Reading: Malachi 1 - 4
My Verse: 1:11 "For from the rising of the sun to its setting My name shall be great among the nations, and in every place incense shall be offered to My name, and indeed a pure offering; for My name shall be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts."
How often You remind us of Who You are, Lord. How patient You are.
It is almost 100 years since Cyrus sent the Israelites back to Israel, the temple has been rebuilt, but things are not well for the people, economically or spiritually. Here Malachi points out why the people's relationship with You, God is not what it should be. He points this out in very specific ways.
There is an attitude of neglect. They are not offering proper offerings. "By offering polluted food on My altar." (1:7) They are divorcing their wives. "For the Lord, the God of Israel, says; I hate divorce and marital separation. . ." (2:16) They are condoning evil behavior by saying. "Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord and He delights in them." (2:17) They have become immoral. "Then I will draw near to you for judgement; I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against the false swearers, and against those who oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, and who turn aside the temporary resident from his right and fear not Me, says the Lord of hosts." (3:5)
All this sounds so contemporary. We today do these very things. We neglect You, Lord by not offering up prayers to You, attending worship services, serving and honoring You in our daily lives. Oh, Lord, help me to live today so that I honor You. I quote Edith Schaffer's prayer here, "Guide me and guard me so the choices I make will have good consequences for others as well as for myself."
"But unto you who revere and worshipfully fear My name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in His wings and His beams, and you shall go forth and gambol like calves [released] from the stall and leap for joy."(4:2) In You only is there freedom from the bonds of sin. In You only is there true joy. Thank you, Lord.
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
P.S. I will not be blogging for the next two weeks. We go to Pedro Bay and will not have internet access. I should be back up on the 8th of July. I will be praying for each of you. God Bless!
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
God Will Reign!
Reading: Zechariah 8 - 14
My Verse: 8:8 "And I will bring them [home] and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God in truth and faithfulness and in righteousness."
There is a lot that I do not understand, Lord. One thing I do know and that is the surety of Your coming back. The surety of You reigning here on earth. The surety that I will one day stand face to face with You, my Lord and Saviour. That is all I need to know, for all else comes to me as You see when I am ready for such knowledge.
Our study group did a study on Revelation this past year and so much of Zechariah was echoed there. It is simply amazing how all these things were predicted long ago - then fulfilled.
"Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O Daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King comes to you; He is just and having salvation, patient, meek, lowly and riding on a donkey, upon a colt, the foal of a donkey. " (9:9) This was fulfilled when Jesus rode into Jerusalem as recorded in Matthew 21:5 and John 12:14, 15.
Another amazing prophecy fulfilled is that of Judas. "So they weighed out for my price thirty pieces of silver. And the Lord said to me, Cast it to the potter- the munificently [miserable] sum at which I am priced by them! And I took the thirty pieces of silver and cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord."(11:13) This is recorded in Matthew 26:14,15 and 27:3-10, when Judas' payment of thirty pieces of silver for betraying Jesus ended up being used to buy a potter's field.
And there is so much yet to be fulfilled. "And the Lord shall be King over all the earth; in that day the Lord shall be one and His name one." (14:9)
Yes, Lord. "For it is written, As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God. And so each of us shall give an account of himself to God." (Romans 14:11,12)
I pray Lord, for friends and family and for our nation.
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
My Verse: 8:8 "And I will bring them [home] and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God in truth and faithfulness and in righteousness."
There is a lot that I do not understand, Lord. One thing I do know and that is the surety of Your coming back. The surety of You reigning here on earth. The surety that I will one day stand face to face with You, my Lord and Saviour. That is all I need to know, for all else comes to me as You see when I am ready for such knowledge.
Our study group did a study on Revelation this past year and so much of Zechariah was echoed there. It is simply amazing how all these things were predicted long ago - then fulfilled.
"Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O Daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King comes to you; He is just and having salvation, patient, meek, lowly and riding on a donkey, upon a colt, the foal of a donkey. " (9:9) This was fulfilled when Jesus rode into Jerusalem as recorded in Matthew 21:5 and John 12:14, 15.
Another amazing prophecy fulfilled is that of Judas. "So they weighed out for my price thirty pieces of silver. And the Lord said to me, Cast it to the potter- the munificently [miserable] sum at which I am priced by them! And I took the thirty pieces of silver and cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord."(11:13) This is recorded in Matthew 26:14,15 and 27:3-10, when Judas' payment of thirty pieces of silver for betraying Jesus ended up being used to buy a potter's field.
And there is so much yet to be fulfilled. "And the Lord shall be King over all the earth; in that day the Lord shall be one and His name one." (14:9)
Yes, Lord. "For it is written, As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God. And so each of us shall give an account of himself to God." (Romans 14:11,12)
I pray Lord, for friends and family and for our nation.
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
He Is Ever Present!
Reading: Zechariah 1 - 7
My Verse: 1:3 "Therefore say to them. Thus says the Lord of hosts; Return to Me, says the Lord of hosts and I will return to you; it is the utterance of the Lord of hosts."
Zechariah is a mighty book, I am intimidated by the content. The ESL says that the New Testament refers to this book over 67 times! So it is an important book and You have much to tell me here, Lord.
The first message I get from this reading is that You, Lord, are never absent. The Israelites felt that You were and so they did not concern themselves with You. But, "These are they whom the Lord has sent to walk to and fro through the earth and patrol it." (1:10) This brings to mind a verse that I have hung onto through the years, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5) Such wonderful assurance! Thank You, that we can hang onto You and know that You are always present!
