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."
12 Israel, what does the Lord your God want you to do? He wants you to fear him, follow all his directions, love him, and worship him with all your heart and with all your soul. 13 The Lord wants you to obey his commands and laws that I’m giving you today for your own good. 14 Remember that the sky, the highest heaven, the earth and everything it contains belong to the Lord your God. 15 The Lord set his heart on your ancestors and loved them. Because of this, today he chooses you, their descendants, out of all the people of the world.
16 So circumcise your uncircumcised hearts, and don’t be impossible to deal with any longer. 17 The Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, powerful, and awe-inspiring God. He never plays favorites and never takes a bribe. 18 He makes sure orphans and widows receive justice. He loves foreigners and gives them food and clothes. 19 So you should love foreigners, because you were foreigners living in Egypt. 20 Fear the Lord your God, worship him, be loyal to him, and take your oaths in his name. 21 He is your glory. He is your God, who did for you these spectacular and awe-inspiring deeds you saw with your own eyes. 22 When your ancestors went to Egypt, there were 70 of them. Now the Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars in the sky.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
As the book of Deuteronomy begins, Moses and the people of Israel are standing at the edge of the promised land on the other side of the Jordan River.
Joshua will lead them across the Jordan and into the land after God commands Moses to die for his disobedience in striking the rock twice instead of just once.
In obedience to the Lord’s command, Moses hands authority over to Joshua.
But, before the change of leadership happens, the people take a long pause to listen to Moses explain the law, “Beyond the Jordan, in the land of Moab, Moses undertook to explain this law.” Moses is now 120 years old. God will let him rest.
In fact, the word Deuteronomy means “second law” or “repetition of the law.”
Our Verse for this devotional comes from chapter 10 of Deuteronomy just after Moses reminded the people of their parents’ failure when they fashioned and worshiped the Golden Calf.
In response to their idol worship, God was ready to wipe them out, but Moses plead with the Lord, appealed to the glory of his name. God graciously relented.
And, in Deuteronomy 10:10 Moses says, “The Lord was unwilling to destroy you.”
In other words, the mercy of God is on full display as we come to Deut. 10:12-13.
“The Mercy of God was on full Display”
“The Love of God was on full Display.”
“The Glory of God was on full Display.”
These truth’s are really important to remember when memorizing this passage.
These words of truth accurately describe what God deserves from his people and demonstrates our chronic inability to ever live up to it, all at the same time.
God demands and by His actions, by His works, He deserves our obedience and every affection locked away in our hearts. And, by God’s grace, and only for His Glory alone we should daily strive to give Him all of what is 1000% rightly His.
Why should we hesitate?
Why do we hesitate?
Why would we hesitate?
As we strive to live this out and labor toward obedience and fight for the godly affections of our hearts, we can also rest in the gospel truth that Christ has already achieved this obedience in our place. Jesus has feared the Lord our God.
He walked in all His ways without ever wavering. He walked, hungered, thirsted 40 long days and nights through the truly most extreme temptations that Satan could ever willfully inflict on Him.
Still, after all of that, He persevered, He still loved His Father with a perfect love. He served his Father with quite literally last every beat of his heart and every portion of his soul. He kept every commandment and statute of the Lord.
He walked the earth completely sinless.
It seems so natural to love God because he first loved me (John 13:34; 1 John 4:19).
But I remember all too vividly when I didn’t love God with all my heart and soul.
In that way each one of us is like the ancient Israelites.
There are people, things, and situations that both rigorously and vigorously compete for our maximum love and attention. They often start subtly and cause our love for God to shift, fluctuate, fragment. We take our leap from the Temple.
Our love for God ought to be a instinctive response to his love for us. Obedience is an excellent indicator of our love.
Jesus told his disciples, “If you love me, you will keep my commands” (John 14:15).
Love for God and obedience to God are to be considered inseparable. We know very well that loving God goes far beyond mere words.
Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we follow the Lord by leaving our old life behind (Philippians 2:1-18). Our Lives are no longer all about us but all about our love relationship with the Lord.
We deepen our love by getting to know God’s character, who he is, his ways, and what he does.
We do this by reading the Bible, observing God’s presence in our lives, and being around people who love him. Love comes from a heart of gratitude.
So, as we hide this portion of the word in our hearts this week, let it be a call to obedience and an occasion for thanksgiving for the gospel, all at the same time!
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 I will bless the Lord, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons. 8 I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
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.
Where is your focus?
Psalm 16:7-11 Easy-to-Read Version
7 I praise the Lord because he taught me well. Even at night he put his instructions deep inside my mind.[a]
8 I always remember that the Lord is with me.[b] He is here, close by my side, so nothing can defeat me. 9 So my heart and soul will be very happy. Even my body will live in safety, 10 because you will not leave me in the place of death. You will not let your faithful one rot in the grave. 11 You will teach me the right way to live. Just being with you will bring complete happiness. Being at your right side will make me happy forever.
I absolutely love how this verse starts: “I keep my eyes always on the Lord.”
Must we ask why?
Why does this verse start with these words?
As we read deeper, further in the passage we see the result of keeping our eyes on the Lord. Let’s take a moment or two look at what happens when we do this.
He is our strength.“With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”
The Word tells us in Psalm 61:3,
“For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe.”
Also we see his strength in our lives in Psalm 28:7
“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.”
When we keep our eyes focused on the Lord, He is always with us.
Regardless of the battles we may be facing, He is our strength.
With Him by our side, we will not be shaken.
We can rest in complete assurance that He is with us in all situations.
Even in our thought life.
Even at night while I am sleeping.
Have you ever had something come rushing into your mind that gave you fear, frustration, anxiety, or anger?
These things are not from the Lord.
These are things the enemy uses as a strategy to shake us up.
You see, Satan knows that if we take our eyes off the things of the Lord, then our eyes will be focused on what he has distracted us to see.
The Lord says that we should focus on,
“whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.” (Philippians 4:8-9)
When we remember to direct our focus our eyes, think of Him, we have peace.
We have joy. We will not be shaken.
He gives us joy and He is faithful.
Verse 9 states,
“Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay.”
As we just read in Philippians, we will have joy and peace, and we can rest when our eyes are focused on God.
He takes delight in us and views us as His perfect and most beautiful creation.
He is faithful to the maximum (As God knows the word) to us, is always with us.
We see His goodness in Zephaniah 3:17
“The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”
This beautiful time with the Lord is what the enemy wants to steal from you.
How can you stay in this place of perfect peace?
A place where you have lasting joy, no matter your situation?
The answer is simply by moving your eyes, putting your focus on Him always.
He gives us direction and all eternal pleasures!
“You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”
What a way to end this passage!
By keeping our eyes on the Lord, we can know the path of life, we are filled with joy and His eternal pleasures!
No wonder the enemy would love for us to take our eyes off the Lord.
My prayer for you today is that you turn your eyes and your focus to Jesus.
That you combat anything that the enemy of this world tries to use to distract you. I pray that you can truly remember the Lord’s protection and love for you.
As you finish reading this blog entry, I would ask you to focus on the words in this next passage.
Psalm 121 Easy-to-Read Version
A song for going up to the Temple.
121 I look up to the hills, but where will my help really come from? 2 My help will come from the Lord, the Creator of heaven and earth. 3 He will not let you fall. Your Protector will not fall asleep. 4 Israel’s Protector does not get tired. He never sleeps. 5 The Lord is your Protector. The Lord stands by your side, shading and protecting you. 6 The sun cannot harm you during the day, and the moon cannot harm you at night. 7 The Lord will protect you from every danger. He will protect your soul. 8 The Lord will protect you as you come and go,[a] both now and forever!
This is His promise to you today.
