Mercies for Today - Lamentations

We tend to spend a lot of our energy worrying about tomorrow.

Will there be enough money? What will our health be like? Will our children follow the Lord? What will we do when the car breaks down? Will I have a job next week/month/year? Will we lose our loved ones prematurely? What will I do if our healthcare changes? What will my marriage be like when the children are gone? When will we get to enjoy retirement? 

The list of worries could carry endlessly on.

Smack dab in the middle of Lamentations we are reassured that there is no need to fuss and fret about tomorrow's troubles. We will be given fresh mercy for each new day. We don't need strength enough for today and tomorrow...we simply need our fresh dose of the Lord's mercy for today, knowing that tomorrow will have its own measure of unseen mercy sufficient enough for the day.

"But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." - Lamentations 3:21-23

Proverbs 17-18

Whoever mocks the poor insults his Maker; he who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.

This verse just instantly reminds me of the tongue passage in James 3:

With it we bless out Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the image and likeness of God...these things out not to be so.

The only grouping or label God ever puts on anyone is sinner or saint. We were all sinners once, and the only difference between the redeemed and the damned is the life giving blood of Jesus. So when I think about that truth and when I see passages like this I am challenged. Do I look at a person the way God looks at them? Do I think about their eternal soul, and the image of God that they are created in? It's easy to throw labels around: pathetic, loser, alpha, liberal, gay, aloof, minority, trust fund kid. The list could go on and on, but when I classify people in a demeaning way or elevate them to highly I display a spirit of anti-Christ.

God loves every individual, and he died for us all. Let's keep that in mind. 

Psalm 96-98

Fire goes before him and burns up his adversaries all around. His lightnings light up the world: the earth sees and trembles. The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, before the Lord of all the earth.
Psalm 97:3-5

We have all marveled at our beautiful earth. It's so vast, beautiful, and powerful; let it remind you of it's creator.  Today I look outside and see green tries and sun. Later on I will enjoy a river in Golden, and a gorgeous sunset over the mountains.

The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all the people see his glory. All worshippers of images are put to shame...

I Chronicles 5-9

When I read genealogies and when I mediate on what I read one thing always comes to mind. (You may notice I didn't say I always meditate on the genealogies.)  But when I do stop and reflect I can't help but think that God has a record of every name of every person that has ever lived. Not only does he know your name, my name, Abdon, Zur, and Kish; but he knows the life of every one of those names.

God knows our names too, and He cares for us. As a matter of fact today Jesus Christ is at the right hand of the father interceding for you. What an amazing thought.

Numbers 1-4 Age?

Plenty of history in this passage, but I find something very interesting. The age of the Levites for their active years of ministry?

In case you missed it it's in vs. 47 of chapter four: 30-50.  You heard that right, not 29, not 51; 30-50.

What does that say to us? What principles can we glean from this? 

Well Christ didn't put such rigid structure in place for the church, but I think it says a good deal about the value and seriousness of vocational ministry. Not everyone is mature enough, and not everyone has the same energy and influence. This doesn't at all mean we need to make this a law, but we do need to have on our radars the challenges a Pastor/ Elder faces and that the window isn't open forever.

This also makes me thankful that Christ is the head of the church, and the church will not rise or fall on man. It's under His control, and the gates of hell cannot prevail against it.

I Timothy 1-3 Call to a Saving Lifestyle

In chapter 2 we have the premise that God wants all mankind to be saved, and Paul proceeds from there to give practical guidelines to help make that happen.

For the men it's pretty straight forward in this particular passage: lift up your hands in prayer (even in public) and be free from anger and quarrels. Easier said than done, right?

For women (like so many other situations) it's a little more complicated. First it's important to note that this passage is not categorically forbidding women to dress nicely, style their hair, or wear jewelry in church.  What does it mean then? Historical insight always helps interpretation, and a study of the Ephesian culture (where Timothy was Pastoring) shows that what Paul is referring to is particular styles that emulated the excessive luxury and licentiousness of the Roman court. A modern day parallel would be a warning against imitating the styles of promiscuous pop singers or actresses.

Paul's overriding concern  was that the way Christian's deported themselves would not detract from but enhance the Gospel mission.  Likewise, let's not worry about the exact dimensions of hem lines, and stay concerned about our testimony for Christ.

Daniel 1-6 Balshazzar Existed

Daniel 5 records the downfall of Babylon  and identifies the King of Babylon as Belshazzar. However, both Xenophon and Herodotus recount the fall of Babylon to Cyrus the Great, yet neither of these writers give the name of the king of Babylon. Additionally, both Berossus’ and Ptolemy's king lists have Nabonidus as the last king of Babylon with no mention of Belshazzar.

So this begs the question. Is this an error? Christians were mocked and attacked on this one for decades. But did you notice the past tense in that last sentence. They were mocked. 

So while secular history had lost the knowledge of King Balshazzar for centuries the Bible had it all along. An archeology discovery in 1854 has confirmed Daniel's historical record to be accurate. That's right, in 1854 historians finally got their first physical evidence outside of the Bible.

Apparently, in the third year of his reign Nabonidus went for a long journey and entrusted the rule of his kingdom to his son. When Cyrus overthrew Babylon, Nabonidus was in Tema in North Arabia.

What a win for the Bible! As a Christian this gives me confidence. Confidence to trust the Bible even if "conventional wisdom" doesn't necessarily agree. 

Proverbs 16 Everything for its Purpose

The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble.
Proverbs 16:14

Birds
Insects
Joseph's 11 brothers
heathen nations
Judas Iscariot
Mountains
The smart phone
Tennis
Saul's Education

The list is literally endless, but the truth remains. God is behind it all. He uses it. All of it.

What a comfort to know that no matter what life brings our way, it's not only smaller than our God but He has it under his gloriously good and sovereign will. 

