healings, stilling of the great storm from the Gospel of Mark chapter 4:35-41, nor encounter the one named legion before and after his encounter with Jesus. We will not observe their faces.
There is no way we will see Lazarus walk out of his tomb or hear those words which were spoken by Jesus which called Lazarus back to the land of living.
Who would not want to be in that Upper Room when Jesus celebrated that last Passover, to see him wash all those feet, break his body the bread, pour out his blood from the central cup? Walk with him to the Garden of Gethsemane to be witnesses to his tears of blood shed as he prayed to his Father for his release?
His betrayal? Everyone running away naked into the night to avoid arrest? If we were on the scene with all those disciples, would our devotion to Jesus’ own life be enough for us to stay and get between him, the mob of Temple authorities?
Would we have done anything to intervene, intercede, to start a great riot to somehow stop the life threatening injustices being perpetrated upon Jesus?
What about stopping the meeting with Pilate – would we step forward to be Jesus’ advocate, speak for him who did not speak one word to defend himself?
Would we have willingly helped Jesus carry his cross as Simon of Cyrene did?
Would we have done anything at Golgotha to save Jesus’ broken body, would we have rushed forward, whatever weapon was available, overpower the guards?
All of these biblical moments which we can only interpret with our 21st century eyes, act for benefit of all – take Jesus away, heal him, so he keeps ministering?
The bible is so very full of exciting and miraculous moments and words which seek to draw us into those excited moments penned by the original narrators who had their own on the scene at the exact moment of its first occurrences.
No, there is no time for anyone in the present to do anything fantastic to go back into time and bring back to us all today, an actual eye witness account.
I am writing this devotion today. though the author of Ecclesiastes didn’t write those words , they sound like something he might have said. In Ecclesiastes we hear the words of a person who has had the opportunity to look back on his life and recall the joys, concerns, victories, and defeats he has experienced. We hear someone who reflects how important each season was to our 21st century time.
Notably, wise King Solomon, who penned Ecclesiastes, ends his short detailed reflection by commenting that God makes all things beautiful in their time and sets eternity in the human heart (v. 11). That brings me back to those days in an old clock makers store with the cuckoo clocks, and I remember stories that they shared around the jewelers cabinets with clocks ticking and birds singing away.
I can’t get that precious time back, can almost remember the clock makers face but the beauty of those memories lives on, and thoughts of reuniting with those moments in God’s presence in eternity brings me 1000% joy, now and forever!
Take some special time today and through Thanksgiving and Christmas, and New Years to dig deep into the stories of the Bible, mine them for truths they reveal, to get rich on the presence of God, the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit.
Precious Memories … How they Linger … How they ever Flood my Soul … In the stillness, of the midnight … Precious Sacred Scenes unfold … Alleluia! Amen!
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 113 Complete Jewish Bible
113 Halleluyah!
Servants of Adonai, give praise! Give praise to the name of Adonai! 2 Blessed be the name of Adonai from this moment on and forever! 3 From sunrise until sunset Adonai’s name is to be praised. 4 Adonai is high above all nations, his glory above the heavens. 5 Who is like Adonai our God, seated in the heights, 6 humbling himself to look on heaven and on earth.
7 He raises the poor from the dust, lifts the needy from the rubbish heap, 8 in order to give him a place among princes, among the princes of his people.
9 He causes the childless woman to live at home happily as a mother of children.
Halleluyah!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
12 Watch out, brothers, so that there will not be in any one of you an evil heart lacking trust, which could lead you to apostatize from the living God! 13 Instead, keep exhorting each other every day, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you will become hardened by the deceit of sin. 14 For we have become sharers in the Messiah, provided, however, that we hold firmly to the conviction we began with, right through until the goal is reached.
15 Now where it says,
“Today, if you hear God’s voice, don’t harden your hearts, as you did in the Bitter Quarrel,”[a]
16 who were the people who, after they heard, quarreled so bitterly? All those whom Moshe brought out of Egypt. 17 And with whom was God disgusted for forty years? Those who sinned — yes, they fell dead in the Wilderness! 18 And to whom was it that he swore that they would not enter his rest? Those who were disobedient. 19 So we see that they were unable to enter because of lack of trust.
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.
Faith and belief unlocks the storehouse of God but doubt, unbelief locks it tight.
Are we hardcore stuck in doubt and unbelief – not walking in the land of Canaan and promise, where the Spirit of God, in all His blessing, falls and ignites?
