Don't Forget

Deuteronomy 4:9-10  "Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them. ¹⁰ Remember the day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, when he said to me, “Assemble the people before me to hear my words so that they may learn to revere me as long as they live in the land and may teach them to their children.”

God tells us to be careful not to forget what we have seen and heard. We need to remind ourselves from time to time what God has said or done. We can do this by keeping a journal. We can do this by talking with others what God has said to us and done for us in the past. It is good every opportunity we have to talk Christ. When we meet someone, we talk about what they have done or doing and what we have done or doing, but we often forget to talk about what Christ has done or doing. 

Why is that? Is it because God hasn't or isn't doing anything in our lives? Do we feel it is a personal thing? Are we afraid of making the other persons uncomfortable? Do we feel it is abnormal or out of place? Is it a false humility? Maybe, it is because we already forgot what God has done or don't recognize what is  doing? I know in my own life, all these at one time or another plays a factor in me not talking with others about Christ. 

This passage goes one step further and tells us we are to make known to our children what God has taught us and done in us and for us. Many times a father or mother will tell stories from the past. They talk about events in the past. They will tell their children, when I was growing up my father did this or told me this. Yet, how often in these conversations do we tell our children a story of what God did in our lives or share spiritual events in our lives? Do we share with our child what we have learned from the Lord? I believe many a child raised in a Christian home hears very little such talk. I believe this is a contributing factor that causes so many of these children to be ignorant of God's ways and not grow up serving the Lord.

Lord help us not  to forget and let others not forget your ways.

The Same Mindset as Christ

Philippians chapter two is a great chapter and I would like to reflect on some of the key verses in the passage.

2:3-7 - "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, ⁴ not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.⁵ In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: ⁶ Who, being in very nature God,  did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; ⁷ rather, he made himself nothing  by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness."

There is a lot of talk about equality today. Yes, we are all equal before God, but we are not to use this to our advantage. We are valued by God, but we are to value others above ourselves. We are not to look to our own interests but to the interests of others. We are to make ourselves nothing.

This verse flies in the face of our self centered and individualistic society. These words go against the sinful nature and the flesh of man. Pride stands in the way. Some of us may have attained these verses in relation to those we love, but what about those who hate us. I have been reading the book Voice of the Martyrs. There are numerous examples of these verses being played out in the lives of those being martyred for Christ. When we as a church get a hold of this verse, there will no longer be any jealousy, back biting, anger, or hate. The social, physical and spiritual needs of all would be met.This verse in practice would probably resolve almost every problem in the local church today.

2:9 - "Therefore God exalted him to the highest place  and gave him the name that is above every name"

If we take this attitude of Christ, we will be exalted by Christ. Let us not seek to exalt ourselves, but exalt others. Christ became poor that we might be rich. Christ made himself nothing that we would become something in him.

We hear often how it is important that we have a good self-image. Yet, the Bible teaches that we are not to have any self-image whether good or bad. We are only to have a Christ image. If we have a Christ image, we will have a right image of ourselves. 

Psalms 103

This is a great Psalms that describes God's great love and compassion. The Psalmist commands himself to praise the Lord. Sometimes, we don't feel like praising God. We then must command ourselves. We must encourage ourselves by reflecting on his goodness and faithfulness. This is what David is doing here.

David speaks of the benefits of being God's child. Our sins are forgiven. He heals us. He has redeemed us from certain destruction. He crowns us with love and compassion. He gives us the good desires of our heart to renew our spirits. He reveal himself to us. He is slow to anger, and his anger is not forever. He does not treat us as our sins deserve. He understands our frailness.

Truly, we have many reasons to praise the Lord. There is none like him.

A Little Becomes Much

2 Kings 4:1-7 - "The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the LORD. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.” ² Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” “Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.”
³ Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. ⁴ Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.” ⁵ She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. ⁶ When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.” But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing. ⁷ She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.”

Here is a widow of a prophet who is destitute and Elisha comes to her aid. The first thing I see here is that she asked for help. She asked help from someone she knew and someone she knew could help her. When we are in trouble the first thing we must do is seek help. God wants to use your brother or sister to help you in your time of need. Don't be ashamed or hide your need. Yes, God is the first person we should go to, but often God wants to meet your need through others.

Secondly, we see God uses the little we have. God doesn't need much to make a miracle happen in our lives. He can take the little we have and make much out of it. It may be the little faith, the little ability, the little possessions, the little desire or dream, or the little ministry. 

