Category Archives: TRUSTING GOD

Strength for battle, #godindailylife, #thebibleindaily life

ANXIETY, CHRISTIAN VALUES, CURRENT EVENTS, ENCOURAGEMENT, HARD TIMES, HOPE, TRUSTING GOD

“You have armed me with strength for the battle;
you have subdued my enemies under my feet.” (Psalm 18:39, NLT)

Starting the day with psalms. I stayed in bed longer than usual, dimly aware of the emotional burden lingering from the day and night before. As I’ve done often in recent weeks, I listened a long time as the soothing voice on the audio Bible spoke the truths in Psalms. Gradually, the Living Word brought comfort, encouragement, and some clear ideas that had me out of bed, quickly feeding Lily bugs and sitting at the computer.

The big windows in front of my desk open to the east. A thin sliver between two buildings from my second-floor condo offers a view of the sun before it clears the city horizon. As the rising sun flamed the sky, I looked through the winter bare branches of the crepe myrtle trees in front of the windows. In just a few weeks the branches will be covered with leaves thick enough so as to block all but the brightest of the morning sun’s piercing rays. We have all begun another change of season in this beautiful world God has given us.

Change is hard. I have some thoughts about changes we are seeing in our world.

What in the world is Satan doing? Satan is doing all he can to steal, kill, and destroy the world, its people, and the great awakening God has begun. Watching President Trump’s March 4 address to Congress deepened my understanding of: (1) how big the fight is and (2) how personal the enemy intends to make it for all believers.

Satan is attacking every way he can. Some of his purposes are to:

  1. Hurt you and therefore hurt God, by attacking all that you love and all that you need.
  2. Steal you away from God and the good that you are doing in your personal life.
  3. If he cannot do that, he seeks to at least damage you and make you stop fighting. He will use the same old tactics and the same old tactics in what seems to be new ways.
  4. And if all that fails, he will do all in his power to steal your joy. But, remember and keep it foremost in our mind — Jesus has “all authority in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). More about that later.

Dealing with daily life.  Merely moving forward with my own personal life has been especially challenging the last two months. I think it’s been the same for many believers. By God’s great grace, I have stayed the course in spite of Satan using all the old tricks that previously pulled me into the pit of depression. That story is told in the two books Undepressed: How God’s Word Can Heal Your Heart and God’s Arsenal for Peace and Security (available on the Books, etc. page of this website).

What healed depression, when all else failed, was learning to meditate on the Word without ceasing and diligently studying the Word in my areas of personal need. The Word changed how I think about many things and provided training in handling feelings, even in deep valleys. We truly are blessed when God teaches us, out of His law, how to keep ourselves “calm in the days of adversity, until the [inevitable] pit of corruption is dug for the wicked.” (Psalm 94:12-13, AMPC).

I got mired in that pit of depression a few years ago mainly because I allowed negative thoughts and feelings to linger.

arrows in shooting target

Photo by Kenny  Eliason on Unsplash

A different attack.  Recently, however, the enemy of our souls has tried a different version of an old attack: sudden, overwhelming negative thoughts and feelings. I knew how to stop negative thoughts from snowballing, but this was sudden pangs of sorrow, hopelessness, and helplessness, along with sudden feelings of despair so deep that the thought came “If it hurts this bad, I can’t go on.”

Thank God, and I do mean thank God, I did the things I know to do and God gave victory over those sudden intense feelings. Each time, we pressed on, with me having been made stronger because of the struggle.

Then an ambush.  But Satan did not give up, of course. Yesterday came sudden feelings—not ones I had caused myself by letting thoughts linger. This was sudden feelings of anger, a feeling I seldom struggle with. Feeling extra tired and out of sorts physically, I nonetheless followed through with my plans for the day. Early on, two people each said something that–unknown and unintended by them–triggered old hurts from the past. As the day went on, my plans turned upside down, and I got lost while driving (something that does make me angry). On and on and on the little irritations added up. As the gnats of frustration buzzed around inside my head, I got frustrated, flustered, mad, then resentful, bitter and finally really, really angry to the point of wanting to just throw something. It was a most unpleasant afternoon and evening.

I should have stopped, said out loud to Satan “Devil, James 4:7 in God’s Word says that if I resist you, you must flee so be gone!” And then I should have filled my mind and mouth with praise to God, quoted Bible verses I know out loud, and read my Bible and prayed in tongues and kept on hiding myself under God’s sheltering wing until the emotional storm passed.

But that is not how it works for me sometimes, especially lately. If I do not have my shield of faith lifted up (Ephesians 6:10-18), Satan’s lies hit their mark. The thought comes “It’s never going to be right. It’s too messed up to ever be restored.”

Do you see how at that precise point the enemy is trying to steal hope?

I believe the enemy of our souls is attacking believers with anything and everything he can. He seeks to discourage us through world-wide events, events in our area of the world, in our personal life, in our bodies, in the lives of those we love, in our relationships, our work, and on and on. He uses his same old tactics and he uses them in different ways.

white concrete dome museumPhoto by Louis Velasquez on Unsplash

The point of this story. My point in all this is to show how crafty the enemy is. On March 4, when President Trump gave his address to Congress, we saw how powerful the enemy is in the hearts of those who yield control to him. When democrats remained seated throughout the President’s address, when they interrupted him, when they would not even stand to celebrate with a young boy who is courageously fighting cancer, they gave a clear demonstration of the power of the devil—let me repeat–in the hearts of those who yield control to him. Consider this Scripture.

“Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living” (Romans 6:16, NLT, emphasis added)

Part of the coming change is the increase in evil and the effects that will have. We are living in the last of the last days. Evil will grow stronger. 2 Timothy 3:13 warns us that “evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.” (NKJV) And the verse right before that says “all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” We have all read how the Civil War split families and friends apart as hatred and fear consumed and controlled hearts. I see Satan stirring up that same level of hatred and fear.

a white mannequin with a red band on its head

Photo by David Underland on Unsplash

[1] Many are deceived.  The people who opposed and dishonored President Trump and the Office of the President of the United States are deceived, hardened and blinded by Satan. Many people we see in our everyday life are in the same snare of the enemy. Perhaps you know where differences in spiritual and political views have shattered a relationship. I do. I am convinced this is happening around our nation.

[2] We must keep fighting. We who are standing with the Lord must keep fighting. We cannot stop just because God mercifully gave us a reprieve through President Trump and the courageous people who are fighting for truth, justice, and liberty. God is making dramatic changes for good every day in our world and in America. We must do our part to keep our nation turning back to God. We must keep educating ourselves and taking whatever actions we can. See the “What to do about our world?” page on this website. Midterm elections will soon be here, and the radical left is already working to take back the ground they lost.

[3] Satan will persist. Satan will keep using everything he can to destroy God’s agenda for America, the world, and individuals, unbelievers and believers alike. BUT “when we place ourselves under God’s protection, Satan has no authority over us.”  And he only has the power over us that we allow him to have. Read this quote from gotquestions.org

“We have no authority over Satan in ourselves. God has all authority, and He fights on our behalf. Our response to Satan’s attacks should include submitting our lives to God, living in a holy manner, praying for God’s protection, and resisting sin. When we place ourselves under God’s protection, Satan has no authority over us. He will flee. In addition, we can respond to the devil’s temptations as Jesus did. All three times Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, the Lord responded by quoting God’s Word (Matthew 4:1–11). If Jesus defeated temptation through Scripture, we should certainly rely on the Bible to overcome Satan’s temptation in our lives. It’s not called the “sword of the Spirit” for nothing (Ephesians 6:17).”

For an encouraging teaching on this subject, read the entire post: . Does a believer have authority over Satan? | GotQuestions.org

[4] Beware of deception. If Satan can so completely deceive so many politicians (who have at least some intelligence), then he is doing the same with millions of everyday Americans, AND HE IS ALSO WORKING AND WILL KEEP WORKING TO DECEIVE YOU AND ME AND THOSE WE LOVE.

a black and brown snake with its mouth open

Photo by Getty Images on Unsplash

I beg you: do not watch mainstream media. Although its number of followers is declining, this remains one of the enemy’s most venomous weapons. Instead, watch conservative news that gives God’s perspective. News sources I have followed for years and which I trust are:

  • Intercessors for America -An on-line community of believers interceding for our nation. The website has multiple resources as well as opportunities to join in prayer via email as well as live phone calls.
  • Other conservative news sources like Epoch Times and The Western Journal.
  • Listening to the above news sources will lead you to additional reliable ones.

Satan wants to move us into fear, hopelessness and then into doing nothing. He wants to stop the progress we are making in our personal lives and in the spiritual battle raging right now in the heavenly realms.

What are we to do?

[1] Know that God is fighting for you. Keep that fact in the forefront of your mind. Cry out to God as King Asa did in 2 Chronicles 14:11:

“Asa cried to the Lord his God, O Lord, there is none besides You to help, and it makes no difference to You whether the one You help is mighty or powerless. Help us, O Lord our God! For we rely on You, and we go against this multitude in Your name. O Lord, You are our God; let no man prevail against You!” (AMPC, emphasis added)

lightning strike at night

Photo by Max LaRochelle on Unsplash

[2] Keep living your good and godly life. “Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21, NIV). This verse is in the context of responding to those who have done evil to you. Remember that evil comes from the enemy of our souls. Satan sometimes uses people to hurt other people. He has deceived many people with radical left political views into thinking they are in danger from conservatives and Christians. If someone has harmed you in some way because of your Christian and/or conservative stance, remember that they are blinded by the lies of the enemy and do not know what they are doing.

Keep living for God with all your heart. Keep on doing good, in your personal life and for the cause of righteousness in our nation and world. Don’t know what to do? See the “What to do about our world” page on this website.

[3] Keep alert!  Carefully consider 1 Peter 5:6-9:

“6 So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. 7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

8 Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 9 Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.” (NLT)

Peter tells his readers to humble themselves before God, to cast all their cares on Him, to stay alert and resist the enemy, who is desperate, and to remember that all believers are having the same kinds of suffering they are. Why? Because God “cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.” (I Peter 4:7b, NLT)

[4] Above all: guard your heart!  In Proverbs 4:20-23, God pleads with us:

My child, pay attention to what I say.
Listen carefully to my words.
21 Don’t lose sight of them.
Let them penetrate deep into your heart,
22 for they bring life to those who find them,
and healing to their whole body.