The second message comes out in chapter seven. The Israelites have gotten into a ritualistic pattern - legalism. Their lives did not reflect the rituals that they were performing. The Lord plead with them to, "Execute true judgement and show mercy and kindness and tender compassion, every man to his brother." (7:9) "But they refused to listen and turned a rebellious and stubborn shoulder and made heavy and dull their ears that they might not hear." (7:11) Wow! They just refused to listen, purposed to not "hear" the words of their Lord. Oh, Lord, I too am guilty of this when I don't want to obey You. It is kind of scarey how easy that is to do - shutting You out of our lives.
I can appreciate Paul's admonition to carry on the race like an athlete. Practice, practice so that we do the right thing even when we don't feel like doing the right thing! "But I buffet my body and subdue it, for fear that after proclaiming to others the Gospel and things pertaining to it, I myself should become unfit." (1Corinthians (9:27)
So Lord, You are ever present and I must be careful not to become legalistic in how I live out my Christain life before You.
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
My Verse: 1:3 "Therefore say to them. Thus says the Lord of hosts; Return to Me, says the Lord of hosts and I will return to you; it is the utterance of the Lord of hosts."
Zechariah is a mighty book, I am intimidated by the content. The ESL says that the New Testament refers to this book over 67 times! So it is an important book and You have much to tell me here, Lord.
The first message I get from this reading is that You, Lord, are never absent. The Israelites felt that You were and so they did not concern themselves with You. But, "These are they whom the Lord has sent to walk to and fro through the earth and patrol it." (1:10) This brings to mind a verse that I have hung onto through the years, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5) Such wonderful assurance! Thank You, that we can hang onto You and know that You are always present!
The second message comes out in chapter seven. The Israelites have gotten into a ritualistic pattern - legalism. Their lives did not reflect the rituals that they were performing. The Lord plead with them to, "Execute true judgement and show mercy and kindness and tender compassion, every man to his brother." (7:9) "But they refused to listen and turned a rebellious and stubborn shoulder and made heavy and dull their ears that they might not hear." (7:11) Wow! They just refused to listen, purposed to not "hear" the words of their Lord. Oh, Lord, I too am guilty of this when I don't want to obey You. It is kind of scarey how easy that is to do - shutting You out of our lives.
I can appreciate Paul's admonition to carry on the race like an athlete. Practice, practice so that we do the right thing even when we don't feel like doing the right thing! "But I buffet my body and subdue it, for fear that after proclaiming to others the Gospel and things pertaining to it, I myself should become unfit." (1Corinthians (9:27)
So Lord, You are ever present and I must be careful not to become legalistic in how I live out my Christain life before You.
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
Monday, June 20, 2011
Consider Your Ways!
Reading: Haggai 1-3
My Verse: (1:6,7) "You have sown much, but you have reaped little; you eat, but you do not have enough; you drink, but you do not have your fill; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages has earned them to put them in a bag with holes in it. Thus says the Lord of Hosts; Consider your ways (your previous and present conduct) and how you have fared."
Even though the Israelites had an edict from Cyrus king of Persia to rebuild the temple on their return to Jerusalem, the people ran into problems and so reasoned with themselves that now was not the time. Instead they devoted themselves to tending to their own affairs and building their own houses. ". . . you yourselves run each man to his own house [eager to build and adorn it]." (1:9) Lord, You even point blank ask them, "Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house [of the Lord] lies in ruins? Now therefore thus says the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways and set your mind on what has come to you." (1:4,5)
You appeal over and over to them to think about what they are doing and why they are not being blessed in what they are doing. This is so familiar. We do the very same thing as they did. We get caught up in "doing" for ourselves. Instead of seeking to bring glory to You, we seek to bring glory to ourselves. Lord, forgive me for the many times I have taken my eyes off of You.
You remind the people, "For thus says the Lord of hosts, Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake and make tremble the [starry] heavens, the earth, the sea, and the dry land;" (2:6) "The silver is mine and the gold is mine, says the Lord of Hosts." (2:8) How I need to keep things in perspective. You are the Lord GOD and all that exists belongs to You. We each of us will stand face to face with You one day. Oh Lord, I pray that on that day I will be able to stand before You joyfully.
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
My Verse: (1:6,7) "You have sown much, but you have reaped little; you eat, but you do not have enough; you drink, but you do not have your fill; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages has earned them to put them in a bag with holes in it. Thus says the Lord of Hosts; Consider your ways (your previous and present conduct) and how you have fared."
Even though the Israelites had an edict from Cyrus king of Persia to rebuild the temple on their return to Jerusalem, the people ran into problems and so reasoned with themselves that now was not the time. Instead they devoted themselves to tending to their own affairs and building their own houses. ". . . you yourselves run each man to his own house [eager to build and adorn it]." (1:9) Lord, You even point blank ask them, "Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house [of the Lord] lies in ruins? Now therefore thus says the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways and set your mind on what has come to you." (1:4,5)
You appeal over and over to them to think about what they are doing and why they are not being blessed in what they are doing. This is so familiar. We do the very same thing as they did. We get caught up in "doing" for ourselves. Instead of seeking to bring glory to You, we seek to bring glory to ourselves. Lord, forgive me for the many times I have taken my eyes off of You.
You remind the people, "For thus says the Lord of hosts, Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake and make tremble the [starry] heavens, the earth, the sea, and the dry land;" (2:6) "The silver is mine and the gold is mine, says the Lord of Hosts." (2:8) How I need to keep things in perspective. You are the Lord GOD and all that exists belongs to You. We each of us will stand face to face with You one day. Oh Lord, I pray that on that day I will be able to stand before You joyfully.
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
Friday, June 17, 2011
Near and Hastening Fast!
Reading: Zephaniah 1-3
My Verse: 1:14 "The great day of the Lord is near - near and hastening fast. Hark! The voice of the day of the Lord! The mighty man [unable to fight or to flee] will cry then bitterly."
