Our LORD God Deals With Those Who Harm Us!

Reading:  Isaiah 41
My Verse:  "Behold, all who are incensed against you
                        shall be put to shame and confounded;
                    those who strive against you
                        shall be as nothing and shall perish

                    You shall seek those who contend with you,
                         but you shall not find them;
                    those who war against you
                         shall be as nothing at all.

                    For I, the LORD your God,
                         hold your right hand;
                    it is I who say to you, "Fear not,
                         I am the One Who helps you."  - Isaiah 41:11-13

This is pretty powerful!  I would not want to be in the shoes of any that harm Your loved ones, LORD God!  It is a most dreadful and terrifying thing to have to answer to You!  You tell us this throughout Your Word, You remind us over and over that You will deal, You will contend with those individuals that try to harm me in any way!  

"It is mine to avenge; I will repay.  
   In due time their foot will slip; 
   their day of disaster is near and their doom rushes upon them" (Deuteronomy 32:35).

"Do not take revenge, my dear friends, 
   but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written. 
  "It is mine to avenge; 
   I will repay," says the LORD" (Romans 12:19).

"Do not say, "I'll pay you back for this wrong!" 
      Wait for the LORD, 
      and he will avenge you (Provergs 24:29).

Wow!  Reminds one of  when you see a parent's reaction to someone that tries to harm their child.  One even sees this parental protectiveness in animals.  You have instilled this very feeling- this feeling of protectiveness,  within all of creation.  Is it because this is so strong an emotion that you warn us, LORD God?  We tend to misuse, allow anger to take over?

I like how one verse says to avoid taking revenge so as not to give way to the enemy - satan.  Ephesians 4:7 says, "and do not give the devil an opportunity."  The New Living Translation states the verse, "for anger gives a foothold to the devil."  The previous says, "do not let the sun go down on your anger."

Many studies have shown just how detrimental the emotion of anger is to our health, especially the anger of holding a grudge against another.  This is toxic to our being, it corrodes away at our souls.

LORD God, thank You for this reminder.  I do not need to fret about those that mean me harm.   They will have to answer to You.  You love me more than I can ever understand.  All I need to do is rest in that knowledge and allow You to do Your work in and through me, dealing with all the individuals and circumstances around me as You know is best.  This no light thing and I am learning, but it is  a wonderful knowledge for those of us that belong to You!

"The LORD is a God who avenges.
O God who avenges, shine forth" (Psalm 94:1).

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
 

Our Need To "ASK"

Reading:  Isaiah 40
My Verse:  "A voice says, "Cry!"
                         And I said, "What shall I cry?"
                    All flesh is grass,
                      and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.
                    The grass withers, 
                    the flower fades
                       when the breath of the LORD blows on it;
                        surely the people are grass.
                 
                    The grass withers, 
                     the flower fades,
                         but the Word of God will stand forever" (Isaiah 40:6-8 ESV).

This is such a hard concept for man - that our time here is  limited.  Yet there can be a freedom in that knowledge, especially for those who struggle with the many hard realities of our lives in this fallen world.  And  for those who have that most wonderful hope in You, LORD God!  Yes, we are as grass that withers away so very quickly, but You give us a reason to make the most of this so very brief life if we but "ask" You for help.

My son writes these critiques on music bands he follows, and has allowed me to read some.  I find the lyrics of some of these bands fascinating - they reflect such an agony of soul searching.

Some of those lyrics . . .
 
   "This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality.
     Embrace this moment.  Remember.  We are eternal."

   "Calculate what we will or will not tolerate.
     Desperate to control all and everything.
     Terrified of being wrong
     Justify denials and grip 'em to the lonesome end."

   " . . . I embrace  my desire to . . .
    Swing on the spiral of divinity and
    Still be human . . . "

They reflect real struggle, grinding heart-wrenching struggle, but there is no real breakthrough to truth.  There is no release, no peace.  While they are to be admired for entering into the struggle, so many won't even go there, these individuals seem unwilling to look to You, LORD God.

Oh, LORD God, You tell us . . .

"You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13).

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you" (Matthew 7:7).

"But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul" (Deuteronomy 4:29).

It is so difficult to actually ask You, LORD God for help.  But that is the very thing that is needed.  You tell us to "Ask."

I really like how Oswald Chambers explains this need for us to "Ask."

"God cannot give until a man asks.  It is not that He withholds, but that that is the way He has constituted things on the basis of Redemption.  By means of our asking, God gets processes into work whereby He creates the thing that is not in existence until we do ask.  The inner reality of Redemption is that it creates all the time.  As the Redemption creates the life of God in us, so it creates the things belonging to that life.  Nothing can satisfy the need but that which created the need.  This is the meaning of Redemption - it creates and it satisfies!" (The Utmost For His Highest)

It is just so wonderful, how it works!  Yet it is so very hard for us to break down, and admit we need You, LORD God and actually ask You to help us,  to save us from a life of endless searching!

Thank you for this reminder of the brevity of my life here on this earth.
Thank you for responding to my cry for help, for redemption.
Thank you, LORD God, that Your Word is truth and it remains forever!
Mostly, thank you for enabling me to "ASK."

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

   




 

Be Careful What You Pray For!

Reading:  Isaiah 38, 39

My Verse:  "Then came the word of the LORD to Isaiah saying,

                     Go, and say to Hezekiah, 

                         Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father;  

                         I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; 

                         behold, I will add to your life fifteen years" (38:4,5).

This is an amazing story.  You, LORD God do attend to our prayers and at times you will even allow us to have what is not best.  You are compassionate and throughout Your Word You provide many examples, stories of how You love us so much and want for us to be happy, especially when we plead with You in faith.  But, Oh LORD God, how we need to be in tune with You, with what You would have for us that our desires may delight You and not ourselves.  Prayer is powerful - I need to be mindful of that.

The saying, "Be careful what you ask for, you just may get it"  comes to mind here.  How many of us ask for things we have no business asking for?  Like Hezekiah in this story.  He got what he pleaded for.  But then he did some foolish things, like showing off his wealth to visitors, who were actually spies from Babylon!   He then had a son, Manassah,  who ended up becoming one of the most evil kings Israel ever had!

It is so easy to forget how very limited our view of the future is.  You, LORD God, only You know what lies ahead - the possibilities, the dangers, the blessings.

And there is such a freedom when we are able to trust our lives fully in Your care, LORD God.

I ran across this wonderful saying by Martin Luther.

