1 Thessalonians 5:18 – In Everything Give Thanks

1 Thessalonians 5:18
18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

-How often do we thank the Lord “for His goodness and His wonderful works”? (Psalm 107) We do good to throw some gratitude God’s way when He rains down a blessing and we consider ourselves thankful.  But think about what this verse is really saying:  “In everything give thanks”.  When was the last time we thanked the Lord for giving us something we didn’t want to carry or for taking away something we wanted to keep?  Do we thank the Lord for our sicknesses, or our bad finances, or our broken dreams?  If we really believed the Bible, we would.  If we really believed that God is able to make all things work for our good (Romans 8:28), we would.  Anything less is just ungrateful.

2 Corinthians 4:13 – I Believe Therefore I Speak

2 Corinthians 4:13
13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;
14 Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.

-In the midst of trouble and persecution, Paul drew confidence and strength from his faith.  Confidence to speak, confidence to continue.  It was the same strength that David found in the midst of his own trials which Paul references from Psalm 116:10.  Faith is not a wholly religious term.  It should be, mind you, but the reality is people tend to place faith in a lot of things.  Money, friendships, political leaders.  Certainly these things deserve our respect and, in some cases, even our obedience.  But our faith?  Should that not be reserved for only the most high and most important things?  Paul made his faith very clear.  Paul had faith in the Lord Jesus and the Father Himself who can raise us up through the Lord Jesus. (v.14)  Where does your faith lie?  Are you confident that the object of your faith can help you through any trial and any trouble?  I believe therefore I speak:  “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1-2)

Hebrews 2:2-4 – So Great Salvation!

Hebrews 2:2-4
2 For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;
3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;
4 God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?

–Verses 3 and 4 are one question being asked in response to the statement in verse 2.  This passage of scripture highlights two very important aspects of our relationship with God- both valid and both important.  1) The Bible teaches that when the angels in Heaven rebelled and turned on the Lord, He damned them and created Hell as their place of punishment. (Matthew 25:41) Accepting the fact that these holy servants who existed in glory and constantly beheld the Lord’s face could not escape the wrath of God, how could we ever hope to escape His wrath if we reject His Salvation?  We can’t, but that leads right to the next point.  2) There is a great Salvation!  It is so great, in fact, that it is capable of justifying sinners in the eyes of God and reconciling us to Him forevermore.  That Salvation is not a place or a time or a thing; it is a person, and His name is Jesus Christ.

John 14:27 – Peace I Give Unto You

John 14:27
27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

-This is an important truth from Jesus as it introduces us to the fact that there is a peace offered by the world.  The more you learn about the Bible and its teaching, the more you learn that pure religion is to remain “unspotted from the world” (James 1:27) and that “the friendship of the world is enmity with God.” (James 4:4)  After all that, if we find some measure of peace and comfort in the world, it can lead us to question the truth of the Bible itself.  And so, lest we be deluded by our own perceptions, Jesus lets us know that there is a peace to be found in the world.  Don’t be surprised if you find it.  Don’t question God if you find it.  But Jesus also draws an important distinction- the peace that God gives is not like the peace that the world gives.  What’s the difference?  Well, any of us who have experienced the world’s peace knows that it is circumstantial.  It ebbs and flows depending on how things are going around us.  It’s fickle.  God, on the other hand, has a peace “which passeth all understanding” (Philippians 4:7) – a “perfect peace”. (Isaiah 26:3)  It is as steadfast as the Lord Himself because He stands ever ready to bestow His peace on those “whose mind is stayed on [Him].” (Isaiah 26:3)

2 Samuel 9:3, 6-7 – The Kindness of God

2 Samuel 9:3, 6-7
3 And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet.
6 Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy servant!
7 And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father’s sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.

-Mephibosheth is a descendant of Saul and so is the product of a bloodline that is reproached before the Lord.  If that wasn’t bad enough, he is lame on both feet.  He is, by all accounts, worthless.  Yet, David seeks him out for the explicit purpose of giving him a place at the King’s table, as one of the King’s sons.   David doesn’t do it because he found some worth in Mephibosheth; rather, he does it for the sake of his friend Jonathan.  The Bible contains another story about a group of people who come from a cursed bloodline and are completely worthless.  In that story another Great King seeks out those worthless people in order to give them a place at His table and to make them as His own sons and daughters.  That Great King is the Lord, those worthless people are you and me, and just as David gave so much for the sake of Jonathan, The Lord sees fit to give us Salvation and Righteousness for the sake of Jesus Christ.

Matthew 5:3 – The Poor in Spirit

Matthew 5:3
3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

-“The poor in spirit”; at first glance this verse can be a little confusing.  How do you make your spirit poor?  Why would a God who is rich in everything want your spirit to be poor?  Let’s look a little deeper and see what we can find.  The word “poor” is the Greek word “ptóchos” and means “one who crouches and cowers”; it’s easy to see how this word would be translated as poor if we consider poor beggars cowering in the street.  But what does this have to do with our spirit?  God is looking for those who are willing to humble and cower themselves instead of lifting themselves up; those who see no value in themselves, but instead see all the value in Christ.  “For God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.” (1 Peter 5:5).

Joel 2:13 – Rend Your Heart

Joel 2:13
13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.

-In scripture, a person’s repentant heart is often coupled with a rending of their garment.  Tearing a garment is an expression of grief and can be used at the loss of a loved one or, as stated, a guilty conscience.  The danger with any custom is that we tend to place too much emphasis on the custom and not enough on the thought behind it.  We attend church but are mentally checked out the whole time, we pray but our words become empty repetitions; basically we go through the motions.  God recognizes this and asks us to turn to Him not just on the outside, but on the inside.  If you feel compelled to complete a custom, feel free to complete it unto the Lord (Romans 14:6), but don’t forget that God is really interested in what’s happening in your heart.

Hebrews 11:6 – Without Faith…

Hebrews 11:6
6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

-The important take away from this verse is that faith in the Lord is very important.  Look at the verse from the opposite direction to see why it is so important.  If faith is the only way to please God, it means that not having faith can only be displeasing to God.  No matter what we say, what we think, or what we do; if we lack faith, all the Lord has for us and our actions is displeasure.  “O LORD, rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.” (Psalm 38:1)

Matthew 26:14-16 – What Will Ye Give Me?

Matthew 26:14-16
14 Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests,
15 And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.
16 And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.

-Judas betrayed the Creator of the universe for 30 pieces of silver.  It doesn’t seem like much money to betray God Himself.  How much would it take to make you turn your back on God?  $1,000?  $1,000,000?  The Bible teaches that a wicked person will transgress for a piece of bread (Proverbs 28:21).  There may have been a time that Judas’ price would have been higher, but the second you decide to relax your standards, you’ll see them get lower and lower all of the time.  If you would sacrifice your standing with the Lord for nothing less than $1,000,000 today, there will come a day that your price will be $1,000, and finally a day where you will sell out for mere scraps of bread.

Exodus 20:25 – The Pure Gospel

Exodus 20:25
25 And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.

– What is an altar but a place to worship the Lord?  Christ is both where we go to worship God and the way that we should go. (John 14:6)  The Lord commanded Israel that they not lift a finger to shape an altar used for worship; it must be kept just as it’s found.  The same principle applies to our faith.  Christ is polluted if we attempt to add anything to or take anything away from what the Bible says about Him.  That was Paul’s warning to the Church at Galatia; not that there was “another gospel“, but rather that the true gospel had been twisted and perverted.  (Galatians 1:6-7)  Paul’s warning is preserved so that we would not make the same mistake.  “I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.” (Ecclesiastes 3:14)