As Unto Jesus...

 Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; 6 not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7 with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, 8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.—Ephesians 6:5-8

But My kindness shall not depart from you,

Nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,"

Says the LORD, who has mercy on you.—Isaiah 54:10

Oh, Father!  How wonderfully instructive this verse is!  By Your Spirit, help me to practice it!  Give me eyes ALWAYS to see Your Son, Jesus, in everyone I meet. Give me a sincere heart that loves and serves the people You have lovingly placed in my life as if I was serving You!  May I do all I do here on this earth as unto You and not unto man.  Thank you, Father, that I can freely give without concern for me, because You CARE for me...Your steadfast love and kindness toward me never ceases.  Thank you that You see all that I do and will not forget the work and labor of love that I have shown toward Your name. No good thing done for Your glory will go unrewarded.  Oh how blessed is the man who places his trust in You. 

Teach me Your way, O LORD;

I will walk in Your truth;

Unite my heart to fear Your name.—Psalm 86:11

For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.—Mark 9:41

Behold My Servant...

 4 "The Lord GOD has given Me

The tongue of the learned,

That I should know how to speak

A word in season to him who is weary.

He awakens Me morning by morning,

He awakens My ear

To hear as the learned.

5 The Lord GOD has opened My ear;

And I was not rebellious,

Nor did I turn away.

6 I gave My back to those who struck Me,

And My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard;

I did not hide My face from shame and spitting.

7 "For the Lord GOD will help Me;

Therefore I will not be disgraced;

Therefore I have set My face like a flint,

And I know that I will not be ashamed.

8 He is near who justifies Me;

Who will contend with Me?

Let us stand together.

Who is My adversary?

Let him come near Me.

9 Surely the Lord GOD will help Me;

Who is he who will condemn Me?

Indeed they will all grow old like a garment;

The moth will eat them up.—Isaiah 50:4-11

There are four Servant Songs ((cf. 42:1–9; 49:1–13; 50:4-11; 52:13–53:12) in the Book of Isaiah. All were written more than 700 years before the birth of Christ and each is undeniably prophetic.  This is the third and it is Messiah’s soliloquy about being made perfect through obedience.  

Whatever Jesus did or said here on earth, He did in obedience to the will of His Father in heaven...completely entrusting Himself into His Father's hands. It is important to note also that everything He did here on earth, He did as a Man.  Jesus walked in those works that His Father had prepared beforehand for Him as a human being empowered by the Spirit of God, never using His divine powers.   Beloved, all that Jesus said and did while He was here on earth, He did to show us the way.  It all can be applied to our own lives and walk with Him.  Look at what He tells us in these verses on how to go through the trials of life:

1. spend time with the Father.

2. encourage others in their weariness with the Word of God.

3. comfort them in their distress.

4. do not be rebellious..

5. receive with meekness the implanted word.

6. set your face like flint to endure knowing that your God WILL help.

7. rely upon your God...you will not be disgraced or ashamed.

Then He reminds us that our enemies will  grow old...the moths will eat them up.. He has gone before  and shown us the way.  JESUS LIVED OUT HIS OWN WORD...HE WAS THE WORD AND HIS WORD AND HIS DEED MATCHED...THAT IS THE DEFINITION OF TRUTH. AMAZING!

Sometimes in a trial we feel as if no one really understands our suffering.  There is ONE...and He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows the chastisement for our peace was upon Him. He endured all this for us...Hebrews 12:2 says it was for the joy that was set before Him...we are that joy...He is our joy, our strength and our salvation. He is our way, our truth, our life! Go to Him, trust in Him. Commit yourself to Him. He will not disappoint!

For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39 This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. 40 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.—John 6:38-40

For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. 50 And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak."—John 12:49-50

Then I said, 'Behold, I have come—

In the volume of the book it is written of Me—

To do Your will, O God.'"—Hebrews 10:7

Father...May this mind...the mind of Christ be in me!  May I desire what You, my God, desires.  May I walk as my Jesus did. Set my face like flint, Father, and enable me to endure whatever You have prepared for me knowing that You will uphold me through it all. Help me by Your Spirit to remain submissive, like my Jesus, honoring You with my faith and my obedience.  May Your footsteps be my pathway.  