     "Blessed is he who submits to the will of God; he can never be unhappy.  
      Men may deal with him as they will . . .;  
         he is without care; 
         he knows that 'all things work together for good' (Romans 8:28)."

Psalm 106 retells how the Israelites allowed their selfish desires to rule them.

"But they [Israelites] hastily forgot His works; . . . 
 But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness and tempted and tried to restrain God [with their insistent desires] in the desert.
And He gave them their request , but sent leanness into their souls and [thinned their numbers by]disease and death" (Psalm 106:13-15).

A commentator made the interesting point that the Psalms version does not even mention that what the Israelites were desiring was meat - the point being that they, the Israelites, totally disregarded You, LORD God.  They allowed their selfish desires to rule their very thought process and behavior.

Oh, LORD God, how often do I do this very thing?  How often do I become so focused on my own very limited vision, my own selfish desires and wants that I allow them to rule me, that I tune You out and start demanding and going after things I have no business wanting or worrying about?

Reading this from afar, we can see how very tragic this was and how foolish those Israelites were!  Yet how often do we, do I, do this very thing?

Oh, LORD God, to be in that place of peace, that place where I can completely rest in You, allowing You to have full sway in my life, allowing You to carry me along when I am unable to carry myself, allowing and trusting You to provide me all that I could ever need.

How does one get to this place?  How does one trust in "all things work together for good?" I like what A.W.Tozer says about success, that success is costly.  Success in any given goal requires one to be intentional, persistent, willing to give up anything that would get in the way.  And success takes time!

I cannot do this in my own strength.  David wrote in Psalm 121:1

     "I will lift up mine eyes to the hills,
       from whence comes my help."

Help me LORD God to always return to that, to lifting my eyes up to You, to quieting myself to hear what it is You have for me.

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

God Will Not Be Mocked!

Reading:  Isaiah 35, 36, 37
My Verse:  "Whom have you mocked and reviled?
                      Against whom have your raised your voice
                    and lifted your eyes to the heights?
                      Against the Holy One of Israel!" (Isaiah 37:23)

Poor Sennacherib!  He became proud of what he thought of as his own accomplishments - the conquering of many nations.  You, LORD God had to remind him that . . .

"Have you not heard
   that I determined it long ago?
 I planned from days of old
   what now I bring to pass,
that you should make fortified cities 
   crash into heaps of ruins . . ." (37:26).

Sennacherib became boastful and proud.  He mocked, reviled, insulted and blasphemed!  He dared to haughtily lift his eyes against You, LORD God.  He defied You!

You had to remind him as You remind us everyday.

"I know your sitting down
     and your going out 
     and coming in,
    and your raging against me" (37:28)

You, LORD God, gave us a most wonderful thing - free will.  You want us to love You freely, willingly, intentionally.  If we do not; if we continue to lift our eyes to You haughtily; if we continue to defy You - You will bring us to answer for our wrong choices.

"Because you have raged against me
     and your complacency has come to my ears,
 I will put a hook in your nose
     and a bit in your mouth,
and I will turn you back on the way
     by which you came" (37:29).

Does it mean that we can go too far, too long in our resistance to You?  Is that what happened to the king of Egypt when it is said You hardened his heart? (Exodus 9:12)

This story is amazing in so many ways.  It speaks of pride, defiance, folly, , the power of prayer, love, faith - but most wonderfully of Your divine providence!

Kind Hezekiah pleaded with You to save him.  You told him that Sennacherib would not enter Jerusalem, he would return to his own land where he would die.  In fact, You sent an angel to strike down 185,000 of Sennacherib's soldiers.  Sennacherib returned to his  own city where his own sons killed him.  You, LORD God will not be mocked.  And what You say You will do You do.

I like what a footnote in the ESV Study Bible states.  "The ancient plan of God means that he is not responding to unfolding events, but that events reveal his own long-intended purpose."  This can be so reassuring as the world around us seems to be in such chaos.  The recent terrorist attacks in Paris chillingly puts a spotlight on this - the continual breaking down of our society.

You, LORD God, show in this story that You will not be mocked.  You show You are God of the entire universe.  You show that You know exactly what is happening.  You show that all events are working toward Your purposes.

 "Great is our LORD and mighty in power, 
     His understanding has no limit" (Psalm 147:5).

"His wisdom is profound, his power is vast. 
     Who has resisted him and come out unscathed?" (Job 9:4).

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Seek and Read!

Reading:  Isaiah 33, 34

My Verse:  "Seek and read from the book of the LORD

                        Not one of these shall be missing;

                        none shall be without her mate.

                   For the mouth of the LORD has commanded,

                        and his Spirit has gathered them" (Isaiah 34:16).

What an amazing verse!  We are to "seek and read from the book of the LORD!"  I love this - the clarity of it!  There is this man from India that comes to our church often - he travels out to the villages and back to India, quite an amazing preacher and teacher.  When he speaks to our congregation he almost always starts off with, "Read your Bible!  Read your Bible!  Read your Bible!"   

I remember hearing people say how the more they read the Bible the more they wanted to read it.  I found this puzzling as I struggled to be consistent with my reading.  There were times when it was actually difficult for me to sit and focus on my Bible reading.   Finally, finally, I am beginning to understand this need, this growing desire for more and more of the Word of You LORD God!  Thank you.  Thank you for this verse.

We are to seek Your Word.  It really is an amazing book - the Bible.  How it came to be, how it has survived through the ages.  This can only have been of You, LORD God.  This also speaks to the importance You place on it - as You have preserved it for us, Your followers.  It is our guide to You.  Thank You.

Then we are to read it.  As I read it I love the anticipation of what it is You have for me in the pages and words.  I read until something speaks to my spirit.  Sometimes it is vague and I have to reread, but when and if I pursue that thought that spoke to me it will become more clarified.  Sometimes I need to spend some time just thinking on it before I really get it.  Sometimes it is just a wonder, a question for me to think on.  I am at a bit of a loss for words to fully describe the complete process - but it is definitely a drawing in - drawing me closer to You, LORD God.  Thank you for that!

"None shall of these shall be missing" - I like how the Amplified states this.  "Not one of these [details of prophesy] shall fail."  So many doubt this - but I think that speaks to their lack of knowledge of Your Word, LORD God.  As I read it, comparing scripture to scripture,  and reading other scholarly works on the validity and reliability of the Bible  - I am constantly amazed as it truly is a miraculous  book!

"The entirety of Your word is truth, 

   And every one of  Your righteous judgments endures forever" (Psalm 119:160).

"Sanctify them by Your truth.

   Your word is truth" (John 17:17).

