Job 23:8-10
8 Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him:
9 On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him:
10 But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.
-If you’ve read or heard the story of Job, you know that he was taken about as far down as anyone can go. Here in chapter 23, he states that no matter where he looks, he cannot find the Lord. He knows God is working, but still cannot see Him. This is important because of Job’s statement in verse 10– Job tells us that the Lord knows where Job is. Our security is not based on our ability to see the Lord, but rather on the Lord’s ability to see us. We can certainly find ourselves in dark circumstances just as Job did. Even then the Lord sees us. There can come a day when we get too far ahead or fall too far behind the Lord. Even then the Lord sees us. Even if the day came that we no longer wish Him to look after us “yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.” (2 Timothy 2:13)
Month: September 2023
Amos 3:8 – Prophesying of Jesus
Amos 3:8
8 The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord God hath spoken, who can but prophesy?
-Imagine you are face to face with a lion. I think most of us would be afraid simply of the lion’s presence; when he roars fear would certainly become a foregone conclusion. Such is the case with the Word of God. His mere presence should be enough to spur us to action; indeed, when He speaks prophesying becomes a foregone conclusion. But, one may say, the time of prophets and prophecies is over. Remember what the servant told John in Revelation 19:11, “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” The most powerful message any prophet could share, that any of us could share, is what Jesus Christ has done, what He is doing, and what He will do in the future. The Lord has spoken; how can we resist the call to prophesy?
Psalm 130:5-6 – Wait for the Lord
Psalm 130:5-6
5 I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.
6 My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.
-You’ve no doubt heard the expression, “The light at the end of the tunnel.” It’s designed to bring hope to those who are experiencing hardships because it can be easier to struggle through dark circumstances armed with the knowledge that a brighter day is coming. The hope of a brighter day doesn’t have to be our consolation in the darkness, though. David here points out that instead of waiting for the morning, he waits for the Lord. In fact, he states that his desire for the Lord is actually stronger than those who wait for the light at the end of the tunnel. Why would this be? Because the Lord is brighter than even the brightest day and He is not just waiting for us at the end of the tunnel; He is in the tunnel with us making sure that we get to the end. “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.” (Isaiah 43:2)
Isaiah 65:24 – Before they call…
Isaiah 65:24
24 And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.
This powerful verse of scripture captures both the Lord’s omnipotent power and His boundless compassion. While it’s comforting to recognize that our Creator possesses the ability to answer before we call, notice the beginning of this verse; “And it shall come to pass…” The fact that this is still a future day implies that the Lord doesn’t hear and answer like this in the present; why would that be? In the context of Isaiah 65, the Lord is describing a future time when the hearts of the people have turned to God and all the earth is filled with the knowledge of the Lord. The Lord can answer every prayer because every heart will be perfectly in tune with Him. Unfortunately, that is not the case in the present tense. Our hearts are divided which leaves us chasing after a multitude of things in addition to the Lord. James 1:6-7 tells us to “ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.” What’s worse, our divided hearts can, and often do, lead to us chase after other things without seeking the Lord at all. Psalm 66:18 teaches that “If [we] regard iniquity in [our] heart, the Lord will not hear [us].
Proverbs 2:3-5 – Searching for Treasure
Proverbs 2:3-5
3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;
4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;
5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.
-If you knew you had a pile of gold buried in your backyard, how hard would you dig to find it? Would you just shuffle some grass and dirt around with your feet and then call it a day? Most of us wouldn’t. Most of us would spend days and nights digging until we found the treasure. God promises us that His Word is filled with treasures of eternal value and yet many of us at most just shuffle the surface around and then call it a day. How can we expect God to honor that level of “devotion”? God is looking for those who will go after the knowledge contained in His Word with the same level of diligence and enthusiasm that we would attack that gold mine in our backyard. The only difference is you can dig and dig in your yard and probably won’t find anything, but if you dig and dig in God’s Word, you’ll find more than you ever dreamed of.
2 Corinthians 5:13-15 – The Love of God Constrains
2 Corinthians 5:13-15
13 For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for your cause.
14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:
15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
-We all have natural tendencies that run contrary to God’s will. It is an incredible thing that the love of Christ can so work in our hearts and spirits that it can literally alter our behavior. Christ’s love can constrain us to forgive when we want to be bitter, offer help when we want to be selfish, and make peace when we want to fight. But consider Romans 9:22, “What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction.” The Bible teaches that God is very willing to bring forth judgment and wrath on the much deserving human race, but instead, He shows us mercy and longsuffering. What’s more, He loves us so much that He sent His own Son to die for us (John 3:16). The really incredible thing is not that God’s love can constrain a human being, it’s that God’s love can even constrain God.
Luke 9:48-50 – All Are One In Christ
Luke 9:48-50
48 And said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child in my name receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great.
49 And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us.
50 And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.
We are so quick to draw lines in the sand. Notice John’s accusation against the person in verse 49. John looked right past what he had accomplished and condemned him for not being one of ‘us.’ We could easily look down on John for this, but how often do we do the same thing? No doubt more often than we should. If a person or group of people is truly operating in the name of Jesus Christ, should it matter if they are not “our group”? We should be happy to see someone else working at all. Fortunately, the Lord sees past such segregation to the only truth that really matters: There is no ‘us’ and there is no ‘them’, there is only ‘Him.’ “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28)
Isaiah 6:1-8 – Here Am I; Send Me
Isaiah 6:1-8
8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
-How do you serve the Lord? Some do big things that may get lots of attention while others busy themselves with smaller matters that no one else notices. Rest assured that both are equally important in the Kingdom of God. I find in the Christian race, however, another group that seems to grow larger every day; those who simply do nothing. When asked why, they will say that no one asked them to do anything. Take a moment and reflect on Isaiah’s call in this section of scripture. The Lord called Isaiah and Isaiah answered the Lord. Why would we want to serve the Lord because someone else asked us to? Choose to serve the Lord because the Lord Himself has called. Colossians 3:23-24 “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.”
Romans 9:8 – Children of the Promise
Romans 9:8
8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
The seed being referenced here is the seed of Abraham. The Hebrew people, the bloodline of Abraham, are counted as the covenant people of God. Paul is telling the church that we too have been brought into that covenant. Not because of who we are or where we’ve come from, but because God extended unto us a promise: John 1:11-13, “He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” To be part of the bloodline of Abraham is a special thing, but if your eternal soul is at stake, would you rather be bound by blood or bound by the promise of God Himself? Not many of us can claim the bloodline of Abraham, but all of us can claim the promises of God by accepting the Lord Jesus Christ and His atoning work on the cross.
John 11:21-26, 43-44 – Much is Given
John 11:21-26, 43-44
21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.
23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.
24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.
44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.
-The Bible teaches that to whom much is given, much shall be required (Luke 12:48). One way of looking at that would be the idea that the Lord will entrust us with something precious and our responsibility will increase as a result. While this is true, it’s also important to realize that sometimes what is required comes before what is given. Consider the case of Mary and Martha in scripture; they received one of the greatest blessings imaginable- to watch Jesus Christ Himself raise their dead brother from the grave. Consider how marvelous it would have been to watch Jesus exercise His divine authority over death itself. But before they could be given this, it was first required that they watch their brother fall sick and eventually pass away. If tragedy strikes in your life, remember that God’s plan for you is one of good and not evil. (Jeremiah 29:11) “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5)
A Tried Stone 