a child of god
this is the way, run in it
In God’s kingdom, all are included who believe in Jesus. Reading in 2 Kings chapter 23 today about how King Josiah, after his heart was pricked by the reading out loud of the Word of God to him by the scribe Shaphan, when they rediscovered the book of the law in the temple, Josiah gathered all the people together to hear it, too. And the word says, both small and great were gathered, all the people.
This is set me to thinking how all are included in God’s family, who belong to Him. It doesn’t matter whether we are considered great or small. Yet we, like the disciples, are always jockeying for position. We want to know who is the greatest among us, who is the top dog, who has the power and to whom we will look up. The answer to that should be God Himself! He is no respecter of persons, and by that I mean, he isn’t impressed with whether we have a title or are considered a big shot. God is impressed and pleased with faithfulness and humility, and whether we look to Him or not. Sometimes He gives us tasks to do. But the measure of the task shouldn’t be whether we can pull it off, it should be whether we believe that God will pull it off if He asks us to do it. We are simply His servants, vessels to be used. Sometimes, God will have one task for a person to do in his lifetime; the rest of that life is simply living faithfully a life that pleases God and blesses those around us. Other times, God may have multiple tasks for someone to do. God uses whom He pleases. And in the end, when it’s all over and Jesus comes back for His people, we all get to go, regardless of how God used us during our lifetime. He is interested in whether we make ourselves and our hearts available for Him to use, but that can only be done effectively with a humble heart that doesn’t worry about prestige and rank. May we be found faithful, our hearts tender to His Word and focused on Him.
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I love the book of Malachi. It's the last book in the Old Testament, and it was written by the prophet Malachi under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God. This book burned in my heart for a year, from 14th November 2012. I still remember how that whole year I kept going back to it because it just gripped my heart, and I knew that it was important that year, that God was flagging it up to me as important. So I prayed into it and read it, spent time with the book and The Lord. And it is on my read-through-the-Bible program today.
Malachi had a difficult message to give to the people of God as it was mostly a critique of their lazy and dishonoring worship of God. Instead of honoring The Lord from the first of their produce and giving Him the best they had, they were just giving God the offerings and time they didn't want or wouldn't miss. Even the priests weren't doing their jobs right. Instead of bringing to the people true instruction and knowledge of God, they were calling bad things good, and good things bad. There were a remnant who honored and respected God. Here's what He said about them, "then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and esteem His name. "And they will be Mine", says the LORD of hosts, "on the day that I prepare My own possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him." And Malachi then goes on to say that the people will then be able to distinguish again between the righteous and the wicked, between the one who serves God and one who does not serve Him. It matters what we offer God as worship, on our own and corporately. Do we proclaim His name, and give Him our hearts and lives? Do we love and revere and keep His word, and walk it out day by day? Do we honor those who teach us the truth, even when it isn't easy to hear? Or do we think it doesn't matter, and that we don't have time to give God our time? Is it our time? If we belong to God, if we are His people, then our time and even our lives, our money, our gifts and talents, are His, if He is our Lord. Malachi also tells the people that God has said that He is sending His messenger, to clear the way before Him, and it says, "but who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire and like fuller's soap." God is very much concerned with the state of our hearts and lives, and He is coming to purify His people. Will we be found serving God when He comes? "For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evil doer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze", says the LORD of hosts. "But for you who fear My name the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall." I know how I want to be found by the LORD God of hosts. With my heart burning for Him, His word and name in my mouth, and my hands ready to serve Him in His righteousness. Reading in Luke 8 today, I am struck by the companionship between Jesus and His disciples. They were going around together, doing everything together. Can you imagine getting to go around with Jesus? Looking at the word “companionship”, here are some synonyms: friendship, fellowship, closeness, togetherness, amity (lovely, old-fashioned, word, isn't it?), intimacy, rapport, camaraderie, a band of like minded people, company...