He will absolutely see you 100% of the time!
He will absolutely give you 100% of His attention.
This is what He will give you when your eyes are on Him.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 27 Easy-to-Read Version
A song of David.
27 Lord, you are my Light and my Savior, so why should I be afraid of anyone? The Lord is where my life is safe, so I will be afraid of no one! 2 Evil people might attack me. They might try to destroy my body. Yes, my enemies might attack me and try to destroy me, but they will stumble and fall. 3 Even if an army surrounds me, I will not be afraid. Even if people attack me in war, I will trust in the Lord.
4 I ask only one thing from the Lord. This is what I want most: Let me live in the Lord’s house all my life, enjoying the Lord’s beauty and spending time in his palace.[a]
5 He will protect me when I am in danger. He will hide me in his tent.[b] He will take me up to his place of safety. 6 If he will help me defeat the enemies around me, I will offer sacrifices in his tent with shouts of joy. I will sing and play songs to honor the Lord.
7 Lord, hear my voice. Be kind and answer me. 8 My heart told me to come to you, Lord, so I am coming to ask for your help. 9 Don’t turn away from me. Don’t be angry with your servant. You are the only one who can help me. My God, don’t leave me all alone. You are my Savior. 10 Even if my mother and father leave me, the Lord will take me in. 11 I have enemies, Lord, so teach me your ways. Show me the right way to live. 12 My enemies have attacked me. They have told lies about me and have tried to hurt me. 13 But I really believe that I will see the Lord’s goodness before I die.[c] 14 Wait for the Lord’s help. Be strong and brave, and wait for the Lord’s help.
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.
8 “Remember this, and [a]show yourselves men; Recall to mind, O you transgressors. 9 Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,’ 11 Calling a bird of prey from the east, The man who executes My counsel, from a far country. Indeed I have spoken it; I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it; I will also do 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.
The certainty of change is unavoidable.
The certainty of our resistance to that change is likewise unavoidable.
The predictability of change almost never happens the way we expect it.
The predictability of our resistance to any unexpected change is always 1000%
Anyone else nowadays feel like the only thing certain in this world is the 100% uncertainty of change? Every time you think your feet are firmly planted with expectations and plans solidified; you suddenly find yourself in shifting sand.
It can be frustrating and downright exhausting to lose what appeared to be firm footing and, once again, trudge through the vast unknown. Especially in today’s unpredictable and constantly evolving world, we will wonder… is there no solid assurance we can cling to? Where is that predictability? Where is that security?
Proverbs 4:1-9 New King James Version
Security in Wisdom
4 Hear, my children, the instruction of a father, And give attention to know understanding; 2 For I give you good doctrine: Do not forsake my law. 3 When I was my father’s son, Tender and the only one in the sight of my mother, 4 He also taught me, and said to me: “Let your heart retain my words; Keep my commands, and live. 5 Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth. 6 Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; Love her, and she will keep you. 7 Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding. 8 Exalt her, and she will promote you; She will bring you honor, when you embrace her. 9 She will place on your head an ornament of grace; A crown of glory she will deliver to you.”
Keep my Commands … and live … I am not perfect! and live? for how long? I know when I was born – my mother told me. But, date and time of my death?
Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth? Can I remember every lesson, every proverb that I was ever taught by my Mother and Father?
Therefore get wisdom … And in all your getting, get understanding. Somethings are miles beyond my ability to understand, somethings I will never understand.
I don’t know about you, for myself I long for the highest possible predictability and security – like, all the time – in my life. If I could always have it “my way,” very little would change. It’s not that I am completely opposed to the new and the next, progress has brought much good in my own life and in our world.
The issue is… change equals the unknown. And there is no guarantee of “safety” in the unknown. Perhaps change and uncertainty are too challenging for you as well. Even if you are more naturally adventurous, navigating a shift can still be difficult, especially if it feels like you are walking onward without a roadmap.
