The Power of Truth---Day 361 Through the Bible

                          The path God takes us on may not always be as pleasant as this one.
                                     However, God will always takes us down the path of truth!

My thoughtful considerations regarding today's Scripture readings in Zechariah, Psalms, Proverbs, and Revelation. Key phrases and passages that stood out for me are as follows:

"Did you really fast for Me--for Me?" (Zechariah 1:5).  God poses this question to Zechariah in response to his original question--"Should I weep in the fifth month and fast as I have done for so many years?" (v. 3). The divine response cuts to the heart of ceremony and worship practices and God suggests that perhaps obedience during prosperous times ought to have been a consideration (v. 7).

These are the words of God to Zechariah.  Through them the heart of God is revealed and the heart of the believer is challenged:

"Execute true justice,
Show mercy and compassion everyone to his brother.
Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor.
Let none of you plan evil in his heart against his brother" (v. 9). 

Israel's response to God's directive was to shrug their shoulders and stop their ears so they could not hear (v. 11).  Their response went beyond complacency--"they made their hearts like flint", refusing to hear God's words. God dealt with them in the same manner they responded to Him--"so they called out and I would not listen" (v. 13).  They were scattered "among all the nations which they had not known" (v. 14).

"Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth" (Zechariah 8:3).  Up until recently it may have been easy to just read over this verse. However, what hope and what a welcome contrast in light of the culture of lies and deceit that is continually unfolding in the world today.  Another reason to pray, "Thy kingdom come"!  And to live in such a time of simplicity when "The streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets!" (v. 5).  God promises to bring His people back from captivity, "and they shall be My people and I will be their God, in truth and righteousness" (v. 8).  Whatever our captivity, God holds out hope for us in a relationship with Him.

God says He is "determined to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Israel" (v. 15). In order to be able to accomplish this toward them God says this, "Do not fear (solutions to our problems today may seem impossible!).  These are the things you shall do: 

Speak each man the truth to his neighbor; 
give judgment in your gates for truth, justice, and peace; 
let none of you think evil in your heart against your neighbor; 
and do not love a false oath.  
For all these are things that I hate, says the Lord" (v. 15, 16, 17).  

And in verse 21, the inhabitants of the cities will say to one another, "Let us continue to go and pray before the Lord, and seek the Lord of hosts".  Reading through the Bible, we have discovered the truth about other gods and the fact that the God of Israel is the only true God. This understanding helps put the following verse in perspective.  "In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, 'Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.'" (v. 23).

"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! . . .Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey. . .He shall speak peace to the nations; His dominion shall be from sea to sea. And from the River to the ends of the earth." (Zechariah 9:9,10).  Verse 12, "Return to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope".  Verse 14, "Then the Lord will be seen over them. . .the Lord of hosts will defend them" (v. 15).  "The Lord their God will save them in that day, as the flock of His people, for they shall be like the jewels of a crown, lifted like a banner over His land--for how great is its goodness and how great its beauty" (v. 16, 17).  Beautiful words!  A beautiful hope and future!  The truth of God!

Psalm 148:7-14, is tremendously fitting here and ends with this,  "And He has exalted the horn of His people, the praise of all His saints--of the children of Israel, a people near to Him.  Praise the Lord!"  King Solomon continues with his contemplation of God's creation and creatures in Proverbs 30:29-31, considering three things that are "majestic in pace" and "four which are stately in walk".  In this passage he focuses attention on the lion, a greyhound, a male goat, and "a king whose troops are with him".  Taking time to think and consider was something the wisest man who ever lived engaged in. (There is certainly a lesson here for us readers.)

In Revelation 18, we read of the fall of Babylon--"the evil world system" (Dr. Charles Stanley).  Her sins are listed and God warns His people in verse 4, "Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.  For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities".  Verse 23, "For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived. And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth".
God's word is sobering, yet God never leaves us without hope!  God always tells us the truth!

Dealing With Anger In Light of God's Goodness--Day 240 Through The Bible

                        People are not unlike hummingbirds that continually engage in battle over their territory. 

Ecclesiastes 7:9, "Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools".  Dr. Stanley writes about the subject of anger in his Life's Lessons section of today's study.  In Ephesians 4:26, we are instructed to "Be angry, and sin not".  Anger and sin are separated in this passage, however there is a line we cross where anger changes into sin.  Dr. Stanley lists 4 red flags that tell us when we have crossed over into sin.  While it is obvious that verbal abuse and physical violence clearly cross the line, other sins related to anger may not be as recognizable. These include strife, bitterness, isolation, and retaliation.  Conflict can lead to contempt which can take root in our hearts in the form of bitterness. "Nursing our anger leads to people being separated from each other" (Dr. Stanley).  This can occur when we fail to address issues and resolve differences quickly.  The last part of Ephesians 4: 26, advocates dealing with anger the same day and not allowing it to be carried over into the next day--"let not the sun go down upon your wrath".  We are to leave repayment for evil up to God rather than having our hearts filled with vengeance. The longer we wait to address anger the more difficult it will be to root it out. God's wisdom is perfect and He will help us deal with our stuff if we will ask.