All scripture is given by inspiration of God,

   and is profitable for doctrine,

   for reproof,

   for correction,

   for instruction in righteousness,

   that the man of God may be complete,

   thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy3:16).

We must, we need to "seek and read" Your Word, LORD God!  For only then can we even begin to draw near to You, to have even an inkling of what we are about!

"Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom,

   teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,

   singing with grace in your hearts to the LORD.

And whatever you do in word or deed,

   do all in the name of the LORD Jesus, 

   giving thanks to God the Father through Him" (Colossians 3:16).

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

What Is It To Be Noble?

Reading:  Isaiah 32

My Verse:  "The fool will no more be called noble,

                      nor the scoundrel said to be honorable.

                    

                    For the fool speaks folly,

                      and his heart is busy with iniquity,

                    to practice ungodliness,

                    to utter error concerning the LORD,

                    to leave the craving of the hungry unsatisfied,

                       and to deprive the thirsty of drink.

                    As for the scoundrel - his devices are evil;

                       he plans wicked schemes

                    to ruin the poor with lying words,

                       even when the plea of the needy is right

                    But he who is noble plans noble things,
                       and on noble things he stands" (32:5-7)

Recently a respected police officer's secret life was exposed.  His death had shocked and upset his community, then the exposure of who he really was and the things he had done again shocked the community that thought him to be a noble man, only to find he was a scoundrel.  One wonders how many live a double life?  Trying desperately to appear to be "good" and yet secretly doing things that are either foolish or downright wicked.

The first part of this verse tells us "the fool will no more be called noble, nor the scoundrel said to be honorable."  You tell us in Your Word LORD God that in the end all will be exposed.  All the deeds done will come to light - your exposing, righteous light.

"For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open" (Luke 8:17)

The dictionary says a fool is "a silly or stupid person; a person who lacks judgement or sense."  You LORD God tell us here that a fool's heart is "busy with iniquity."  That to be "busy with iniquity" is to "practice ungodliness", "to utter error concerning the LORD", "to leave the craving of the hungry unsatisfied", and "to deprive the thirsty of drink."  It seems a fool lives a very careless, thoughtless life.

The scoundrel on the other hand lives intentionally - he knows exactly what he is about.  The dictionary states that a scoundrel is:  "an unprincipled, dishonorable person, villain." You, LORD God, tell us a scoundrel actually "plans wicked schemes" by lying to ruin those in need of help.        

From this we know what a noble person is not:  neither a fool nor a scoundrel.  How then is it possible that so many fools and scoundrels are mistaken by people to be noble like the police officer? Why are we so easily taken in by these characters?

This makes me think about how bankers are trained to know a real bill of currency - by constantly handling it, looking at it, feeling it, etc.  By knowing the real thing they will then know that which is fake.  And so it must be with me - I need to know You, LORD God.  You are all that is good and noble.  I need to know You in order to know what it is to be good and noble.  And to get to know You, I need to read and study Your world, talk to You, spend time with You!  I need to immerse myself in You!

I have heard people say they needed to figure out who they were - they needed to truly understand themselves.  I recall a quote, I think it was CSLewis, saying - and I paraphrase, "we need to be careful with the self searching as we will in that search find a self we do not like."  To those wanting a life that is noble - You, LORD God need to be the focus.  For it is only You who can enable us to live a noble life.  A life  that "plans noble things" and "on noble things stands."

It is a wonderful thing to know that You love fools and scoundrels.  You are willing to forgive them their waywardness and wipe away their sins "as far as the east is from the west" (Psalm 103:12).  With You we can find love and forgiveness and the ability to live the noble life  You would have us to live!

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Looking in the Wrong Places for Help!

Reading:  Isaiah 31
My Verse:  "Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help
                        and rely on horses,
                     who trust in chariots because they are many
                        and in horsemen because they are very strong,
                     but do not look to the Holy One of Israel
                        or consult the LORD!"   (31:1)



This reminds me how difficult it is to live a spiritual life!  As a young child I would often wonder if there was more to life than what I saw with my eyes and what I heard and felt.  I wanted so much for there to be more.  And yet as an adult I find myself wanting to rely on what I see before my eyes to be strong and beautiful; on articulate speech I hear to be wise and intriguing; and on what I can touch to be reassuring to my sense of reality or need for comfort.  What happened to that young child that longed for a spiritual world - reality?  What happened, that now as an adult I often struggle to keep my focus on You, LORD God?  For I do know this - that You are REAL.  You are my help!  (Psalm 48:1)

Here we are told "the Egyptians are man and not God" (v. 3)  You tell us - "Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal man, in whom there is no salvation" (Psalm 146:3)

Yet, the beautiful city is so appealing, alluring.  The beautiful strong horse and chariot, the capable looking horsemen draws me because I see them with my eyes, they are before me and I want so to rely on them.  You tell me “their horses are flesh, and not spirit.”   They can “stumble”, “fall”, and “perish.”

I  also know that I live in a fallen world.  A world that is ruled by Satan, the Deceiver(Revelation 12:9), the Father of Lies(John 8:44), the Destroyer (1 Peter 5:8).  He will do all he can to lead me astray, to make me want to rely on the wrong things, to look for help in all the wrong places!

You, LORD God, want only to bring me to safety within the shelter of Your wings, within the shelter of Your love.

“Like birds hovering, so the LORD of hosts

   will protect Jerusalem;

He will protect and deliver it;

   He will spare and rescue it.” (31:5)

I need to remember Who You are LORD God.  You are the Creator of all that is.  You created me, but You gave me a free will and I must constantly choose You.  I must each and every moment turn my eyes back to You.  John Piper has a wonderful sermon on his website desiringgod.org that tells us to “shift our focus”.  I like that and have been telling myself that as things pop up to turn me from You, LORD God.

Calvin Miller reminds us that we need God in our attempt to swim the river of life.  He says, “The current of that river is demanding, and swimming it requires all the strength we have.”

A.W. Tozer stated “Unnecessary burdens are crushing the life out of people every day. . . Civilization has not made our lot easier except in things pertaining to the body; the burdens of the heart are growing more numerous, and science has found no remedy.  The silky voice of the practitioner may sooth the mind for a time, but the disease is too deep to yield itself to such inadequate measures.”

“Cast your burden upon the LORD, and He shall sustain thee” (Psalm 55:22).

