Romans 14:10 - On the Same Side

But you, why do you criticize your brother? Or you again, why do you look down on your [believing] brother or regard him with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God [who alone is judge].—Romans 14:10 AMP

It is so hard in our Christian walks to keep our eyes on the right things.   Chapter 14 of Romans is so helpful in this.  It reminds me that each of us will give an account of himself to God.  My natural man wrongly “feeds” off of  judging others or putting others down because in my small fleshly mind that somehow lifts me up and brings me forward.  Beloved, Satan wins if he is successful in pitting us against one another.  Life as a believer is a spiritual battle.  The Bible tells us we do not war against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers.

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,—2 Corinthians 10:3-5

It reminds me that as believers we are one body and one in Christ.  We are on the same side, fighting the same battle and working toward the same goal....with one mind we are to be striving together for the faith of the gospel.

Father...Help me today when my flesh desires to judge others....to plank, speck or tear down...help me instead to edify and to remember the words of Hannah in 1 Samuel 2:

"Talk no more so very proudly;
Let no arrogance come from your mouth,
For the LORD is the God of knowledge;
And by Him actions are weighed.

Help me to strive to encourage and build up my brothers and sisters in our mutual faith....not stumble or tear down.  Enable me by Your Spirit today to put on kindness, love and tender mercies...to owe them only love.  Love does no harm to a neighbor...love is the fulfillment of the law.  

Ending with a fitting prayer from Philippians, Chapter 1. 

I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

Oded- 2 Chronicles 28:9

But a prophet of the LORD was there, whose name was Oded; and he went out before the army that came to Samaria, and said to them: "Look, because the LORD God of your fathers was angry with Judah, He has delivered them into your hand; but you have killed them in a rage that reaches up to heaven.—2 Chronicles 28:9

This is the only mention of the prophet Oded that I could find but I bet the people of Judah and Jerusalem thanked God for his ministry and his courage to speak for them.  Amazingly, the Israelites complied with the prophet’s warning. (Vs 12-15)

For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"—Esther 4:14

Open your mouth, judge righteously,
And plead the cause of the poor and needy.

Open your mouth for the speechless,
In the cause of all who are appointed to die.fn
9 Open your mouth, judge righteously,
And plead the cause of the poor and needy.—Proverbs 31:8-9

2 Chronicles 22

Thus Joash the king did not remember the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but killed his son; and as he died, he said, "The LORD look on it, and repay!"—2 Chronicles 24:22

Ingratitude is sooo ugly and is a hallmark of unbelief. After the the death of his uncle, Jehoiada the high priest, Joash the King “forgot” the kindness this man had shown him.  He “forgot” the fact that Jehoiada had saved his life when he was a helpless young child.  He “forgot” that Jehoiada was the one responsible for his being king in the first place. He “forgot” that he had also been a wise and faithful counselor to Joash during his lifetime.  When Zechariah, Jehoiada’s son, attempted to provide for Joash the same godly counsel by the Spirit of God, Joash allowed him to be stoned.  He not only rejected the word of the Lord but also silenced the one who spoke it.  So much evil returned for so much good.

There have been times in my life where evil has been returned for good.  As I searched the Scriptures during those times I found myself in very good company.   In fact if you are serving the Lord faithfully your good will be spoken of as evil and more often than not evil will be returned for that good.

For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.
You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.—Hebrews 12:3-4

It is not easy to have your good called evil...to have your words twisted and your deeds maligned.  No one likes to be hated without a cause, but therein is the encouragement.  Our Jesus was despised and rejected...His words were twisted and His deeds maligned.  Look to Jesus then for your example.  See how He reacted...

For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:
“Who committed no sin,
Nor was deceit found in His mouth”;
who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; —1 Peter 2:19-23

Christ suffered that we might live.  Shine your light so others might live.  There are no true offenses against you...they are against God.  Your life is not about you..it is about glorifying Him in and through it all so that you can lead others to Christ.

The key verse for me from this section of 1 Peter 2 especially when going through this kind of trial is this one:

 but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously

I am never to look to and desire the praises of men...I am to desire the praises of my God.  I am not to get entangled in foolish disputes in an attempt to clear my name. They take the focus off of God and place it on me...so instead of seeing Christ in me others just see me.  They keep the focus on earthly things rather than heavenly things and distract from the task at hand.  I am to commit myself then...all of me...to Him.  I am to surrender to what He has for me.  It is not my job to worry about those who return my good with evil.  It is His.  My job is to do good and keep my conduct honorable.  Jehoiada and Zechariah’s good still bear witness today despite the opposition’s attempt to silence them. I end with Romans 12:21...very wise and instructive words.

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good...

