Category Archives: Suffering / Adversity

Jehovah Is Not A Fluffy Marshmallow Man Who Accepts Everyone As They Are

One of the lies that Satan has convinced people to be true is that somehow Jehovah will accept anyone with loving arms and no consequences no matter how much they rebel against Him. The lie is attractive because it basically feeds the narrative that none of us really need to change to please God. We just “know” He loves us as we are. Suddenly this lie enables us to be complacent and not even strive to know or trust God more. We just do whatever we want and expect Him to love us as we are. The lie is most destructive in that it hinders us from turning toward God and repenting. Sin separates us from the Lord.

It should be fairly obvious that God would not just accept everyone the way they are in the midst of rebellion and sin. This would not make sense in any way. None of us could point to a meaningful example where a loving Father really did not care at all about how His children behaved or if they respected and obeyed Him. But if that is not obvious to some, let us just explore a well known example of the Lord interacting with His chosen people.

In Numbers 14, God has just led His people out of bondage in Egypt with many signs and wonders including plagues on Egypt, parting of the Red Sea, feeding the people with Manna and quail from heaven and leading them as a pillar of fire at night and pillar of smoke during the day. Incredible, right?

The people complained when the felt trapped at the Red Sea. They rebelled by worshipping a golden calf and He did not destroy them. The people complained about wanting meat and He gave it to them… along with a plague for discipline. Here we go again as the Lord delivers His people to the promised land and they still trust Him not because there is some adversity in front of them. They rebel. Ultimately, God cares… He is angered. He considers destroying them and just starting over. Moses intercedes and convinces the Lord not to destroy them. The Lord still disciplines them with a stern hand. They end up sentenced to die in the desert as they wander for 40 years before their children will get a second chance at the promised land. God is no marshmallow man just accepting everyone as they are. He is indeed slow to anger, but people must repent and submit to Him first (through Jesus Christ)… and then He accepts them with open arms, no matter what they have done before.

Numbers 14:1-19

The People Rebel

     1Then all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. 2All the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron; and the whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! 3“Why is the LORD bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become plunder; would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” 4So they said to one another, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.”

      5Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces in the presence of all the assembly of the congregation of the sons of Israel. 6Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, of those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; 7and they spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, “The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. 8“If the LORD is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us—a land which flows with milk and honey. 9“Only do not rebel against the LORD; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them.” 10But all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Then the glory of the LORD appeared in the tent of meeting to all the sons of Israel.

Moses Pleads for the People

     11The LORD said to Moses, “How long will this people spurn Me? And how long will they not believe in Me, despite all the signs which I have performed in their midst? 12“I will smite them with pestilence and dispossess them, and I will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they.”

      13But Moses said to the LORD, “Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for by Your strength You brought up this people from their midst, 14and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that You, O LORD, are in the midst of this people, for You, O LORD, are seen eye to eye, while Your cloud stands over them; and You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. 15“Now if You slay this people as one man, then the nations who have heard of Your fame will say, 16‘Because the LORD could not bring this people into the land which He promised them by oath, therefore He slaughtered them in the wilderness.’ 17“But now, I pray, let the power of the Lord be great, just as You have declared, 18‘The LORD is slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generations.19“Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of Your lovingkindness, just as You also have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.”

The LORD Pardons and Rebukes

     20So the LORD said, “I have pardoned them according to your word; 21but indeed, as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the LORD. 22“Surely all the men who have seen My glory and My signs which I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have put Me to the test these ten times and have not listened to My voice, 23shall by no means see the land which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who spurned Me see it. 24“But My servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land which he entered, and his descendants shall take possession of it. 25“Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites live in the valleys; turn tomorrow and set out to the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea.”