Through Wisdom...

 Through wisdom a house is built,

And by understanding it is established;

By knowledge the rooms are filled

With all precious and pleasant riches.—Proverbs 24:3-4

Proverbs 9:10 tells us that the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. I am so glad that verses like these and others like them were included in the Canon of Scripture.  When I first got saved, this is what I had been searching for...wisdom to get me through this life but especially wisdom for raising my family.  Prior to salvation my house was sinking sand.  It was built by me...by my wisdom...on a foundation that was not of God.  

Beloved, unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it.  As you have received Christ so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.  

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,

And lean not on your own understanding;

In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He shall direct your paths.—Proverbs 3:5-6

I am so grateful to God for redeeming my life from destruction.  Truly, the Lord has done great things for me, and I am glad!  Abide in the Vine, for without Him we can do nothing good.  Let His Word fill you and allow His Spirit to use it to direct your steps.  Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good.  Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."—Joshua 24:15

but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.—2 Peter 3:18

For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy;—Colossians 1:9-11

Let God Arise, Let His Enemies be Scattered...

 Let God arise,

Let His enemies be scattered;

Let those also who hate Him flee before Him.—Psalm 68:1

35 So it was, whenever the ark set out, that Moses said:

"Rise up, O LORD!

Let Your enemies be scattered,

And let those who hate You flee before You."

36 And when it rested, he said:

"Return, O LORD,

To the many thousands of Israel."—Numbers 10:35-36

Beloved...as God did for Moses and the Israelites...as He would do for Cyrus in today’s OYB reading in Isaiah 45:

1 “Thus says the LORD to His anointed, 

To Cyrus, whose right hand I have held--

To subdue nations before him

And loose the armor of kings,

To open before him the double doors,

So that the gates will not be shut:

2 ‘I will go before you

And make the crooked placesfn straight;

I will break in pieces the gates of bronze

And cut the bars of iron.

3 I will give you the treasures of darkness

And hidden riches of secret places,

That you may know that I, the LORD,

Who call you by your name,

Am the God of Israel.

He will do for you, His beloved.  

Sing to God, sing praises to His name;

Extol Him who rides on the clouds,

By His name YAH,

And rejoice before Him.

5 A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows,

Is God in His holy habitation.—Psalm 68:4-5

Beloved...Sing praises to God!  Sing praises to JAH...JEHOVAH!  He is the self existent One, who derives His being from none, but gives life to all.  Beloved, we serve an all powerful, all knowing, and everywhere present God who is so great that He rides on the clouds, but also so very very kind that He condescends to help the weakest among us.  REJOICE!  Our God is the One described in Psalm 146.  

—He keeps truth forever,

—He executes justice for the oppressed,

—He gives food to the hungry.

—He gives freedom to the prisoners.

—He opens the eyes of the blind;

—He raises those who are bowed down;

—He loves the righteous.

—He watches over the strangers;

—He relieves the fatherless and widow;

—He turns upside down the way of the wicked.

The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people.  Blessed be God!

The LORD looks from heaven;

He sees all the sons of men.

14 From the place of His dwelling He looks

On all the inhabitants of the earth;

15 He fashions their hearts individually;

He considers all their works.

16 No king is saved by the multitude of an army;

A mighty man is not delivered by great strength.

17 A horse is a vain hope for safety;

Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength.

18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him,

On those who hope in His mercy,

19 To deliver their soul from death,

And to keep them alive in famine.

20 Our soul waits for the LORD;

He is our help and our shield.

21 For our heart shall rejoice in Him,

Because we have trusted in His holy name.

22 Let Your mercy, O LORD, be upon us,

Just as we hope in You.—Psalm 33:13-22

God Be Merciful to Us and Bless Us...

God be merciful to us and bless us,

And cause His face to shine upon us, Selah

That Your way may be known on earth,

Your salvation among all nations.—Psalm 67:1-2

I pray for God’s mercy and the light of His countenance upon me and on those I love daily...even hourly.  I NEED mercy.   I need His forgiveness and His strength. One of my favorite prayers to pray from Scripture is this one. 