Proverbs 20:7

The righteous man walks in his integrity;
His children are blessed after him.—Proverbs 20:7

2 Corinthians 1:12 (KJV)
For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.

These two verses give us such a beautiful picture of the fruit of walking through this life by His grace moment by moment.  Those who have integrity live out what they believe.   Their word and their deed match. They walk securely with no fear of stumbling.  Peace of mind and freedom from fear belong to them. Their very lives adorn the doctrine of their God and they become living testimonies to His faithfulness.  They are blessings to their children, other believers and to all that come in contact with them.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwellfn in the house of the LORD
Forever.—Ps 23:4;6

Jehoshaphat - 2 Chronicles 20

So much good instruction and encouragement in this chapter to be had just by reading through! Jehoshaphat had learned his lesson and in this crisis was leaning entirely on the Lord.  I read thru Psalm 21 after I read 2 Chronicles and couldn’t help but think of Jehoshaphat’s victory.

Ps 21:1-2 The king shall have joy in Your strength, O LORD; And in Your salvation how greatly shall he rejoice! You have given him his heart's desire, And have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah

And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.—2 Chronicles 20:3

Jehoshaphat’s prayer 5-12

"O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You."-2 Chronicles 20:12

You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!' Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the LORD is with you."—2 Chronicles 20:17

"Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper."
And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the LORD, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying:

"Praise the LORD,
For His mercy endures forever."—2 Chronicles 20: 20-21

2 Chronicles 17:6a

And his heart took delight in the ways of the Lord;—2 Chronicles 17:6a

Lord...this could be me...I want it to be me!  But sadly my ways are always in front of your ways clamoring for position, clamoring to be heard, clamoring out of fear, clamoring for me, myself and I.  Oh, Father, I want to be as a weaned child before You...my soul calmed and quiet and my heart fixed on my hope that is in You from this time forth and forever.

Praying that my noisy clamoring ceases as I surrender to a Your Spirit today and allow Your peace to “rule” in my heart and “be thankful” ( Col 3:15). That word rule means act as an umpire.  That is so practical and helpful for me to think on...let God’s peace act as the “umpire” of my heart.  Let Him call the shots in my life and tell me what is fair or foul. Let God and His word rule.

The last part of Colossians 3:15 reminds me to be thankful.  So let God’s peace rule and be thankful. I have made a practice of seeing what is wrong...I have gotten good at complaining.  God’s word tells me that there is really nothing wrong in my life.  He overrules all in my life for my good and His glory. I am more than a conqueror through Him who loves me. I can walk free from fear because God cares for my soul and His desire for me is good.  Complaining does not honor God.  It says that God is not for me and that He is not good.  Praying that by His Spirit I can quiet the clamoring and embody thanksgiving.   May my heart rejoice in You and my meditation be on those things that are above.

2 Chronicles 14:11

And Asa cried out to the LORD his God, and said, "LORD, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O LORD our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude. O LORD, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You!"—2 Chronicles 14:11

I am so thankful, Father, that You are for us...and if You are for us, then none can truly be against us.  We are more than conquerors and gain an overwhelming victory through You who loved us so much that You died for us.

“Nothing restrains the LORD from saving by many or by few.” (1 Sam 14:6) Lord...we rest entirely on You...for without You, we are without strength.  Be exalted, O LORD, in Your own strength!  We will sing and praise Your power.  (Ps 21:13) O God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You." (2 Chron 20:12) You are our God...and You have promised to be ours...we cleave unto You.  We go out in Your name...do not let man prevail against You!  Bring glory and honor to Your name!

MAY THE LORD answer you (David) in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob set you securely on high [and defend you in battle]! May He send you help from the sanctuary (His dwelling place) And support and strengthen you from Zion! May He remember all your meal offerings And accept your burnt offering. Selah. 

May He grant you your heart’s desire And fulfill all your plans. We will sing joyously over your victory, And in the name of our God we will set up our banners. May the LORD fulfill all your petitions. Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven With the saving strength of His right hand. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, But we will remember and trust in the name of the LORD our God. They have bowed down and fallen, But we have risen and stood upright. O LORD, save [the king]; May the King answer us in the day we call.—Psalm 20 AMPLIFIED 

Isaiah 41:10-14 (NKJV)

10 Fear thou not; for I [am] with thee: be not dismayed; for I [am] thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. 11 Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish. 12 Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, [even] them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought. 13 For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee. 14 Fear not, thou worm Jacob, [and] ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

To Praise and Serve as the Duty of the Day..

the Levites for their duties (to praise and serve before the priests) as the duty of each day required,—2 Chronicles 8:14

To praise and serve as the duty of each day required...