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

We Can Be Free From Bondage

Reading:  Isaiah 30
My Verse:  "He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry.  
                        as soon as he hears it, he answers you.  
                   And though the LORD give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, 
                       yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, 
                       but  your eyes shall see your Teacher.  
                  And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying.  
                       "This is the way, walk in it," 
                           when you turn to the right or 
                           when you turn to the left.  
                  Then you will defile your carved idols overlaid with silver and 
                       your gold-plated metal images.  
                  You will scatter them as unclean things.  
                  You will say to them, "Be gone!" (Isaiah 30: 19-22).

We are in bondage!  We are in bondage and many of us do not even realize it!  Living in a fallen world we are exposed to many things that were never meant to be.  How we react to those things determines whether we will be stronger and more able to deal with the next challenge or whether we will simply become more warped - sinking further and further into bondage.

Always loved this anonymous quote:

"Our lives are not determined by what happens to us but by how we react to what happens, not by what life brings to us, but by the attitude we bring to life.  A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events, and outcomes.  It is a catalyst, a spark that creates extraordinary results."

But, a most important factor is missing in this quote.  We need help!  We need Your help, LORD God!  We cannot get out of bondage without You shining Your beautiful cleansing and purifying light upon us, illuminating our very souls!

"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path" (Psalm 119:105).
"For it is You Who light my lamp, the LORD my God lightens my darkness" (Psalm 18:28).

From this passage I see three things happening.
First, we must cry out to You, LORD God of our own free will.
Then, You will give us the much needed guidance as to the way we must go.
It is only then, by following you, obeying You that we will finally be able to . . .
                  "defile your carved idols . . ."
                  "scatter them as unclean things"
                  "say to them, Be gone!"
It is only then that we can break free of the bondage of sin.

All of scripture points to this most important fact.  The fact that only through the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ, our LORD and Saviour can we break free from the terrible bondage of sin.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall have life"  (John 3:16).

Thank You for this LORD God.  Thank You for reminding me that I can be free of those "carved idols" those "unclean things."  I can say to them "Be gone!"

You will lighten and purify my mind, my soul, my life.  You will enable me to focus on what is good.

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things" (Philippians 4:8).

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Nothing Can Satisfy Our Deepest Longing

Reading: Isaiah 29
My Verse:  "As when a hungry man dreams, and behold, he is eating
                       and awakes with his hunger not satisfied,
                    or as when a thirsty man dreams, and behold, he is drinking
                       and awakes faint, with his thirst not quenched,
                    so shall the multitude of all the nations be
                       that fight against Mount Zion" (29:8).

How this speaks to us today!  We strive and strive for that something to ease the deep longing within our souls.  Neither religion, nor cultural traditions nor ethnicity, not even family can fill that void.  Some manage, for a time to quiet that inner need with various distractions, pleasures - but it just bubbles back to the surface of our awareness.  We hunger and thirst for something that nothing on this earth can satisfy.

Solomon, considered the wisest man to have ever lived spoke to this most eloquently.  He was given the gift of wisdom but he wanted to personally experience all the world had to offer.  Because of his great wealth he did, only to realize that nothing on this earth is a substitute for You, LORD God.  His writing is filled with wisdom but with a deep pathos.  Longing, regret and even despair haunt him.  

"What does man gain by all the toil

   at which he toils under the sun?

A generation goes, and a generation comes,

   but the earth remains forever.

The sun rises, and the sun goes down,

   and hastens to the place where it rises.

The wind blows to the south

   and goes around to the north;

around and around goes the wind,

   and on its circuits the wind returns.

All streams run to the sea,

   but the sea is not full;

to the place where the streams flow,

   there they flow again.

All things are full of weariness;

   a man cannot utter it;

the eye is not satisfied with seeing,

   nor the ear with hearing.

What has been is what will be,

   and what has been done is what will be done,

   and there is nothing new under the sun"  (Ecclesiastes 1:3-9)

His book of wisdom begins and ends with the despairing words . . . 

"Vanity of vanities, all is vanity"

You,  LORD God, offer grace.

"Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you . . ." (Isaiah 30:18).

I heard this wonderful truth:  The third act of creation was that of the image of God in man and woman.  The study of human beings is the realm of the human sciences.  Our bodies can be analyzed chemically and our living processes biologically, but human behavior can only really be understood in terms of our relation to God, whose image we share.

We want so much to "know" ourselves, but that as Solomon found is only vanity.   Blaise Pascal echoes Solomon with this:

"It is in vain, O men, that you seek within yourselves the cure of all your miseries.  All your insight only leads you to the knowledge that it is not in yourselves that you will discover the true and the good.  The philosophers promised them to you, and have not been able to keep their promise . . . Your principal maladies are pride, which cuts you off from God; sensuality, which binds you to the earth; and they have done nothing but foster as least one of these maladies.  If they have given you God for your object, it has only been to pander to your pride; they made you think that you were like Him and resembled Him by your nature.  And those who have grasped the vanity of such a pretension have cast you down into the other abyss by making you believe that your nature was like that of the beasts of the field, and have led you to seek your good in lust, which is the lot of animals." 

You, LORD God, offer peace.

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; not as the world gives. . ." (John 14:27). 

Only You, LORD God can satisfy the void within. 

"He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry.  As soon as He hears it, He answers you" (Isaiah 30:19).

Like David I must admit my neediness and cry out to You, for You only are my help.

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

The Drunkards of Ephraim!

Reading:  Isaiah 28
My Verse:  "Ah, the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim,
                      and the fading flower of its glorious beauty,
                      which is on the head of the rich valley of those overcome 
                         with wine!

                    Behold, the LORD has one who is mighty and strong;
                       like a storm of hail, a destroying tempest,
                       like a storm of mighty, overflowing waters,
                       he casts down to the earth with his hand.

                    The proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim
                       will be trodden underfoot;
                       and the fading flower of its glorious beauty,
                       . . . he swallows . . . (Isaiah 28:1-4)

What a reminder this is of the almighty power and sovereignty of You, LORD God.  Your discipline is sure and complete.  You do not turn Your eye from any sin, we are all accountable to You.  You are holy and mighty to save us from the bondage of sin even the proud and stubborn "drunkards of Ephraim."

 All of Your Word, LORD God speaks to this.  To this fact of Your holiness.  To this fact of our sin.  To this fact of the need for cleansing and purging.  For You, LORD God will not abide forever the sinfulness of man.

Yes, You are patient. (2 Peter 3:9)  But as is said in Ecclesiastes 3 there is a time for all things, and there will come that time when we need to account for ourselves;   if we do not confess and beg Your forgiveness, LORD God, for our waywardness there can be only one result.  You cannot abide sin and so all who reject You have to be punished and go to that awful place created not for man but for satan and his angels.  Those most awful words will then be spoken to those who continue to reject You.

"Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matthew 25:41).

Just read this wonderful testimony (How God turns a French atheist into a Christian theologian - My conversion story) of a French atheist.  It is incredibly beautiful to see how You, LORD God bring people to you!  Even those most unexpected!

If we seek You - if we seek Truth, we will find it.  You will respond to all who call on You.

"I sought the LORD, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears" (Psalm 34:4).

"The righteous cry, and the LORD hears, and delivers them from all their troubles" (Psalm 34:17).

"When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him" (Psalm 91:15.

"The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on Him in truth" (Psalm 145:18).

I love this next verse, it seems to indicate that You, LORD God read our very thoughts and start answering us even before we finish the asking!

"Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear" (Isaiah 65:24).

We do not need to be as the "drunkards of Ephraims" hanging onto our pride and past to the very end and dying without repentance and Your forgiveness and cleansing.  Thank You for this LORD God!

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Witless People

Reading:  Isaiah 27
My Verse:  "For this is a people without discernment;
                        therefore He who made them will not have compassion on them;
                        He who formed them will show them no favor" (Isaiah 27:11).

A reference note in the Amplified Bible said the dead sea scrolls used the term "witless people."  How incredibly sad this must make You, LORD God.  You created us to be these amazing beings.  And yet we have turned our backs on You and turned this beautiful world into a place of chaos, pain and confusion.  We live without understanding.

I heard a pastor speaking over a graveyard service.  He stated that the deceased was now in heaven, that place where we will all end up.  I remember hearing a mother speaking with such relief after her baby had been baptized, stating that now her child was "safe" and would go to heaven.  I remember at that time wondering where did she get that from?  What is the basis of this idea - this idea that everyone will go to heaven?

Your Word, the Bible LORD God is truth.

"The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever" (Psalm 119:160)

"The words of the LORD are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times" (Psalm 12:6).

"For the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ" (John 1:17).

In this Word, Your truth LORD God, You tell us there is only one way to heaven.

"I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father but through me" (John 14:6).

It is only through Jesus that we can enter heaven.  Jesus made it possible. (John 3:16)  This is truth.

Francis Schaffer says "Today not only in philosophy but in politics, government, and individual morality, our generation sees solutions in terms of synthesis and not absolutes.  When this happens, truth, as people have always thought of truth, has died."

What a tragedy!  This is what You, Jesus say to those who try to "work" their way into heaven, those who deny You as the only Savior.

"Many will say to Me on that day, LORD, LORD, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?  And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'"  (MATTHEW 7:22-23)

Your Word, LORD God, is perfect, sure, right, pure, clean and true.
Your Word, LORD God, revives the soul, makes wise the simple, rejoices the heart, enlightens the eyes, endures forever.
Your Word, LORD God, is to be desired more than gold.
Your Word, LORD God, is sweeter than honey. (Psalm 19)

It is through Your Word that you speak to me, to all who will take it up and read it.  Your Word is alive and sharper than any double-edged sword! (Hebrews 4:12)

We do not have to be "witless."  We do not have to be without understanding.  We do not have to be "without discernment."

Thank you, LORD God. for this lesson, this reminder to look to You for truth and understanding.

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Kept In Perfect Peace

Reading:  Isaiah 25,26
My Verse:  "You keep him in perfect peace 
                       whose mind is stayed on You,
                       because he trusts in You" (Isaiah 26:3).

Peace is that something we all strive for,  yet it always seems to be just out of our grasp.  Our world is not at peace.  Our country has much turmoil within.  Families are constantly in stress and breaking up.  The high rate of crime and suicide speaks to lack of inner peace for too many.  Yet here we are told that we can have this peace - "perfect peace."

The dictionary says "peace" is;
          freedom from warring with another nation,
          freedom from disharmony with another people group or culture,
          freedom from violence or disharmony within one's community,
          freedom from any kind of strife or dissension and finally,
          freedom of the mind from annoyance, distraction, anxiety, and obsession.

Many self help books are out there to tell us how to be happy, at peace.  Many psychiatrists, counseling therapists try to lead us to a peaceful state of mind.  Many religions offer peace.  There are even drugs made for this very purpose - a calmer, peaceful state of mind.  But there is no true peace in any of this, in anything the world has to offer.

Because we so desperately want peace, often we are easily lead astray in our striving of it.  Jeremiah. some 2600 years ago condemned those who offer peace as a bandaid when there really is not peace.

"They heal the wounds of my people lightly,
     saying, 'Peace, peace'
     when there is no peace" (Jeremiah 6:14).

You, LORD God tell us to seek peace.

"If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all" (Romans 12:18)
"Let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it" (1 Peter 3:11).
"Strive for peace with everyone . . ."(Hebrews 12:14).

But how do we get this perfect peace?  You say in this verse You keep those in peace
     "whose mind is stayed on You"  
     "because he trusts in You."

You say.  "For to set the mind on the flesh is death, 
                 but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace" (Romans 8:6).

You say:  "Great peace have those who love Your law . . ." (Psalm 119:165).

Oh, LORD God, to know that inner peace is possible is heartening, but how to get there is another thing.  You want us to give ourselves up totally to You. (Deuteronomy 6:5)  (Luke 10:27)

I need to to keep my mind on You.  You are to be ever before me in all that I do.  Please guide me in this today.  Help me to be devoted to You - allowing You to guide me in all my decisions, open up my understanding to Your Word, guard over my attitude and speech.

Your word is truth and if You say "perfect peace" is possible then it is.  This is hope.

"There is divinity that shapes our ends."  (Macbeth by Shakespeare as quoted by Oswald Chambers)

Thank You, for this lesson.

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!














   

Earth Staggers, Sways, Falls

Reading:  Isaiah 24
My Verse:  "The earth staggers like a drunken man;
                         it sways like a hut;
                    its transgression lies heavy upon it,
                         and it falls, and will not rise again.

                    On that day the LORD will punish
                         the host of heaven, in heaven,
                         and the kings of the earth, on the earth" (Isaiah 24:20,21).

This passage should bring us up short!  We should be at full attention!  Your Word, LORD God is truth and it stands forever!  What You say will come to pass.  All will pay for their transgressions.  That day is coming when all will stagger, sway and fall before You!

The language here is clear.

     "the LORD will empty the earth, and make it desolate,
        and he will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants"

     "the earth will be utterly empty and utterly plundered"

     "the earth mourns and withers
        the world languishes and withers
       
     " the earth lies defiled"

No one will escape this.