What an image this verse brings to mind. Causes me to recall the flood when all those people realized too late that there was truth to Noah's message. I look out at the world at all the mighty, wealthy men and women in it and feel so sad. They only have today to enjoy what they have for they "weary themselves only for emptiness, falsity, and futility." (Habakkuk 2:13)
Zephaniah cries out to his people to repent while there is yet time. "[The time for repentence is speeding by like chaff whirled before the wind!] Therefore consider, before God's decree brings forth [the curse upon you], before the time [to repent] is gone like the drifting chaff, before the fierce anger of the Lord comes upon you-yes, before the day of the wrath of the Lord comes upon you!" (2:2) Oh, Lord, I am so thankful that You are slow to anger, that You do not want any to perish, that you love us so much that You sent all these prophets to warn us, and finally that You have preserved this book, the Bible so that we can know what is coming.
You are such a forgiving God. You want to delight in us, when we turn to You! "The Lord your God is in the midst of you, a Mighty One, a Savior [Who Saves!] He will rejoice over you with joy; He will rest [in silent satisfaction] and in His love He will be silent and make no mention [of past sins, or even recall them]; He will exult over you with singing." (3:17) How wonderful is that?
I love what You will do for those that have so corrupted themselves with evil, You will again enable them to see and worship You. "For then [changing their impure language] I will give to the people a clear and pure speech from pure lips, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one unanimous consent and one united shoulder." (3:9)
Yes, the time is getting short. Our lives are so fragile. Lord, help me to make the most of each day that You give me here. I like the words of Alison Krauss's song here. "Take my life and let me be a living prayer my God to Thee."
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
My Verse: 1:14 "The great day of the Lord is near - near and hastening fast. Hark! The voice of the day of the Lord! The mighty man [unable to fight or to flee] will cry then bitterly."
What an image this verse brings to mind. Causes me to recall the flood when all those people realized too late that there was truth to Noah's message. I look out at the world at all the mighty, wealthy men and women in it and feel so sad. They only have today to enjoy what they have for they "weary themselves only for emptiness, falsity, and futility." (Habakkuk 2:13)
Zephaniah cries out to his people to repent while there is yet time. "[The time for repentence is speeding by like chaff whirled before the wind!] Therefore consider, before God's decree brings forth [the curse upon you], before the time [to repent] is gone like the drifting chaff, before the fierce anger of the Lord comes upon you-yes, before the day of the wrath of the Lord comes upon you!" (2:2) Oh, Lord, I am so thankful that You are slow to anger, that You do not want any to perish, that you love us so much that You sent all these prophets to warn us, and finally that You have preserved this book, the Bible so that we can know what is coming.
You are such a forgiving God. You want to delight in us, when we turn to You! "The Lord your God is in the midst of you, a Mighty One, a Savior [Who Saves!] He will rejoice over you with joy; He will rest [in silent satisfaction] and in His love He will be silent and make no mention [of past sins, or even recall them]; He will exult over you with singing." (3:17) How wonderful is that?
I love what You will do for those that have so corrupted themselves with evil, You will again enable them to see and worship You. "For then [changing their impure language] I will give to the people a clear and pure speech from pure lips, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one unanimous consent and one united shoulder." (3:9)
Yes, the time is getting short. Our lives are so fragile. Lord, help me to make the most of each day that You give me here. I like the words of Alison Krauss's song here. "Take my life and let me be a living prayer my God to Thee."
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Spiritual Growth
Reading: Habakkuk 1-3
My Verse: (3:19) "The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hinds' feet and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror, but to walk] and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places [of trouble, suffering, or responsibility]!"
Oh, I love this verse! Lord, this is definitely one to hang onto!
I really like this book of Habakkuk. It is so wonderful to watch his progression - spiritual growth. He starts off complaining, questioning Your wisdom. And You talk to him and explain what You are doing. Its great! You cared about this man and gave him an answer, an answer that You wanted him to convey to all. "Write the vision and engrave it so plainly upon tablets that everyone who passes may read it as he passes by." (2:2)
Habakkuk questions You in the way that we all do. It is often so hard to understand why some things happen. Here Habakkuk questions why, You, God are going to have an evil nation punish Israel. But You encourage him and tell him that "but the just and righteous man shall live by his faith and in his faithfulness." (2:4) And then You go on to let Habakkuk know that the Chaldeans will overtake Israel but will in turn be also punished for their evil living. "Woe to him who builds a town with blood and establishes a city by iniquity! Behold, is it not only by appointment of the Lord of hosts that the nations toil only to satisfy the fire [that will consume their work], and the peoples weary themselves only for emptiness, falsity, and futility?" (2:12-13) Wow! This is so great!
Habakkuk comes to the point where he can "live by his faith". He knows the judgement is coming and it will be dreadful but still he is able to hang onto his faith in God's love and all-knowing. "Though the fig tree does not blossom and there is no fruit on the vines, [though] the product of the olive fails and the fields yield no food, though the flock is cut off from the fold and there are no cattle in the stalls, Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will exult in the [victorious] God of my salvation!" (3:17,18)
Ditat Deus- God Enriches!
My Verse: (3:19) "The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hinds' feet and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror, but to walk] and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places [of trouble, suffering, or responsibility]!"
Oh, I love this verse! Lord, this is definitely one to hang onto!