So much of what we hear or read today challenges our human ability to believe wholeheartedly in the concept of any absolute truth. Ideas and doctrines swirl around inciting doubt and mistrust of the One constant that remains immutable in the midst of all of the temporal. At times we can feel like we are stumbling and bumbling through the darkness with flailing arms outstretched grasping for light and direction. On what can we truly depend – The rising of the Sun?
While the winds of change may blow in any direction but our own, we can all remain securely tethered to our unchanging, eternal God.
He is “the Alpha and the Omega (the beginning and the end)… who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty,” (Revelation 1:8, NIV).
He “is the same yesterday and today and forever,” (Heb. 13:8, NIV). No matter what goes on in our lives or in this world, he does not change. Period.
He is not a man that he should lie. He does not change his mind (Numbers 23:19).
He, and he alone, is God. Though confusion in our world threatens to tear down any sense of certainty, we can trust that truth will prevail; truth that is outlined for us in, throughout the length and breadth and depths of the Word of God.
Through this text, we believe not only in words written on a page, but in he who penned them.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:1-5, NIV.
There is nothing in all of creation that was made without him.
He is our beacon of light that shines through the shadows.
He has been here since the beginning and he will be here through the end.
From the most ancient times to things yet to come, he will forever remain our unchanging God. With this assurance, I pray you can know while uncertainty and change will remain this side of heaven, there is One who will never change.
He is our firm foundation.
He sees you all of the time. (Psalm 139)
He cares for you all the time. (Psalm 23)
You can stand secure and upright in the most unpredictable of shifting sands. (Psalm 121)
Intersecting Faith & Life:
Do you ever find yourself struggling through unexpected changes or wildly shifting sinking quicksand?
When you feel lost and confused, where do you go for clarity, understanding?
After reading today’s devotional, can you see how often our God reveals his character to us?
Why do you think and believe there are so many statements about God’s nature and attributes in the Bible?
What is he trying to tell us?
How does understanding his promise to remain unchanging, grant you assurance of his faithfulness in this life?
Take some quality time today to write down a few scriptures that declare the truth of who God is so when unexpected transitions occur, or doubts arise, you can remember, pray over that firmly communicates He is your firm foundation.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 46 Authorized (King James) Version
Psalm 46
To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth.
1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. 4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. 5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. 6 The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. 7 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. 8 Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he hath made in the earth. 9 He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.
10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. 11 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
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.
91 You who live in the shelter of ‘Elyon, who spend your nights in the shadow of Shaddai, 2 who say to Adonai, “My refuge! My fortress! My God, in whom I trust!” — 3 he will rescue you from the trap of the hunter and from the plague of calamities; 4 he will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his truth is a shield and protection.
5 You will not fear the terrors of night or the arrow that flies by day, 6 or the plague that roams in the dark, or the scourge that wreaks havoc at noon. 7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand; but it won’t come near you. 8 Only keep your eyes open, and you will see how the wicked are punished.
9 For you have made Adonai, the Most High, who is my refuge, your dwelling-place. 10 No disaster will happen to you, no calamity will come near your tent; 11 for he will order his angels to care for you and guard you wherever you go. 12 They will carry you in their hands, so that you won’t trip on a stone. 13 You will tread down lions and snakes, young lions and serpents you will trample underfoot. 14 “Because he loves me, I will rescue him; because he knows my name, I will protect him. 15 He will call on me, and I will answer him. I will be with him when he is in trouble. I will extricate him and bring him honor. 16 I will satisfy him with long life and show him my salvation.”
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 news and images emerging from the fires in California are hard to believe.
Skies have turned red, filled with hug clouds of smoke over cities and counties as Santa Anna winds 80-100 mph is fueling multiple wildfires across the state.
As the governor declares a state of emergency, families are evacuating to escape the flames, knowing they may never see their homes again. 10000 ++ structures have already burned down Livelihoods, businesses are being lost as firefighters and first responders do everything in their power to stop the spread of the fires.