23 Guard your heart above all else,
for it determines the course of your life.  (NLT)

Please!
Make it your top priority
to get closer to God and to study His Word.

[5] Finally: Man up! You really have no choice. If you stop fighting the good fight of faith—if you slack off on your Christian beliefs and behaviors—you will face the enemy alone, one way or the other, whether you just sit down or whether you actively run away. The enemy waits and you will have to fight him without your spiritual weapons and without the tremendous help of the family of God, your fellow soldiers.

If this sounds harsh or insensitive, please believe me it is not. It is said with the utmost concern for your soul. I know what awaits you if you give up. The enemy of our souls has no mercy. His aim is to destroy everything and everyone who loves and serves God. We must live constantly “under the shelter of the Most High.“ (Psalm 91)

a horse with a saddle on its back

Photo by Alexander Popovkin on Unsplash

So man up, saddle up, and suit up in your spiritual armor, weary Christian soldier! God Himself is and will continue to be your strength. No matter what happens I can say, and you can too:

“18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will exult in the [victorious] God of my salvation!

19 The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hinds’ feet and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror, but to walk] and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places [of trouble, suffering, or responsibility]!  (Habakkuk 3:18-19, AMPC)

Move forward with the life God has lovingly given you, love Him, serve Him, obey Him with all your heart. God’s army is marching on to victory. In your daily life and in the battle being waged in the heavenly realms, victory is stored up, waiting for us!

“He holds success in store for the upright,
he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
8 for He guards the course of the just
and protects the way of his faithful ones.

9 Then you will understand what is right and just
and fair—every good path.
10 For wisdom will enter your heart,
and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
11 Discretion will protect you,
and understanding will guard you.

12 Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men,
from men whose words are perverse,” (Proverbs 2:7-12, NIV)

Beloved, we have victory through our faith in God, so “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.” (Philippians 4:4, KJV)

 “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world.
 And this is the victory that has overcome the world-our faith.”
 (1 John 5:4, NKJV)

The man standing on the mountain on the picturesque sunset backgroundPhoto by Getty Images on Unsplash

Stand still! Stand firm! #godindailylife, #thebibleindailylife

ANXIETY, CURRENT EVENTS, ENCOURAGEMENT, HARD TIMES, HOPE, TRUSTING GOD

Reasons for great gratitude. I flipped backward through my Bible, stopping to re-read and ponder each of the passages where I had inserted a slip of paper, passages densely marked with underlines and arrows, pencil and red pen. They were Malachi 3:16-17, Habakkuk 3:17-19, Lamentations 3:17-28, Jeremiah 15:19, Isaiah 55:6-13, Psalm 28:7, Psalm 32:10, and Psalm 33:18-22. These were my latest chain of personally noteworthy verses, the ones I read over most every morning and whenever I need a fresh breath of God’s truth. I was reading them this afternoon with great gratitude.

Late afternoon sun slanted through the window, spilling over the brown rug where Lily bugs lay, soaking up the sunshine largely absent the previous month of cold, gray days. Last week, with several below freezing mornings and overcast days with afternoons requiring a coat, gloves and scarf, I had felt tucked in, making chicken soup, studying and writing, trying to maintain a steady course in spite of the loss I wrote about on February 6.

Yesterday, though, when another blow came I did not feel like seeing sunshine. I wanted to hide somewhere in the dark and the gloom. I felt like giving up, on a lot of things.

“Oh, Father! You know this feels like 2020, when You first trained me to meditate on Your Word desperately to conquer the negative, depression-causing thoughts.  If I do not do that now, with fervor and desperation, I know I could fall back into depression and despair. You have never, no never, no never failed me in any regard, (Hebrews 13:5) dear Father, and I trust You now. . . “

I closed my eyes, pressed the Bible to my chest and hugged hard.

“Father, in times like this I really wish I could see Your face and hear Your voice and feel Your loving arms around me. Nevertheless, I know You are here, all around me and in me, closer than my very breath. Thank You, Lord, thank You.”

Filled with fury. The enemy “is filled with fury because he knows his time is short.” (Revelations 12:12, NIV). So many good things are happening in the U.S. and the world that it is hard to keep track. We must keep pressing on with prayer and doing all we can to support the righteous leaders God has put in place. We must also be mindful that the enemy is stirred up, overflowing with rage as his plans are being ruined and evil is being exposed, as God promised in Luke 8:17 “For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.” (NIV)

Romans 8:28 – unfailing comfort. Beloved, we can be sure the enemy is working harder than ever to “steal, kill, and destroy” (John 10:10). I know that many, many of us are experiencing vicious attacks of the enemy.

In my own recent case, I can by grace alone say that, though nothing is resolved yet, I see how God has already used this hard thing for good. How? (1) It has gouged out (and I use that word on purpose for that is what it has felt like) deeper trust in God. (2) God’s own compassion has gushed out from places hitherto untouched in my heart. (3) Finally, self-focus has shrunk.

Stand still! And stand firm! When I first got the news, I sat in my chair and stared out the window. A long time. Then I went outside, sat on the stairs, and gazed at a tree visible above the rooftops. A solitary bird perched on an outermost branch swaying in the gentle wind. All day I felt numb, trying to talk with God but unable to feel His presence. This morning though, I woke up with two Biblical phrases in mind: stand still and stand firm.

Stand still! “Moses told the people, Fear not; stand still (firm, confident, undismayed) and see the salvation of the Lord which He will work for you today. For the Egyptians you have seen today you shall never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace and remain at rest. (Exodus 14:13-14 AMPC)

Notice that standing still means to be “firm, confident, undismayed.” Read all of Exodus 14 and you will see that Moses said these words to the Israelites when the Egyptian army drew near to them and they sarcastically asked Moses why he had not let them stay in Egypt as slaves rather than die in the wilderness.

When the enemy closes in and seems about to destroy us, God says stand firm, have confidence in Him and do not let your courage be melted down.  When you do that, “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still. “ (Exodus 14:14, NIV, emphasis added)

This is the same promise God gave to King Jehosaphat in 2 Chronicles 20:15 when he, like Moses and Israel, also faced possible annihilation:  “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.” (NIV)

This truth we must imprint on our hearts:

“For the Lord your God is He Who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to save you.” (Deuteronomy 20:4, AMPC)

What happens if I do not stand and face the enemy? I might run right into the enemy’s trap, as the Israelites would have done had they tried to run. Remember they were hemmed in on three sides when the Egyptians caught up with them.

Stand firm! “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand” (Ephesians 6:13, NIV). That phrase “after you have done everything” includes a lot! In the coming weeks I plan to share about what that has meant for me lately while God has been teaching me about prayer and fasting.

Briefly, what might that everything include?  Asking God to reveal anything in your life in general and anything in this particular matter where you may have sinned and asking for forgiveness; fervent earnest prayer; agreeing with others in prayer; and saying or doing all you can.

Go back now and read all of Ephesians 6. After giving specific instructions for children and parents and slaves and masters (workers and bosses in our modern world), Paul says:

10 In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides].

11 Put on God’s whole armor [the armor of a heavy-armed soldier which God supplies], that you may be able successfully to stand up against [all] the strategies and the deceits of the devil. (Ephesians 6:10-11, AMPC, emphasis added). 

man wearing shoulder padsPhoto by Ivan Stern on Unsplash

I can draw  my strength from Him. Paul says that if we draw our strength from God and put on His whole armor (see Ephesians 6:14-17)  we will be able to stand up – successfully! — against all the enemy’s wicked plots and schemes.  And why does Paul say to put on – and use – the spiritual armor of God? Read verse 12.

12 For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere.”

Phew! The believer is engaged in a supernatural, spiritual battle far  greater in scope than we can ever imagine. I can only echo King Jehosaphat:

“O our God, will You not exercise judgment upon them? For we have no might to stand against this great company that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.” (2 Chronicles 20:12, AMPC)

But, thanks be to God, we can by His great grace learn to stand still and, like King Jehosaphat’s people, sing out our praises to God as we face the enemy – and God Himself will fight for us.

It may seem like thousands of fearful, discouraging, angry, doubting, resentful, self-pitying, threatening thoughts are attacking our minds and there may be many painful or threatening situations in our life over which we have no control. HOWEVER, God will empower us to sing, like Paul and Silas in prison (Acts 16:22-25). If we just choose to try, God will empower us to praise Him by recalling the wonderful deeds He has done for us, thinking gratefully on those things and thanking Him for His mercies and faithfulness to us in the past.

And our God will fight for us, just as He did for King Jehosaphat in 2 Chronicles  20 and for King Asa in 2 Chronicles 14 and for the Israelites in Exodus 14.

A few more thoughts.  I sincerely pray that the following thoughts comfort you as much as they comfort me.  Here they are:

[1] The enemy attacks God, through attacking me.

[2]  God longs, far far more than I can understand, that I live in peace.

[3] God will take care of the enemy and He can keep me in peace while He does that.

[4]  But . . .  I must make the decision to trust Him and I must do my part in keeping myself calm. (Isaiah 26:3)

God is right there in the trial with you. What a comfort is the following passage from the prophet Isaiah!

But now [in spite of past judgments for Israel’s sins], thus says the Lord, He Who created you, O Jacob, and He Who formed you, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed you [ransomed you by paying a price instead of leaving you captives]; I have called you by your 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 the fire, you will not be burned or scorched, nor will the flame kindle upon you.

3 For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; (Isaiah 43:1-3a, AMPC)

I chanced (providentially, of course) to hear those verses last night, after a full day battling fear, anger, frustration, doubt, hurt, self-pity. And I was able to sleep and sleep well.

“The very instant you turn. .”   Our loving God is so kind! Here is part of the April 2 devotion from “Streams in the Desert, Morning and Evening” audiobook I heard this morning. The author, L. B. Cowman, urged readers to form the habit of looking for the silver lining of clouds and to focus on that silver lining, rather than yielding to discouragement. “no matter how severely stressed or surrounded by problems you may be. A discouraged soul is in a helpless state. “ Such a one cannot “stand against the devil’s schemes” (Ephesians 6:11) nor pray for others.