Father...Remind me to take the time each day to praise You.  Forgive me for taking Your steadfast love toward me for granted.  The earth, O LORD, is full of Your mercy!  I looked around me this morning at all Your blessings that were just in the reach of my arms, and I was overwhelmed with Your goodness!...All because I did my “duty” and purposed to praise You.  1 John 5:3 says, “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments.  And His commandments are not burdensome.” Your commandments are good and are for our good!  Every day I will bless You, and I will praise Your name forever and ever.  By Your precious Spirit, I will serve You with all of my heart to the praise of Your glory.

You have commanded us
To keep Your precepts diligently.
Oh, that my ways were directed
To keep Your statutes!
Then I would not be ashamed,
When I look into all Your commandments.
I will praise You with uprightness of heart,
When I learn Your righteous judgments.
I will keep Your statutes;
Oh, do not forsake me utterly!—Ps 119:4-8

Blessed are You, O LORD!
Teach me Your statutes.—Ps 119:12

May Your statutes be my songs in the house of my pilgrimage. ❤️

Who Shall Separate Us...

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8: 35-39).

I LOVE this passage!  I am so tightly tied to my God that nothing can separate me from His love.  I am glued to Him.  He sustains me through my weaknesses, strengthens me in my times of trial, draws me continually to Himself, and grants me His victory within my life.

I am more than a conqueror through Him who loves me. I belong to Jesus now and forever.

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God, Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood. This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long.—Fanny J Crosby

The Grass is Always Greener...

2Ch 12:8 NKJV - “Nevertheless they will be his servants, that they may distinguish My service from the service of the kingdoms of the nations.”

Letting the word comment on the word...

Deut 28:47-48, NKJV: “Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of everything, therefore you shall serve your enemies, whom the LORD will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in need of everything; and He will put a yoke of iron on your neck until He has destroyed you.”

Hosea 2:7, “She will chase her lovers,
But not overtake them;
Yes, she will seek them, but not find them.
Then she will say,
‘I will go and return to my first husband,
For then it was better for me than now.’”

The grass is always greener on the “other” side is one of many lies we use to deceive ourselves when we are not getting what we want.  Praying that when my spirit becomes discontented within in me that I renew my mind with the truth.  That remember that I am under grace and continue under the perfect law of liberty.

James 1:25 (NKJV) “But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues [in it,] and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”

What is the perfect law of liberty?

We, as believers, are set free from the law of Moses by our faith in Christ Jesus.  Jesus is the end of the law of works to all who believe.  Believers are under grace...the law of liberty...we now are at liberty to do what is right..to be all we can be in Christ Jesus.   An unbeliever is judged by the law.  The law tells us how we are suppose to behave, but it does not give us the power to do it and condemns us when we fail.  Here is the beautiful thing about grace and the law of liberty.  Grace gives us the power to obey the law and then rewards us when we do! We do not obey God out of fear or because we have to, we  obey God because we want to. We obey Him out of love and gratitude for what He has done for us and not in our own strength but in His.

Romans 5:11

"And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement" (Romans 5: 11).

The Old and New Testament words translated as "atonement" differ in meaning. Atonement in Hebrew is "kaphar," which means "covering." The Old Testament sacrifices of goats and bulls covered sin but didn't put away sin. The Greek New Testament word for atonement, "katallage," literally means "making one" and would be better translated "reconciliation." Becoming one with God was impossible through the Old Testament sacrifices; it took the sacrifice of Jesus Christ to reconcile man with God.

The Mind of the Flesh is Death...

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.—Romans 8:5-6

 Vs 6 of Romans 8 stopped me today.  The mind of the flesh is death (Romans 8: 6), Chuck Smith says rightly that such a mind has no awareness of the presence or love of God. It is dead to God and the things of the Spirit.  There was a time in my life when I lived like this...dead to God and unaware of His love.  Today I cannot imagine that and don’t want to.  I am so thankful that He breathed His life to into my heart. I am so thankful that the awareness of His wonderful Presence pervades my life.  I am so thankful that by His Spirit I desire more of Him and the things of God the longer I walk with Him.

I will love You, O LORD, my strength.
The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised;—Ps 18:1-3a

1 Chronicles 16

and with them Heman and Jeduthun and the rest who were chosen, who were designated by name, to give thanks to the LORD, because His mercy endures forever;—1 Chronicles  16:41

At Jerusalem, where the ark was, Asaph and his brethren were appointed to attend, to minister before the ark continually, with songs of praise, as every day's work required,(vs 37)

Chosen and designated by name to give thanks to the Lord regularly...the King James says continually before the Lord!  Would that that was my heart!   That His praise would always be in my mouth and on my heart.  Good bye to bad attitudes...goodbye to discontented spirits...goodbye to complaining and self-focus.