      26The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 27“How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who are grumbling against Me? I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel, which they are making against Me. 28“Say to them, ‘As I live,’ says the LORD, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will surely do to you; 29your corpses will fall in this wilderness, even all your numbered men, according to your complete number from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against Me. 30‘Surely you shall not come into the land in which I swore to settle you, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. 31‘Your children, however, whom you said would become a prey—I will bring them in, and they will know the land which you have rejected. 32‘But as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness. 33‘Your sons shall be shepherds for forty years in the wilderness, and they will suffer for your unfaithfulness, until your corpses lie in the wilderness. 34‘According to the number of days which you spied out the land, forty days, for every day you shall bear your guilt a year, even forty years, and you will know My opposition. 35‘I, the LORD, have spoken, surely this I will do to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against Me. In this wilderness they shall be destroyed, and there they will die.’”

      36As for the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land and who returned and made all the congregation grumble against him by bringing out a bad report concerning the land, 37even those men who brought out the very bad report of the land died by a plague before the LORD. 38But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive out of those men who went to spy out the land.

Do not fall prey to Satan’s lies. God calls us to repent from sin and turn to Him. We are called to turn away from our selfish and worldly ways and seek after and obey His instructions, which will put us at odds with those who love the flesh. We do indeed have to pick whom we will serve… Jehovah or the flesh. There is no compromise. He does care and will not accept or tolerate rebellion.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

O God, Do Not Remain Quiet

Just as people have conspired to destroy God’s people throughout the ages, they continue even today. Many nations plot and scheme against God’s chosen people, Israel. It is good that the USA stands with Israel. The USA was founded as a nation of people following Christ. Those who truly follow Christ are grafted in to the vine that represents God’s people. Watch, however, as enemies from within continue to plot and scheme to destroy the very Christian foundations and principles upon which the USA was established. Just as many come against Israel, so too many come against any who stand for Christ.

Let us lift up God’s people in prayer. Call upon God to rise up and be silent no longer. May He protect and deliver His people in power and glory, soundly defeating or bringing to repentance those who oppose Him.

Psalm 83

God Implored to Confound His Enemies.

A Song, a Psalm of Asaph.

     1O God, do not remain quiet;
Do not be silent and, O God, do not be still.

      2For behold, Your enemies make an uproar,
And those who hate You have exalted themselves.

      3They make shrewd plans against Your people,
And conspire together against Your treasured ones.

      4They have said, “Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation,
That the name of Israel be remembered no more.”

      5For they have conspired together with one mind;
Against You they make a covenant:

      6The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
Moab and the Hagrites;

      7Gebal and Ammon and Amalek,
Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;

      8Assyria also has joined with them;
They have become a help to the children of Lot.

Selah.

      9Deal with them as with Midian,
As with Sisera and Jabin at the torrent of Kishon,

      10Who were destroyed at En-dor,
Who became as dung for the ground.

      11Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb
And all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,

      12Who said, “Let us possess for ourselves
The pastures of God.”

      13O my God, make them like the whirling dust,
Like chaff before the wind.

      14Like fire that burns the forest
And like a flame that sets the mountains on fire,

      15So pursue them with Your tempest
And terrify them with Your storm.

      16Fill their faces with dishonor,
That they may seek Your name, O LORD.

      17Let them be ashamed and dismayed forever,
And let them be humiliated and perish,

      18That they may know that You alone, whose name is the LORD,
Are the Most High over all the earth.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Petty Jealousy and Complaining Do Not Please the Lord

Jealousy can raise its ugly head in surprising places. Don’t think the church or church leadership is exempt. Maintain vigil against it. Be content with how Jehovah uses you and guides you. Envy not His relationship with someone else.

Even Miriam and Aaron fell to this sin and they had seen many mighty miracles and received guidance from the Lord. However, it appears they became jealous of how the Lord lifted up Moses with a more personal engagement. Their focus shifted from the Lord to themselves and perhaps their ego. Suddenly they are murmuring against Him. The Lord was not pleased.