We have a great number of churches in a great many wildernesses. We have a great many wilderness Christians in our churches – walking and stumbling and arguing and bickering and back biting and back stabbing humanities pettiness.
The wilderness is a place of death; a place of unrest; a place of aimlessness; and a place of dissatisfaction. They have never entered into Gods promises because they must enter by faith not by the sights and sounds of hardcore bitter debate.
Are we aimlessly wandering unbelieving churches, pews filled with aimlessly wandering, “don’t you dare think or pray over helping my unbelief” believers?
This devotion addresses the enemy of faith – doubt and unbelief, Hard, Harder, Hardcore, Hardened, Hardest Hearts of Stone immune to the best relief efforts.
Faith and Belief Comes by Hearing God’s Voice …
Romans 10:16-21 Disciples’ Literal New Testament
16 But[a] they did not all obey the good-news, for Isaiah says [in Isa 53:1], “Lord, who put-faith-in our report?” 17 So[b] the faith[c] comes from a report-hearing[d], and the report-hearing through a word[e] about[f] Christ.
But It Is Not As Though Israel Did Not Hear
18 But I say[g]— it is not that they did not hear[h], is it ? On the contrary: “Their voice went-out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world” [Ps 19:4].
And It Is Not As Though Israel Did Not Know
19 But I say— it is not that Israel did not know[i], is it ? First, Moses says [in Deut. 32:21] “I will provoke you to jealousy over what is not a nation. I will provoke you to anger over a nation without-understanding[j]”. 20 And Isaiah is very-bold and says [in Isa 65:1] “I was found by the ones not seeking Me. I became visible[k] to the ones not asking-for Me”. 21 But with-regard-to Israel He says [in Isa 65:2], “I held-out[l] My hands the whole day toward a disobeying[m] and contradicting[n] people”.
The Book of Hebrews was written to believers who were in a faith crisis – it was written to sternly warn them of the coming dangers of unbelief and doubt and to encourage them in their faith.
In our passage from Hebrews 3, we see God speaking – faith comes by hearing – but not just hearing – BUT 1hearing what God has to say and according to the scripture God is speaking!
The Father, Son and Holy Spirit Speaks
As the Holy Spirit says –– this passage draws attention to its Author the Holy Spirit – it links up with –
Hebrews 1:1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, and Hebrews 2:3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord – In the former it is God, the Father, who “spoke.”
In Hebrews 2:3, it is the Son – here in Hebrews 3:7 the Speaker is the Spirit; thus, by linking together these three passages we hear all the Persons of the Godhead.
How does God speak? – through various means – reading the word – hearing the word – the inner voice – the prophetic word – the word of circumstances and situations – but all is based on the inspired written word of God the Bible.
As the Holy Spirit says – the tense of the verb used here; it is not “the Holy Spirit said,” but “says:” it is an ever-present, continuing living message to God’s people in each succeeding generation.
“Whatever was given by inspiration from the Holy Ghost, and is recorded in the Scripture is for the use of the Church today” “he that has an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches” Revelation chapters 2 and 3
When does God speak?
Today – “Today” signifies the present time, and it includes a continuance of it.
It is not to be limited to twenty-four hours; instead, this term covers a present interval which consists of many days or years.
Hebrews 3:13 says exhort one another daily, while it is called Today.
In Hebrews 13:8 it says Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.
What does God speak?
His voice – The “voice” of God is the declaration of His will, which demands our obedience.
His will is made known in His Word, which is a living Word, by which the voice of God is now uttered. Psalm 19 and Psalm 29and Psalm 119 and Psalm 139.
The Response to His Voice
Psalm 95:6-11 Complete Jewish Bible
6 Come, let’s bow down and worship; let’s kneel before Adonai who made us. 7 For he is our God, and we are the people in his pasture, the sheep in his care.
If only today you would listen to his voice: 8 “Don’t harden your hearts, as you did at M’rivah, as you did on that day at Massah in the desert, 9 when your fathers put me to the test; they challenged me, even though they saw my work. 10 For forty years I loathed that generation; I said, ‘This is a people whose hearts go astray, they don’t understand how I do things.’ 11 Therefore I swore in my anger that they would not enter my rest.”
If you will hear, will listen To “hear” God’s voice signifies,
to diligently ponder, to readily receive, and to heed or obey it. Hearing then implies an action that follows the hearing.
Notice where they strayed – In their minds?
No, in their hearts – God’s Word is addressed to the heart the center of our being out of which are the issues of life.