and all the Levitical singers, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, their sons and kinsmen, arrayed in fine linen, with cymbals, harps, and lyres, stood east of the altar with 120 priests who were trumpeters; and it was the duty of the trumpeters and singers to make themselves heard in unison in praise and thanksgiving to the LORD), and when the song was raised, with trumpets and cymbals and other musical instruments, in praise to the LORD, "For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever," the house, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of God. (2 Chron 5:12-14, ESV)

Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp!
Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe!
Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!  (Psalms 150:3-6)

For more on Thanksgiving in 1 Chronicles 16 go here:  https://istwenty63.blogspot.com/2012/05/1-chronicles-16-contains-psalm-of.html

Psalm 10:14

But You have seen, for You observe trouble and grief,
To repay it by Your hand.
The helpless commits himself to You;
You are the helper of the fatherless.—Psalm 10:14

Reading through Psalm 10 brought Hagar to mind when she fled from her mistress Sarai’s harsh treatment.

Hagar, Abraham’s wife, after fleeing Sarai’s harsh treatment finds herself pregnant, alone and helpless in the wilderness by a spring of water.  The Angel of the Lord appears to her here and tells her to return and submit herself under the hand of her mistress and assures her of His protection and His plan for her.  Hagar could go back and submit herself under Sarai’s hand because she knew she was really committing herself to God...to the God who saw her affliction and would look after her.

Hagar speaking...

So she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing,”for she said, “Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.”—Genesis 16:13 ESV

God does see...He is our God who sees.  He knows what each of us faced yesterday and what we will face today.   He hears the cry of the humble...Truly He is the God who looks after us (me)!

1 Chronicles 15 & 16

The singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were to sound bronze cymbals; (1 Chronicles 15:19, ESV)

According to Henry Morris these three musicians are probably the same men whose names appear in the superscripts of some of the Psalms.  Heman - (Ps 88), Asaph - (Ps 50),  (78-83), and Ethan - (Ps 89)

******
Then on that day David delivered first this psalm to thank the LORD into the hand of Asaph and his brethren.—1Chronicles 16:7

Verse 7 tells us David delivered a psalm of thanksgiving into the hand of Asaph on the day when he and all of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord from the house of Obedom to the place David had prepared and pitched a tent

“[T]his psalm” (see 1Chronicles 16:8-36) can be found repeated in various portions throughout the Book of Psalms.

First Chronicles 16:8-22 is repeated in Psalm 105:1-15; 1 Chronicles 16:23-33 is also found in Psalm 96:1-13 and 1 Chronicles 16:34-36 is included in Psalm 106:1, 47-48.

Also the first of 42 mentions of one of my favorite truths in the Bible occurs for the first time in the OT here. “His mercy endures forever”.  ❤️

Romans 1 - The Power Of God...

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith." (Romans 1:16-17, ESV)

I am focusing this morning here:

“for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes”

That word translated power is the Greek word from which we get the word dynamite.  The gospel is effective because it “carries” with it the omnipotence of God!  What came to my mind this morning as I read this was how strong must our sinful nature be if it takes the “dynamite” of God to overcome it and give us new life.

Remembering this ALWAYS brings relief to my heart and quiets my striving...I can’t overcome my old man but God who dwells in me can!

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. (Romans 5:6, ESV)

For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, (Romans 8:3, ESV)

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,
who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12-13, ESV)

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:18, ESV)

since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; (1 Peter 1:23, ESV)

It helped my heart also to look at the word believes...it means to trust, rely on, or have faith in. John MacArthur said it was important to note that when used of salvation this word usually occurs in the present tense.  That was another good reminder for me.  Placing my trust in God is not and was not a one time event.  It is an ongoing, continual process.  The just shall live by their faith...true saving faith is a supernatural, gracious gift from God that HE produces in my heart.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, (Ephesians 2:8, ESV)

Psalm 9

Have mercy on me, O LORD!
Consider my trouble from those who hate me,
You who lift me up from the gates of death,
14 That I may tell of all Your praise
In the gates of the daughter of Zion.
I will rejoice in Your salvation.—Psalm 9:13-14

I am so grateful that I can ask my Lord to have mercy on me even though there is NOTHING in me that merits mercy.  I can ask him to “consider” my trouble.  I have looked up that word in time past and the meaning has stuck with me.  It means to look at my trouble from every aspect..from every point of view.  God really “GETS” what I am going through.  That is such a comfort to me.  If I know God understands what I am going through, it doesn’t matter to me if anyone else does.  His considered understanding brings peace to my heart.  He knows the way I take...He comprehends my path...even and especially when I don’t.

I say with the Psalmist:

“Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it.”