Do not confuse this jealous murmuring with a correct rebuke or discernment against false teaching. We are to discern and call out false teachers or false doctrine. However, this was different. This was a jealous resentment for the attention Moses was getting and then undermining the unity of the leadership of God’s people.

Note how Moses does not hold a grudge. This is consistent with scripture referring to Him as a humble man. I would guess he was not pleased with Miriam and Aaron, but he intercedes for Miriam with the Lord anyway. We can only speculate if the Lord limited Miriam’s punishment to 7 days because of Moses or if that would have been the case anyway.

Numbers 12

The Murmuring of Miriam and Aaron

     1Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married (for he had married a Cushite woman); 2and they said, “Has the LORD indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us as well?” And the LORD heard it. 3(Now the man Moses was very humble, more than any man who was on the face of the earth.) 4Suddenly the LORD said to Moses and Aaron and to Miriam, “You three come out to the tent of meeting.” So the three of them came out. 5Then the LORD came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the doorway of the tent, and He called Aaron and Miriam. When they had both come forward,

6He said,
“Hear now My words:
If there is a prophet among you,
I, the LORD, shall make Myself known to him in a vision.
I shall speak with him in a dream.

      7“Not so, with My servant Moses,
He is faithful in all My household;

      8With him I speak mouth to mouth,
Even openly, and not in dark sayings,
And he beholds the form of the LORD.
Why then were you not afraid
To speak against My servant, against Moses?”

      9So the anger of the LORD burned against them and He departed. 10But when the cloud had withdrawn from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, as white as snow. As Aaron turned toward Miriam, behold, she was leprous. 11Then Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord, I beg you, do not account this sin to us, in which we have acted foolishly and in which we have sinned. 12“Oh, do not let her be like one dead, whose flesh is half eaten away when he comes from his mother’s womb!” 13Moses cried out to the LORD, saying, “O God, heal her, I pray!” 14But the LORD said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, would she not bear her shame for seven days? Let her be shut up for seven days outside the camp, and afterward she may be received again.” 15So Miriam was shut up outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on until Miriam was received again.

      16Afterward, however, the people moved out from Hazeroth and camped in the wilderness of Paran.

I pray our Father would help me to be his humble servant. Let me not get caught up in “being right” or “getting personal glory or credit”, but rather only in serving Him and doing His will for His glory. Let us pray for one another and not murmur against one another in jealousy.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Let Us Learn From Israel

Nations today would do well to learn from, rather than scorn, Israel. Israel was a nation raised up by the hand of Jehovah… led out of slavery in Egypt and established in the promised land with quite a powerful impact. However, the people strayed from submission to God and began to imitate the worship of other nations for their pagan gods. Over time their behaviors no longer separated them from other nations. They blended and “fit in” with the pagan landscape of nations. I see many similarities in regards to the founding of the USA, which now wanders farther and farther away from our Christian heritage in the name of tolerance and freedom. Our Father has much higher expectations for us than that. Do not be so arrogant as to think that He will not take away His hand of blessing or even discipline us as He did Israel for our disobedience and unholy behavior.

We need to pray now for national revival and work politically and in our communities to fight for our Christian faith and beliefs and heritage in our nation. Let us not wait until we are scattered to repent as individuals and a nation.

Psalm 80

God Implored to Rescue His People from Their Calamities.

For the choir director; set to El Shoshannim; Eduth. A Psalm of Asaph.

1Oh, give ear, Shepherd of Israel,
You who lead Joseph like a flock;
You who are enthroned above the cherubim, shine forth!

      2Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh, stir up Your power
And come to save us!

      3O God, restore us
And cause Your face to shine upon us, and we will be saved.

      4O LORD God of hosts,
How long will You be angry with the prayer of Your people?

      5You have fed them with the bread of tears,
And You have made them to drink tears in large measure.

      6You make us an object of contention to our neighbors,
And our enemies laugh among themselves.

      7O God of hosts, restore us
And cause Your face to shine upon us, and we will be saved.