The author urged us to find specific promises from God and say them aloud, adding ‘This promise is mine.”  Then, “if you still experience feelings of doubt and discouragement, pour your heart out to God, asking Him to rebuke the Adversary who is so mercilessly harassing you.

The very instant you wholeheartedly turn away from every symptom of discouragement and lack of trust, the blessed Holy Spirit will reawaken your faith and breath God’s divine strength into your soul.” (emphasis added)

I experienced that this morning, dear friend. I pray you will too, the next time the enemy comes against you with a vast host of doubts and fears. Nothing can stand against our God – nothing!  He never, no never, no never fails us in any regard! (Hebrews 13:5)

As I step outside at the close of this day, I look up and see the intricate array of clouds God has stretched out.  “He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea. (Job 9:8, NIV). And I ponder Psalm 103:11 “For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great are His mercy and loving-kindness toward those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him “ (AMPC)

Only in heaven will we begin to understand the love and the goodness and the mercies and the lovingkindness and the power of our great and awesome God.

Trusting God in loss, #godindailylife, #thebibleindailylife

ANXIETY, DAILY LIFE, DEPRESSION, ENCOURAGEMENT, HARD TIMES, TRUSTING GOD

I pushed back the curtain a bit and set the steaming cup of chamomile on the wide window sill running beneath the two side-by-side windows on the southeast wall, the windows I always look out each morning. Though only a slice of sky rather than a panoramic view, most mornings I see changes from black to dark blue, then purple, and finally blendings of yellow, orange and red. I eased into the rocker and picked up my Bible, holding it to my chest.

Silently, Lily Bugs landed on the window sill. I stood up and opened the window a creaky three inches so she could feel the cool air, smell the rose bush climbing the drain pipe just outside the window and watch early-morning dog walkers.

“Father, I just do not know where to start. I do not know what to even try to say. It’s just. . . “ I stopped and closed my eyes, trying to concentrate.

“No! I do not want to close my eyes. That makes the thoughts too real.”

I stared into the darkness, feeling my face pinch into a frown, that look of intense inward concentration you see when someone focuses on a difficult task. Softly, I began praying in the Spirit, using my private prayer language. (If you do not know about praying in the Spirit, start reading at page 15 in the booklet “The Remedy for Desperation” at www.wordsofhopeandhealing.com.) After a while, I closed my eyes and kept them closed. That’s when the feelings surged up.

That’s when the tears finally came, from deep inside, the tears that God’s shielding cushion had suppressed for three weeks, those three weeks when the loss had been too much to comprehend, and then when my mind had rebelled against believing it was real.

Now, though, now the sorrow of it all floated into consciousness, that despair and discouragement as much a part of loss as the hand’s dorsal and palmar sides are part of each other.

As the crying turned to sobbing then quiet weeping, I kept talking with God.

black lantern with fire during night timePhoto by Sylwia Bartyzel on Unsplash

Your Word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” (Psalm 119:105, NLT) “Father, thank You that I know You will take care of me, that I know everything will be alright. Thank You that I know You are right here with me, that You will never leave me or fail me or let me down in any way, (Hebrews 13:5), that I know You will keep supplying everything I need and so much more (Philippians 4:9).

Thank You that I know, although I do not feel it right now, that there is no sorrow or heartache You cannot heal (Psalm 103:3). Thank You that I know You are close to the brokenhearted, and You save those who are crushed in spirit. (Psalm 34:18, NIV).

Praise You that You will be “my strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army”  and that You will make “my feet like hinds’ feet, and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror, but to walk] and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places of trouble, suffering, and responsibility.” (Habakkuk 3:19, AMPC).

In spite of all this, Lord, I know You will help me to say, “Yet, I will rejoice in the Lord; I will exult in the [victorious] God of my salvation.” (Habakkuk 3:18, AMPC). Thank You that I know You will give me Your strength to do the things that must be done today, and the next day and the day after. Thank You that You will guide my steps as I lean on You, even though I do not understand this at all (Proverbs 3:5-7).

I am grateful, dear Father, for the experiences You have used to train me to make a sacrifice of praise (Psalm 49:14-16) and choose to rejoice in You, no matter what, and to follow the other steps in Philippians 4:4-7, where Paul said:

 “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

I am grateful You have taught me that if I keep my mind fixed on You, if I lean on You, rely on You and hope confidently in You, that You will keep me in complete and constant peace (Isaiah 26:3). Thank You for teaching me that keeping a verse or a passage before my eyes all day long and pondering on it keeps the enemy’s thoughts out of my mind and fills my mind with good things, the things You tell me to think about in Philippians 4:8.

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

white and brown wooden tablePhoto by Taylor Flowe on Unsplash

 8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.” (Joshua 1:8, NLT)

By then, gentle sunlight dappled through the leaves in the tree where a sparrow perched, inclining his head from side to side before flitting away. I blew my nose one last time.

“You know, Father. I think I need to review Psalm 18 again. I’ll study that one again and then print some verses to carry around and meditate on until I memorize them.”

I opened my Bible and quickly scanned the psalm before moving to the desk.

“Well, Father, I think the first verses I’ll meditate on until I memorize them is verses 33 and 34.

 He makes my feet like hinds’ feet [able to stand firmly or make progress on the dangerous heights of testing and trouble]; He sets me securely upon my high places.

He teaches my hands to war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

These verses also talk about high, dangerous places, only this time it calls them places of testing and trouble. And I see how the next verse talks about You equipping us for battle. That’s what this is all about, I know. That spiritual battle we are in with the enemy of our souls. This loss is just one more attack from him, one more attack like he has used on millions of others before me.

But Your Word and Your love have never failed. You delivered others from the snares of the enemy (Psalm 91:3), You have delivered me countless times before and I know You will deliver me from this one, too, Lord. So, we will just start with verse one and see what You have to show me. I love You, Lord, and I trust You.

two person step on gray soil

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Salvations and Edifications, #thebibleindaily life, #godindailylife

BIBLE STUDY, CHRISTIAN VALUES, ENCOURAGEMENT, TRUSTING GOD

A note from me to you: I am going to be writing long blog posts, rather than breaking them into two or more short ones, as before. Short writings do not work well for me. So, I will trust you to read a bit and then return to it later, as the Lord leads. So, here we go, with 2025. It is going to be an awesome year in Jesus!

photo of bed near task lamp

Photo by Alexander Possingham on Unsplash

Two days before New Year’s. I opened my eyes and stretched. In the darkness, I saw a small white shape next to me, then Lily Bugs was standing on my chest. I rubbed her velvety ears, then gently scratched under her chin, feeling the thrumming, silent rumbling that is her purr.

“Well, Lord, You know I do not really want to but I know my desk and all my papers need to be organized, really organized. You know, where I go through each folder or stack of papers on my desk and all the cubbies. Thank You for helping me get so much year-end organizing and planning done already this week.

 So, Lord, once again I roll this day’s work upon You. I “commit and trust this day’s work wholly to You. I know You will cause my thoughts to become agreeable to Your will, and thus shall our plans be established and succeed.” (Proverbs 16:3, AMPC, personalized)

Two hours later, after morning devotions and some preliminary work on organizing the desk, I sat down with a second cup of chicory. On a clean sheet of paper, using the post-it notes on which they had been hastily scrawled as the ideas had come to mind, I made an orderly list of my personal spiritual goals for the year. And that felt good.

Two worthy goals. Besides goals concerning worldly things (paying down debt, getting in better shape, etc.) do you have spiritually-focused goals for this year? Have you prayed about what you hope to achieve for the kingdom of God this year? Have you asked God to show you an area where you can grow spiritually?

Two of my spiritual goals are to lead souls to salvation (I am praying about a specific number) and to prepare myself to be better at mutual edification. Let me explain.

GOAL #1.  Will there be any stars in my crown? Remember this soul-stirring song written by Eliza Edmunds Hewitt in 1897? It asks the question: When I get to heaven, can I know that I have helped win some souls to Jesus?  Here is one stanza.

“In the strength of the Lord let me labor and pray
Let me watch as a winner of souls
That bright stars may be mine in the glorious day
When his praise like the sea billow rolls.”

We must be busy about our Father’s work, just as Jesus was (Luke 2:49). We must not be lazy or idle. In Hebrews 6:11-12 God tells us He wants each of us “. . . to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. 12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. “ (NIV, emphasis added)

Am I prepared to labor in the harvest? (Mathew 9:38) If I wish to be a soul winner, I must (1) be prepared and (2) be praying for God to put souls in the path of my daily life.

How do I prepare to be a soul winner? Many books have been written about leading hearts to Jesus. Ask your pastor or mature believers what books they recommend.  One book I trust, because I trust the authors (T. L. Osborn and LaDonna Osborn), is Soul Winning: How to Share God’s Love and Life to a World of Despair. 

Another excellent book is One Thing You Can’t Do In Heaven by Mark Cahill. I have read portions of this book and highly recommend it. Here is the description written on the back of the book:

“Are you ready for eternity? If so, are you helping others get ready for that journey into eternity that each of us must take? As believers, we all know we should tell others about the Lord, but we often don’t know how.  This practical book will give you ideas for starting conversations, examples of witnessing situations, and answers to common question. It will help motivate and equip you to reach both friends and strangers for Jesus for the rest of your life.”

A very simple way to lead someone to salvation is the Romans Road. Here is a link to a simple explanation.  What is the Romans Road to salvation? | GotQuestions.org   If you have these five or so verses of the Romans Road memorized, you will be ready when God puts some hungry soul in the path of your everyday life, at work, the grocery, the gym, or your neighborhood.

rectangular leaning mirror with brass-colored frameBegin memorizing these verses now while you read a good book or some articles about soul winning. Next, practice at home in front of a mirror or with a friend. Then, pray and watch God work.

You will likely not be able to lead someone to salvation every time, but you can be certain that you have planted seed in their heart and you can be certain that God will send another laborer to water that soul. Someday, one of God’s laborers will harvest that soul. The apostle Paul said, “I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow.” (I Corinthians 3:6, NLT)

 

 

 

Photo by Luis Villasmil on Unsplash

Be confident as you prepare yourself and pray to win souls. In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus gave His followers what is known as the Great Commission. Jesus said:

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (NIV)

Because God clearly tells us to win the lost, we can be sure when we pray for help that God hears us and we shall have the thing we ask of Him (I John 5:14-15).