     "And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest;
           as with he slave, so with his master;
           as with the maid, so with her mistress;
           as with the buyer, so with the seller;
           as with the lender, so with the borrower;
           as with the creditor, so with the debtor" (Isaiah 24:2).

All this will happen because . . .

     "they have transgressed the laws,
                       violated the statutes,
                       broken the everlasting covenant" (Isaiah 24:5).

The only way to escape this judgement is to believe on You, LORD God.  To accept the gift of salvation made possible through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  (John 3:16)

We do not need to "stagger, sway and fall."
Instead we can rejoice on that day when You come!

Ditat Deus- God Enriches!

Who Has Purposed This?

Reading Isaiah 22 - 23
My Verse:  "Who has purposed this
                       against Tyre, the bestower of crowns,
                    Whose merchants were princes,
                       whose traders were the honored of the earth?

                    The LORD of hosts has purposed it,
                       to defile the pompous pride of all glory,
                       to dishonor all the honored of the earth" (Isaiah 23:8,9).

This is an incredible passage!  Especially in light of what follows in verse 17.

"At the end of seventy years, the LORD will visit Tyre, and she will return to her wages and will prostitute herself (resume her commerce) with all the kingdoms of the world on the face of the earth.  Her merchandise will supply abundant food and fine clothing for those who dwell before the LORD."

This is history!  The Amplified Bible includes this footnote for this passage.

"This whole prophecy (Isa. 23:14-18) was literally fulfilled in following centuries.  Tyre was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar in 572 B.C. and lay desolate for seventy years.  The new city built on the island was taken by Alexander the Great in 332 B.C. . . Eventually the true religion prevailed at Tyre.  Jesus visited there ( Matt. 15:21) and so did Paul (Acts 21:3-6.  Eusebius (Hist. 10:4) says that "when the church of God was founded in Tyre . . . much of its wealth was consecrated to God. . . and was presented for the support of the ministry."  Jerome, also writing in the fourth century A.D. says that the wealth of the churches of Tyre "was not treasured up or hidden but was given to those who dwelt before the LORD."

LORD God, You are God of the universe!  Yes, You have given man free will and we do make decisions of our own - sadly more often than not in disobedience to You - but, what you purpose is what matters in the end.  For that is what will come to be.

All our plans - if they are formed excluding You - will come to naught!

"For He spoke, and it was done;
 He commanded, and it stood fast.

The LORD nullifies the counsel of the nations;
He frustrates the plans of the peoples.

The counsel of the LORD stands forever,
The plan of His heart from generation to generation . . ." (Psalm 33:9-11).

"Many are the plans in the mind of a man,
     but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand"  (Proverbs 19:21).

Thank You, LORD God for this lesson of Your sovereignty and majesty!  I need not fret so about world affairs because in the end it is what You purpose that will come to be!  The pompous, evil and prideful will answer to You.

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Fleeing From War

Reading:  Isaiah 18-21
My Verse:  "For they have fled from the swords,
                      from the drawn sword,
                    from the bent bow,
                       and from the press of battle" (Isaiah 21:15).

Isaiah wrote these words around 700 B.C., over 2700 years ago!  And yet this very thing is happening today.  War still is so very much a part of our lives - it is constantly in the news.  The mass exodus of people fleeing across the Mediterranean are fleeing from their war-torn countries.  They are fleeing "from the press of battle."

This is not what You, LORD God meant for us when You created us and this beautiful planet. You created us to bring glory to You! (Psalm 100:2-3)  You created us to be in relationship with You and with others.  But this is where we have fallen so far.  We are basically relationship breakers!

First, relationship was broken with You by Adam and Eve through disobedience.  From then on relationships are continually being broken:  friend with friend, husband and wife, families, churches, communities, countries . . . to the incredible mess we have in our world today.

Some of the saddest words in the Bible are in  Genesis 6:6

     "And the LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart."

You, LORD God wanted to simply blot man out of existence!

     "I will destroy, blot out, and wipe away mankind, whom I have created from the face of the ground - not only man, but the beasts and the creeping things and the birds of air - for it grieves Me and makes Me regretful that I have made them" (Genesis 6:7).

How incredible and yet because of one man, Noah, you stayed Your hand, You relented.

And here we are today, it seems even worse than in Noah's day.  I look at all the pain and suffering caused by man's disobedience.  I wonder how much longer can this continue?  How much stress and anguish can man endure?  How much longer will You LORD God wait?

And yet, LORD God, You are good.  (Psalm 136:1)
                                    You are love.  (I John 4:8)
                                    You are truth.  (Psalm 33:4)
                                    You are order.  (I Corinthians 14:33)
                                    You are just.  (2 Thessalonians 1:16)
                                    You are holy.  (I Peter 1:16)

You tell us in Revelation 21:4.
 
     "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

This is hard to comprehend and yet Your Word is truth and all that You say in it will come to pass.  And because you are good, love, truth, orderly, just and holy - You will not tolerate the madness on this earth much longer.  You will liberate us from the chaos of disobedience to You.

Only You can liberate us from the perils of war.  We need to flee to You, for it is only in You that we can find salvation! (Matthew 18:11)

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

So Shall It Be!

Reading:  Isaiah 14 -17
My Verse:  "The LORD of hosts has sworn:
                      "As I have planned,
                         so shall it be,
                    and as I have purposed,
                         so shall it stand"  (Isaiah 14:24).


 This is such an amazing section of scripture!  Here Isaiah foretells the devastating destruction of nations and cities -
   
     Babylon:  "I will rise up against them,' declares the LORD of hosts, "and will cut off from Babylon name and "remnant," "descendants and posterity," declares the LORD.  And I will make it a possession of the hedgehog, and pools of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction," declares the LORD of hosts. (Isaiah 12:21,22).

     Assyria:  "that I will break the Assyrian in my land,
                         and on my mountains trample him underfoot" (Isaiah 14:25)

     Philistia:  "Wail, O gate; cry out, O city;
                        melt in fear, O Philistine, all of you!
                      For smoke comes out of the north,
                        and there is no straggler in his ranks." (Isaiah 14:29).

     Moab:  "An oracle concerning Moab.
                  Because Ar of Moab is laid waste in a night,
                      Moab is undone. . . "  (Isaiah 15:1

     Damascus:  "Behold Damascus will cease to be a city
                              and will become a heap of ruins" (Isaiah 17:1)

Isaiah did not rejoice in these predictions.  Instead he wept.