      8You removed a vine from Egypt;
You drove out the nations and planted it.

      9You cleared the ground before it,
And it took deep root and filled the land.

      10The mountains were covered with its shadow,
And the cedars of God with its boughs.

      11It was sending out its branches to the sea
And its shoots to the River.

      12Why have You broken down its hedges,
So that all who pass that way pick its fruit?

      13A boar from the forest eats it away
And whatever moves in the field feeds on it.

      14O God of hosts, turn again now, we beseech You;
Look down from heaven and see, and take care of this vine,

      15Even the shoot which Your right hand has planted,
And on the son whom You have strengthened for Yourself.

      16It is burned with fire, it is cut down;
They perish at the rebuke of Your countenance.

      17Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand,
Upon the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself.

      18Then we shall not turn back from You;
Revive us, and we will call upon Your name.

      19O LORD God of hosts, restore us;
Cause Your face to shine upon us, and we will be saved.

No person or people are ever “too far gone” for God’s mighty hand to save. Let us celebrate our Christian heritage and founding. Let us celebrate our Hebrew roots as well. After all, the Hebrew roots are indeed foundational to proper understanding of and relationship with our Lord and Father. Repent personally, pray for yourself and others and for our nation. Get involved in communities, churches governments. Do not accept that the current degrading state of affairs is the best we can do. Let us live for and fight for our Lord and what He instructs us to do.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Do Not Wait For His Wrath In Order To Repent

Many draw great comfort and security in the strength of their nation, even while the people within continue to reject God more and more. Do not be so arrogant as to think any nation so powerful it can stand on its own if God remove His blessing or worse if God bring His hand of correction upon it. Do not wait for His wrath in order to repent as a nation.

It was God who created the USA based on an inspired government founded in Christian principles. If man continues to reject Him, He may just as easily allow us to destroy ourselves in arrogance that man knows better than God. Let us not wait until we face blatant collapse and ruin to turn humbly and passionately to our loving Father and ask for His help and His blessing to bring the people back to Him.

Psalm 79

A Lament over the Destruction of Jerusalem, and Prayer for Help.

A Psalm of Asaph.

    1O God, the nations have invaded Your inheritance;
They have defiled Your holy temple;
They have laid Jerusalem in ruins.

      2They have given the dead bodies of Your servants for food to the birds of the heavens,
The flesh of Your godly ones to the beasts of the earth.

      3They have poured out their blood like water round about Jerusalem;
And there was no one to bury them.

      4We have become a reproach to our neighbors,
A scoffing and derision to those around us.

      5How long, O LORD? Will You be angry forever?
Will Your jealousy burn like fire?

      6Pour out Your wrath upon the nations which do not know You,
And upon the kingdoms which do not call upon Your name.

      7For they have devoured Jacob
And laid waste his habitation.

      8Do not remember the iniquities of our forefathers against us;
Let Your compassion come quickly to meet us,
For we are brought very low.

      9Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name;
And deliver us and forgive our sins for Your name’s sake.

      10Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?”
Let there be known among the nations in our sight,
Vengeance for the blood of Your servants which has been shed.

      11Let the groaning of the prisoner come before You;
According to the greatness of Your power preserve those who are doomed to die.

      12And return to our neighbors sevenfold into their bosom
The reproach with which they have reproached You, O Lord.

      13So we Your people and the sheep of Your pasture
Will give thanks to You forever;
To all generations we will tell of Your praise.

Praise Him for He is our salvation. We can be saved by no other. Humbly come before Him and ask for His gracious and forgiving hand to guide the people back to Him.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

 

Jehovah Can Help Us With Deal With Adultery

The “adultery test” of Numbers 5 sounds very strange indeed to us today. For sure we can confirm that adultery is not a new sin that married people have to deal with, even those who identify as God’s people. So, too, we can see God is not pleased by adultery.  It is a common and destructive sin. While coming to a faith leader may not be a common approach today and certainly the test described is not common today, it is quite interesting to reflect that turning to God in such a situation is actually quite a good choice. Our loving Father can handle even these difficult situations, which are especially hard to handle for a man or woman if they do not know for sure if an offense has taken place. Going to God in such a case is much better than letting the spirit of jealousy ruin you and perhaps lead to physical anger and violence.