At least 12 individuals have been killed with more to be accounted for as Cadaver dogs are brought in to begin their gruesome work as a dark result of these fires, while 200,000 citizens are without power and 180,000 have evacuated the area.
Approximately 35,000 acres have burned thus far and several of these fires are barely considered even “10% contained – one is not contained. These numbers will doubtless go up as these 75000 brave first responders are actively working to contain the fires and prevent them from spreading to more neighborhoods.
As you follow the news, we can do relatively little but continually lift up these in prayers for the state of California, for the first responders with their lives on the lines, for the recovery, for the victims experiencing such trauma, sudden loss.
Suffering after a disaster can seem isolating, lonely, traumatic seeing that many, even in our own communities, may not comprehend, understand what they are experiencing there. With this feeling can come a sense of hopelessness.
While feeling distraught, Psalm 34:8 reminds us where to find hope, “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him.”
Gratefully, God is very present in our situations, riding out the storms with us and being there for us afterward.
As 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 describes, we have a God who understands and is compassionate towards us in our suffering:
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”
God understands our suffering beyond what we can comprehend.
He walks side by side with us through it with us and brings us out on the other side stronger.
Psalm 23:4 Complete Jewish Bible
4 Even if I pass through death-dark ravines, I will fear no disaster; for you are with me; your rod and staff reassure me.
Isaiah 43:1-2 Complete Jewish Bible
43 But now this is what Adonai says, he who created you, Ya‘akov, he who formed you, Isra’el: “Don’t be afraid, for I have redeemed you; I am calling you by your name; you are mine. 2 When you pass through water, I will be with you; when you pass through rivers, they will not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire, you will not be scorched — the flame will not burn you.
1 Peter 5:10 further explains,
“And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”
Even more so, He loves us through each and every distress, not letting anything come between us during these hardcore difficult, traumatic times. He does not leave us in our suffering, going through it alone or figuring it out on our own.
As the Apostle Paul spells out clearly in Romans 8:39-40,
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Likewise, afterward, even in the worst situations,
God assures us:
“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9).
For those who are presently experiencing, who have experienced disasters, the recovery time afterward can be hardcore excruciating, yet God urges in Psalm 27:14 to “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”
But waiting to see God’s goodness after a disaster can seem endless at times.
Still, He wants us to cling to the promise of His everlasting hope that He alone gives, looking for and expecting His goodness, His Shalom, again in our lives.
Isaiah 25:9 Complete Jewish Bible
9 On that day they will say, “See! This is our God! We waited for him to save us. This is Adonai ; we put our hope in him. We are full of joy, so glad he saved us!”
Although it may take us a while to tune in and hear those crickets and the birds singing and see the sun shining again, we can move ahead, even if it’s with the very tiniest of tiny baby steps, looking to see His goodness in the coming days.
After disasters, there is the hope and promise that God’s goodness will come again and follows us through this life.
As Psalm 23:6 assures, “Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
For many, there will be a time of looking back after walking through the tragic events which often brings a hard fought answer to your prayers for clarity, and pleas for the Shalom of Shalom’s where they are able to see more clearly God’s faithfulness and goodness, even though at those times they may have felt there was none to be found among the great mountains of ash and burned buildings.
In these moments of everyday revelation, there will certainly, and faithfully be a divine display, miraculous abundant revelations of His divinely orchestrated “aha” moments where Psalm 116:12 rings true for them: “What shall I return to the Lord for all His goodness to me?”
Psalm 116:12-14 Complete Jewish Bible
12 How can I repay Adonai for all his generous dealings with me? 13 I will raise the cup of salvation and call on the name of Adonai. 14 I will pay my vows to Adonai in the presence of all his people.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Father, we come to You with heavy hearts as wildfires rage and devastation spreads. We know that You are sovereign over all things, and we trust in Your wisdom even in the midst of chaos. Lord, we pray for the leadership across affected areas to make the best possible decisions for the safety and welfare of communities. Guide their steps with wisdom and urgency as they navigate these challenging circumstances, and may they look to You for strength and clarity.