"Therefore my inner parts moan like a lyre for Moab. . ." Isaiah 17:11).

  What You say LORD God stands.  Isaiah had no doubt that these things would happen and he wept for the people.  You, LORD God will not be mocked.  The things happening in our nation show a continual denial of You, it seems we are following in the path of these doomed nations.  Yes, there are many wonderful things happening - supposedly advancements in our lives.  And yet if we forget from whence it all comes, we will pay!  For You destroyed those nations because they forgot You!                      
                   
"For you have forgotten the God of your salvation 
     and have not remembered the Rock of your refuge;
therefore, though you plant pleasant plants
     and sow the vine-branch of a stranger,
though you make them grow on the day that you plant them.
     and make them blossom in the morning that you sow,
yet the harvest will flee away
     in a day of grief and incurable pain" (Isaiah 17:10,11).

Help me to be faithful in prayer for our nation, for our leaders.  For it is only You, LORD God in which all that exists is held together! (Colossians 1:17)

Your Word is Truth and what You, LORD God say shall stand!

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

The Time of Reckoning Will Come . . .

Reading:  Isaiah 12,13
My Verse:  "I will punish the world for its evil,
                        and the wicked for their iniquity;
                    I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant,
                        and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless" (Isaiah 13:11)

Oh, LORD God, how I need to keep this thought before me!  All of earth lives in "time" - we cannot escape it.  Ecclesiastes 3 tells us there is a time for everything. Too many live their lives as if there will always be a tomorrow - putting off decisions that need to be dealt with today!  I love this quote from CS Lewis.  "The future is something which everyone reaches at the rate of sixty minutes an hour, whatever he does, whoever he is."  You, LORD God control time - man can do nothing to change that.  You, LORD God will deal with the evil done in this world in Your time.  All will answer to You - that is a fact. (Romans 14:12)  That is inevitable!  A time of reckoning will come!

Just listened to this wonderful sermon by Ravi Zacharias titled "Let My People Think: Recapture the Wonder."  Not only is he amazing to listen to but he challenges me to think - truly think! Of what it means to belong to You LORD God!  Of what it means to be human.

He tells this tragic story of a woman whose husband was a very successful physician, totally dedicated to his work, very wealthy, with wife and children and the gratitude and adoration of all those around him - yet one night he took his own life.  She is left to wonder why?  Ravi went on to say. . .

"despair is not just a moment but it is a way of life . . .
     it is true often of the most wealthy."

He states the reason for despair is the loss of our belief in the transcendent, our loss of the ability to be awed by wonder.

"We've lost our belief in the transcendent because we have lost our gratitude.  
   You lose your sense of wonder, You lose your sense of gratitude"

I looked out my window as I was listening to this and there the beautiful brilliant red roses were pressed up against the window!  I found myself smiling and thanking You, LORD God for the beauty and wonder of a red rose.  Thank You for giving me that moment!

Yes, a time of reckoning is coming . . .
   
     "its time is close at hand
          and its days will not be prolonged." (Isaiah 13:22b)

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

God's Spirit Rested Upon Jesus!

Reading:  Isaiah 11
My Verse:  "And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him,
                        the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
                        the Spirit of counsel and might,
                        the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD."  (Isaiah 11:2)

This is so beautiful, LORD God.  That this was said of Jesus, our Messiah and Savior, Who was Your beloved son and God like You!  Your Spirit rests upon Him . . . Jesus.

"the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him"  - so amazing this prediction!  Matthew 3:16, 17 speaks of the actual physical event!

     "And when Jesus was baptized He went up at once out of the water and behold, the heavens were opened and he [John] saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on Him. And behold, a voice from heaven said, This is My Son, My Beloved, in Whom I delight!"

"the Spirit of wisdom and understanding"  - Jesus was to be and is wisdom and understanding itself.  I can rest assured that all that He does is done out of Love and compassion for all of humanity.

"the Spirit of counsel and might" - Jesus alone can carry out Your wise plans LORD God.  Job echoes this in Job 12:13.

                  "With God are wisdom and might;
                       he has counsel and understanding."

"the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD" - like how the Amplified Bible clarifies "fear."  It is "the reverential and obedient fear of the LORD."  I have always wondered at this - that even Jesus needed this kind of fear, how much more do I need it!

Psalm  14 speaks to this so powerfully.

     "The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." . . . 

      The LORD looks down from heaven on the children of man,
           to see if there are any who understand,
           who seek after God.
      They have all turned aside; together they 
           have become corrupt; . . .

     Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers
          who eat up my people as they eat bread
          and do not call upon the LORD?"

In Matthew 4:19 You tell us "Come, follow after me,"  How do I do this?  Matthew 11:28 tells me to rest in You, and You will give me rest! Again, how do I do this LORD God?

This is a hard thing to understand.  Perhaps I go at it wrongly?  Oh, LORD God, am I trying to trust in my own ability to grasp this instead of allowing You to enable me?  I love how Oswald Chambers addresses this.

     "The one marvelous secret of a holy life lies not in imitating Jesus, but in letting the perfections of Jesus manifest themselves in my mortal flesh. Sanctification is "Christ in you."  It is His wonderful life that is imparted by faith as a sovereign gift of God's grace.  Am I willing for God to make sanctification as real in me as it is in His word?
     Sanctification means the impartation of the qualities of Jesus Christ.
         It is His patience,
                His love,
                His holiness,
                His faith,
                His purity,
                His godliness, that is manifested in Him, and He manifests it in me.
     Sanctification is an impartation, not an imitation.  Imitating is on a different line.
     In Jesus Christ is the perfection of everything, and the mystery of sanctification is that all perfections of Jesus are at my disposal,
          and slowly and surely I begin to live a life 
          of ineffable order and sanity and holiness; 
          "Kept by the power of God."  -from "The Utmost for His Highest"

Help me LORD God to allow Your Spirit to "rest" upon me!

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Woe To Those Who . . .

Reading:  Isaiah 10
My Verse:  "Woe to those who decree iniquitous decrees
                         and to writers who keep writing oppression,
                    to turn aside the needy from justice
                         and to rob the poor of my people of their right,
                    that widows may be their spoil,
                         and that they may make the fatherless their prey!"  (Isaiah 10:1, 2)

I have seen numerous articles of late that expose this very thing.  While it is despicable to enrich one's self off the unfortunate situation of others, yet it seems many do this very thing, in so many ways - some even appear legit.  But, You, LORD God know the hearts of all those that do this awful thing - taking advantage of the down and out!

"The LORD knows all human plans; He knows that they are futile" (Psalm 94:11).

