A Beautiful Picture of God’s Mercy in Genesis 19…

And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife's hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the LORD being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city.—Genesis 19:16

THIS! The men, at God’s merciful behest, took hold of not only Lot’s hand, but the hands of the people he loved as well and brought them outside the city.  I love thinking on that picture. 

And Abraham came near and said, "Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked?—Genesis 18:23

Abraham got his answer from God right here…No, I will not destroy the righteous with the wicked. Before judgment came the Lord had to rescue righteous Lot. 

If you know anything about Lot, than you know that from the outside he did not “look” righteous. (See Genesis 19). But thankfully God, sees our hearts and imputes His righteousness to us by faith alone. 

and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)— then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment—2 Peter 2:6-9

Beloved…Right here…even in the midst of one of the most sordid stories in the Bible…God’s grace shines. In judgment God always remembers mercy. As His beloved, we are not destined for wrath. As I thought more about God’s gracious rescue of Lot, I also thought about the mercy and favor He showed me at salvation.  And not only that…but also the mercy and favor He shows me continually…moment by precious moment.  His merciful lovingkindness is always before my eyes. One of my favorite verses in the Bible to pray is this one:

Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I am weak;

And then there are these from Psalm 103 to remind us that He does and will deal graciously with those that are His. 

The LORD is merciful and gracious,

Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.

He will not always strive with us,

Nor will He keep His anger forever.

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.—Psalm 103:8-14

And Isaiah 43 to remind us that we are His and He is with us.

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.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.

When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,

Nor shall the flame scorch you.

For I am the LORD your God,

The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;—Isaiah 43:1-3

What a gift this morning to think on our God’s mercy both to us and to those we love. May His mercy and truth never forsake us. May He bind them around our neck and may He write them on the tablet of our heart. 

Oh Father!  May we…Your beloved…be merciful as You are merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment and Your perfect love covers a multitude of sins. By Your Spirit of grace may we extend the merciful lovingkindness You have shown us to the people that You have so graciously and lovingly placed in our lives.

Who I Don’t Want to Be As I Age…

 

Then they said to him, "Where is Sarah your wife?"

So he said, "Here, in the tent."

And He said, "I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son."

(Sarah was listening in the tent door which was behind him.) Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age; and Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, "After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?"

And the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh, saying, 'Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?' Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son."

But Sarah denied it, saying, "I did not laugh," for she was afraid.

And He said, "No, but you did laugh!"—Genesis 18:9-15

We are called here to believe that God can do the impossible. And He can. I mean, I  can just look at my own salvation story and know that this is true. I am a woman whose testimony is that in one incredible moment God not only changed my destiny, He changed my heart as well. One minute I believed one thing and in the very next all of my wrong beliefs were turned on their heads. For a while it was hard even for me to recognize me. Humanly speaking, Sarah’s response is pretty consistent with how all of us might react when faced with an incredible promise such as she had just received.  

Beloved…all of God’s promises to us are pretty incredible and all of them find their fulfillment in Christ. These verses from Genesis this morning got me thinking of who I don’t want to be as I age. I don’t want to be a cynic.  I don’t want to be a doubter. I don’t want to be someone who laughs at the possibility of having joy in her old age.  I want to believe God for every promise. 

Praying this morning that despite my circumstances, by His Spirit, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. I will live each and everyday seeing His lovingkindness before my eyes and be thankful. I will remember that His goodness toward me endures continually.  As I draw nearer to the time of my departure from this earth may my faith be strengthened and  “my” light shine brighter so that His hand of glory becomes increasingly evident in my life.  I will walk through the shadow of death remembering that for me it is truly just a shadow. The best is yet to come. Heaven awaits. Surely, goodness and mercy will follow (literally hunt me down…they are impossible to outrun) all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. 

Do this work in me Father!

Though the fig tree may not blossom,

Nor fruit be on the vines;

Though the labor of the olive may fail,

And the fields yield no food;

Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,

And there be no herd in the stalls—

Yet I will rejoice in the LORD,

I will joy in the God of my salvation.

The LORD God is my strength;

He will make my feet like deer's feet,

And He will make me walk on my high hills.—Habakkuk 3:17-19

But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;

Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them;

Let those also who love Your name

Be joyful in You.

For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous;

With favor You will surround him as with a shield.—Psalm 5:11-12

Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,

My lips shall praise You.

Thus I will bless You while I live;

I will lift up my hands in Your name.