Father, we lift up the firefighters, first responders, and all those risking their lives to protect others. Cover them with Your protection, give them endurance, and guide their efforts. May their bravery and selflessness reflect Your love and care in the face of such terrifying destruction.
We pray for the communities impacted by these fires—families who have lost homes, businesses, and loved ones. Comfort them in their grief and provide for their immediate needs. Stir up a spirit of unity and compassion among neighbors, that they may support and uplift one another. Protect the most vulnerable and provide shelter, safety, and peace amidst the fear and uncertainty.
Lord, we ask for Your Spirit to pour out over the land, calming the winds and rains, and bringing relief to the fires. May You be recognized and trusted even in this time of tragedy. Remind us of Your goodness and faithfulness, even when it feels hard to see.
God, we pray for peace to overcome fear, and faith to rise above despair. May those nearest to the danger feel Your presence and guiding hand. Let the hope and strength that only come from Your Son, Jesus, through Your Holy Spirit, bring comfort and assurance in the face of devastation.
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” – Isaiah 41:10
Psalm 46 New American Standard Bible
God, the Refuge of His People.
For the music director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah, [a]set to Alamoth. A Song.
46 God is our refuge and strength, A [b]very ready help in [c]trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth shakes And the mountains slip into the heart of the [d]sea; 3 Though its waters roar and foam, Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. Selah
4 There is a river whose streams make the city of God happy, The holy dwelling places of the Most High. 5 God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved; God will help her [e]when morning dawns. 6 The [f]nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered; He [g]raised His voice, the earth quaked. 7 The Lord of armies is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah
8 Come, behold the works of the Lord, [h]Who has inflicted horrific events on the earth. 9 He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariots with fire. 10 “[i]Stop striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the [j]nations, I will be exalted on the earth.” 11 The Lord of armies is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah
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.
9 “Only be careful for yourself and watch over your soul diligently, so that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen and they do not depart from your heart all the days of your life; but make them known to your sons and your grandsons. 10 Remember the day you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, when the Lord said to me, ‘Assemble the people to Me, that I may have them hear My words so that they may learn to [a]fear Me all the days that they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.’ 11 You came forward and stood at the foot of the mountain, and the mountain was burning with fire to the heart of the heavens: darkness, cloud, and thick gloom. 12 Then the Lord spoke to you from the midst of the fire; you heard the sound of words, but you saw no form—there was only a voice. 13 So He declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to perform, that is, the Ten [b] Commandments; and He wrote them on two tablets of stone. 14 The Lord commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, so that you would perform them in the land where you are going over to take possession of it.
The Word of God for the People of God
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
This will probably sound odd to some, but the book of Deuteronomy is one of my favorite Old Testament books of the Bible. Much of Deuteronomy is a review and summary of the law, but nestled in between this review are valuable words of true wisdom from Moses. Today’s verse is one we should pause and consider.
From our text, Moses is speaking to the Israelites.
They are on the edge of the Promised Land. Moses is told h cannot pass over to the promised land in clear view of his eyes. Moses is old and he will die soon. As he reflects back on his 120 years of life, considers the length and breadth of his long life and sheer numbers and weight of experiences, he gives us these verses.
Deuteronomy 4:9-14 The Message
9 Just make sure you stay alert. Keep close watch over yourselves. Don’t forget anything of what you’ve seen. Don’t let your heart wander off. Stay vigilant as long as you live. Teach what you’ve seen and heard to your children and grandchildren.
10 That day when you stood before God, your God, at Horeb, God said to me, “Assemble the people in my presence to listen to my words so that they will learn to fear me in holy fear for as long as they live on the land, and then they will teach these same words to their children.”