Numbers 5:11-31

The Adultery Test

     11Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 12“Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘If any man’s wife goes astray and is unfaithful to him, 13and a man has intercourse with her and it is hidden from the eyes of her husband and she is undetected, although she has defiled herself, and there is no witness against her and she has not been caught in the act, 14if a spirit of jealousy comes over him and he is jealous of his wife when she has defiled herself, or if a spirit of jealousy comes over him and he is jealous of his wife when she has not defiled herself, 15the man shall then bring his wife to the priest, and shall bring as an offering for her one-tenth of an ephah of barley meal; he shall not pour oil on it nor put frankincense on it, for it is a grain offering of jealousy, a grain offering of memorial, a reminder of iniquity.

      16‘Then the priest shall bring her near and have her stand before the LORD, 17and the priest shall take holy water in an earthenware vessel; and he shall take some of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle and put it into the water. 18‘The priest shall then have the woman stand before the LORD and let the hair of the woman’s head go loose, and place the grain offering of memorial in her hands, which is the grain offering of jealousy, and in the hand of the priest is to be the water of bitterness that brings a curse. 19‘The priest shall have her take an oath and shall say to the woman, “If no man has lain with you and if you have not gone astray into uncleanness, being under the authority of your husband, be immune to this water of bitterness that brings a curse; 20if you, however, have gone astray, being under the authority of your husband, and if you have defiled yourself and a man other than your husband has had intercourse with you” 21(then the priest shall have the woman swear with the oath of the curse, and the priest shall say to the woman), “the LORD make you a curse and an oath among your people by the LORD’S making your thigh waste away and your abdomen swell; 22and this water that brings a curse shall go into your stomach, and make your abdomen swell and your thigh waste away.” And the woman shall say, “Amen. Amen.”

      23‘The priest shall then write these curses on a scroll, and he shall wash them off into the water of bitterness. 24‘Then he shall make the woman drink the water of bitterness that brings a curse, so that the water which brings a curse will go into her and cause bitterness. 25‘The priest shall take the grain offering of jealousy from the woman’s hand, and he shall wave the grain offering before the LORD and bring it to the altar; 26and the priest shall take a handful of the grain offering as its memorial offering and offer it up in smoke on the altar, and afterward he shall make the woman drink the water. 27‘When he has made her drink the water, then it shall come about, if she has defiled herself and has been unfaithful to her husband, that the water which brings a curse will go into her and cause bitterness, and her abdomen will swell and her thigh will waste away, and the woman will become a curse among her people. 28‘But if the woman has not defiled herself and is clean, she will then be free and conceive children.

      29‘This is the law of jealousy: when a wife, being under the authority of her husband, goes astray and defiles herself, 30or when a spirit of jealousy comes over a man and he is jealous of his wife, he shall then make the woman stand before the LORD, and the priest shall apply all this law to her. 31‘Moreover, the man will be free from guilt, but that woman shall bear her guilt.’”

I am not proposing we repeat this specific test. It is not possible as the Levitical priesthood no longer exists. Bring instead the situation to our Lord Yeshua who now is our chief priest. Let Him help with the situation.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Cleanse and Separate Yourself from Sin

People are very attentive to keeping lepers separate from those who are not affected by the disease. It is in their very tangible self interest to be vigilant on this subject. The Lord wants us to be equally vigilant to segregate those who defile Him through sin until such time as repentance is complete. The greater the claim of a person, family, or group of people to holiness, the greater the need for separation and cleansing from sin.