The One who lifts me up from the gates of death understands all I am going through.  His desire for me is good. I can trust Him to see me through my earthly journey.  With David then:

I WILL praise You, O LORD, with my whole heart;
I WILL tell of all Your marvelous works.
I WILL be glad and rejoice in You;
I WILL sing praise to Your name, O Most High.

Someday I WILL tell of all Your praise in the heavenly gates. Truly I can and I WILL rejoice in Your salvation now and forever.

This Psalm can also be seen as messianic.  Verses 13 & 14 can speak to God’s wonderful resurrection promise to His Son whose death had been plotted by His enemies. Because He lives, I WILL live also. ❤️

For I know that my Redeemer lives,
And He shall stand at last on the earth;
And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,
That in my flesh I shall see God,
Whom I shall see for myself,
And my eyes shall behold, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me!—Job 19:25-27

On the Kindnesses Shown in Acts 28...

Now when they had escaped, they then found out that the island was called Malta.
And the natives showed us unusual kindness; for they kindled a fire and made us all welcome, because of the rain that was falling and because of the cold.—Acts 28:1-2

In that region there was an estate of the leading citizen of the island, whose name was Publius, who received us and entertained us courteously for three days.  And it happened that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and dysentery. Paul went in to him and prayed, and he laid his hands on him and healed him.  So when this was done, the rest of those on the island who had diseases also came and were healed.—Acts 28:7-10

I love that the “barbarians” showed kindness and favor to Paul and all (276!! in total)who were with him.  God, who is a debtor to no man, returned their kindnesses by doing exceedingly abundantly above all that they could ask or think.  Through Paul, He healed Publius’ father and also the rest on the island who had diseases.  Lastly, although the Bible is silent here, my speculation is that the gospel was also shared and received.

For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do.
And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. (Hebrews 6:10-12, ESV)

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. (Galatians 6:9, ESV)

Bound for the Hope of Israel... Acts 28

For this reason therefore I have called for you, to see you and speak with you, because for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain."—Acts 28:20

Pauls chains were in Christ...the hope of Israel.  He was bound because of his belief in Israel’s Messiah. Simeon in Luke Chapter 2 calls the Messiah, the Consolation of Israel.  Of all of the titles for Christ I think this one is my favorite.  The word “consolation” always brings the sweet picture to my mind of a child receiving and finding comfort and solace on his mother’s lap. Jesus is truly my consolation in every way...He is the One who dries my tears and in whose lap I find solace.  No matter what I might be facing in my daily circumstances, His Presence in my heart is its rejoicing.  There are no words for the comfort He brings and no measure for the peace He provides me moment by moment. I can lose everything...but Jesus is my stay.  He does not change.  He is the same...yesterday, today and forever.  He comforts me as I walk through this vale of tears, guides me with His counsel and will receive me in glory.  

My heart breaks for God’s chosen people as I read this chapter...for the irony of it all.  Israel rejects their Consolation...the One they had been waiting for forever...year in and year out.  The One whose word they had studied. The One who had answered the cry of their hearts time and again. The One who was their Comfort. The One whose very word predicted their rejection.  The One to whom they had sacrificed...the One who was their God and who desired to be their God forever.  

Verse 17 begins Paul’s sixth and final defense to the Jews in regard to the charges against him. He draws his day long defense to a close with these words from Isaiah.  

 "The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers,

26 "saying,

'Go to this people and say:

"Hearing you will hear, and shall not understand;

And seeing you will see, and not perceive;

27 For the hearts of this people have grown dull.

Their ears are hard of hearing,

And their eyes they have closed,

Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears,

Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,

So that I should heal them." 

28  "Therefore let it be known to you that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it!"

Verse 24 tells us that some were persuaded but others disbelieved.  For the Jews who heard Paul’s defense and disbelieved, this prophecy from Isaiah was fulfilled.  Jesus’ lament in Matthew 23 echoed in my ears as I read it.  

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!

See, your house is left to you desolate.

For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'" 

God wasn’t looking for religious externalities.  God was looking for a heart that was tender and broken...a heart that trembled at His word.  A heart that desired to worship Him in spirit and in truth. Oh Father, give me this kind of heart always!  

Thus says the LORD: "Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? 

All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the LORD. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.  (Isaiah 66:1-2 ESV)

Hear the word of the LORD, you who tremble at his word: "Your brothers who hate you and cast you out for my name's sake have said, 'Let the LORD be glorified, that we may see your joy'; but it is they who shall be put to shame.  (Isaiah 66:5, ESV)

Jesus answered him, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. (John 14:23, ESV)

But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such to worship Him”—John 4:23

Strength in Weakness - Psalm 8

Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength,—Psalm 8:2a

There is not much weaker or more helpless than a newborn baby, but the same God that can ordain strength out of the mouths of a nursing infant can be my strength and my support in my own weakness.  He can use ME, weak as I am, to display His glory!