Jesus does not limit this commission to those whose full-time work is that of a pastor, evangelist or teacher. The Great Commission applies to all of us, no matter our circumstance and situation. But what if you do not like to study or are “slow of speech” like Moses? God made you, and He does not make mistakes. Put your apparent limitation on the altar, try with all your might to obey God and then watch what He does for you.

GOAL #2: Our obligation of mutual edification.  Building each other up spiritually is clearly God’s specifically expressed will for every believer. Where does the Bible say that? For starters, study Romans 5:12, and 14:19, Philippians 2:4, Ephesians 4:15-16 and Ephesians 4:29. These verses are for every believer, as is the Great Commission. When we edify each other by “speaking the truth in love” we help each other grow up into Christ (Ephesians 4:15).

So, I ask myself the same two questions about this goal of edifying other believers: (1) Am I prepared to edify fellow believers at every opportunity? And (2) Am I praying for opportunities to do that and keeping my eyes open, being willing to give of my personal time and energy to do that?

How do I prepare to edify fellow believers? Let’s look at Ephesians 4:15-16 a bit closer. These verses are part of a section the NIV calls “Unity in the Body of Christ.” In this passage, Paul is urging the believes at Ephesus to grow up into maturity. Take time now to read Ephesians 4:1-16.

Do you see God’s master plan for building up the Body of Christ? We are to live in loving unity and we are to use the grace God has given us, whatever that may be, so that we may all become mature. To be mature is to be a fully functioning member of the Body of Christ. Then, Christ will cause all of us to “grow and build each other” up in love, as we each do our part. We can be ready in every situation to edify each one whom God puts in our path, inside as well as outside the church.

cup of coffee on saucer

Photo by Dani on Unsplash

Practical tips for how to edify others. As believers, we strive to be doing good at every opportunity, inside and outside the church, and not just when we feel like it. The person siting next to us in Bible study group may desperately need to share a cup of coffee and some one-on-one time with a fellow Christian. They might be desperately hungry for just one hour of true, personal conversation.

That stranger we meet outside the church may be a believer or not, but regardless, that stranger is a person God loves. If we are praying and looking for opportunities, we can speak a quick word of truth to someone standing in line at the grocery or sitting next to us in the doctor’s reception area.

God’s truth benefits anyone who hears it, whether they seem to receive it or not. Our part is to scatter the seed, then pray for God to grow the seed. So, what to do? Pray for help and study to equip yourself with the Word!

Step One: Meditate on verses that you think would be good to share with others.  You can start by recalling what God has done in your life. For example, if God has helped you out of deep financial trials, meditate on verses like Philippians 4:19:

“And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” (NLT)

open bookPhoto by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Use a concordance or the internet and find other verses on the subject. Then, when you encounter someone in financial struggles, you can offer them comfort and encouragement through the Word and through hearing your story of victory through God over similar problems.

If you know a close friend is struggling with a particular temptation, meditate on and memorize I Corinthians 10:13

“The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” (NLT)

Think about your own story and think about people’s needs in general. God will lead you to the portions of His Word that meets those needs, no matter your level of knowledge. You already know more Scripture than you think. Simply take and use what is already in your mind, just as God told Moses to use what was in his hand (Exodus 4:17.)

And one important note: do not worry about saying the verse word for word. If you cannot memorize it and/or if you cannot remember it, God will still help you speak out the essence of the verse. Trust Him and just try.

Step Two: Practice speaking the Word out loud so that you become accustomed to hearing your own voice saying God’s Words. Then it will feel natural and will sound natural. Remember, though, the Word of God is alive and powerful (Hebrews 4:12). His Word will touch the spirit and soul of that person you are seeking to help. God loves that person far, far more than you can, and nothing is too hard for God (Jeremiah 32:17). God makes the eyes to see and the ears to hear (Proverbs 20:12).  Touching the heart is His part. Our part is to speak the Word in love, to be the living channel through which God can touch others.

Usually, there is no need to pause dramatically in the conversation and say, “Now, friend, I am going to share a Bible truth that I think you need.” Think how Jesus talked to people in need. Just talk naturally about what they need and what God has said about that need.

If you are talking with a friend struggling with family troubles, say, “You know, I finally learned that God will keep me in peace during rocky times when I remind myself that God promises to keep me in complete peace if I trust in Him and keep my thoughts fixed on Him. (paraphrase of Isaiah 26:3, NLT)

yellow lights between treesPhoto by Johannes Plenio on Unsplash

Share the light you have. Beloved, you have been given a measure of a vast and limitless treasure, a measure of the light of God’s truth. Countless millions are walking in darkness and desperately need the light you have. Small as it may seem to you, the light you have is a bright path to souls staggering in darkness.

When you confessed with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believed in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you were saved (Romans 10:9-10) and Jesus, the Light of the World, took up residence in your heart. Think about that. The God Who made all that is lives inside you. You have all that you need in Him.

In the Sermon on the Mount when Jesus was teaching about salt and light, He said:

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” (NLT)

People all around us need to hear God’s wisdom. Will you turn away and leave them blindly groping in the dark, shackled by fear, doubt or some other torment from the enemy? If you saw a little child stumbling about near a deep ditch, would you not stop in your busy life and run to pick that child up? Friend, that is what Jesus has done for each of us. We must do that for others. We must feed His sheep (John 21:15-17).

Helping others we see in need is not an option if we are to walk in right standing with God. I must take to heart the words of Jesus in Matthew 25:37-46.

37 “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’

41 “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. 42 For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. 43 I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’

44 “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’

45 “And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’

46 “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”  (NLT, emphasis added.)

That “they” in Verse 46 means the unrighteous, those not in right standing with Jesus. Why are they not in right standing? Jesus said “I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.” (Verse 45).

Notice that this passage is part of Jesus’ discourse about the end of the age, the time when “the love of most will grow cold”. That is beyond question the times in which we live.

Am I in right standing with God regarding this? Oh, Lord, open my ears and let me take to heart the truth in Verses 45 and 46! God says we are not in right standing with Him, if we refuse to help those in need.

I have usually heard this passage taught as concerning doing physical acts of service but the principal also, I believe, concerns sharing the Word of life, just as we would share a cup of water or food or clothing.

When we reach out to others with God’s love—be that His Word or some tangible physical way—we let God Himself flow through us. He can use us to touch fellow believers, those who are lost, and all with whom we come in contact.

Further, there is another general Biblical principle that I believe applies here:

“Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it’s in your power to help them. 28 If you can help your neighbor now, don’t say, “Come back tomorrow, and then I’ll help you. (Proverbs 3:27-28, NLT)

woman in gray shirt standing on green grass field during daytime

Photo by Gonzalo Facello on Unsplash

We must be ready for the great harvest that has already begun! Friend and fellow pilgrim, we must pray, equip ourselves and then be looking for ways to let God do good through us, to win the lost and to edify our brothers and sisters in Christ, in church and out in the world.

What a privilege! What a sacred responsibility! And oh, oh, oh! What a light He sheds on our way!

“When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.

    • Refrain:
      Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
      To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”

(“Trust and Obey”, by John H. Sammis, 1887)

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What do you see? #godindailylife, #thebibleindaily life

ANXIETY, ENCOURAGEMENT, GRATITUDE, TRUSTING GOD

 

What do I see? What do you see in this first picture?

I see a tree that has suffered loss, the sliced off ends of branches silent testimony to many major losses happening at the same time.

 

 

 

 

What do you see in this next picture?

I see that the tree is set next to many of its fellows. They are together fulfilling the purpose for which they were planted: to help mark the boundary of a fence line. The tree that lost many branches is indeed smaller but it fulfills its purpose in the original place where it was planted just as the other trees do. I barely notice the scars of the tree’s past.

 

 

 

And how about this last picture. What do you see? I see that there are many of these boundary marking trees spread along the fence. The fence frames a broad and lush pasture, where cows graze. And beyond that one pasture, and that one farm, lies another farm, then another, and still beyond that I see vast stretches of untouched countryside, with trees, brush and the natural undulations of land unmarred by the hand of man, a countryside filled with sounds of birdsong, squirrel chirrups and the rustlings of many common creatures sheltering there.

What do I choose to see? Especially in the Christmas season, unrealistic expectations so often create disappointment and stir up painful memories and hurts. I can easily be tricked into gazing into the past, focusing on all that went before.

Or, I can choose to focus on something greater my own concerns. If I do, I begin to see the purpose God has for my life and how He has used the trials of the past to shape me more into His image (Romans 8:29). And I see that God’s purpose is good and that others have a similar purpose and similar experiences.

I see what I choose to see. Yes, by God’s great grace,  I can choose to take a broad, high view, like that of an eagle. With an eagle’s eye, I see only beauty.

When I see from an eternal perspective—from God’s perspective–I see only God’s purposes being fulfilled in me and in the place of this life where He has planted me. I do not see the scars of my past. Thus, the enemy cannot steal the joy God has lovingly planted along the path of this day especially for me.

11 Light is sown for the [uncompromisingly] righteous and strewn along their pathway, and joy for the upright in heart [the irrepressible joy which comes from consciousness of His favor and protection].  (Psalm 97:11-12, AMPC).

Oh, open the eyes of my heart, Lord! Oh, Lord! Help me get my eyes off of self and all that is past! Help me “Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.” (Colossians 3:2, NLT) Help me fix my eyes on things above. Help me expect You and look for You, and hope in You! For so shall You change me and give me a new kind of strength and power.

Oh, Lord! Help me soar with You! As a man mounts a horse, so the eagle mounts the wind. An eagle merely spreads its wings and mounts up upon the wind and is effortlessly carried along. So, Lord, by faith I spread wide the wings of my heart. And I soar, Lord, I soar with You. In Your limitless strength I shall indeed “run and not be weary”. I “shall walk and not faint or become tired.” (Isaiah 40:31, AMPC)

28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, does not faint or grow weary; there is no searching of His understanding.