Our loving Father anticipates that people make mistakes and sin. He provides some instructions for how a person may seek forgiveness and again peace with the Lord and their conscience. We often talk about a “New Testament” God who forgives, but God has not changed. Forgiveness through repentance has always been His way. However, that does not mean there are not lasting consequences even after someone repents and is forgiven.

Numbers 5:1-10

On Defilement

     1Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Command the sons of Israel that they send away from the camp every leper and everyone having a discharge and everyone who is unclean because of a dead person. 3“You shall send away both male and female; you shall send them outside the camp so that they will not defile their camp where I dwell in their midst.” 4The sons of Israel did so and sent them outside the camp; just as the LORD had spoken to Moses, thus the sons of Israel did.

      5Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 6“Speak to the sons of Israel, ‘When a man or woman commits any of the sins of mankind, acting unfaithfully against the LORD, and that person is guilty, 7then he shall confess his sins which he has committed, and he shall make restitution in full for his wrong and add to it one-fifth of it, and give it to him whom he has wronged. 8‘But if the man has no relative to whom restitution may be made for the wrong, the restitution which is made for the wrong must go to the LORD for the priest, besides the ram of atonement, by which atonement is made for him. 9‘Also every contribution pertaining to all the holy gifts of the sons of Israel, which they offer to the priest, shall be his. 10‘So every man’s holy gifts shall be his; whatever any man gives to the priest, it becomes his.’”

Think about sin as you would a severely contagious disease. Do you separate yourself from unrepentant sinners or sin (even your own) with as much attention and energy as you do keep yourself separate from a disease? You should. Perhaps more so, since unrepentant sin separates us from the Father spiritually and relationally. A physical disease affects only our body.

Prayerfully consider who and where you are accepting or normalizing sin in your life or the lives of others around you. Ask God’s help for how to separate yourself from this sin. Wholeheartedly seek repentance and reconciliation with the Father.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

 

Comfort In Trouble From Recalling God’s Mighty Deeds

Sometimes we experience times of difficulty where we feel distant from God. Perhaps it is because of our own sin or perhaps not. Not all suffering is the direct result of our own sin (consider Job). We may feel as if God has withdrawn from us or is angry with us.

Whether we are experiencing accountability for our sins or just going through tough times we can remember an important lesson to encourage and sustain us. God does not change. He is eternal and unchanging. We can look back at the incredible record of His mighty deeds and power, and of course forgiveness and love, and be encouraged.

Psalm 77

Comfort in Trouble from Recalling God’s Mighty Deeds.

For the choir director; according to Jeduthun. A Psalm of Asaph.

1My voice rises to God, and I will cry aloud;
My voice rises to God, and He will hear me.

      2In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord;
In the night my hand was stretched out without weariness;
My soul refused to be comforted.

      3When I remember God, then I am disturbed;
When I sigh, then my spirit grows faint.

Selah.

      4You have held my eyelids open;
I am so troubled that I cannot speak.

      5I have considered the days of old,
The years of long ago.

      6I will remember my song in the night;
I will meditate with my heart,
And my spirit ponders:

      7Will the Lord reject forever?
And will He never be favorable again?

      8Has His lovingkindness ceased forever?
Has His promise come to an end forever?

      9Has God forgotten to be gracious,
Or has He in anger withdrawn His compassion?

Selah.

      10Then I said, “It is my grief,
That the right hand of the Most High has changed.”

      11I shall remember the deeds of the LORD;
Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.

      12I will meditate on all Your work
And muse on Your deeds.

      13Your way, O God, is holy;
What god is great like our God?

      14You are the God who works wonders;
You have made known Your strength among the peoples.

      15You have by Your power redeemed Your people,
The sons of Jacob and Joseph.

Selah.

      16The waters saw You, O God;
The waters saw You, they were in anguish;
The deeps also trembled.

      17The clouds poured out water;
The skies gave forth a sound;
Your arrows flashed here and there.

      18The sound of Your thunder was in the whirlwind;
The lightnings lit up the world;
The earth trembled and shook.