I really like this book of Habakkuk. It is so wonderful to watch his progression - spiritual growth. He starts off complaining, questioning Your wisdom. And You talk to him and explain what You are doing. Its great! You cared about this man and gave him an answer, an answer that You wanted him to convey to all. "Write the vision and engrave it so plainly upon tablets that everyone who passes may read it as he passes by." (2:2)
Habakkuk questions You in the way that we all do. It is often so hard to understand why some things happen. Here Habakkuk questions why, You, God are going to have an evil nation punish Israel. But You encourage him and tell him that "but the just and righteous man shall live by his faith and in his faithfulness." (2:4) And then You go on to let Habakkuk know that the Chaldeans will overtake Israel but will in turn be also punished for their evil living. "Woe to him who builds a town with blood and establishes a city by iniquity! Behold, is it not only by appointment of the Lord of hosts that the nations toil only to satisfy the fire [that will consume their work], and the peoples weary themselves only for emptiness, falsity, and futility?" (2:12-13) Wow! This is so great!
Habakkuk comes to the point where he can "live by his faith". He knows the judgement is coming and it will be dreadful but still he is able to hang onto his faith in God's love and all-knowing. "Though the fig tree does not blossom and there is no fruit on the vines, [though] the product of the olive fails and the fields yield no food, though the flock is cut off from the fold and there are no cattle in the stalls, Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will exult in the [victorious] God of my salvation!" (3:17,18)
Ditat Deus- God Enriches!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
A Sequel
Reading: Nahum 1-3
My Verse: (1:3) "The Lord is slow to anger and great in power and will by no means clear the guilty. The Lord has His way in the whirlwind and in the storm,and the clouds are the dust of His feet."
The book of Nahum is a sequel to the book of Jonah. It is a sad sequel. In Jonah Nineveh repented of their sin and were spared judgement. But this is 150 years later and they seem to have completely forgotten that history. They have become dreadfully sinful.
"Woe to the bloody city! It is full of lies and booty and no end to the plunder! The cracking of the whip, the noise of the rattling of wheels, and prancing horses and chariots rumbling and bounding. Horsemen mounting and charging, the flashing sword, the gleaming spear, a multitude of slain and a great number of corpses, no end of corpses! [The horsemen] stumble over the corpses!" (3:1-3) The people of Nineveh have become hopelessly godless. And here, Lord, You tell them, "Behold, I am against you, says the Lord of hosts , and I will burn your chariots in the smoke and the sword shall devour your young lions. And I will cut off your prey from the earth, and the voice of your messengers shall no more be heard." (2:13) The punishment of Nineveh is complete, "He will make a full end [of Nineveh]." (1:9)
And so, Nineveh was destroyed in 612 B.C., the Assyrians disappeared from history as was foretold by Nahum.
What a sequel! Lord God, You are indeed slow to anger but You, because You are Holy cannot "clear the guilty". Thank you for this story, for this history. It is sometimes hard to understand when evil people or evil nations seem to prevail. But You are not blind to this. You have your own timing and purposes.
"The MIGHTY One, God, the Lord, speaks and calls the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting." (Psalm 50:1)
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
My Verse: (1:3) "The Lord is slow to anger and great in power and will by no means clear the guilty. The Lord has His way in the whirlwind and in the storm,and the clouds are the dust of His feet."
The book of Nahum is a sequel to the book of Jonah. It is a sad sequel. In Jonah Nineveh repented of their sin and were spared judgement. But this is 150 years later and they seem to have completely forgotten that history. They have become dreadfully sinful.
"Woe to the bloody city! It is full of lies and booty and no end to the plunder! The cracking of the whip, the noise of the rattling of wheels, and prancing horses and chariots rumbling and bounding. Horsemen mounting and charging, the flashing sword, the gleaming spear, a multitude of slain and a great number of corpses, no end of corpses! [The horsemen] stumble over the corpses!" (3:1-3) The people of Nineveh have become hopelessly godless. And here, Lord, You tell them, "Behold, I am against you, says the Lord of hosts , and I will burn your chariots in the smoke and the sword shall devour your young lions. And I will cut off your prey from the earth, and the voice of your messengers shall no more be heard." (2:13) The punishment of Nineveh is complete, "He will make a full end [of Nineveh]." (1:9)
And so, Nineveh was destroyed in 612 B.C., the Assyrians disappeared from history as was foretold by Nahum.
What a sequel! Lord God, You are indeed slow to anger but You, because You are Holy cannot "clear the guilty". Thank you for this story, for this history. It is sometimes hard to understand when evil people or evil nations seem to prevail. But You are not blind to this. You have your own timing and purposes.
"The MIGHTY One, God, the Lord, speaks and calls the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting." (Psalm 50:1)
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Wait and Hope!
Reading: Micah 1-7
My Verse: (7:7) "But as for me, I will look to the Lord and confident in Him I will keep watch; I will wait with hope and expectancy for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me."
I like how this book is organized. First the sins of the people of Israel and its leaders are spelled out. Their punishment laid out. Then to show that all is not lost chapter four gives a peak into the future. "But in the latter days it shall come to pass that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains; and it shall be exalted above the hills and the peoples shall flow to it." (4:1)
And then that most beautiful of verses in the Old Testament! "But you, Bethlehem Ephratah, you are little to be among the clans of Judah; [yet] out of you shall One come forth for Me Who is to be the Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth have been from of old, from ancient days." (5:2) How perfectly marvelous is that! We do not wait and hope in vain!
Then in chapter six You, Lord remind us of all that You did for Israel, of Your graciousness! It is good to remember what You have done for us. Thank you, for this reminder. "He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, and to love kindness and mercy, and to humble yourself and walk humbly with your God?" (6:8)
Finally, Your wonderful mercy, Lord! "He will again have compassion on us; He will subdue and tread underfoot our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea." (7:19)
"My soul, wait only upon God and silently submit to Him; for my hope and expectation are from Him." (Psalm 62:5)
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
My Verse: (7:7) "But as for me, I will look to the Lord and confident in Him I will keep watch; I will wait with hope and expectancy for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me."