29 He gives power to the faint and weary, and to him who has no might He increases strength [causing it to multiply and making it to abound].

30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and [selected] young men shall feebly stumble and fall exhausted;

31 But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired. (Isaiah 40:28-31, AMPC, emphasis added).

Dearest Father, grant me a willing heart throughout this special season to keep my eyes on You and on letting You love others through me. Thank You for the settled peace that always brings. Amen.

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How much love is enough? Part Four #godindaily life, #the bible in daily life

ANXIETY, BIBLE STUDY, DAILY LIFE, TRUSTING GOD

Happy father young man and baby girl little daughter having fun on bed in room at homePhoto for Getty Images on Unsplash

But if one loves God truly
[with affectionate reverence,
prompt obedience, and
grateful recognition of His blessing],
he is known by God
[recognized as worthy of His intimacy and love,
and he is owned by Him]. (I Corinthians 8:3, AMPC, emphasis added)

Review of Parts One through Three. In Parts One through Three we studied the first half of 1 Corinthians 8:3, which is the if part of the if/then promise —  If we “love God truly” then we are “known by God.”

We saw that God wants us to be reverent toward Him, but He wants that reverence to be like the same affectionate respect a young child has toward a loving human father. God also wants us to obey Him quickly and to have a sincerely thankful heart for His blessings.

Why we approach God with confidence. We ended Part Three with the well-known passage Hebrews 4:14-16. Did you find the connections between that passage and 1 Corinthians 8:3? The connection I see is that I Corinthians 8:3 gives one of many reasons why I can approach God with confidence.  Here is Hebrews 4:14-16 again.

4 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (NIV, emphasis added)

With these words Our loving Father is urging us to draw near to Him, with confidence, when we need help. Why? Because through what Jesus experienced, He feels what we feel.  He has “a shared feeling with our weaknesses and infirmities and liability to the assaults of temptation”(AMPC).  God has the same fatherly compassion on us as a human father has on his children because God “knows our frame, He [earnestly] remembers and imprints [on His heart] that we are dust.” (AMPC)

Now consider the second half of 1 Corinthians 8:3. The one who loves God truly “. . .  is known by God [recognized as worthy of His intimacy and love, and he is owned by Him].” Think about a cherished little boy. He runs to his papa for comfort or help or to ask for whatever he needs. He does so with confidence, no hesitation at all, because he knows his papa’s loving character. That child has personal acquaintance and experience with his loving papa. He is like the believer God speaks of in Psalm 91:14

14 Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high, because he knows and understands My name [has a personal knowledge of My mercy, love, and kindness—trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never forsake him, no, never].  (AMPC, emphasis added).

God is talking about someone who understands His character, who knows what He is like because that person has personal experience with God’s mercy, love and kindness. That person trusts and relies on God—on the basis of that knowledge of God—and knows God “will never forsake him, no never!” That person approaches God with confidence.

But what if we are not confident about approaching God? Now think about another cherished little boy just adopted into that same family. This little boy had an abusive early childhood and was then in an orphanage where other children told him adoptive parents were cruel and harsh.

Before this hurt and misinformed little boy can approach his new father with confidence, he must hear and believe the truth about his new father. He needs words of love and reassurance from his new father, and he needs actual experience with his new father’s mercy and loving kindnesses. All that happens naturally as that little boy just lives with his new father. His new father adores him, knows what little boys need, and knows that this little boy in particular needs extra love and reassurances and patience and tenderness.

Before we knew the Lord, we were abused by the world and by the enemy of our souls, Satan. Satan lied to us about what God is like. Even after we become acquainted with God, the enemy strives mightily to prevent our having an intimate relationship with God. Satan tells us that God demands perfection and that we can never be good enough. He says that when we err God withholds His love.  Or he hisses in our heart that we are not loving God the right way or that there is only one formal way to talk with God. He says how we worship God is not as good as how other people worship so we should just stop. He says God does not love us as much as He loves others, that He is not really with us all the time, that He really cannot meet all our needs, that we cannot really learn to sense His presence. . .  and on and on! The enemy takes the beautiful truths about God and whispers the exact opposite.

boy leaning on white chairPhoto by Chinh Le Duc on Unsplash

If that is your situation, ask God to reveal His loving nature to you and then diligently study and meditate upon passages in the Bible about His love. We can never earn God’s love, but we can all learn more about His love.

“he is known by God [recognized as worthy of His intimacy and love, and he is owned by Him.” Websters 1828 online dictionary defines to know as “to perceive with certainty; to understand clearly; to have a clear and certain perception of truth, fact, or anything that actually exists.”

When a husband arrives late to a neighborhood barbeque and sees his wife, he will immediately know who she is. He will in that same instance recognize that it is appropriate to give her a kiss and a hug.  That same man will not, however, hug a woman he does not know. Why? Because he clearly knows, or recognizes, that this second woman is not his wife. She does not belong to him. Therefore, loving, intimate behavior with her is not appropriate – because she is not his.

In I Corinthians 8:3 God tells us that if we truly love Him, He considers us deserving of His closeness and His love, just as a husband or wife recognizes that their spouse is worthy of intimacy and love. “The Lord knows those who are His” (2 Timothy 2:19, NIV) God knows whether a person has truly believed in Him.

God knows the human heart. He knows right where each of us are in our relationship with Him. He understands our human nature, and He knows that some of us have an especially hard time believing and then feeling that God really does love us, just as we are, with all our imperfections. I think that is one reason the Bible is filled with so many statements about God’s love for us and His merciful, compassionate nature. (The Bible is also filled with truths about the holy and just parts of God’s character, and we must keep those in mind but I am talking about here about God’s compassion.)

“Learn to know God.” We should all be seeking closer closeness with God. Though the world, our human nature and the devil create obstacles we can, through God’s grace, overcome those obstacles.

When David commissioned his son Solomon to build the temple, he summoned all the officers and commanders of Israel. In their presence he charged his son Solomon to obey all the commandments of the Lord. Then King David said:

(9) “And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father [have personal knowledge of Him, be acquainted with, and understand Him; appreciate, heed, and cherish Him] and serve Him with a blameless heart and a willing mind. For the Lord searches all hearts and minds and understands all the wanderings of the thoughts. If you seek Him [inquiring for and of Him and requiring Him as your first and vital necessity] you will find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever!  (I Chronicles 28:9, emphasis added)

Notice how the AMPC clarifies what David meant by “know the God of your father.” To know God, as David meant it, is to “have personal knowledge of Him, be acquainted with, and understand Him and to appreciate, heed, and cherish Him.” It also meant to keep your heart blameless and your mind willing. Why? That is the only appropriate human response to God, of course.

Also consider the part of the verse after the word for. David warns Solomon that God understands every thought of the heart, every little wandering thought.  God knows if we are sincerely putting Him first in our life, and if we are, God promises we will find Him.

We must build our relationship with God, a privilege beyond price. Consider verse 10 of 1 Chronicles 28:

(10) Take heed now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary. Be strong and do it! (1 Chronicles 28:8-10, AMPC, emphasis added)

Since New Testament times, believers in Jesus now have God dwelling inside them, rather than in “an earthly tabernacle made with hands” (2 Corinthians 5:1) as in Old Testament days. As God, through David, charged Solomon to build the temple, so God, through His Word, charges us to build our relationship with Him. We hear this message clearly throughout the New Testament. Consider I Corinthians 13:11 and 14:20, Ephesians 4:13 and 6:10-12, Hebrews 5:12, and 1 Peter 2:2, to name only a few of many.

How privileged we are! How carefully we should build up and maintain our relationship with our indwelling, loving, Almighty Heavenly Father! David, whose name means beloved, gathered all the materials necessary for his wise son Solomon to build the temple. Jesus, our Beloved Lord, has through His blood shed on the cross, provided everything we need to build a deep and intimate relationship with God. I must ask myself: Am I consistently doing all that I can?

In conclusion: I Corinthians 8:3 is one of the many Bible passages where God explains how much He loves us and how much He wants to be intimate with us!  He is like a father pulling a little toddler in close, forehead to forehead, saying “I love you, I love you, I love you!” then chuckling as his child squeals with glee.

Happy father young man and baby girl little daughter having fun on bed in at home

Photo for Getty Images on Unsplash

I ask you: If human fathers and mothers delight in being affectionate with the children they own, how much more would God? Remember 1 Corinthians 8:3 tells us that if we love God truly, we are owned by Him. If human fathers and mothers take care of the children they own, how much more does God take care of the children He owns? Does He not supply our every need? Does He not

“do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us?  To Him by glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20)

Beloved, God has done everything needed for us to be close to Him. The rest is up to you and me. Strive to draw closer to God. Feed on His Word day and night (Psalm 1). Nestle in close to Him, under His feathers and thus hide your heart from the storms of the world as you abide in the secret place of His presence (Psalm 91). You are precious in His sight (Psalm 103). He daily carries your burdens (Psalm 68:19) and carries you close to His great heart of love.

Even to your old age I am He, and even to hair white with age will I carry you. I have made, and I will bear; yes, I will carry and will save you. (Isaiah 46:4, AMPC)

Let Him gather you in His strong arms like the little lamb you are and carry you close to His heart (Isaiah 40:11).

baby taking selfie

Photo by Dakota Corbin on Unsplash

NOT wearied out through fear! #godindaily life, #thebibleindailylife

ANXIETY, BIBLE STUDY, CURRENT EVENTS, DAILY LIFE, HOPE, TRUSTING GOD

“ Therefore we do not become discouraged (utterly spiritless, exhausted, and wearied out through fear). Though our outer man is [progressively] decaying and wasting away, yet our inner self is being [progressively] renewed day after day.” (2 Corinthians 4:16, AMPC)

Desperate – again.  For thirty minutes I stayed in bed, eyes closed, listening to “Faith’s Checkbook”, a powerful book of devotions by Charles Spurgeon. Then I got up, dressed fast, and went into the kitchen to feed Lily. Next to the sink was the sheet of paper with Psalm 100 printed on it. After some desperate prayer, I had put it there the night before to remind myself to return, with focus, to my habit of meditating on a fresh portion of Scripture each day.