I know what it is like to be with my friends, out on an adventure, getting ready to have some fun, and even better, being given a God task to do together. There is nothing else like it for bonding people together, growing together, getting to know each other and trust each other more, finding out what you are capable of together. Can you imagine doing that with Jesus? Wow! In Luke 8, it’s not all fun and games either, for the disciples. There were ministry moments, and there were moments that looked dangerous to the disciples (the storm in the boat), and the response of the people around them was mixed: some thankful for healing, others afraid of the supernatural power displayed, or upset at the cost financially (the herd of pigs who drowned in the sea because of the demons cast out). And teaching. Pearls of wisdom and life giving words from Jesus, for those with ears to hear, and for the disciples, a fuller explanation. And what were the disciples, Jesus’ friends and people He called “brother/family”, to do with that learning? Display it, for all the world to see and hear. “Now no one after lighting a lamp covers it over wi h a container, or puts it under a bed; but he puts it on a lamp stand, in order that those who come in may see the light.” (Luke 8:18 ) Jesus, Light of the world! For all the world to see! After yesterday's post about trust, it's interesting to read Psalm 85 in my daily read-through-the-bible program. Psalm 85 puts it all in the right order - and it's exciting! In God's kingdom, life with Him, life in Him, all starts with repentance and forgiveness of sins. The psalmist is thanking God that He forgave his and Israel's sin and covered that sin, withdrawing His righteous anger at their sin. "O Lord, You showed favor to Your land; You restored the captivity of Jacob. You forgave the iniquity of Your people;
You covered all their sin. (Selah.) You withdrew all Your fury; You turned away from Your burning anger" (vv. 1-3) We know what that's all about. We know what it feels like to be in the wrong, to have sinned, messed up, hurt people, made the wrong choices, tried to live our life without God. It is that bleak, barren desert I wrote about yesterday. It just doesn't satisfy, and living against God and His ways brings nothing good. When we feel stuck in sin, stuck in our ways that haven't brought good things, isn't it good to know Who to go to for help? Yes! God can help, and He wants to. Psalm 85 goes on to ask God to begin that restoration process, to bring the fresh living waters of salvation to revive His people again, and cause joy to spring up in His people. The psalmist asks God to show him again God's lovingkindness, God's loyal love that does not fail and is new every morning, His mercy, His grace, His love. And God delights in doing this - in reviving us, His people, in planting His joy in us, and He loves speaking peace to us - His people. Psalm 85 then gives a warning, however, following that. It warns us, God's people, to not turn away from God again, "but let them not turn back to folly" (v.8). So here again we see a warning about the consequences of not trusting God, of not following Jesus. The psalmist then goes on to describe the good things, the blessings that come to those who do choose God: God's salvation is extended to those who fear Him, who look to Him, who trust Him with their lives - both in the here and now, and for eternity. Then God's glory will dwell in our land, and a whole stream of blessings flow - this is a beautiful passage. Lovingkindness and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth springs from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven. Indeed, the Lord will give what is good, and our land will yield its produce. Righteousness will go before Him and will make His footsteps into a way. (vv. 11-13) So today, and tomorrow and the next day, no matter how tough it gets, I'm going to choose God, choose to love Him, obey Him, ask forgiveness of my sins from Him, thank Him for the blood of Jesus that was shed for me and for the world for that very purpose, and seek His face - and watch and wait for the blessings to flow. It will not always be easy, but it is so worth it. God is worth it. His love and joy are worth it. And we can ask for the strength needed to keep making the good and right choice of trusting and following God. Praise Jesus! ![]() It matters who you trust. How many times have you put your trust in someone only to be let down? How many times have you hoped that putting your trust in someone would result in good things? The problem with putting our trust in people is that we will let each other down, because we are marred by sin; we are not fully good like God is. The bible says "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD and whose trust is the LORD." This is in Jeremiah 17, where God has Jeremiah, His prophet, tell the people of Israel that there are two ways to choose. They can either put their trust in people and in idols made by man's hands, or they can put their trust in Him, the LORD God. And the LORD tells them the different results that will happen, depending on how they choose. This passage in the bible is so important for us to hear today, in a world of uncertainty, and where fear holds sway (hyped up by the media, by the way), because we need to know where to put our trust and who to look to. In verse 5 onwards, God gives Israel a picture of what it will look like if they do not put their trust in Him, and tells them what the end result will be: "Cursed is the man/woman who trusts in mankind and makes the flesh (what people do by their own efforts) his strength, and whose heart turns away from the LORD." So here we see people choosing to trust in people and what they can do for themselves, rather than in God. And, they have turned away in their hearts from following God. Those are the actions involved. The results from those actions are: "he will be like a bush in the desert and will not see when prosperity comes, but will live in stony wastes in the wilderness, a land of salt without inhabitant." The results of his choice are: 1. to be a bush in a desert (dry, hot, stunted, not growing), 2. to not be able to see prosperity, and 3. he will live in stony places, like a wilderness and in a land of salt without other inhabitants. This is contrasted then by the man/woman who chooses God and the blessings that flow from that choice. There are 4 actions described in this passage and there are 4 results that flow from it. God does one of the actions, and the man does 3. Check this out - verse 7 onwards in Jeremiah Chapter 17, "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose trust is the Lord. For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit." So