23 Above everything else, guard your heart; for it is the source of life’s consequences.
There may be conviction of the conscience, the assent of the intellect, the deep admiration of understanding, the realization of wisdom greater than our own is informing us, teaching us, but unless the heart is moved there is no response.
Here hardcore hardening of the heart is attributed to the person it is due to – neglect in not taking notice of the ways and means where God calls us to faith and obedience – forgetfulness and rejection of Gods Word and God’s works – a harder hardcore holding onto worldly pleasures preferring them to obedience
An unbelieving heart is an untrusting heart –
Proverbs 4:23
Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life –
Deuteronomy 8:1-3
8 “All the mitzvot I am giving you today you are to take care to obey, so that you will live, increase your numbers, enter and take possession of the land Adonai swore about to your ancestors. 2 You are to remember everything of the way in which Adonai led you these forty years in the desert, humbling and testing you in order to know what was in your heart — whether you would obey his mitzvot or not. 3 He humbled you, allowing you to become hungry, and then fed you with man, which neither you nor your ancestors had ever known, to make you understand that a person does not live on food alone but on everything that comes from the mouth of Adonai.
Ten times Israel tested God as a result of unbelief –
When the Egyptians were marching after them – Exodus 14:11
At the bitter waters of Marah – Exodus 15:24
In wilderness of Sin when they complained about their lack of good food – Exodus 16:2
At Rephidim (Meribah, Massah) when they were thirsty- Exodus 17:2, 3
When they made a calf – Exodus 32:1
When they became like those who complain of adversity – Numbers 11:1
When they had “greedy desires” at Taberah – Numbers 11:4
When they complained about Moses after he married the Cushite woman – Numbers 12:1
After the spies brought back their report – Numbers 14:2
When they were thirsty and Moses failed to regard the Lord as holy – Numbers 20:1-13
Ten in biblical numerology refers to testing and tribulation
– notice that in these contexts it was man testing God not God testing man –
this is a sin of rebellion
“Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of trial in the wilderness, where your fathers tested Me, tried Me,” – the reference here is to what is recorded in the early verses of Exodus 17 – the congregation of Israel journeyed to Rephidim, where there was “no water for the people to drink.”
Instead of them counting on Jehovah to supply their need, as He had at Marah (Exodus 15:25) and in the wilderness of Sin – they murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?”
Though Moses cried unto the Lord, and the Lord graciously responded by bringing water out of the rock for them, yet God was greatly displeased.
In verse 7 we are told, “And he called the name of the place Massah (Temptation) and Meribah (Strife), because of the children of Israel and because they tempted the Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us, or not”.
Difficulties and trials of the way test us, this testing reveals the state of our hearts a crisis neither makes nor mars a person but it does manifest their real selves – while all is smooth sailing we appear to be getting along nicely – When the storm breaks, it is not so much that we fail under it, as that our habitual lack of leaning upon God, of daily walking in dependency upon Him, is made evident. Circumstances do not change us, but they do expose us as vulnerable.
The reason Israel murmured at Meribah was because there was no water; they were occupied with their circumstances, they were walking by sight. The crisis they then faced only served to make manifest the state of their hearts, namely, an “evil heart of unbelief.”
Had their trust been in Jehovah, they would at once have turned to Him, spread their need before Him, counted on Him to supply it. “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works?” (James 2:14).
“When your fathers tempted Me, proved Me and saw My works forty years”
God showed them wonder signs: did they trust and follow in faith?
And if Israel was not faithful to Moses, and their unbelief brought ruin upon them, how much more guilty shall we be, and how much greater our danger?
If we are not faithful to the Lord Jesus –
Israel’s sins in the wilderness are here pictured under two terms: they are “tempted” and “proved” God – to tempt one is to try or prove whether he be such as he is declared to be, or whether he can or will do such and such a thing.
By tempting God Israel found out by experience that He was indeed the God He had made Himself known to be.
In this passage the tempting of God is set down as a sin which provoked Him, and so is to be taken in its worst sense scenario.
Instead of believing His declaration Israel acted in unbelief.
“And saw My works forty years”
This is the inexcusableness of Israel’s sin.
It was not that God was a Stranger to them; again and again He had shown Himself strong on their behalf.
“Works” of God mentioned here are the many and great wonders which He did from the time that He first took them up in Egypt until the end of the wilderness journey.