Not stopping for Lily’s usual brushing and morning playtime, I went directly to the rocker by the window, picked up my AMPC Bible and held it to my chest. I pressed it tight against me, feeling the roughness of its cover with my thumb, looking out into tree branches where sparse autumn leaves reflected the slanting rays of the morning sun. I pressed my eyes closed, shutting out the world, focusing with all my might on God, the Unseen Eternal One.

“. . . I will not, in any degree . . . relax My grip on you. [Assuredly not!] (Hebrews 13:5. AMPC)

“Oh, Father! I am so tired of everything being messed up and so confusing! I don’t know what to do about this latest batch of problems. I am so afraid, about so many things lately. I am just afraid and everything looks so hopeless. I don’t see any way out of all this. . . “

Tears came then, the tears that had not come during the past week or so of car trouble, other bills, and hiatal hernia symptoms that require radical rearranging of how, when and what I eat and how I exercise and sleep, and on and on. I had allowed the multiple problems, all at the same time—the “cares of this life”—to stop my practice of daily meditating on a new Bible verse or passage. Oh, I had still kept repeating the verses I already know but I had not taken time with God to find new verses for meditation each day. Furthermore, I had let His fresh words for me “depart from before my eyes.” I had not kept His fresh manna “In the center of my heart.” (Proverbs 4: 21, AMPC)

But yet, in spite of all that, God had never, no never, no never once “relaxed His hold on me.” And when I got desperate enough, and sought Him with all my heart, He found me.

“29 But if from there you will seek (inquire for and require as necessity) the Lord your God, you will find Him if you [truly] seek Him with all your heart [and mind] and soul and life.” (Deuteronomy 4:29, AMPC)

Encouragement for you and for me.  That was this morning. The long shadows of late afternoon now stretch across the grass. The trees outside my east-facing window stand in deep shade. My heart is, once again, blessedly at peace. No, the problems are not all fixed but I am completely confident and trusting that God will keep me in His peace as we walk this path together, and as I keep my mind fixed on His Word and other eternal things, rather than the “light and momentary” troubles of this life on earth.

“10 And they who know Your name [who have experience and acquaintance with Your mercy] will lean on and confidently put their trust in You, for You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek (inquire of and for) You [on the authority of God’s Word and the right of their necessity].” (Psalm 9:10, AMPC)

It has lately been on my heart to write a blog post about encouragement. I know you have your own set of personal troubles. I also believe that you are probably having more than the usual amount of difficulty just living your life. The enemy is desperately trying to destroy our world and, of course, especially those who believe in and live for Jesus.

Let’s look again at the first part of 2 Corinthians 4:16 and take warning.

“Therefore we do not become discouraged (utterly spiritless, exhausted, and wearied out through fear). “(2 Corinthians 4:16a, AMPC, emphasis added).

The reason I grew so discouraged and allowed Satan to drag me out of the good path I was following with God is that fear had “wearied me out”. I had become, in a sense, spiritless, living controlled by fear, not by the Spirit. And that had worn me out. That is Satan’s plan for each of us.

Please, please, please meditate on God’s Word!  Although this world is filled with “troubles, trials, distress, and frustration” (John 16:33), God has provided a sure way of escape from all the plans of the enemy. When we obey God with all our heart, and when we meditate day and night on His word, we live continually in the secret place of His presence, and we are safe.

That is what I have been wanting to remind you of, dear friend. No matter how dark the world seems to be getting, no matter how your personal world seems to be crumbling, God is earnestly looking to keep you in hope and comfort and peace and security and aware of His great love.

“ And therefore the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are all those who [earnestly] wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him [for His victory, His favor, His love, His peace, His joy, and His matchless, unbroken companionship]!” (Isaiah 30:18, AMPC, emphasis added).

In Proverbs 4:20-22 God urges us to think on His Word constantly. He says:

“. . . attend to my words; consent and submit to my sayings.21 Let them not depart from your sight; keep them in the center of your heart.22 For they are life to those who find them, healing and health to all their flesh.to keep His Word before our eyes

Four verses that never, ever, no never fail me. What I intended to be a short piece of writing is, as usual, getting longer. But the main thing I wanted to share with you is four verses that I have been meditating on first thing in the morning and throughout the day for months now. It is like putting on a suit of spiritual armor. His Word–my protection and provision—keeps me covered in His peace and guides my steps.

[1] Habakkuk 3:17-19. “17 Though the fig tree does not blossom and there is no fruit on the vines, [though] the product of the olive fails and the fields yield no food, though the flock is cut off from the fold and there are no cattle in the stalls,

18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will exult in the [victorious] God of my salvation!

19 The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hinds’ feet and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror, but to walk] and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places [of trouble, suffering, or responsibility]!”

a grassy field with mountains in the backgroundPhoto by www.dreamstime.com “Endless Landscapes of Iceland”

Briefly, notice that the prophet is saying that even if his whole world falls apart, still he will not only rejoice in God, but he will exult in God. Why? Because God will be his strength, his bravery, and his army that cannot be conquered. God will enable him to keep moving forward and make progress in his spiritual life in the midst of danger troubles, sufferings, and responsibilities. (For more thoughts on this passage, see the blog posts “Yet I will rejoice” on August 15 and 29, 2024.)

[2] Psalm 28:7. “The Lord is my Strength and my [impenetrable] Shield; my heart trusts in, relies on, and confidently leans on Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song will I praise Him.” (emphasis added)

Notice that the psalmist uses his voice to praise God and His loving protection. Then he says because I trust in God, with confidence, I am very happy, and I sing praises to Him.

[3] Psalm 32:10. “Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but he who trusts in, relies on, and confidently leans on the Lord shall be compassed about with mercy and with loving-kindness.” (emphasis added).

How many mornings have I sat and looked at these words! How many mornings have I said, “Lord, thank You! This verse promises me that if I trust in You, rely on You and lean on You with confidence that You will completely encircle me with mercy and with lovingkindness. Everything I experience will come through Your mercy and loving kindnesses.”

[4] Psalm 33:18-22. “18 Behold, the Lord’s eye is upon those who fear Him [who revere and worship Him with awe], who wait for Him and hope in His mercy and loving-kindness, 19 To deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.

20 Our inner selves wait [earnestly] for the Lord; He is our Help and our Shield.

21 For in Him does our heart rejoice, because we have trusted (relied on and been confident) in His holy name.

22 Let Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, be upon us, in proportion to our waiting and hoping for You.” (emphasis added)

The psalmist reassures himself that God is carefully watching over those who have reverential and worshipful fear of Him, those who depend upon Him and wait for Him and His mercy and lovingkindness. Why is God doing that? To deliver them from death and things associated with death, like discouragement, and to sustain them during times of lack (or famine.)

Though they are hidden in my heart, it is a deep comfort to read these these verses each morning, and pay fresh attention to the words I have underlined in red, words that show me my part in all these priceless promises.

My part is to trust in, rely on, and lean on Him with confident expectation, actively knowing in my mind that He is protecting me and actively trusting He will give all that I need for this day, “in proportion to my waiting and hoping for Him.”

Closing prayer. Dear Father, Your Word is such a comfort and guide! Thank You for it, Lord, and for teaching us how to study it and “rightly divide it,” so that we may run in the path of Your commands, with the strength and joy that Your presence never, no never, no never fails to give.

Help us this day, Lord, as we go about our own personal life to know, perceive and recognize that You are with us, that You are carefully, lovingly watching over us. Oh, have mercy on our flesh, Lord, and help our hearts be undivided toward You. Help us feed on Your Word so that we may be able to trust in You, to lean on You, and to rely on You so that You can help our heart and we can greatly rejoice in You!

Whether our path today be through storm or sunshine, keep our hearts and minds fixed on You and on things above, where Christ is seated at Your right hand, Father, and through Whose shed blood we have forgiveness of sin and the power to live a holy life as we fulfill the plans You made for each of us when we were yet in the womb.

Oh, Father! Give us a hunger for Your Word. Help us keep it before our eyes and in the center of our heart. Help us guard our hearts, for we know that out of our heart, flow the issues of our life (Proverbs 4). Let rivers of living water flow from our inmost being so that we may share with others that eternal life that only You can give. Amen and so be it!

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How much love is enough? Part Three, #godindailylife, #thebibleindailylife

ANXIETY, BIBLE STUDY, DAILY LIFE, ENCOURAGEMENT, TRUSTING GOD

But if one loves God truly
[with affectionate reverence,
prompt obedience, and
grateful recognition of His blessing],
he is known by God
[recognized as worthy of His intimacy and love,
and he is owned by Him]. (I Corinthians 8:3, AMPC)

Review of Part One and Two: In Parts One and Two we pondered the meaning of the first two phrases of 1 Corinthians 8:3 in the Amplified Classic Bible. We learned that God wants us to be reverent toward Him. We also learned that He wants that reverence to be affectionate. Jesus actually told us when He ate the Last Supper with His disciples to “call Him affectionately to remembrance” whenever we take the Lord’s Supper.

Part Three: I usually try to balance how much space I give to each part of a topic. So, when the phrase “affectionate reverence” took so many words, I got a bit concerned. I did not have that many ideas in mind to talk about “prompt obedience and grateful recognition of His blessing.”  Then I realized that prompt obedience and grateful recognition of God’s blessing both flow naturally from affectionate reverence.

assorted-color interlocking blocks on floorPhoto by Mark Spiske on Unsplash

Prompt obedience.  “Come on Ben. You need to get dressed so we can go to the park.”

“In a minute, Nana. I’ve got to finish this!”

I looked at my grandson, digging through a bucket of Leggos for just the right piece. His attention was focused on his immediate goal not my long-term one of giving him and his brother exercise and fresh air for the good of their bodies. He was focusing on what was giving him pleasure right now, not on the greater good I had in store for him and his brother.

How many times, I must ask myself, has God told me to do something (which is always, always, always for my good) and I have put off obeying Him? How many times have I said I should do this or I should stop doing that and failed to follow through, though I had good intentions. And, how many times have I intended to obey God about something and then forgot, until I heard it again?

You have likely heard that “Delayed obedience is disobedience.” James 4:17 warns us “Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.” (NLT). If I read the Scriptures about tithing, and put it off, I am disobeying until I obey. If I read 2 Timothy 2:15 and still my only time with the Bible is a quick, superficial reading, I am not obeying God’s command to study the Word.