The first woe speaks to corrupt judges; judges who issue judgements that favor those that pay them off in money or favors.  They will pay dearly on judgement day!  Woe to them!

The second - "writers who keep writing oppression" are those magistrates that keep doing the same sort of thing, making oppressive decisions on the most needy for their own personal gain.  Woe to these corrupt leaders!

They do not meet the needs of those most in need of justice.  They do what will benefit themselves instead of dealing with rightful claims made by the poor.  They gain from the widows misfortune.  They do what is most despicable by making the children without fathers their prey!  These verses paint them as monsters of society!  LORD God, You will make them answer for their self-centered behavior.

Verse 3 states clearly and ominously what will happen to these corrupt judges and magistrates.

"And what will you do  in the day of visitation [of God's wrath], 
     and in the desolation which shall come from afar?
To whom will you flee for help?
     And where will you deposit [for safekeeping] your wealth
and with whom leave your glory?"

You tell us, LORD God to make this life you have gifted us with to count.  (Psalm 90:12)

We all must answer to You, LORD God.

"For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil" (2 Corinthians 5:10).

"And no creature is hidden from His sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to Whom we must give account" (Hebrews 4:13).

LORD God, I pray for those in leadership positions.  I pray they seek out You and Your wisdom in all they do, that they not have to face the dreadful wrath of Your Pure and Good judgement.  For You will not be scorned and You will not abide evil.

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

"To Us A Child Is Born!"

Reading:  Isaiah 9
My Verse:  "For to us a child is born,
                        to us a son is given;
                    and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
                    and His name shall be called
                         Wonderful Counselor,
                         Mighty God,
                         Everlasting Father,
                         Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6).

This is like, Wow!  Gives me chills!  So amazing!  As a child I would wonder if there was more to this world than what I saw with my eyes!  And there is!  And, You LORD God oversee it all!  This prediction occurred hundreds of years before it happened!  This little phrase "For to us a child is born" speaks to the incredible wonders of our universe!

Ephesians 6:12 points to these wonders!  "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."  Does this not speak to the fascination the greater public has with all those dark movies about ghosts, spirits, and strange powers?  Few would acknowledge the truth of this but the spiritual world is very real.  We ourselves are not just flesh and blood! (Luke 10:27)

Daniel 10 addresses this as well.  "And behold a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees.  And he said to me, "O Daniel, man greatly loved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for now I have been sent to you."  And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling.  Then he said to me, "Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words.  The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael one of the chief princes, came to help me. for I was left there with the kings of Persia, and came to make you understand what is to happen to your people in the latter day.  For the vision is for days yet to come."

The passage tells us so many things; God uses angels to speak to us, there is a hierarchy within the angelic realm, the dark spiritual "kings" are powerful, but mostly that You only,  LORD God are;  omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient!

Many think that becoming a follower of You, LORD God means shutting our minds to our world, to what is happening.  But really a veil is removed from our minds, our spirits are quickened and we are awakened to see more clearly what is really happening.

Our universe is far more complex and vast than we know.

"Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable his judgements, and his paths beyond tracing out" (Romans 11:33).

"Many, LORD my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us" (Psalm 40:5).

"How great are your works, LORD, how profound your thoughts! (Psalm 92:5).

Yes, that tiny phrase "to us a child is born" holds a vast deep knowledge, so incredibly full of love, we cannot begin to fully understand - but we can be ever so thankful to You, LORD God, for sending that child - Jesus.

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!


                 

It Shall Not Stand!

It Shall Not Stand!

Reading:  Isaiah 7,8
My Verse:  "Thus says the Lord GOD:
                          "'It shall not stand,
                            and it shall not come to pass" (Isaiah 7:7).

Love these words, this promise!  I know it was specifically spoken long ago to Ahaz, King of Judah.  Thing is - it all came to pass as You, LORD God said it would.  This is a beautiful, powerful example of Your Almighty love and power.  When You tell us something "shall not stand" or "shall not come to pass" we can be sure that it will not!

Your word is replete with such examples!  Dr. Hugh Ross lists some amazing biblical prophecies that have come true to the letter!  See the article "Fulfilled Prophecy: Evidence for the Reliability of the Bible". August 22, 2003. By Dr. Hugh Ross  This  article can be found at reasons.org.

The article tells of Daniel's amazingly detailed predictions.  It speaks of the prophecy in Micah 5:2 - written some 700 years before the event occurred that Jesus would be born In Bethlehem!  Zachariah 11:12-13 speaks of the fact that Jesus would be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver. And there are so many more.

We can be assured that Your Word is indeed truth!

It is written for our edification and that we might know You!

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness…”  (2 Tim 3:16).

“For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”  (Romans 15:4).

"But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name" (John 20:31).

Thank You, LORD God for this lesson on how reliable Your word the Bible is!  On it I can - I must stand!  For . . .

      If you are not firm in faith,
           you will not be firm at all.'"  - Isaiah 7:9

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Dull Hard Hearts!

Dull and Hard Hearts!

Reading:  Isaiah 6

My Verse:  "'Keep on hearing, but do not understand; 

                    keep on seeing, but do not perceive.

                    Make the heart of this people dull, 

                        and their ears heavy, 

                        and blind their eyes; 

                    lest they see with their eyes, 

                         and hear with their ears, 

                         and understand with their hearts, 

                         and turn and be healed."  - Isaiah 6:9,10

This has always been a difficult passage for me to read.  Before I fully understood it, the words frightened me.  I thought You, LORD God actually blinded some people to You.  I realize now that this isn't so.  This is what happens when people keep refusing You, like Pharaoh they harden their own hearts to you!

It still frightens me when I think of the many loved ones that continue to deny you.  For the longer they deny You, they are making it ever harder for themselves to see the truth of You, LORD God!

"I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me; 

 I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me.

 I said, "Here I am, here I am," to a nation that was not called by my name.  

I spread out my hands all the day to a rebellious people, 

   who walk in a way that is not good, 

   following their own devices;  

a people who provoke me to my face continually . . . "  - Isaiah 65:1-3

Oh, LORD God,  I pray for the many loved ones that they realize the truth of You and submit themselves to You!  

For You alone are good.  "And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone" - Mark 10:18.

You alone can save.  "Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me"- John 14:6.

You, LORD God, love us so much that You gave your only son, Jesus, as the ultimate sacrifice to save us.  "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life"- John 3:16.

You want to replace our dull hard hearts with a new heart.  "And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart" (Ezekiel 36:26).  

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!