I like how this book is organized. First the sins of the people of Israel and its leaders are spelled out. Their punishment laid out. Then to show that all is not lost chapter four gives a peak into the future. "But in the latter days it shall come to pass that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains; and it shall be exalted above the hills and the peoples shall flow to it." (4:1)
And then that most beautiful of verses in the Old Testament! "But you, Bethlehem Ephratah, you are little to be among the clans of Judah; [yet] out of you shall One come forth for Me Who is to be the Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth have been from of old, from ancient days." (5:2) How perfectly marvelous is that! We do not wait and hope in vain!
Then in chapter six You, Lord remind us of all that You did for Israel, of Your graciousness! It is good to remember what You have done for us. Thank you, for this reminder. "He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, and to love kindness and mercy, and to humble yourself and walk humbly with your God?" (6:8)
Finally, Your wonderful mercy, Lord! "He will again have compassion on us; He will subdue and tread underfoot our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea." (7:19)
"My soul, wait only upon God and silently submit to Him; for my hope and expectation are from Him." (Psalm 62:5)
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
Monday, June 13, 2011
No Hiding From God
Reading: Jonah 1 - 4
My Verse: 2:4 "Then I said, I have been cast out of Your presence and Your sight; yet I will look again toward Your holy temple."
I am so enjoying these "little books"! Jonah's story is a most encouraging one. No matter how far we stray from You, Lord, You will take us back if we but repent. The sailors on the boat, who were pagans turned to You when they saw Your power. "Then the men [reverently and worshipfully] feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows." (1:16)
The whole city of Ninevah repented and prayed for forgiveness. "So the people of Nineveh believed in God and proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth [in penitent mourning], from the greatest of them even to the least of them." (3:5)
And then there is Jonah himself. What a character! And yet, Lord, You chose him to carry out Your purposes. Jonah did believe in You, even while he tried to run away from You and had his temper tantrums. While in the belly of the fish he did repent, and so You delivered him.While he was pouting and fretting on the hill by Nineveh, You provided him shade, then removed it. You loved Jonah, despite his deficiencies. And so You love us. "But God shows and clearly proves His [own] love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for us." (Romans 5:8)
No, there is no hiding from You, Lord. We are ever before You! "And not a creature exists that is concealed from His sight, But all things are open and exposed, naked and defenceless to the eyes of Him with Whom we have to do." (Hebrews 4:13) Thank You for this, Lord.
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
My Verse: 2:4 "Then I said, I have been cast out of Your presence and Your sight; yet I will look again toward Your holy temple."
I am so enjoying these "little books"! Jonah's story is a most encouraging one. No matter how far we stray from You, Lord, You will take us back if we but repent. The sailors on the boat, who were pagans turned to You when they saw Your power. "Then the men [reverently and worshipfully] feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows." (1:16)
The whole city of Ninevah repented and prayed for forgiveness. "So the people of Nineveh believed in God and proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth [in penitent mourning], from the greatest of them even to the least of them." (3:5)
And then there is Jonah himself. What a character! And yet, Lord, You chose him to carry out Your purposes. Jonah did believe in You, even while he tried to run away from You and had his temper tantrums. While in the belly of the fish he did repent, and so You delivered him.While he was pouting and fretting on the hill by Nineveh, You provided him shade, then removed it. You loved Jonah, despite his deficiencies. And so You love us. "But God shows and clearly proves His [own] love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for us." (Romans 5:8)
No, there is no hiding from You, Lord. We are ever before You! "And not a creature exists that is concealed from His sight, But all things are open and exposed, naked and defenceless to the eyes of Him with Whom we have to do." (Hebrews 4:13) Thank You for this, Lord.
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
Friday, June 10, 2011
Edom Destroyed Forever!
Reading: Obadiah
My Verse: 1:4 "Though you mount on wings as the eagle and though you set your nest among the stars, I will bring you down from there, says the Lord."
Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Malachi all address the demise of Edom. And yet here is this little book devoted entirely to Edom's doom. I once heard a pastor say that if God repeats a message then you had better pay attention to that message!
So on the first reading I am like - okay . . I've read about this before, Lord. But, it must be important. So I read it again (it is very short), then things start to pop out.
Oh, Edom is prideful. They are secure in their own strength, thinking no one can touch them on their mountaintop. But, God, You tell them, "I will bring you down from there."
Edom gloats over the destruction of Israel, even helping in it. (10-14) So . . . "For the day of the Lord is near upon all the nations. As you have done, it shall be done to you; your dealings will return upon your own head." (v. 15)
Edom is destroyed and never restored. ". . . and there shall be no survivors of the house of Esau, for the Lord has spoken it." (v. 19)
The message I take away from this? Lord, I can never trust in my own strength. I am never to gloat over the misfortune of others- for Your hand is in that for Your purposes! Finally, I can rejoice because Edom, which represents 'self' and 'pride' is destroyed forever! That is a great hope!
Thank you, Lord, for renewal and transformation! "Though our outer man is decaying and wasting away, yet our inner self is being renewed day after day." (II Corinthians 4:16)
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
My Verse: 1:4 "Though you mount on wings as the eagle and though you set your nest among the stars, I will bring you down from there, says the Lord."
Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Malachi all address the demise of Edom. And yet here is this little book devoted entirely to Edom's doom. I once heard a pastor say that if God repeats a message then you had better pay attention to that message!
So on the first reading I am like - okay . . I've read about this before, Lord. But, it must be important. So I read it again (it is very short), then things start to pop out.