How do our good intentions get side-tracked so easily? Consider James 1:22.   “ Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (NIV)

Pay attention here! The Word says I deceive myself if I hear something in the Bible that I am supposed to do and I do not do it. How does that work? I may feel I am doing well if I listen to preaching and read the Bible a little. And certainly, I think, I am doing well if I actually study the Word. Yes, that is good. However, if I stop there I am deceiving myself. I must actually do what the verses I have read and studied tell me to do! I am to obey God and obey Him promptly!

Consider the next three verses in James 1.

23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom,  and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. (NIV, emphasis added)

When a child learns the ABCs, that child is urged to keep looking at the correct way to write an a. Each line of the worksheet begins with a properly written a.  When a carpenter needs ten 12-inch pieces of wood, he does not cut one piece and then use it to measure the next nine pieces. No! He uses the ruler and measures each piece carefully. He keeps going back to and using an accurate measurement.

If I do not keep looking intently into God’s Word, which, like a mirror, reveals my imperfections, I will go on my way and think I am doing well. If I rub my hand over my cheek, I may think I have removed a smudge, but a mirror will reveal it is still there.

person holding yellow pencil on white table

Friend, we need to be constantly looking hard and long – intently – into the mirror of God’s Word so that we can see and keep in our conscious minds what He says to do. If we do not do that, the world, our flesh and the devil will draw us out of the path of obedience.

And what about being prompt in our obedience? If I feel affection for someone, I am quick to do whatever I can to help them and to please them. My heart is open toward them. Work on drawing closer to God and you will naturally be quicker to obey Him. Spiritual growth is progressive. God does not expect mature behavior from new believers. However, He tells us clearly to press in and seek to grow into maturity. Maturity includes obeying promptly.

Grateful recognition of His blessing. Notice the text says “grateful recognition.”  If I recognize, or accurately identify, that something is a blessing, how much does it mean if I do not do so with gratitude?  When I admonish one grandson to tell his brother thank you for voluntarily taking his turn feeding the cats so he can finish a project, I might hear an absent-minded “Thank you.” His tone of voice says he does not really mean it. However, a spontaneous, sincere “Thank you!” rings out when his brother shares the last unclaimed cookie on the plate.

A while back I began thanking God for (seemingly) little things–food to eat, the clothes on my back, the little flock of brown sparrows flitting out of the bushes as I walk by, the serendipity of hearing a praise song on the radio at just the right moment.  Gratitude for “little” things has become a habit but sometimes I realize my mind is not on the thing I am giving thanks for and that I am not consciously speaking to God. That always stops me. I stop and ask God’s forgiveness, then continue with a sincere heart. That is when true gratitude bubbles up from within and brings that peace that is beyond what we can understand or explain.

The longer I know God, the more I get frustrated with my own ingratitude and complaining. If I have eyes to see, I perceive, every single day, showers of blessings on my life and the lives of those around me. This truth holds for everyone in every circumstance. “The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works [the entirety of things created]. (Psalm 145:9, AMPC) And God’s mercies “begin afresh every morning.” (Lamentations 3:23, NLT)

Gratitude brings us nearer to God. Another reason God tells us to have grateful hearts is that we come into His presence when we offer Him our thanks. Consider Psalm 100:4-5.

Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations. (NIV)

When you give sincere thanks to God, you step into the outer part of His sanctuary. Then when you start thinking about His wonderful qualities, you begin praising Him, putting into words how very, very good He is. You are drawing nearer to the mercy seat. And how does God want us to approach Him? Timidly? Like a dog slinking forward? No!

14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:14-16, NIV, emphasis added)

In Part Four, we will explore how the last phrase of 1 Corinthians 8:3 fits with Hebrews 4:14-16. Until then, ponder these two passages of God’s Word. Ask Him to show you the connections between them.

two brown birds on green grass during daytimePhoto by Andrian Rubinskiy on Unsplash

 

How much love is enough? Part One, #godindailylife, #thebibleindailylife

ANXIETY, BIBLE STUDY, DAILY LIFE, ENCOURAGEMENT, TRUSTING GOD

a window with a tree outside of it

Photo by Mathias Reding on Unsplash

Note:  Part of this blog post comes from the March 26, 2020, blog post “Are you affectionate with God?”  Part was drafted but not posted on December 26, 2023, when I asked myself, “How much love is enough?” on a cold December morning . . .

A persistently returning lie. “I am thinking again that You are mad at me. Again!” I sighed with pencil poised above the clipboard holding a thick stack of looseleaf notebook paper in my lap, slowly rocking back and forth. The air here near the window was pleasantly cold. Staring into the darkness of the December morning, I shook my head.

“Again that silly feeling comes up. Why, Lord?” I asked, “Why does that feeling still surface when I know it is a lie? You have shown me so many times when I have lapsed into a works attitude, the attitude that I have to work hard to stay in Your favor and Your love. Will some part of my heart always forget the blessed truth in Ephesians 2:8-10, that we are saved and live a righteous life because of grace, not because of what we do?”

8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago. (NLT).

As I continued journaling with God in the early morning chill that penetrated the walls–which this native-Floridian-turned-Texan prolongs by keeping the heater turned off–some answers came.

What led to hearing that lie? It had been a busy week, making final preparations for Christmas, fitting physical therapy appointments in, and spending as much time as possible with my grandsons while they were out of school. All this, though good, had meant I spent less than the usual time with my personal spiritual disciplines, like prayer, Bible study, Bible reading and just being with the Lord.

“That’s where the false guilt came in, isn’t it, Lord? And that’s when I subconsciously began thinking You don’t love me as much because I am not doing the things I think I should do for You and with You. And the guilt and the lie grew with each passing, busier than usual day.”

I paused, cradled the warm mug in my hands, took a sip of tea, inhaled the apple-ish, vaguely floral scent of chamomile, and looked out the window again.

“Hmm. . . maybe this should be a blog post. I definitely need to study this subject for myself. I only have an hour before I have to leave for the gym and another busy day, so I don’t have time to get into work on the book, and my bank of ready-to-post blogs is empty. Do I know any Scriptures that speak to this problem?”

What will destroy that lie? Immediately I thought of First Corinthians 8:3, the only new verse I had meditated on this past week. I walked to the middle of the front room, the big countertop—the command center, so to speak, of my blessed little home, the place where I keep to-do lists and verses I am meditating upon–and picked up the half-sheet of paper from its place by the sink. Spattered dishwater had made wrinkled spots on it, as numerous as summer freckles. I read:

But if one loves God truly

[with affectionate reverence,

prompt obedience, and

grateful recognition of His blessing],

he is known by God

[recognized as worthy of His intimacy and love,

and he is owned by Him]. (I Corinthians 8:3, AMPC)

“Hmm, Lord. I think You are saying I need to study on this phrase by phrase. Yes, I see that the amplifying phrases in the AMPC show what to truly love You actually means.”

“but If anyone truly loves God” – true love for fellow believers, true love for God.    Before I began studying word by word and phrase by phrase,  I briefly got the context for the book, then the chapter. Paul wrote First Corinthians to the church in Corinth, a wicked city where the wickedness made it hard for believers to live a Christ-like life. Paul addressed many problems, scolding the Corinthians believers for their errors and teaching them how they should be living. Chapter Eight (part of the section on Christian rights and responsibilities) addresses food sacrificed to idols, as the NIV labels this section.

Verse 3 is tucked in as a parenthetical aside, a little side comment, where Paul says all of us (meaning him and the Corinthian believers) understood about idols, that they are really nothing. But Paul explains that having knowledge, for example about the true nature of idols, can make you feel important, but love will lead you to build others up. Paul warns that if you think you know all the answers, you really do not know “as you ought to know.” (I Corinthians 8:2, NIV). In the rest of the chapter, Paul explains that if you really act in love toward your fellow believers, you will not do anything that will make them stumble in their walk with Christ.

For the Corinthians, that meant they would not eat meat sacrificed to idols if it would lead new believers who did not yet fully realize that idols were nothing to also eat such meat and thereby sin against their conscience.

The whole chapter is about acting in love toward our fellow believers. That is why Paul starts the chapter by contrasting how love and pride affect our behavior.  Perhaps that is why he puts that little-but-big statement in verse 3 about what truly loving God is. Perhaps pondering what a believer’s true love for another believer looked like led Paul to ponder what a believer’s true love for God looked like.

“But if one loves God truly, (with affectionate reverence . . . ” Part of truly loving God truly is having affectionate reverence toward Him. Let’s consider the word affection first. Webster’s 1828 online dictionary defines affection as:

“a permanent bent of the mind, formed by the presence of an object, or by some act of another person, and existing without the presence of its object. It also means “a settled good will, love or zealous attachment; as, the affection of a parent for his child.”

God’s Word tells us to be affectionate with Him.  A quick search reveals the word “affection” or “affectionately” appears 55 times in the AMPC, most of which appear in the psalms”.  After the words bless the Lord, we see [affectionately and gratefully praise]. The words in brackets are amplifying words that show what people in Bible times would automatically have thought when they heard the words “Bless the Lord.”

(By the way, a similar search for the word “affection” in the KJV, NASB, NIV, and the NLT shows that it appears between seven and ten times. However, in no instance is “affection” used in speaking of our love for God. I rarely used the AMPC until recent years. How I wish I had heard this idea before!)

Luke 7:36-50 gives a clear example of what affection for God is. Mary gave Jesus her very best as she kissed His feet, washed them with her tears, dried them with her hair and anointed them with costly perfume.

“… and as she stood behind Him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and poured perfume on them.”(verse 38).  In verse 45, the AMPC says that Jesus told the Pharisee that Mary had, from the moment He came into the room not stopped kissing His feet “tenderly and caressingly.”

Reading the whole story as recorded in Luke 7:36-50 and Mark14:3-9, shows us that Jesus obviously approved of the affectionate way Mary demonstrated her love for Him. To the self-righteous people who criticized and said the perfume on His feet was a waste.