Psalm 103:1, "all that is within me, bless His holy name". We cannot set aside areas of our heart that are off limits to God.  If there's something we should become obsessed with, let it be praising God! David counts his blessings in this Psalm and tells his soul not to forget all God's benefits.  He proceeds to list them:
"Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
Who satisfies your mouth with good things.
The results--So that your youth is renewed like the eagle's".

Foolishness is a recurring word in the book of Proverbs. It can mean "brainlessness" and "stupidity".  We will do stupid things when we act without thinking and unless we have a storehouse of knowledge and wisdom to draw upon. When we are in a relationship with God we have the option of asking God for wisdom and He not only promises He will give it to us, but He has a reputation of generosity--of giving liberally.  And, He doesn't scold us or reprove us (upbraid us) because we need His wisdom (James 1:5).  It's a wonderful experience to listen to someone speak who has godly wisdom. It is rare and grabs attention. In contrast, verse 7, says those devoid of wisdom do not open their mouths in the gate--the gate of the city was the place where business was carried out. Verse 9 says that "the devising of foolishness (dumb ideas) is sin".  Scoffers are those who mock, ridicule, and belittle others. Verse 9, says such people "are an abomination to men".

The Old Testament is often devalued and not considered as applicable as the New Testament for modern day Christians.  In I Corinthians 10, Paul reminds us of (or perhaps reveals) the fact that the God of Israel who took care of them in the wilderness was none other than Christ--the spiritual Rock.  We miss a great deal when we blindly accept what we hear about the Bible as truth without reading it for ourselves. Paul continues expounding upon the importance of Israel's history for us, "Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come"!  Examples help us get the point and God wants us to learn from their mistakes and sins so that we can avoid experiencing the related consequences and penalties.

Paul writes in verse 14 of I Corinthians 10, "Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry"!  Just as we are to deal with anger quickly, we are also admonished to "run" from idolatry (and other sins). Joseph left us with the perfect example of getting away from sin in Genesis 39, when he fled from Pharoah's wife and her attempt to seduce him. Our communion is with Christ and not sin and idolatry.  Our relationship with Christ is truly "the cup of blessing" and all who are part of the body of Christ partake of the same "bread".  Even so, we should be found putting away anger and being careful not to allow it to take root, especially in the Church, the body of Christ.

Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled--Day 8 Through the Bible

Mt. Mitchell State Park can be accessed from Hwy. 80 South via The Blue Ridge Parkway. Mt. Mitchell is the highest peak east of the Mississippi, with an elevation of 6,684 feet. It is a popular attraction in summer months for visitors to the area . The observation deck pictured here replaced the old observation tower.

                            

January 8

As I read Genesis 15:1, I am reminded of the many times God, Jesus, or an Angel told someone in the Bible not to be afraid. Fearfulness is listed as one of 8 sins in Revelation 21:8 that warrant the lake of fire (that really makes me fearful!). In the same verse, fearfulness is listed along with unbelief.

 In Genesis 15:1 the Lord explains to Abram the reason he doesn’t need to be fearful—“I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward”. Abram expressed concern because God had not given him an heir. God brought Abram outside and asked him to count the stars—if he could, and told him his descendants would be that numerous.

God always exceeds our expectations (in accordance with His will). Abram’s plan and desire included one heir while God’s plan for Abram involved an innumerable multitude. We just cannot comprehend what God is accomplishing! We cannot fathom His greatness and what He has in store for us. We cannot grasp the “exceedingly great reward” that God says is reason for us not to be afraid.

A shield serves as a source of protection—it comes between the bearer and the enemy. We usually think of it in the Bible in terms of battle. However today, we are familiar with personal protective equipment such as eye shields, face shields, leg shields, etc.  God says He is our “shield”. Shield can also mean to cover. In Psalms 91, God says He will cover us with His feathers and under His wings we shall trust. Today’s scripture in Proverbs 2:7 says, “He is a shield to those who walk uprightly”. The level of our despair would be greatly diminished if we could just grasp the truth that God is with us and provides for us--this includes His provision for our protection!

Although Abram believed God, he succumbed to his wife’s plan and fathered a son by Sarai’s handmaiden. Sarai despised Hagar to the point that Hagar left home. The Angel of the Lord found her and called her by name, then gave her God’s perspective on her situation. Hagar “called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, ‘Have I also here seen Him who sees me’?” 

If we are faithful in studying God’s Word, we are on our way to seeing “Him who sees me"! The more our knowledge of God increases, the more we realize God is aware of our situation, and—the more we see God’s perspective on our situation the more our fearfulness diminishes!

Our study wraps up in Matthew with Jesus telling us not to worry about what we need. Worry tends to cross over to fear. He tells us to seek first the Kingdom of God and all these things will be added to us. In this passage He addresses His hearers as, “O you of little faith”. Yet, this faith deficit can be fixed and God even tells us how. He says in Romans 10:17 that faith comes by hearing the Word of God!  Daily Bible study evidently covers many bases!