Lord...Thank you for my weakness because it reminds me of who I am and who You are.  It keeps me from living MY life in MY strength.  It helps me REMEMBER to look up to where my true help comes and live the life You have graciously and mercifully laid out for me.  Because Your grace is sufficient, the backdrop of my life will display Your strength and silence my (Your) enemies.  Thank you for the heavens because they remind me that I am small and You are infinite.  I say with the Psalmist

“What is man that You are mindful of him? And the son of man that You visit him?”

YOU! visit me!   You dwell in me!  I can revel in my smallness, my brokenness, my dependence and my weakness because in and through it all You ordain strength.  Your strength is made perfect in my weakness.  How wonderful to know that I don’t have to be strong.  You didn’t make me to be strong...You made me to depend on You...to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, Your Son.  I am a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for my Master, prepared for every good work.  I can rest knowing that Your grace is sufficient.  I will, therefore, most gladly BOAST in my infirmities, that Your power may rest upon me.  I will take PLEASURE in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake.  For when I am weak, then I am strong!   Undertake for me, Father!

But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--and righteousness and sanctification and redemption--that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the LORD."— 1 Cor 1:27-31

My Shield is With God - Psalm 7

My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart.  (Psalms 7:10, ESV)

If you have ever been wrongly accused or spoken of evilly, then you understand a little of what David might be feeling here.  He wants vindication from God against the accusations and allegations of his enemies.  What encourages me most about this psalm is that underlying it all...the very backbone of this Psalm...is David’s confidence in His God.  Oh, how I want to be like David here!  My back at the moment is in a painful spasm. It has succumbed to the burdens that I carry that were too heavy for my heart.  Rolling each one right now into His care and trusting His comfort to be the delight of my soul.  He will make perfect that which concerns me.  Such privileges we have as God’s children!

Psalm 7:10 tells us that David’s shield (NKJV says defense) is of God. This brought the comfort of 1 Peter 2:23 to mind because like Christ David maintains His trust in His God.  

When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. (1 Peter 2:23, ESV)

Praying each of us can continue entrusting ourselves into the care of our God moment by moment....composed and praising God as David did (vs 17) as He waits for God to answer.  

I will give to the LORD the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the LORD, the Most High.  (Psalms 7:17, ESV)

Psalm 6

Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I am weak;
—Psalm 6:2a

 I couldn’t have asked for a better Psalm to wake up to this morning...nor for more gracious and tender-hearted words than these.  How I love that I can cry out to the Lord in my WEAKNESS and plead for mercy.  What a constant joy it is to my heart that I don’t have to plead my goodness or my greatness to obtain mercy because I have NONE...I deserve death for my sin. How AWESOME to know that His name IS mercy.  He is my God of steadfast love and His love toward me is unchanging, eternal, and always for my good.  He relieves me in my distress and hears my prayer.  My God lifts up the light of His countenance and puts gladness in my heart. He blesses me with His favor and surrounds me as a shield...

The LORD is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy....

He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor punished us according to our iniquities.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.  As a father pities his children,
So the LORD pities those who fear Him. For He knows our frame;  He remembers that we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass;
As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. For the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
And its place remembers it no more. But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him,—Psalm 103:8;10-17

Psalm 5

O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.  (Psalms 5:3, ESV)

I have portions of this Psalm memorized so this morning when I read it in the ESV the difference in the wording really jarred me.  Here is verse 3 in the NKJV...

My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD; In the morning I will direct it to You,
And I will look up.

I have always been blessed when reading this Psalm that in the morning the Psalmist looked to His God...he directed his voice to His God...I always assumed the words and “I will look up” meant when He prayed he looked “up” or heavenward to where his God was.  It was a good reminder to me to focus on things above and not on my circumstances.   The ESV says, “I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.”

I looked up the word watch and now I love both versions because both the NKJV and the ESV remind me to direct my voice heavenward in the morning but the ESV tells me to watch and wait for God to answer!   Such a good reminder to me...God answers prayers...He does hear my cry.  My faith is encouraged as I watch and “see” him answer.

But to You I have cried out, O LORD,
And in the morning my prayer comes before You.—Ps 88:13

I rise before the dawning of the morning,
And cry for help;
I hope in Your word.—Psalm 119:147

I will stand my watch
And set myself on the rampart,
And watch to see what He will say to me,
And what I will answer when I am corrected.—Habakkuk 2:1

My soul waits for the Lord
More than those who watch for the morning--
Yes, more than those who watch for the morning.—Ps 130:6

Psalm 3

The most helpful thing for me to do when trying to understand a psalm is to break it up into parts.  Breaking it up, ironically, brings unity.  It also gives my heart a template to follow in my own devotional time as well as serving to remind me that I am not alone in my suffering and sorrow. A great cloud of witnesses has gone before me.