My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness,

And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.—Psalm 63-3-5

Then our mouth was filled with laughter,

And our tongue with singing.

Then they said among the nations,

"The LORD has done great things for them."

The LORD has done great things for us,

And we are glad.

Bring back our captivity, O LORD,

As the streams in the South.

Those who sow in tears

Shall reap in joy.

He who continually goes forth weeping,

Bearing seed for sowing,

Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,

Bringing his sheaves with him.—Psalm 126:2-6

To console those who mourn in Zion,

To give them beauty for ashes,

The oil of joy for mourning,

The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;

That they may be called trees of righteousness,

The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified."—Isaiah 61:3

I will greatly rejoice in the LORD,

My soul shall be joyful in my God;

For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation,

He has covered me with the robe of righteousness,

As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments,

And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.—Isaiah 61:10

Your words were found, and I ate them,

And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart;

For I am called by Your name,

O LORD God of hosts.—Jeremiah 15:16

You have put gladness in my heart,

More than in the season that their grain and wine increased.—Psalm 4:7

Therefore, Do Not Worry…

 

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.—Matthew 6:34

I can remember my “Nana” using this verse often.  Now, I was not a worrier as a child, but sadly, I have since learned the art. So when my Nana would remind someone (usually my mom) that “sufficient for the day is it’s own trouble”, I would always ask her (with all the innocence of a well taken care of protected child), 

“but Nana what trouble do we have to worry about today?” 

Worrying was just not on my radar. Oh, to have that kind of innocence once again!  

Now, I know for a fact that worrying about tomorrow doesn’t improve today or help my day be better tomorrow. It does, however, (and this is guaranteed) rob me of my joy today. It also distracts me from the present moment which means I am not really fully in the present and I can’t be in tomorrow because tomorrow has not yet arrived. 

Where do I go to stop the madness? As Isaiah says in his book, to the Law and to the testimony!  So in the madness and sin of worry I go to the Word of God. Conveniently, the verses directly before verse 34 have the answer.

Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

"Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.—Matthew 6:30-33

O you of little faith?  (Vs 30)

Worry is sin. I need to trust God to meet my needs. 

The Lord is my Shepherd…in Him I have everything I need. 

For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. (Vs 32)

I need to trust that God cares about me. I am on his radar. His steadfast love (covenant lovingkindness) toward me never ceases. 

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you (Vs 33)

Beloved…this one is the most important. If you have this one down, the others fall into place. Give God the pre-eminence in your life. By faith seek His will first and then trust Him to meet your every need.

My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD;

In the morning I will direct it to You,

And I will look up.—Psalm 5:3

Warren Wiersbe says that “and I will look up” conveys the idea of waiting expectantly for God to come and bless. I love that!  So today instead of giving in to the madness of worry, let’s bring our concerns and cares to Him. Let’s direct our voices to Him in the morning and then look up in expectation and in thanksgiving knowing that He is faithful. Let’s honor and glorify Him with our faith.

Great Is Thy Faithfulness

by Thomas Chisholm

1 Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father,

there is no shadow of turning with thee.

Thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not;

as thou hast been, thou forever wilt be.

Refrain:

Great is thy faithfulness!

Great is thy faithfulness!

Morning by morning new mercies I see;

all I have needed thy hand hath provided.

Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

2 Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,

sun, moon, and stars in their courses above

join with all nature in manifold witness

to thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love. [Refrain]

3 Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,

thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide,

strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,

blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside! [Refrain]

On Being Set Apart…

 

But know that the LORD has set apart for Himself him who is godly;

The LORD will hear when I call to Him.—Psalm 4:3

There has been so much in each day’s bible readings of late that I have wanted to spend more time thinking about, that it has been hard to choose where to focus my heart.

Two things struck me as I read the first three verses of Psalm 4 this morning.  The first, was something I have never thought about. 

When David was in distress, it seems that he very often turned his troubles into songs.  

To the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments. A Psalm of David.

Now I obviously I know that David wrote many of the psalms, but I never really thought about “when” he wrote them. David honored and glorified God by writing out his heart in the midst of his pain and suffering.  In and through them He models for us what our own response should be in times of crisis.  

When my Anna was very little she would come downstairs early with her pink precious moments Bible and sit next to me as I read my own Bible and journaled in our living room. As she sat next to me and read, she would also write out prayers…she called them her Psalms to God. Without knowing it my Anna did as David did.  Without knowing it Anna exampled for me someone who gives their heart to God and allows Him to comfort and perfect all that concerns them.  Anna knew something that at times I struggled with. God cares for us. He WILL hear us when we call.