Yet, for God to use the little we have, there are certain things we must do. We must be honest about our situation as the widow in this story. We must recognize what we have, a little oil. We must be obedient to the word of the Lord. Her obedience came out faith. If she didn't have faith she would never have gone around asking for empty jars. She stepped out on faith and used the little she had. James says, faith without actions is dead. God wants us to participate in our provision. When all the jars were full, she went back to the man of God, and asked for further direction. We must continually go back to the Lord for guidance on the way. We can't live on old bread (Word of the Lord).

Finally, we see the widow woman prepared for the provision of God. God wants to meet your need, but sometimes we or God need to prepare us for the provision.

Fear Not

Isaiah 43:1-2 - " But now, this is what the LORD says— he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;  I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
² When you pass through the waters,  I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers,  they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire,  you will not be burned;  the flames will not set you ablaze"

Many times in God's scripture he tells us not to fear. Here he gives four reasons. He has redeem us; He knows our name; we are His; He is with us; and he will protect us. Since he has redeemed us, we are his. Since we are his, no other person or thing has any rights on us, no power over us. He knows our name. This means he know us. He knows our thoughts, desires, and feelings. He understands us completely. He is with us. We are never alone nor forgotten by him. He is fully aware of where you are at all times. You are never out of his sight. Finally we are protected. He never promised that there wouldn't hard times or troubles, but he has promised to deliver us from them all.

When he says we will pass through the rivers and they will not sweep us away, I think of the people of Israel walking on dry ground through the Red Sea and Jordan river. When he talks of the fire not harming us, I think of Shadrac, Mishac, and Abednego in the fiery furnace.

Be encouraged this day.

The O.T. & N.T. God Are The Same

I think many of us in the back of our mind, we think the God of the O.T. is not the same God of the N.T. or if he is the same God he has changed in some way. Many people think that God of the O.T. is the God of judgment. The God of the big stick. They say the O.T. was the dispensation of the law and the N.T. is the dispensation of grace. I am not against the dispensation theology, but I am against using the dispensation theology to show how God and his work has changed. God's work is dependent on his character, and the two can not oppose one another.

Exodus 31:6-7 - "And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, ⁷ maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”

When we look at this verse we see the fulness of God's character, he is a loving God and a holy God who hates sin. This is the God of the O.T. & N.T. We see God in the O.T. as well as N.T. is a compassionate, gracious, loving and faithful God.  Yet, God hates sin and will punish the sinner. Yet, God of both testaments is a loving God and his love is greater than his judgment.

Exodus 20:5-6 - "You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, ⁶ but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments."

In this verse we see that God requires all to worship him, if not they will be punished to the fourth generation of those who hate him. Yet, we see too that God's love is greater because he will show his love to a thousand generations of those who love him. God's wrath is for a moment, but his love is forever. This is the God of the Bible, our God.

God's Timing

Exodus 23:29-20 - "But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals too numerous for you. ³⁰ Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land."

As I was meditating on this verse, the Lord showed me that sometimes we are in hurry to attain the goals we have set for ourselves. Also, God has given us promises, and we may be in a hurry to see them accomplished.

God had promised the people of Israel the whole land of Canaan, but not in a single year. God knew what they could handle. God knew they could to drive everyone out in a single year, but not able to keep control of it or care for it. God knows how much we can handle and what is best for us. God is always on time. We usually don't see the whole picture.

Abraham had Ishmael with Sarah's servant because he didn't see the whole picture. It wasn't a lack of faith on his part, but a lack of understanding. Often we plow ahead in our own strength and understanding, when it is not God's timing or way.

Many are wanting bigger ministries, higher positions, more money, faster results, and greater success. Yet, you may not be ready for these things. The time may not be right. God may have to a work in you first. There are certain things God is preparing and putting in place. God prophesied hundreds of years before Christ's coming that he would come and save us, but the timing wasn't right. If you look at when Christ came, it was the ideal time. There was not better time in history to establish His church.

So if today, you are getting impatient, maybe even discouraged, don't. God hasn't forgotten His promises, nor has he forgotten you. He is in full control, and knows what is best.

Grumbling

Exodus 16:8 - "Moses also said, “You will know that it was the LORD when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the LORD.”

In this passage the people have been recently delivered from Egypt and are now in the desert and they were grumbling against Moses and Aaron and how they were brought out into the desert to die. We see in this verse that Moses said that they weren't grumbling not against them, but against God.

If you ask a believer, do they grumble against God? I would say that most would say no. We may grumble about people or grumble because of the circumstances, but while in actuality, we are grumbling against God. We are directing our complaining against a person or some circumstance, but indirectly we are saying to God, we are not pleased with you.We are not pleased with the lot you have given us in life.

As well we need to take extra precautions not to complain about the leadership that God has put over us. We see that God often judged the people hard for their grumbling and rebellion against their leadership. God does not take grumbling lightly.