Psalm 3 really lends itself to this.  We know already from the 1st verse when it was written (when David fled from his son Absalom).  Verses 1 and 2 outline David’s complaint...to David’s credit, he is pretty succinct.  My complaints tend to go longer. :)

Verses 3 and 4 exalt God as David’s help and His Deliver.  These verses show us that David confidence is in His God.  The next two verses (5 & 6) speak to God’s support and preservation even as David sleeps.  David can rest without fear.  In the last two verses we find David strengthening himself in God for what is coming knowing that the battle is not his.  God will fight for him.

Unity...complaint...declaration of dependence on and confidence in God....freedom from fear because God is His support...and the sure and certain knowledge that God will fight His battles...Salvation is of the Lord.

Laying out my complaint...declaring my confidence...sleeping anxiety free and acknowledging that God’s help and blessing are mine. Thank you, Father, for Your word.

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.—2 Tim 3:16-17

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.—Hebrews 4:12

Samson...Out of Weakness, He Was Made Strong

Samson was a man to whom God had given super human strength.  He was also a man who was prideful, arrogant and lacked self-control.  A pretty volatile combination of qualities.  The Bible says whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls.  When Samson was in his flesh, he had no rule over his spirit.  God used this weakness in his character to bring him to a place of humiliation and helplessness, and it was in this place of weakness that God’s strength was made perfect in the life of Samson.

Then Samson called to the LORD, saying, "O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray! Strengthen me, I pray, just this once, O God, that I may with one blow take vengeance on the Philistines for my two eyes!"Judges 16:28

Beyond his desire for retaliation, (not good) Samson also expresses a willingness to die to protect his people from their enemy.  The Lord heard his cry.

Then Samson said, "Let me die with the Philistines!" And he pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead that he killed at his death were more than he had killed in his life.—Judges 16:30

In the suffering and brokenness of his last days, Samson had come to the place of truly trusting His God. As it says in vs 34 of Hebrews 11, out of weakness, he was made strong.  Samson died serving God and protecting His people.  Samson’s name is recorded as a hero of faith in Hebrews 11.

Father,  In my flesh NOTHING good dwells.  In You and by Your Spirit I am made strong...a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.

And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.—2 Corinthians 12:9-10

King Josiah...

Now it happened, when the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, that he tore his clothes.—2 Kings 22:11

"because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they would become a desolation and a curse, and you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you," says the LORD.

 "Surely, therefore, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace; and your eyes shall not see all the calamity which I will bring on this place." ' " So they brought back word to the king.—2 Kings 22:19-20

I love Josiah!   He did what was right in the sight of the Lord and walked in all the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.  He had a humble, contrite heart and a tender conscience.   When Josiah heard the words of the book of the law, his heart was grieved and he tore his clothes.  Josiah reacts rightly to the Spirit’s conviction by seeking the Lord, confronting Judah’s sin and leading the nation back to God. 

Josiah received God’s word with meekness...without argument.  He surrendered to the conviction the Spirit of God brought to his heart and in doing so he brought revival to the nation.  As a bonus, God showed Josiah mercy and held off judgment until after his death.  

I want a heart like Josiah’s!  His heart was humble. Humility protects and preserves.  Lowliness of mind keeps us from our own wrong desires and settles our mind on what He desires.  When I am humble, I am not self seeking...I am looking to live for Him and His glory.  His perfect will then covers me.  I am under his umbrella of protection so to speak.  If I have done what my Lord has called me to do and fulfilled all His desires, than despite how things might look from an earthly perspective, I have led a successful life. Josiah’s meekness and willingness to yield to the Spirit of God brought him the favor of both God and man.  

In Chapter 23 we see Josiah reading the book of the law in the presence of the Elders of Judah and all the people great and small.❤️ His heart desired that all, upon hearing the word of God, would turn and repent.  Verse 3 says this:

“Then the king stood by a pillar and made a covenant before the LORD, to follow the LORD and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people took a stand for the covenant.”

“And all the people took a stand.”

Josiah was a leader.  Josiah took a stand for what was right and good and the people followed him.   Never underestimate what effect your life will have on your family and those around you when you unashamedly take a stand for Your God. What a testimony Josiah had!  (Has!). Stand therefore!

Our OYB Psalm for today perfectly speaks to this section of 2 Kings...

1 Blessed is the man

Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,

Nor stands in the path of sinners,

Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;

2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,

And in His law he meditates day and night.

3 He shall be like a tree

Planted by the rivers of water,

That brings forth its fruit in its season,

Whose leaf also shall not wither;

And whatever he does shall prosper.