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

How perfect is that?   

My body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who was given to me by God.  My glorious, merciful God dwells in me and is ALWAYS with me. Beloved, we have been bought with a price and are to glorify God in our body and in our Spirit. I need God’s favor to do this!  I need His strength and grace to walk in those works He has prepared beforehand for me in order to reveal His glory to a dying world that is in desperate need of His mercy.  

Even now, as I write, my heart whines and complains about all the things I HAVE to do today.  I am so thankful that in my weakness, He is strong.  I am thankful that even as I complain, there are tears of gratitude because I know God is at my right hand.  I am NEVER alone. It is He, who works in me both to will and to do for His good pleasure.  

For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.—2 Corinthians 4:6

let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.—Matthew 5:16

21 This I recall to my mind,

Therefore I have hope.

22 Through the LORD's mercies we are not consumed,

Because His compassions fail not.

23 They are new every morning;

Great is Your faithfulness.—Lamentations 3:21-23

24 "The LORD bless you and keep you;

25 The LORD make His face shine upon you,

And be gracious to you;

26 The LORD lift up His countenance upon you,

And give you peace."'—Numbers 6:24-26

Make Your face shine upon Your servant;

Save me for Your mercies' sake.

17 Do not let me be ashamed, O LORD, for I have called upon You;—Psalm 31:16-17

For they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword,

Nor did their own arm save them;

But it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your countenance,

Because You favored them.—Psalm 44:3

Make Your face shine upon Your servant,

And teach me Your statutes.—Psalm 119:135

Accepted in the Beloved...

 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.—Ephesians 1:6

I love this doctrine of God.  To the praise of His glorious grace, He has made me accepted in His Beloved Son.  I am BELOVED of God, who chose me before the foundation of the world and has blessed me with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, His Son. I am accepted in the Beloved—because Christ is accepted, and, therefore, those who are in Him are accepted

Spurgeon says God has a “complacency” toward us.  I loved that he used that word.  Complacency is defined as a feeling of smug, uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one’s achievements.  Wow!  God looks at me in Christ with uncritical satisfaction. He takes delight in me!   Where can that kind of acceptance be found in this world?  ONLY in Christ. 

 Beloved, run to Him and dwell securely in the secret place of His Presence.  God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.  Truly there is no need to fear. Set your love on Him...He will deliver you.  The  promises of Psalm 91 are ours who believe.  

1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High

Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress;

My God, in Him I will trust."

3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler

And from the perilous pestilence.

4 He shall cover you with His feathers,

And under His wings you shall take refuge;

His truth shall be your shield and buckler.

5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,

Nor of the arrow that flies by day,

6 Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,

Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side,

And ten thousand at your right hand;

But it shall not come near you.

8 Only with your eyes shall you look,

And see the reward of the wicked.

9 Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge,

Even the Most High, your dwelling place,

10 No evil shall befall you,

Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;

11 For He shall give His angels charge over you,

To keep you in all your ways.

12 In their hands they shall bear you up,

Lest you dash your foot against a stone.

13 You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra,

The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.

14 "Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;

I will set him on high, because he has known My name.

15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;

I will be with him in trouble;

I will deliver him and honor him.

16 With long life I will satisfy him,

And show him My salvation."—Psalm 91

Fulfilling the Law of Christ...

Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

(Galatians 6:2, ESV)

These verses again as in chapter 5 require us as believers to walk in the love that God’s Spirit has shed abroad in our hearts. Love brings unity because the love of God is a humble love that considers other person as more important than ourselves. It is a self-sacrificing, gentle kind of love that receives God’s word without argument, submits one to another in the fear of God and is clothed with humility.  It is a love that imitates the love that God has for them. 

Beloved...carry one another’s burdens.  This is the way you will fulfill the requirements of the law of Christ, which is the law of Christian love. Allow the Spirit of God to use the word of God to direct your heart and your steps into the love of God and the patience of Christ.   

For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. (1 John 3:11, ESV)

Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,

13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:12-17, ESV)

The Bond of Perfection...