The Bible exhorts us to rejoice always. (Philippians 4:4)

Amnesia

 Exodus 14:10-12 - "As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the LORD. ¹¹ They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? ¹² Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”

How easily we forget God's power, and what he has done for us. God showed his mighty power in Egypt and delivered them from slavery. He not only delivered them, but caused the Egyptians to give them goods and weapons. Yet, the minute they saw trouble, they turned on God.

How often do we do the same thing. We might not be as radical in our statements as the people of Israel, but none the less, we have amnesia about all that God has done for us. As result, we panic and scurry about in a frenzy, often trying to resolve the problem on our own. The seeming immediate doom blinds us to God's love, grace, mercy and power.

Lord help us in those times to calm our minds and hearts and rest in your faithfulness.

The Shortest Way is not always the Best Way.

Exodus 13:17-18 - "When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea.The Israelites went up out of Egypt ready for battle."

The shortest route to our destination or goal is not always the best.
The people of Israel were not ready for the fight, even though they were armed for battle. God knows what we can handle, and protects us from ourselves. He sometimes takes us the long way and seemingly more difficult way to prepare us for more difficult times and ready us for what he has in store for us. God has his perfect timing and plan for our lives. We need to seek the road he would have us travel to avoid the pitfalls of life.

Israel was clothed had the weapons of this world as they left Egypt, but God wanted to equip them with spiritual weapons such as obedience, righteousness and faith. 

Love in Action

I John 3:11-20 talks about love in action. We are not to love in word only, but show our love by our actions. Love is much talked about, but little seen. The action God requires of us as believers is to lay down our lives for others. Ouch! Most of us are ready to lay down our lives for our family, but not those outside of the family.

The Bible clearly shows us that we have greater family which is the family of Christ. We are not to put any less value on them than we do our own flesh and blood family. Christ valued us so much that he died for us. Everyone is precious in God's sight. John goes even farther to say that those who don't love as Christ loved are not His children. We are still dead in our sin. Wow! Of course, don't forget, if you hate a member of Christ family, you are murderer. These are hard statements.

Examine your heart and actions today. How do you measure on a scale 1 to 10? How would others measure you on a scale 1 to 10?

Lord fill us with your love this day. We can not do it on our own.

Faithfulness

Proverbs 20:6 - "Many a man claims to have unfailing love, but a faithful man who can find?"

Faithfulness is truly a rarity these days. God is seeking those who are faithful. I believe that faithfulness is one of the highest qualities of Christian character. Yet, it is not talked about much.

It is interesting to see that this verse talks about unfailing love before it goes into faithfulness. This is because faithfulness come out of love for God and others. Our steadfast commitment to God comes out of our love, therefore, our lack of faithfulness towards him and others show our lack of love for Him. In the same way our lack of faithfulness in relation to others shows our lack of love for that person or persons.

Now there is a faithfulness that does not come from love. This faithfulness comes from a sense of duty or obligation. This kind of faithfulness can be strong, but never as strong as the faithfulness that comes out of love.

God call us to love him and others;therefore, he calls us to faithfulness in all that we do. Are we faithful to our family? Are we faithful to the church? Are we faithful in the work place?

We need to say the prayer of David in Psalms 86:11 - "Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name."

God Chaser

What are you seeking from the Lord today? The Bible says God loves to give us the desires of our heart, but sometimes God is waiting to see how much we desire it and if we trust Him to meet our desires. Do you really and truly believe God can meet your need, then show it by your actions. Sometimes it is only through perseverance and persistence we obtain our goal.
Let us look at some examples in God's word.
The first would be the woman who was subject to bleeding for twelve years in Mark 5:24-34. Jesus was passing by with a crowd of people around him, pressed up against him. The woman thought if only I could touch his cloak I will be healed. She pressed through the crowd until she was able to reach out and touch his cloak. She was them immediately healed. When Jesus discovered who had done this, he said your faith has healed you. What if the woman had not been determined to touch Jesus? She would have never been healed.
Another example is the paralytic man in Mark 2:1-12. Here Jesus is doing a teaching session in someones home and the room where he was teaching was full and running out of the door. Full to the extent that a person couldn't even squeeze by someone to get to Jesus. Note this was not a healing service. Of course this didn't bother the paralytic man and his four helpers. They were determined to see Jesus and be healed by him. No one or nothing was going to stand in their way. Jesus was in their home town and they weren't going to pass up this opportunity.Therefore, they went onto the roof of the room, dug a hole through the roof and let down the paralytic man on his stretcher to be healed. As we know he was healed. Not only healed, but his sins were forgiven. The man was healed physically and spiritually.
Whatever your need may be today don't let doubt, the crowd or lack of persistence hinder you from receiving what God desires to give you.