here we see the man (action 1) choosing to trust in the LORD, and (action 2) making the LORD to be his trust. When he does that, God then (action 3) makes the man like a tree planted by the water (not the stunted bush in a dry hot desert). And then the man does one more thing, he (action 4) extends his roots by the stream of water. In God's kingdom, He acts when we respond to His call to draw closer to Him and choose Him. When we do that, He then delights in blessing us, His children. So here, the man is choosing to trust in the LORD and making Him his trust - this means hanging everything on God, not hedging his bets and shoring up His trust in God by doing anything himself, or also looking to other people. No, he trusts God alone for his prosperity, health, growth - for everything. And what does God do? He blesses him. He makes him like this tree planted by real water, a stream of living, moving water. We see Jeremiah call this "the fountain of living water which is the LORD God himself" in verse 13. And the results from choosing to trust God? Here they are: 1. the man will not fear when the heat comes. 2. but his leaves will be green, 3. and he will not be anxious (how nice that is when God helps us not to be anxious!). and 4. even in a year of drought he will not cease to bear fruit. Guys, those are miracles! A tree does not have green leaves in a drought. It does not bear fruit in a drought. A tree will shed its leaves and not bear fruit to try and survive a drought, and it will not survive at all if its roots are not deep. I have a sister-in-law who is an Agronomist, a Professor of Agronomy/Plant science, and she knows all about trees and plants, which is where I learned about this. And the blessings, the miraculous results that come from trusting in God, these can grow, you know. Look at verse 8 again. It says the man/tree extends its roots by the stream. That is present continuous action. We need to grow in God. We need to actively seek to deepen our roots in God, who He is, what His word says, what it means to trust Him with everything in our lives, everything, if we want that blessing of making it through the tough times. And the blessing of knowing His healing living waters in our lives (v.13-14). God goes on to say in Jeremiah 17 that "the heart is more deceitful that all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?" And that, "I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give to each man according to his ways, according to the result of his deeds" (v.9-10). It's all too easy to deceive ourselves about our motives, about the reason we make a choice. God sees all and knows all, though; He sees our hearts and knows us through and through. I'm taken back to Psalm 139 here, where the psalmist says to God, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way" (vv. 23-24). When we trust God with our lives, we can pray and ask Him to search our hearts and make them clean and acceptable before Him. We can ask Him what to do in every situation and then be quick to obey. In that way, He helps us walk out/live our trust in Him. We don't have to be afraid of getting it wrong when we trust God. Because He helps us, He forgives us when we confess where we got it wrong and chose the wrong thing. He helps us get back on track. Jesus died for us to make that possible. When we look to God, it means just that. We look to Him in all things, even the things to do with our heart, and He helps us. Praise Him! We so always want to know why. It is the most frequent question on our lips, and in our hearts, when we talk to God about our lives. But what does He say?
Someone said to me just the other day that "there is a reason and there is a season." God may not always reveal the reason to us at the time, but He holds the grand plan of our lives in His powerful and loving hand. He knows why. And I take comfort from the fact that He is the One who is in control and that I belong to Him, the only true and living God. Sometimes we fight against the fact that there are also seasons in life. Not everything is forever. But on the other hand, what a release from burden and from striving, to know that there is a reason, and there is a season - it doesn't have to be like this forever. And God promised that it would change, and for the better. Why should I not entrust my loved ones to God, when I entrust myself to Him? Why should we not accept and celebrate that for a season and for a reason we were blessed to walk together, to laugh and love and live and cry and care, together? There are some people moving out of my daily life whom I love dearly, and from whom I have learned a lot about life and love and God. I will miss them. But I will also celebrate their new season and the new reason they are fulfilling by following God where He calls. Does it hurt? Yes. Is it worth it. You bet! When we all get to heaven, we may find out the why's. We may find out the reasons. And we may not. But it will have been worth it - for it is for God and for life and for people's eternal destinies. God Himself is our prize; now, and then. He loves us so much. And He helps us love each other. Why do we fight against changes that God is bringing? Why not live life with Him with abandon, with open hands and hearts, made big enough by Him to hold it all? Let's do that. Together. For Him. Our Confidence before God: Hebrews 10:19-25 19 And now we are brothers and sisters in God’s family because of the blood of Jesus, and he welcomes us to come right into the most holy sanctuary in the heavenly realm—boldly and with no hesitation. 20 For he has dedicated a new, life-giving way for us to approach God. For just as the veil was torn in two, Jesus’ body was torn open to give us free and fresh access to him! 21 And since we now have a magnificent King-Priest to welcome us into God’s house, 22 we come closer to God and approach him with an open heart, fully convinced by faith that nothing will keep us at a distance from him. For our hearts have been sprinkled with blood to remove impurity and we have been freed from an accusing conscience and now we are clean, unstained, and presentable to God inside and out! 23 So now we must cling tightly to the hope that lives within us, knowing that God always keeps his promises! 24 Discover creative ways to encourage others and to motivate them toward acts of compassion, doing beautiful works as expressions of love. 25 This is not the time to pull away and neglect meeting together, as some have formed the habit of doing, because we need each other! In fact, we should come together even more frequently, eager to encourage and urge each other onward as we anticipate that day dawning. |
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