      19Your way was in the sea
And Your paths in the mighty waters,
And Your footprints may not be known.

      20You led Your people like a flock
By the hand of Moses and Aaron.

Praise Him even in the tough times and remember who He is and what He has done. Let that encourage and sustain you through the tough times. Approach Him humbly in prayer and repent from your sins.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Jehovah Is To Be Feared and Revered

Jehovah is to be feared and revered. He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Do not think of Him as some fluffy grandpa in the sky who is pleased with you no matter what. He is willing and waiting to forgive you for your sins if you genuinely repent and change yourself. He already made the first move in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. However, He is holy and righteous. He will hold you accountable for rebellion and sin. He does not just smile at you no matter what you do. Most in this world rebel against Him and that makes Him sad, but also angry.

This should not really be a big surprise. Only fools think God does not care how you act toward Him. Think of the metaphor He provides us… He is like a father. What father would have no care or anger if his children blatantly disregarded much or most of what he told them to do as they acted in blatant rebellion toward him?I Is a father pleased if you obey him half the time? if you obey him with your words but not your actions? Would it matter if they said they love him while ignoring and disrespecting him with their actions?  Would this father just smile and say… “oh, how cute, they are completely disobeying me… give me a hug?” No, not if he was a good father, who cared about disciplining his children for their own benefit. There would be consequences.

Psalm 76

The Victorious Power of the God of Jacob.

For the choir director; on stringed instruments. A Psalm of Asaph, a Song.

1God is known in Judah;
His name is great in Israel.

      2His tabernacle is in Salem;
His dwelling place also is in Zion.

      3There He broke the flaming arrows,
The shield and the sword and the weapons of war.

Selah.

      4You are resplendent,
More majestic than the mountains of prey.

      5The stouthearted were plundered,
They sank into sleep;
And none of the warriors could use his hands.

      6At Your rebuke, O God of Jacob,
Both rider and horse were cast into a dead sleep.

      7You, even You, are to be feared;
And who may stand in Your presence when once You are angry?

      8You caused judgment to be heard from heaven;
The earth feared and was still

      9When God arose to judgment,
To save all the humble of the earth.

Selah.

      10For the wrath of man shall praise You;
With a remnant of wrath You will gird Yourself.

      11Make vows to the LORD your God and fulfill them;
Let all who are around Him bring gifts to Him who is to be feared.

      12He will cut off the spirit of princes;
He is feared by the kings of the earth.

We can be sure of the Father for His love when we submit to Him and truly love Him through obeying His commands. We need not be perfect… that is why He sent Jesus Christ on our behalf. Praise God for making a way for us to remain reconciled to Him despite our sin and failure! Pray for the Spirit to move amongst the people of the earth and stir them to open their eyes and ears to God’s truth and turn away from the lies and deception of the world.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Pray for Those Affected by Hurricane Harvey

People are hurting. There is much tragedy and loss in the Texas/Louisiana area associated with Hurricane Harvey and the intense flooding that came with it. Lives have been lost, homes and businesses have been washed away. Rebuilding physically as well as emotionally will take people years and some may not complete the journey to recovery.

Let our prayers as followers of Christ be for these people who have been impacted by the storm and flooding. Pray not only for physical relief and rebuilding but also for spiritual growth. The more people can turn to the Father through Christ and draw near to Him, the more solid their foundation for their lives will become. Then they will be better positioned to withstand much hardship when it comes and still recover and appreciate the joy and peace they find in Christ.

Matthew 7:24-29

 The Two Foundations

     24“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25“And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. 26“Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27“The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”

      28When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; 29for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.

Let us pray for the Spirit to move in the lives of those affected by the storm and flood. Pray for physical and emotional recovery but also for spiritual growth. I pray God would use this tragedy to bring people to Him so that as a result of some suffering in this life, they may find everlasting peace and joy walking with Him.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.