That I May Walk Before God in the Light of the Living - Day 125 Through the Bible

Heavy rains and the threat of flooding today on the way home from church - Ayles Creek that runs through Celo Lands and under the road going up to the cabin -  near Mt. Celo Church

Lessons and Applications From My Daily Bible Readings

What happens when our eyes are opened...when we see earthly truth (that aha! moment)...when we see spiritual truth?  More importantly, what do we do with revelation...what does the Bible command...what does the world dictate?

Stand Still, That I May Reason With You; Take Note; Stand and See (1 Sam 12 and 13):  Samuel, like so many of Prophets...like Jesus...tried to reason with the people, get them to sit or stand awhile, listen, hear, think, reason...if you do this, there will be consequences.  Take note...God has commanded this...Remember...recall...but the rebellious people continue in their pattern of sin.  Samuel illustrates God's consequences in calling on rain and thunder to destroy the harvest...that the people will "stand and see...perceive and see" that their wickedness was great in demanding a king to lead them in place of God.  There are rewards for obedience, consequences for sin.  Sometimes these are immediate; sometimes they are not. 

Lessons and Applications:  Most of our churches have been drawn away from the Word of God and had it substituted in our churches with social or political activism, New Age psychology, or a church growth mentality of entertainment and business stratagems (the latter mostly in the larger cities.)  We, as congregations, desperately need to teach the Bible - in its entirety..be discipled and disciple... - in the Sunday School hour, from the pulpit, in small and large settings. We need once again to KNOW what the Bible..the whole of Scripture says, what were and are the consequences/rewards of heeding or not heeding God's commands.  We need to stand still, see, take note, and let the Holy Spirit reason with us in accordance with God's Word...close out the world and its philosophies for this time...dedicate, consecrate this sacred time to listening to and walking before God once again.

"Permit Even This" Luke 22: 24-46) Jesus is betrayed...by one of His twelve...the treasurer of the disciples...has endured the agony of Gethsemane...alone with God...while the disciples slept.  He has prayed for the cup to pass Him, if it would be God's Will.  It is not; it cannot be.  He must drink the cup for our souls' sakes.  He was permitting it...the final agreement to endure all the power of sin and hell coming against Him...to complete the Will of His Father...for the sake of sinful man...for our souls.  Even the arrest...unlawful, secretive, with armed force against a peaceful gathering...even this will be permitted.  Peter's attempt to fight against it, to cut off the ear of the soldier, is answered by Jesus with His healing, restorative touch to the enemy - a precursor of things to come.  His coming crucifixion, death, resurrection, ascension and exaltation will be the ultimate healing and restoration of sinful man...you...me...to holy God.

"The Silent Dove in Distant Lands" A Michtam of David when the Philistines captured him in Gath - a remembrance of Christ in His earthly ministry, when captured in Gethsemane and led to death for us - a cry from us to God when surrounded by our enemies - Psalm 56: 1-13  

"Be merciful to me, O God, for man would swallow me up; fighting all day he oppresses me.  My enemies would hound me all day, for there are many who fight against me, O Most High.  Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You, in God (I will praise His word), in God I have put my trust; I will not fear; what can flesh do to me?  All day they twist my words, all their thoughts are against me for evil, they gather together.  They hide, they mark my steps, when they lie in wait for my life, shall they escape by iniquity? In anger cast down the peoples, O God!  You number my wanderings; Put my tears in to Your bottle; are they not in Your book?  When I cry out to You, then my enemies will turn back; this I know because God is for me, in God (I will praise His word), in the LORD (I will praise His Word), in God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid.  What can man do to me?  Vows made to You are binding upon me, O God; I will render praises to You, for You have delivered my soul from death.  Have You not kept my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living."