Oh, Edom is prideful. They are secure in their own strength, thinking no one can touch them on their mountaintop. But, God, You tell them, "I will bring you down from there."
Edom gloats over the destruction of Israel, even helping in it. (10-14) So . . . "For the day of the Lord is near upon all the nations. As you have done, it shall be done to you; your dealings will return upon your own head." (v. 15)
Edom is destroyed and never restored. ". . . and there shall be no survivors of the house of Esau, for the Lord has spoken it." (v. 19)
The message I take away from this? Lord, I can never trust in my own strength. I am never to gloat over the misfortune of others- for Your hand is in that for Your purposes! Finally, I can rejoice because Edom, which represents 'self' and 'pride' is destroyed forever! That is a great hope!
Thank you, Lord, for renewal and transformation! "Though our outer man is decaying and wasting away, yet our inner self is being renewed day after day." (II Corinthians 4:16)
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
Thursday, June 9, 2011
God Shatters To Restore!
Reading: Amos 5 - 9
My Verse: 5:8 "Seek Him Who made the Pleiades and Orion, Who turns the shadow of death and deep darkness into morning and darkens the day into night, Who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out upon the face of the earth - the Lord is his name - "
This passage brings to mind a pop song that used the phrase 'love cuts deep'. I don't think they were thinking of God's Love which cuts ever so deeply! "For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (souls) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thought and purposes of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12)
Amos portrays Your deep, passionate, and vibrant love so well, Lord God. You shatter, but only to restore! There is a purpose in all that You do!
The saddest verse here is 8: 11, 12. "Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord God, when I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but [a famine] for hearing the words of the Lord. And [the people] shall wander from sea to sea and from the north even to the east; they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord [inquiring for and requiring it as one requires food], but shall not find it." Because Israel constantly rejected Your Word, You will take it away from them.
There is no getting away from Your punishment. (9:1-10) And so, Lord, You cry out to us, "Seek Me and you shall live!" (5:4)
Yes, You do punish, but it is always towards restoration, unless of course one rejects You until the very end. And, well, that is the final judgement and how I do pray for loved ones that they will not be in the wrong place on that final judgement day.
"On the glorious splendor of Your majesty and on Your wondrous works I will meditate." (Psalm 145:5)
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
My Verse: 5:8 "Seek Him Who made the Pleiades and Orion, Who turns the shadow of death and deep darkness into morning and darkens the day into night, Who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out upon the face of the earth - the Lord is his name - "
This passage brings to mind a pop song that used the phrase 'love cuts deep'. I don't think they were thinking of God's Love which cuts ever so deeply! "For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (souls) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thought and purposes of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12)
Amos portrays Your deep, passionate, and vibrant love so well, Lord God. You shatter, but only to restore! There is a purpose in all that You do!
The saddest verse here is 8: 11, 12. "Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord God, when I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but [a famine] for hearing the words of the Lord. And [the people] shall wander from sea to sea and from the north even to the east; they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord [inquiring for and requiring it as one requires food], but shall not find it." Because Israel constantly rejected Your Word, You will take it away from them.
There is no getting away from Your punishment. (9:1-10) And so, Lord, You cry out to us, "Seek Me and you shall live!" (5:4)
Yes, You do punish, but it is always towards restoration, unless of course one rejects You until the very end. And, well, that is the final judgement and how I do pray for loved ones that they will not be in the wrong place on that final judgement day.
"On the glorious splendor of Your majesty and on Your wondrous works I will meditate." (Psalm 145:5)
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
God Provides Ample Warnings!
Reading: Amos 1 - 4
My Verse: 3:7 "Surely the Lord God will do nothing without revealing His secret to His servants the prophets."
Funny, how we get those little "aha" moments. Amos just made it so clear to me how You, Lord, provide ample warning before You punish. Here Amos is warning all these nations including Judah and Israel of impending punishment for their evil living.
Looking back I recall how You warned Noah of the flood, Abraham and Lot of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and Jonah of the destruction of Ninevah. Ninevah, being the only one that did repent and so was spared. Lord, You do not want any to perish! "The Lord does not delay and is not tardy or slow about what He promises, according to some people's conception of slowness, but He is long-suffering toward you, not desiring that any should perish, but that all should turn to repentance!" (II Peter 3:9)
You are so patient and long-suffering. In chapter four Amos speaks of all the things You do to get Israel to turn back to you. But each time, " . . . yet you did not return to Me, says the Lord." (4:6, 8, 9, 10, 11)
Finally, because their hearts are stubborn You tell them. "Therefore thus will I do to you, O Israel, and because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel! For behold, He Who forms the mountains and creates the wind declares to man what is his thought, Who makes the morning darkness and treads on the heights of the earth - the Lord, the God of hosts, is His name!" (4:12,13)
I am so blessed, Lord, to be counted as Yours! I pray for our nation.
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
My Verse: 3:7 "Surely the Lord God will do nothing without revealing His secret to His servants the prophets."
Funny, how we get those little "aha" moments. Amos just made it so clear to me how You, Lord, provide ample warning before You punish. Here Amos is warning all these nations including Judah and Israel of impending punishment for their evil living.
Looking back I recall how You warned Noah of the flood, Abraham and Lot of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and Jonah of the destruction of Ninevah. Ninevah, being the only one that did repent and so was spared. Lord, You do not want any to perish! "The Lord does not delay and is not tardy or slow about what He promises, according to some people's conception of slowness, but He is long-suffering toward you, not desiring that any should perish, but that all should turn to repentance!" (II Peter 3:9)
You are so patient and long-suffering. In chapter four Amos speaks of all the things You do to get Israel to turn back to you. But each time, " . . . yet you did not return to Me, says the Lord." (4:6, 8, 9, 10, 11)
Finally, because their hearts are stubborn You tell them. "Therefore thus will I do to you, O Israel, and because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel! For behold, He Who forms the mountains and creates the wind declares to man what is his thought, Who makes the morning darkness and treads on the heights of the earth - the Lord, the God of hosts, is His name!" (4:12,13)
I am so blessed, Lord, to be counted as Yours! I pray for our nation.