For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 15 But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!—Galatians 5:13-15

Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not bear false witness," "You shall not covet," and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.—Romans 13:8-10

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.—Galatians 5:22-23

As Christians we now have the freedom not to sin. We stand justified before God...set free from both sin and sin’s penalty by the death and resurrection of Christ. We are now permanent recipients of God’s unmerited favor.  We stand in His grace, set apart to do His will and fulfill His purposes.  

We who have been saved by grace are to sin no longer!  We are to not use our freedom in Christ as a base to sin freely and without consequence, but are to use it as a platform from which to serve others in love. Colossians tells us we are to put on love which binds all of God’s people together in perfect harmony. 

Beloved, love covers, unifies and perfects. Love is the debt that is never paid. It is always owed.  Love does no harm to a neighbor, therefore love fulfills the law.

Praying today that by His Spirit all of what we do and say would be motivated by the love God’s Spirit has poured out in our hearts.   It is then that the fruit of the Spirit...godly attitudes that characterize the lives of those who belong to God... will be evident in your wake.  It is that simple and that difficult.  

love:  “One of several Greek words for love, agape is the love of choice, referring not to an emotional affection, physical attraction, or a familial bond, but to respect, devotion, and affection that leads to willing, self-sacrificial service”—J MacArthur

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8, ESV)

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?  Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. (1 John 3:16-18, ESV)

Th Lord Waits to be Gracious...

Therefore the LORD will wait, that He may be gracious to you;

And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you.

For the LORD is a God of justice;

Blessed are all those who wait for Him.

19 For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem;

You shall weep no more.

He will be very gracious to you at the sound of your cry;

When He hears it, He will answer you.

20 And though the Lord gives you

The bread of adversity and the water of affliction,

Yet your teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore,

But your eyes shall see your teachers.

21 Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying,

"This is the way, walk in it,"

Whenever you turn to the right hand

Or whenever you turn to the left.—Isaiah 30:18-21 (Emphasis mine)

I love the words of Isaiah 30:18.  What a beautiful, beautiful picture of our God.  He is the One who WAITS to be gracious. Chapter 30 opens with the Lord calling Israel stubborn children. 

"Ah, stubborn children," declares the LORD, "who carry out a plan, but not mine, and who make an alliance, but not of my Spirit, that they may add sin to sin;  who set out to go down to Egypt, without asking for my direction, to take refuge in the protection of Pharaoh and to seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt!  (Isaiah 30:1-2, ESV)

Since Judah would not wait for the Lord to deliver, God would wait to be gracious to them.  Beloved, our God WAITS AND LOOKS for opportunities to be gracious.  Spurgeon points out the position of the wanderer in verse 21...his back is to the Lord.  And yet the Lord follows him so that he hears Him whisper behind him...This is the way...walk in it.  Such comfort this brings to my heart as I pray for those I love who need our God’s grace, guidance and love in their lives.  The Lord pursues them.  He is FOR me and FOR them. He wants my best and He wants their best. His desire is for none to perish but for all to come to life in His Son. 

Judah had refused to repent of their self-rule. 

For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, "In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength." But you were unwilling,  (Isaiah 30:15, ESV)

In contrast, listen to the words of the future remnant in the following verses who had repented.

It will be said on that day, "Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the LORD; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation."  (Isaiah 25:9, ESV)

In the path of your judgments, O LORD, we wait for you; your name and remembrance are the desire of our soul.  (Isaiah 26:8, ESV)

O LORD, be gracious to us; we wait for you. Be our arm every morning, our salvation in the time of trouble.  (Isaiah 33:2, ESV)

Be comforted all you who wait for the Lord.   Rest and wait confidently for Him. Trust His timing and put your trust completely in Him.  As you wait, watch Him fulfill His promise to be gracious to you and to those you love and pray for. 

Have you not known?

Have you not heard?

The everlasting God, the LORD,

The Creator of the ends of the earth,

Neither faints nor is weary.

His understanding is unsearchable.

29 He gives power to the weak,

And to those who have no might He increases strength.

30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary,

And the young men shall utterly fall,

31 But those who wait on the LORD

Shall renew their strength;

They shall mount up with wings like eagles,

They shall run and not be weary,

They shall walk and not faint.—Isaiah 40:28-31