Some of them were works of mercy – in delivering them from enemies and dangers, and in providing for them – others were works of judgment – the plagues upon the Egyptians, their destruction at the Red Sea – others were manifestations of Himself, by the Cloud which led them by day and by night, the awesome proofs of His presence on Sinai, and the Shekinah glory which filled the tabernacle.
These were not “works” done in bygone ages, or in far-distant places, of which they had only heard of; but were actually performed before them, upon them, which they “saw.”
What clearer evidence could they have of God’s providence and power?
Yet they tempted Him!
The clearest evidences God grants to us have no effect upon unbelieving and obdurate hearts.
The generation that came out of Egypt doubted God, and because of their doubt they never entered the land of Canaan – they sang the song of Moses
Exodus 15:1 “I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea!”-“God has delivered us how great He is!”
They believed Him to come out of Egypt but they didn’t believe Him enough to enter into Canaan – after Sinai, an eleven-day journey could have brought them into the Promised Land. But they had to send spies in to search out the land. God had said He would take care of them, but they didn’t believe God.
God yielded to their wishes and let them send in spies. Although the spies did see the wonderful land, they were most impressed by the giants, and they saw themselves as grasshoppers.
They didn’t see God. Except Caleb and Joshua who insisted that God could handle the giants if they trusted Him.
They spent forty years on a journey that should have taken a few days.
What was the reason?
Unbelief!
In Numbers 13 we learn lessons that are applicable to us today – representatives from each of the twelve tribes of Israel were selected to spy out the land of the twelve who went out…10 came back with a majority report – 2 came back with a minority report – there is a lesson here it is that the majority is not always right.
– from this incident we find out –
Doubt looks through mans eyes – Doubt always sees the obstacles – Doubt speaks a bad report – Faith sees with the eyes of God – Faith always sees the victory – Faith speaks a good report – Doubt leads to discontentment, rebellion and fear – Faith produces a positive attitude and peace – Faith glimpses the future – Why did the spies fall prey to the “grasshopper complex? – Negative thinking – exaggerating the situation – ergo, their desire to return to Egypt
Rest in Scripture “They shall not enter into my rest”
The rest of salvation – Matthew 11:28 when He said in effect, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” –
that is, I’ll lift the burden of sin from you.”
you don’t have to do anything so that God will forgive you; Christ has already done it when He died for you. All you have to do is believe and receive Christ.
The rest of redemption – no longer slaves in Egypt – they came out by blood – they came out by power God delivered them.
The rest of obedience – Matt. 11:29“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls”
We are now joined to a living Christ, and that is the only way we will enjoy Canaan – Canaan is not heaven it is the rest that believers are to have as they live on earth the only way to enter is to study and believe the Word of God.
Romans 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
The Result of Unbelief and Doubt
The generation of Israel who came out of Egypt were cited to the Hebrew believers as a warning not to repeat their sin.
They could not enter in because of unbelief – we do not recognize and I am sure they did not recognize that doubting God’s Word is a serious sin – because it leads to other sins.
For these Israelites in the wilderness it led to calf worship; it led to fornication, and it led to an absolute denial and rejection of God, as they turned their backs upon Him and even wanted to go back to Egypt
Matthew 13:58 Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
The Antidote for Unbelief and Doubt
Exhort one another daily, while it is called – Today –
Exhort means to call near, i.e. invite, invoke by imploration, beseech, call for, pray – we have a responsibility to spur one another on in the faith – just as Caleb and Joshua attempted to do with the Israelites –we must obey Today because we will find that:
Immediate obedience is easier – Another opportunity may never come –
The desire to obey may fade – Time spent in sin is a waste
– Problems may arise to make obedience difficult if not impossible.
Procrastination will settle into the tillable earth …
Enough time passes, Procrastination will become the mighty Oak Tree …
Too many great and mighty Oak Trees eventually becomes a greater forest …
Then we spend too much time admiring the Greater Procrastination Forest.
Completely losing heart sight of the original call to obedience, belief and faith.
Then God, the Father and Son and Holy Spirit become hidden beneath the great canopy of Oak from the 11th world wonder Great Procrastination National Park.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Ecclesiastes 3:1-14 Complete Jewish Bible
3 For everything there is a season, a right time for every intention under heaven — 2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, 3 a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, 4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, 5 a time to throw stones and a time to gather stones, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, 6 a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to discard, 7 a time to tear and a time to sew, a time to keep silent and a time to speak, 8 a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.
9 What does the worker gain from his efforts? 10 I have seen the task God has given humanity to keep us occupied. 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.
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). 