“Leave her alone,” Jesus said, “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. . . I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her. (Mark 13:6, 9, NIV)”

Today, you and I can likewise show God our affection by giving our best effort, for Him, all day, in whatever we are doing. (“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might”, Ecclesiastes 9:10a, NIV). We also give Him our best by loving Him with all our heart, with all our soul and with all our might (Deuteronomy 6:5).

An awesome reason to be affectionate. Next, notice that, in 1 Corinthians 11:24, during the Lord’s Supper, when Jesus had given thanks, He broke the bread, and said “Take, eat. This is my body which is broken for you. Do this to call Me [affectionately] to remembrance.” And He repeats His request when the wine is taken, in verse 25. “Similarly, when supper was ended, He took the cup also, saying, This cup is the new covenant [ratified and established] in My blood. Do this as often as you drink [it], to call Me [affectionately] to remembrance.” Every time I take the Lord’s Supper, Jesus wants me to remember Him with affection.

I knew that believers observe the Lord’s supper to honor and respect Him by remembering His incomprehensible sacrifice for us. However, until I read this verse in the Amplified as I wrote this blog, I did not know that Jesus specifically asked us to remember Him with affection.

He could have, very appropriately, said to call Him to remembrance with respect and awe and fear. This is certainly part of the way we should approach God and it is the most basic, foundational way to think of God. But He clearly wants us to think of Him with affection, too. If you have deep respect and awe and appreciation for Who God is and what He has done for us, if you know Him well and pursue a close relationship with Him, eventually your love for Him will also include affection.

gray and black rocks

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I believe that Jesus was, as always, putting us above Himself here because He knew that thinking of the agony He endured for us could make us sad. I understand that because I would, if he were alive, affectionately kiss and hold my earthly father’s hands, hands roughened by years of operating heavy equipment, big strong hands covered with sun-bronzed skin and scars. I would gaze with fondness at the tan lines on his forehead and arms, acquired through decades of loving labor for his family. I would do the same for my mother’s soap roughened hands. And so, when I think about what Jesus did for me, I am affectionately grateful, and privileged to come so close to Him.

We are only affectionate with those we know intimately. Synonyms for intimate include private, personal, secret, innermost, cherished, familiar, dear, devoted, and deepest. Help us, Father, to be more intimate with You!

Being affectionate with the Lord might not come naturally at first. As a new believer in Jesus, I had an overly formal attitude toward Him. I had at least a measure of  proper reverence and fear (Deuteronomy 13:4, I Chronicles 16:25, Psalm 2:11) but I also had an unhealthy subconscious fear that I was not doing enough, fear that I was not worthy, and fear that God would one day abandon me because of that. Those wounded attitudes were caused by events in the past, obviously the work of the evil one, but God (whose power no foe can withstand, Psalm 91:1, AMPC) brought those hurts, with the shame and guilt, into the light of His love and forgiveness.

Over time, He helped me learn to ask Him into each moment of my day, including the undignified times (like exercising or scrubbing the bathroom) and times when I fail Him in my reactions to frustrations, like with traffic and technology. I began learning to practice the presence of the Lord.

In Part Two, we will continue exploring what true love for God is. Until then ponder First  Corinthians 8:3 and see what God shows you. 

But if one loves God truly

[with affectionate reverence,

prompt obedience, and

grateful recognition of His blessing],

he is known by God

[recognized as worthy of His intimacy and love,

and he is owned by Him]. (I Corinthians 8:3, AMPC)

Yet I will rejoice, Part Two, #godindaily life #theBibleindailylife

ANXIETY, BIBLE STUDY, CURRENT EVENTS, CURRENT EVENTTS, ENCOURAGEMENT, TRUSTING GOD

In Part One, we began exploring Habakkuk 3:17-19. We saw that we can choose to rejoice and trust God, and even be over-joyed in Him, even when all hope seems lost. We can do that because God, living within us, will be, or exist within us, as  our ‘strength, our personal bravery and our invincible army.” In Part Two, we will consider how He does that.

a grassy field with mountains in the background

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17 Though the fig tree does not blossom and there is no fruit on the vines, [though] the product of the olive fails and the fields yield no food, though the flock is cut off from the fold and there are no cattle in the stalls,

18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will exult in the [victorious] God of my salvation!

19 The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hinds’ feet and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror, but to walk] and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places [of trouble, suffering, or responsibility]! (Habakkuk 3:17-19, AMPC)

About that semicolon  in verse 19. . .  As we learned in school, a semicolon connects two independent clauses that are related. Though I have daily pondered upon this passage for months, I did not see the importance of that semicolon in verse 19 until writing this blog post.  That semicolon connects the things I need (strength, bravery and an army-size amount of help) with what God will do for each of those needs. He will give me strength to walk, He will make me brave, and He will enable me to make progress in the midst of trials.

“. . . He makes my feet like hinds’ feet. . . (Habbakkuk 3:19) ”  The term hinds’ feet is mentioned in 2 Samuel 22:34. On the day God delivered David from his enemies and Saul, David sang the 51 verses of 2 Samuel 22 to the Lord.  David’s words in that song are very similar to Psalm 18, in which verse 33 declares “He makes my feet like hinds’ feet [able to stand firmly or make progress on the dangerous heights of testing and trouble]; He sets me securely upon my high places.” (AMPC)

Do you see where Habakkuk likely got the visual imagery for Habakkuk 3:19, the verse we are exploring? No doubt Habakkuk had reflected often upon David’s thoughts about hinds’ feet.

What does hinds’ feet mean? The hind symbolized “agility, swiftness, and surefootedness, indispensable qualifications in ancient warfare.” 2 Samuel 22:34 Commentaries: “He makes my feet like hinds’ feet, And sets me on my high places. (biblehub.com).  God had gifted David with these and many more qualities essential to the life he would live for God, which included being a warrior in those ancient times.

The hind “is a picture also of the ability God gives His children to travel easily over the rough paths of life, and to feel at home among the difficulties of life. The hind enjoys the rough mountain terrain. She is sure-footed, she does not seek easy paths.” (Wilson’s Dictionary of Bible Types, 1957, p. 259).

white goat on large roc k

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God gives hinds, or deer and mountain goats, a hoof that is split, which enables them to grip; a hard outer part of the hoof that can dig into rock, with a soft bottom part that molds into the contours of the mountain; strong forequarters or shoulders; and an incredible sense of balance, among other things. If that is how God cares for them, how much more will He provide for us, oh we of little faith? (Matthew 6:30, Matthew 8:26).

“. . .  and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror] but to walk and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places of trouble, suffering or responsibility.” (Habakkuk 3:19, AMPC).  Mountain goats do not stand still in terror of obstacles or danger. With their strong feet and powerful forequarters, they can jump nearly 12 feet. With God, I have strength for each challenge, little or big. With God, I am empowered to walk and move forward, rather than letting fear immobilize me. With God, I can make progress, in both spiritual and earthly realms, in the thick of daily life’s ” troubles, sufferings and responsibilities.”

I believe all of us sometimes feel that the humdrum responsibilities of daily life are too much. But in God, we can move forward, one step at a time, one task at a time, with any challenge.

three white goats on rocky cliff

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The dangerous heights. I like to think of Psalm 18:33 together with Habakkuk 3:19. Remember Psalm 18:33 says: “He makes my feet like hinds’ feet [able to stand firmly or make progress on the dangerous heights of testing and trouble]; He sets me securely upon my high places.”

When we face personal troubles and when God is testing or training us, we are in dangerous times because we are, like mountain goats, in a potentially dangerous position. Because of our human weaknesses, we are in danger of turning away from God in such times. But God has provided all that we need to stand firm. Not only that but He has provided all we need to make progress in the very midst of those testings and trials.  “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. (2 Peter 1:3, NIV)”

We can also apply this principle to the dangerous times we live in as we see darkness trying to overcome the world. Believers world-wide are being tested and tried. Will we stand fast in our faith? Will we speak up for righteousness? Will we say homosexuality, transgenderism, anti-Semitism, and abortion are sin?

Will we do the things God shows us we can do personally to fight evil in our day? Will we educate ourselves on the issues, vote and encourage others to vote? Will we send emails and letters and call our government representatives? Will we participate in government and run for a local office or help at the voting polls?

We are in perilous times yet also the most glorious, victorious times of all time. God is exposing evil. He is awakening millions to eternal life. He is calling individual believers to a closer, stronger relationship with Him and He is calling believers to be salt and light.

Encourage yourself! To encourage ourselves, we can ponder all the dangers David faced. We can ponder all the victories God gave him, and we can—with God’s strength, His personal bravery and His mighty army—“walk as children of light.” (Ephesians 5:8) We can live holy, consecrated lives, and we can do our part to influence the world around us. We can let the light of God’s truth and love shine into this present darkness. We can be that candle on a hill. We can be the salt and light Jesus commanded us to be in His first great sermon, the Sermon on the mount.

lighted candle

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13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:13-16, NIV)

It is no accident that you and I are alive at this time. All the days of our life were ordained by God before one of them ever came to be. (Psalm 139:16) We have a part to play in the part of the world in which God has deliberately placed us.

With our eyes fixed on God, we can rely on Him to give us hinds’ feet, for our personal struggles and also for our nation and our world. We can be strong, we can move forward in the face of fear, and we can take our part in the invincible army of God.

You and I can fulfill Philippians 2:15-16 as we strive to:

“prove yourselves to be blameless and guileless, innocent and uncontaminated, children of God without blemish in the midst of a [morally] crooked and [spiritually] perverted generation, among whom you are seen as bright lights [beacons shining out clearly] in the world [of darkness], 16 holding out and offering to everyone the word of life. . .” (AMPC).

It is especially in hard places that we are positioned to shine as beacons for God.

So, I say to myself and to you: Set your heart to rejoice, to exult in the Lord and to shine!

Shine within your heart in your personal relationship with God. Love Him truly “[with affectionate reverence, prompt obedience, and grateful recognition of His blessing]” (1 Corinthians 8:3a, Psalm 149:4, AMPC).

Shine into the darkness of this world. Like Gideon, go in the strength you have (Judges 6:14) and bring to the world the light that comes from understanding truth.

In the midst of dire personal and world circumstances, declare “Yet, I will rejoice! I will exult in the [victorious God] of my salvation! (Habakkuk 3:18, AMPC)

tall green tree painting

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