4 The ungodly are not so,

But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.

5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,

Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous,

But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

My Strong Tower...

The name of the LORD is a strong tower;
The righteous run to it and are safe.—Proverbs 18:10

Last night I was looking at Isaiah 43 where God says:

But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob,
And He who formed you, O Israel:

"Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name;
You are Mine.

God owns me twice...He owns me because He created me and He owns me a second time because He redeemed my life from destruction.  I belong to Him.  He knows my name.  He knows everything about me.  This morning when I read the OYB Proverb my mind went back to what I had been contemplating last night but with a different twist.  He not only calls me by my name but He also calls me by His name because I am His.  I have taken His Name into my heart.

The promise of safe harbor in His Presence found in this proverb is MINE.  I am one of His righteous ones because He is my righteousness...my YHVH Tzidkaynu - The LORD Our (MY) Righteousness.

I can cry out to Him and He will hear...I can run to Him and not faint...I can go boldly to His throne of grace to obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need...

Father...Your name represents all that You are.  You are my unchanging God...I can trust You in all things. I am safe in Your walls.  The past year has brought with it so many changes and with those changes new concerns, new cares  and new ways of doing things.  I confess, Father, that I am growing wearing keeping up with all of it and feeling like I am not sufficient for any of it.  I am thankful that You are my strong tower...my refuge from a world that moves to fast.  Today I will run to You, my merciful God, and be safe.  I will run by faith to my refuge of faith.  You set me “aloft” from it all...high in Your strong tower.  I am sheltered in You — I dwell in the secret place of the Most High, hidden in Your pavilion...safe in Your everlasting arms.

What A Friend We Have In Jesus"

What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Spiritual Beauty...Psalm 149:4

For the LORD takes pleasure in His people;
He will beautify the humble with salvation.—Psalm 149:4

As I read Psalm 149:4 this morning I thought how much more excellent and worthy and profitable it is to think on spiritual beauty rather than the worldly, quickly fading kind.  To place my focus on Him rather than on my many flaws...imagined or otherwise in the unkind mirror of my fleshly mind. Today I will think on spiritual beauty...Christlikeness. I have been raised with Christ, I will set my mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. When the Lord makes me beautiful, I will be beautiful indeed...I will be beautiful FOREVER.

rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.—1 Peter 3:4

Your fame went out among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through My splendor which I had bestowed on you," says the Lord GOD.—Ezekiel 16:4

that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.—Ephes 5:27

And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.—1 Cor 15:49

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.—2 Cor 3:18

Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.—1 John 3:2

to grant to those who mourn in Zion- to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified.  (Isaiah 61:3, ESV)

Thinking on His Word....

I really love the Proverbs, but I often have difficulty discerning their meaning.  Part of the problem is that I am impatient.  I WANT to understand it immediately.  When I don’t, I usually move on or look up what Matthew Henry or Charles Spurgeon had to say about it.  When I do this, I miss an opportunity to meditate on the Scriptures and allow the Spirit of God to teach me and speak to my heart about its meaning.  Perhaps the Lord has a purpose for my denseness.  Maybe He wants me to spend the day chewing on His Word. Maybe He is using my lack of understanding to teach me to make a practice of thinking on His word during the day.  Praying that I will do this...praying that by His grace I will make a practice of meditating on His word during the day and in so doing allow the word of Christ dwell in me richly in all wisdom.  There are many verses in Scripture that speak to this...

Joshua 1:8 (NKJV)
"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Psalm 63:6 (NKJV)
When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the [night] watches.

Psalm 77:12 (NKJV)
I will also meditate on all Your work, And talk of Your deeds.

Psalm 119:27 (NKJV)
Make me understand the way of Your precepts; So shall I meditate on Your wonderful works.

Malachi 3:16 (NKJV)
Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, And the LORD listened and heard [them;] So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the LORD And who meditate on His name.

 Psalm 19:14 (NKJV)
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.

And here IS what the commentators had to say...

The words of a man's mouth are deep waters;
The wellspring of wisdom is a flowing brook.—Proverbs 18:4

From Matthew Henry...
The similitudes here seem to be elegantly transposed.

1. The well-spring of wisdom is as deep waters. An intelligent knowing man has in him a good treasure of useful things, which furnishes him with something to say upon all occasions that is pertinent and profitable. This is as deep waters, which make no noise, but never run dry.
2. The words of such a man's mouth are as a flowing brook. What he sees cause to speak flows naturally from him and with a great deal of ease, and freedom, and natural fluency; it is clean and fresh, it is cleansing and refreshing; from his deep waters there flows what there is occasion for, to water those about him, as the brooks do the low grounds.