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
The Day of the Lord!
Reading: Joel 1-3
My Verse: 2:12 "Therefore, also now, says the Lord, turn and keep on coming to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning [until every hindrance is removed and the broken fellowhip is restored]."
Wow! This little book of Joel is not so very little! Joel speaks of the apocolyptic horror of the locusts - God's judgement in chapter one. He speaks of the pouring out of God's Holy Spirit - "I will pour out my spirit on all flesh. . . " (2:28) He speaks of that day when man no longer can choose. "Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision!" (3:14) This is the valley where only God makes decisions!
But, mostly, Joel speaks of "The Day of the Lord!" And of God's constant plea with mankind because - "For the day of the Lord is great and very terrible, and who can endure it?"
God, You plea with us to "rend out hearts, not just our garments" (2:13) You want true repentance, not just a going through the motions.
Oh, Lord, my daily life should reflect this fact. "Alas, for the day! For the day of the Lord is at hand, and as a destructive tempest from the Almighty will it come." (1:15) You are coming - all of scripture points to this fact! I pray, Lord, for loved ones. I pray they repent and be saved. "And whoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered and saved. . . " (2:32)
My God is mighty to save! Thank You, Lord, for saving me!
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
My Verse: 2:12 "Therefore, also now, says the Lord, turn and keep on coming to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning [until every hindrance is removed and the broken fellowhip is restored]."
Wow! This little book of Joel is not so very little! Joel speaks of the apocolyptic horror of the locusts - God's judgement in chapter one. He speaks of the pouring out of God's Holy Spirit - "I will pour out my spirit on all flesh. . . " (2:28) He speaks of that day when man no longer can choose. "Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision!" (3:14) This is the valley where only God makes decisions!
But, mostly, Joel speaks of "The Day of the Lord!" And of God's constant plea with mankind because - "For the day of the Lord is great and very terrible, and who can endure it?"
God, You plea with us to "rend out hearts, not just our garments" (2:13) You want true repentance, not just a going through the motions.
Oh, Lord, my daily life should reflect this fact. "Alas, for the day! For the day of the Lord is at hand, and as a destructive tempest from the Almighty will it come." (1:15) You are coming - all of scripture points to this fact! I pray, Lord, for loved ones. I pray they repent and be saved. "And whoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered and saved. . . " (2:32)
My God is mighty to save! Thank You, Lord, for saving me!
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
Monday, June 6, 2011
Return To Your God!
Reading Hosea 7 - 14
My Verse: 12:6 "Therefore return to your God! Hold fast to love and mercy, to righteousness and justice, and wait [expectantly] for your God continually!"
Oh Lord, how You must love us! You so constantly plea with us. Again and again - You warn us. "O Israel, return to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled and fallen, [visited by calamity] due to your iniquity." (14:1) Again and again You give us opportunity to repent and allow You to heal us. "It is your destruction, O Israel, that you have been against me, for in Me is your help." (13:9)
I am reminded of the slogan 'You are what you eat'. Verse 9:10 echoes this, ". . . and they became detestable and loathesome like that which they loved." You know this. You know that if we continue in our sin - we become dreadful. Then, if we continue in that You, because You are holy cannot look at us. "Yes, woe also to them when I look away and depart from them!"
That is so sad, because You want us to live full abundant lives. "I came that they may have and enjoy life,and have it in abundance." (John 10:10) It is our stubborn hearts that get us into trouble.
Throughout Your word You consistently remind us that we are to be wise and prudent. "Who is wise, that he may understand these things? Prudent, that he may know them? For the ways of the Lord are right and the [uncompromisingly] just shall walk in them, but transgressors shall stumble and fall in them." (14:9)
Oh, Lord, how thankful I am to belong to You. "With my whole heart have I sought You, inquiring for and of You and yearning for You; O let me not wander or step aside [either in ignorance or willfully] from Your commandments." (Psalm 119:10)
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
My Verse: 12:6 "Therefore return to your God! Hold fast to love and mercy, to righteousness and justice, and wait [expectantly] for your God continually!"
Oh Lord, how You must love us! You so constantly plea with us. Again and again - You warn us. "O Israel, return to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled and fallen, [visited by calamity] due to your iniquity." (14:1) Again and again You give us opportunity to repent and allow You to heal us. "It is your destruction, O Israel, that you have been against me, for in Me is your help." (13:9)
I am reminded of the slogan 'You are what you eat'. Verse 9:10 echoes this, ". . . and they became detestable and loathesome like that which they loved." You know this. You know that if we continue in our sin - we become dreadful. Then, if we continue in that You, because You are holy cannot look at us. "Yes, woe also to them when I look away and depart from them!"
That is so sad, because You want us to live full abundant lives. "I came that they may have and enjoy life,and have it in abundance." (John 10:10) It is our stubborn hearts that get us into trouble.
Throughout Your word You consistently remind us that we are to be wise and prudent. "Who is wise, that he may understand these things? Prudent, that he may know them? For the ways of the Lord are right and the [uncompromisingly] just shall walk in them, but transgressors shall stumble and fall in them." (14:9)
Oh, Lord, how thankful I am to belong to You. "With my whole heart have I sought You, inquiring for and of You and yearning for You; O let me not wander or step aside [either in ignorance or willfully] from Your commandments." (Psalm 119:10)
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Only The Lord Can Heal Us
Reading: Hosea 1 - 6
My Verse: 5:13 "When Ephraim saw his sickness and Judah saw his wound, then Ephraim went to Assyria and sent to King Jared [for help]. Yet he cannot heal you nor will he cure you of your wound [received in divine judgement]."