Psalm 93-95 Make a Joyful Noise

I Corinthians 10:6.
Yes, just go read that verse. Maybe back up a few verses read the context...got it?

Hebrews 3:7-11.
Sounds familiar? Well that's because it is. Psalm 95 to be exact.

What's the example here for us? It's not to miss God's plan. Don't get caught up in the way you think things should go or want them to go and miss What Jesus has already done for you.

Don't miss it on the grand scale of eternal stakes and as verse 7 in Psalm 95 says don't miss it today.

Make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation, come into his presence with thanksgiving.

Grace of God I Corinthians 1-4

We all get discouraged. Some of us more than others, but regardless it happens to all of us. It happens when people you love hurt you. It happens when people you are close with don't do what they should. And it happens when we blow it ourselves.

But do you know what encourages me every time? .....God's grace.

I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge - even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you - so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

This was written to the church at Corinth. Yes, the same church that turned the Lord's Supper into a gluttonous party, didn't support Paul financially, divided over who they followed, had unresolved open immorality in the body, sued one another in the secular courts.

That church. Hopefully we don't start patting ourselves on the back right now, because even if your problems aren't as glaring as theirs when we are honest with ourselves we know we fail to measure up to God's standard as well.

And thankfully we don't have to measure up, because Christ already took our place and punishment!

Go back and re-read vss. 4-9. Marvel at God's grace. You are not lacking. 

Did God abhor Israel? Leviticus 25-27

And I will destroy your high place and cut down your incense alters and cast your dead bodies upon the dead bodies of your idols, and my soul will abhor you.
                                                                                            Leviticus 26:30

Does this verse make you pause for a second? Does it bother you at all? This is one of those places in Scripture where our view of God is challenged and if we are not careful we can even get disillusioned with the line of thinking that goes something like "the God of the Old Testament doesn't seem to match the loving God of the New Testament."

So what's going on? Why has this been preserved for 12,000 years and 12 trillion years more?

Well first of all, before you proceed anywhere it's imperative to fully digest the entire context. Take a good look at vss. 40-45. When God abhors Israel and when He accepts them are two completely different times and two completely different conditions.

God is a jealous for us. He deserves, owns, and demands or worship. Bottom line, He has no room for unfaithfulness. Check verse 30 again in case you already forgot.

Does that fit in with your view of God? I hope so, because if you are limited to the facts that He loves you and sent his Son for you then you are missing so much of who God is.

God is holy and he hates sin. He hates our sin, and this is really what he thinks about our rejection of his Godhood.

You will never come close to the proper level of thankfulness for the gift of salvation until you are humbled by your own depravity and God's hatred for your sin. Don't miss this truth about God! It makes our redemption and reconciliation mean so much more.  

Post them on your door - Proverbs 14-15

The book of Proverbs is known as a book of wisdom.  We often hear short quips of profound wisdom and call them “proverbs”.  Our homes are filled with little plaques, signs, needlepoints and pillows containing tidbits of wisdom -some from the scripture, some from wise men that have gone before us.  Jewish culture dictates scriptures written on scrolls and posted on the door frames of their homes.  My imagination would like to think that if there were decorative items in their homes similar to ours; they would contain some of the nuggets of wisdom from Proverbs 14-15.

 

14:2 By living right, you show

that you respect the Lord;

by being deceitful, you show

that you despise him.

 

14:6 Make fun of wisdom,

and you will never find it.

But if you have understanding,

knowledge comes easily

 

14:31  If you mistreat the poor,

you insult your Creator;

if you are kind to them,

you show him respect

 

15:1 A kind answer

soothes angry feelings,

but harsh words

stir them up.

 

15:11 If the Lord can see everything

in the world of the dead,

he can see in our hearts.

 

15:22  Without good advice

everything goes wrong—

it takes careful planning

for things to go right

 

 

A Mighty Fortress - Psalm 90-92

Psalm 91:1-2

Live under the protection of God Most High

and stay in the shadow of God All-Powerful.

2Then you will say to the Lord,

“You are my fortress, my place of safety;

you are my God,and I trust you.”

 

The dictionary defines a fortress as “any place of exceptional security; a stronghold.”   The idea of living in the shadow of God, the All-Powerful , is so encouraging.  It provides rest and relief from a world seeking to destroy- a place of exceptional security.

 

A Mighty Fortress is our God                                                                  

A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.

And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.

That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him Who with us sideth:
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever.

Words & Music Martin Luther, 1529; trans­lat­ed from Ger­man to Eng­lish by Fred­er­ic H. Hedge, 1853.  This song has been called “the great­est hymn of the great­est man of the great­est per­i­od of Ger­man his­to­ry” and the “Bat­tle Hymn of the Ref­or­ma­tion.”

As the King goes, so go the people 2 Kings 21-25

The scripture is full of examples of leadership.  There are leaders who led bravely and solemnly guided by God in every step.  There are leaders who lead with their flesh or were distracted by the successes of the world. 

Recently at Valley we have been studying through the book of Titus.  Last week, our Lead Pastor made a statement regarding a Christian's response to the world around us and the leaders that God has allowed to be in authority over us, that really resonated with me.  No matter who is in leadership in the United States, their values will guide their decisions.  Why on earth should we be surprised when men who do not seek after God, make policy decisions, or attempt to legislate society in a way that is contrary to the law of God? 

Our responsibility is to honor those in leadership and respect their God-given office.  As long as their directives do not require ME to violate God's law, than I am to respectfully submit to their authority as I am able.  From the beginning of the establishment of man-made leadership on this earth, there have been some leaders who have been nothing short of tragic.  These men and their poor leadership have been used by God to bring about miraculous happenings and sometimes great revival!  May we pray for nothing less in our own country!