11-13 You gathered. You stood in the shadow of the mountain. The mountain was ablaze with fire, blazing high into the very heart of Heaven. You stood in deep darkness and thick clouds. God spoke to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of words but you saw nothing—no form, only a voice. He announced his covenant, the Ten Words, by which he commanded you to live. Then he wrote them down on two slabs of stone.
14 And God commanded me at that time to teach you the rules and regulations that you are to live by in the land which you are crossing over the Jordan to possess.
He warns each of us to be careful and diligently keep our soul lest we forget the things we saw. What specifically did the Israelites see and experience from God?
When they were leaving Egypt, God sent 10 plagues.
Then, when it seemed they would have no escape, God parted the Red Sea and he wiped out the whole of the pursuing Egyptian army.
God had led them through the wilderness with a cloud by day and pillar of fire by night. God’s very presence was unmistakably with them every single day.
God had provided manna, quail and water throughout their 40 year journey.
God would fight for them over and over again.
And yet, as we continue to read into Deuteronomy, they would forget all of God’s goodness and provision for them. It’s human nature. When times are good, we are very happy and when times are hard we grumble and complain.
Through it all, we too soon forget. We especially forget God’s work in our lives.
Moses pleads with us to remember all the works of God in our lives and pass our faith to our spouses, our children and our children’s children. Too tell all of our neighbors and friends and coworkers. Tell them, witness to, testify about all God’s miracles, tell them about how God continuously works in our lives, tell them about how God has always worked through all history and is still working.
If we don’t tell of God’s works, we forget them and our children will not know.
God is faithful to us, let’s reflect, on that faithfulness and let us likewise reflect upon God’s goodness towards us, remember to be faithful teaching our children our grandchildren, our spouses our friends, coworkers, neighbors, of his works.
Many of us have truly beautiful memories and stories of our parents, siblings, pastors, teachers, or neighbors showing their love and care for us, and we will never forget to recount what they have done for us. Many of us also share these stories with our children, friends, coworkers, and others. All these wonderful stories will always be part of our personal history, always work to shape life.
Similarly, as believers in God, we remember stories of God’s deliverance, grace, protection, and greatness shown to us. Memories of our spiritual formation and personal blessings give us encouragement and strength.
We would not be who we are nor where we are without God and what he has done in our lives. And when we remember and tell our stories, God receives the glory. Our faith is strengthened, renewed. When we tell others, especially the next generations, we share with them our love for and dependence on the Lord.
We can always find so very many ways to remember. Some of us may use daily or weekly journaling, daily times of reflection with prayer, pictures, artwork, and music that remind us of those significant times and places where we have encountered God in our lives. Some families and churches also designate times to tell stories about the teachings of Jesus and Holy Spirit’s work in their lives.
What are some ways you remember God’s goodness?
Who are you going to tell of these wondrous events in your life with God?
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 119:1-16 The Message
119 1-8 You’re blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God. You’re blessed when you follow his directions, doing your best to find him. That’s right—you don’t go off on your own; you walk straight along the road he set. You, God, prescribed the right way to live; now you expect us to live it. Oh, that my steps might be steady, keeping to the course you set; Then I’d never have any regrets in comparing my life with your counsel. I thank you for speaking straight from your heart; I learn the pattern of your righteous ways. I’m going to do what you tell me to do; don’t ever walk off and leave me.
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9-16 How can a young person live a clean life? By carefully reading the map of your Word. I’m single-minded in pursuit of you; don’t let me miss the road signs you’ve posted. I’ve banked your promises in the vault of my heart so I won’t sin myself bankrupt. Be blessed, God; train me in your ways of wise living. I’ll transfer to my lips all the counsel that comes from your mouth; I delight far more in what you tell me about living than in gathering a pile of riches. I ponder every morsel of wisdom from you, I attentively watch how you’ve done it. I relish everything you’ve told me of life, I won’t forget a word of it.
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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). 