How amazing to think on and to know that our God has set us apart for Himself!   Each of us who believe are the Lord’s godly “khaseed”.  We, like David are objects of God’s covenantal loyal love. David knew that because He was in God’s care he was safe.  God had set him apart for Himself in love. He would hear and respond to David’s  prayers.  Beloved…Amazingly, this is also true for each and every believer today. Because the Lord has set us apart in love, He will hear us when we cry. 

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.—Hebrews 4:16

casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.—1 Peter 5:7

Overcome Evil With Good…

 

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.—John 3:16-17

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?—Romans 8:31-32

Beloved, this same self-sacrificing, self-donating love is what is required of us and what should be reflected in our own lives...We, like Christ, are to overcome evil with good and owe no one anything but love. This is the kind of love that will speak "Christ" to the hearts of those around you.  Let the evidence of the love that the Holy Spirit has shed abroad in your heart magnify your Lord and point others to your God who is mighty to save! 

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.—Romans 12:21

Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. 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." Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.—Romans 13:8-10

Let God Be Magnified…

Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;

And let those who love Your salvation say continually,

"Let God be magnified!"—Psalm 70:4

My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.  Your testimonies I have taken as a heritage forever...they are the rejoicing of my heart!  Though You are on high, You regard the lowly.  You are good to the soul that seeks You...to the one that waits for You.  You favor their righteous cause and take pleasure in their prosperity.  They shout for joy because You defend them! 

My seeking of You, Father, began in darkness and despair, but You brought the Light of Life to my heart...Your precious Son, Jesus.  You inclined to me and heard my cry. You pulled me up out of the pit, forgave my sins and set my feet upon a rock. You saved me!  You redeemed me and have blessed me with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.  (Oh, how I love Your salvation!) You hedge me behind and before and lay your hand upon me.  There is no escape from Your Presence...Your right hand holds me and, because I am Yours, even the night is light about me.  How precious is Your lovingkindness to me...therefore, I put my trust under the shadow of Your wings and am satisfied with the fullness of Your house.   You give me drink from the rivers of Your pleasures and lead me in the way everlasting.

Lord...may You fill our hearts with  joy and our mouths with praise as we diligently and continually seek You.  May our joy and our delight be found in You and in You alone.

I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh [himself] with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth [herself] with her jewels.—Isaiah 61:10

Beloved of God!!!

 

To My Beloved Daughters in Him,

I am studying Romans 1 with Mikayla and came to verse 7 which says:

To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints...(emphasis mine)

How do you describe the indescribable?  

Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us that we should be called children of God!

The God of all creation...the God of the Universe has set His love upon us. We, who believe, have been accepted in the Beloved and are, therefore, beloved of God...objects of divine delight and divine love!!!  We, who can bring nothing but empty hands to our God...we who have nothing good in ourselves....are in fact the joy that was set before Jesus at the cross. We are His children.  His special possession. To save us was His good pleasure!  There is nothing acceptable in us...but we are in Christ and there is everything acceptable in Him. 

We are a priceless commodity to God.  We have been bought with the precious blood of His Son!  His by creation and redemption!  Here on this earth we battle daily with our flesh, but we fight from a position of victory because our lives are hidden in Christ who has overcome the powers of evil.  We, who believe, are more than conquerors through Him who loves us and have been sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who was given to us as a pledge of our inheritance.  God seals us with a view to the redemption of His own possession. There is nothing that can separate us from the love of God and the hope that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,  who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.--Ephesians 1:13-14

Our God will one day take full possession of what is rightfully His...US!!   

For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. 24 For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.--Romans 8:19-25

Beloved, in this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer,  Jesus has overcome the world.  Someday the curse of Genesis 3 will be lifted, and we will be glorified and sin will be defeated forever.  Our hope is sure.  Death has been swallowed up in victory.  The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through Jesus Christ.  Rejoice as you read the following from Revelation 5: (the scroll spoken of is the title deed to the earth)

And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. 2 Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?”  And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it.

So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it. 5 But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.”

And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth.  Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.

 Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.  And they sang a new song, saying:

“You are worthy to take the scroll,

And to open its seals;

For You were slain,

And have redeemed us to God by Your blood

Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,

And have made us kings and priests to our God;

And we shall reign on the earth.”

Rejoice!!!

“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.--Psalm 91:14

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.--1 John 3:2