What a picture of unfaithfulness, of going astray! Hosea has got to be the object lesson to beat all! This book so vividly portrays what turning away from, You, Lord, means.
I think I finally 'get' this story. In prior readings I had trouble getting past Gomer's harlotry to see the real lesson.
Turning from You, Lord is sin - no matter what form it takes. In today's world 'sin' had been renamed so as not to offend the 'sinner'. We overeat, overdrink, steal, lie because we have 'issues' that need to be dealt with. When in all cases - sin, turning away from You, Lord is the primary issue.
Then we go to all the wrong places for help like Ephraim going to Assyria. But there is no cure or healing "Yet he cannot heal you nor will he cure you of your wound [received in divine judgement]." (5:13)
Healing will not occur until "they acknowledge their offense and feel their guilt and seek My face." (5:15)
It always comes back to Your love for us, Lord. "Come and let us return to the Lord, for He has torn so that He may heal us; He has stricken so that he may bind us up." (6:1) In Sunday School class we have been going through a study with Wilkerson on this very topic. You, Lord, are in control. You allow us difficulties to 'heal' us, but we do need to acknowledge our sin and seek You. And then, and only then will You, the Healer, cure and heal us of our dreadful self-absorbed and self-destructive behaviors.
Thank you for this lesson in Hosea.
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
My Verse: 5:13 "When Ephraim saw his sickness and Judah saw his wound, then Ephraim went to Assyria and sent to King Jared [for help]. Yet he cannot heal you nor will he cure you of your wound [received in divine judgement]."
What a picture of unfaithfulness, of going astray! Hosea has got to be the object lesson to beat all! This book so vividly portrays what turning away from, You, Lord, means.
I think I finally 'get' this story. In prior readings I had trouble getting past Gomer's harlotry to see the real lesson.
Turning from You, Lord is sin - no matter what form it takes. In today's world 'sin' had been renamed so as not to offend the 'sinner'. We overeat, overdrink, steal, lie because we have 'issues' that need to be dealt with. When in all cases - sin, turning away from You, Lord is the primary issue.
Then we go to all the wrong places for help like Ephraim going to Assyria. But there is no cure or healing "Yet he cannot heal you nor will he cure you of your wound [received in divine judgement]." (5:13)
Healing will not occur until "they acknowledge their offense and feel their guilt and seek My face." (5:15)
It always comes back to Your love for us, Lord. "Come and let us return to the Lord, for He has torn so that He may heal us; He has stricken so that he may bind us up." (6:1) In Sunday School class we have been going through a study with Wilkerson on this very topic. You, Lord, are in control. You allow us difficulties to 'heal' us, but we do need to acknowledge our sin and seek You. And then, and only then will You, the Healer, cure and heal us of our dreadful self-absorbed and self-destructive behaviors.
Thank you for this lesson in Hosea.
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Oh! To Be A Daniel!
Reading: Daniel 8 - 12
My Verse: 12:3 "And the teachers and those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness [shall give forth light] like the stars forever and ever."
Reading Daniel is like a roller coaster ride! Terrifying - for the dreadful things that are to happen and yet thrilling because of our Lord's coming. Oh, Lord, You are the holy righteous God! All that You say will take place. ". . . for the Lord our God is [uncompromisingly] righteous and rigidly just in all His works which He does [keeping His word]." (9:14)
I like how You responded to Daniel's plea for understanding. You sent him an angel, Gabriel to explain the awesome visions, he, Daniel had seen. Gabriel said to Daniel, "your words were heard, and I have come as a consequence." (10:13) That is so wonderful! And Gabriel had to actually battle his way to Daniel! "What is man that You are mindful of him...?" (Psalm 8:4)
This is quite an amazing event in the amazing life of Daniel. To have an angel speaking to him, telling him of things to come. Then, "But you, [Daniel, who was now over ninety years of age] go your way until the end; for you shall rest and shall stand [fast] in your allotted place at the end of the days." (12:13)
Oh, to be a Daniel! Thank you, Lord for such a man as this. Daniel, the prayer, the wise teacher. His legacy went down through the ages - appearing through the wise men who came to see baby Jesus.
Daniel does indeed shine!
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
My Verse: 12:3 "And the teachers and those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness [shall give forth light] like the stars forever and ever."
Reading Daniel is like a roller coaster ride! Terrifying - for the dreadful things that are to happen and yet thrilling because of our Lord's coming. Oh, Lord, You are the holy righteous God! All that You say will take place. ". . . for the Lord our God is [uncompromisingly] righteous and rigidly just in all His works which He does [keeping His word]." (9:14)
I like how You responded to Daniel's plea for understanding. You sent him an angel, Gabriel to explain the awesome visions, he, Daniel had seen. Gabriel said to Daniel, "your words were heard, and I have come as a consequence." (10:13) That is so wonderful! And Gabriel had to actually battle his way to Daniel! "What is man that You are mindful of him...?" (Psalm 8:4)
This is quite an amazing event in the amazing life of Daniel. To have an angel speaking to him, telling him of things to come. Then, "But you, [Daniel, who was now over ninety years of age] go your way until the end; for you shall rest and shall stand [fast] in your allotted place at the end of the days." (12:13)
Oh, to be a Daniel! Thank you, Lord for such a man as this. Daniel, the prayer, the wise teacher. His legacy went down through the ages - appearing through the wise men who came to see baby Jesus.
Daniel does indeed shine!
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
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