LEARNING DAILY

 

Exodus 13:17, Then it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, although the way was near (shorter); for God said, “Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.”

 

Do you believe in coincidences? Or do you believe God leads us? I had written this verse last Friday for Monday’s page in the blog after doing my reading in the chronological Bible I am reading from each day. Imagine my surprise when Pastor Ed Newton spoke on it over the weekend. For those of you who attend CBC you will recognize some of the things he said when you read them today.

 

God’s way is not the shortest way nor is it the easiest way. We want things done quickly. We have grown used to “fast” food – McDonald’s started it all when all you had was to “go to the counter” (no drive thru), order your burger, fries, and coke, pay and eat. This food was already prepared, sitting under a heat lamp, ready to be picked up. Fast and easy. Everyone wants “it” right now without waiting. That does not happen with God, at least not often. We want it now. We want to go the shortest way to whatever. And, God knows quick and short is not best.

 

We “think we are ready but God knows we are not ready” (Pastor Ed). We believe we can handle anything that comes our way, we can take care of ourselves. “God leads us to a dead end to show us He is the only One who can take care of us” (Pastor Ed). We are led a different direction because “the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.” What would happen if we were allowed to have our way only to find out our own way was a terrible mistake; we were not ready and the cost was too great. Would we blame God and turn from Him, going back to Egypt? In the Bible, Egypt represents sin and worldly living (Pastor Ed).

 

Yes, we live in the time when we have all sorts of time saving devices that help us get what we want immediately. We use our phones to get all the breaking news as it happens from all over the world. We have to do nothing to find information except ask Siri. There are books – no sources -- on our phone to help us with time management and apps for doing things efficiently. All that is good. But we want God to act in the same manner. From His perspective and from the perspective of eternity, He is not slow or inefficient. He always knows what He is doing and is always on time! His way – the narrow way – is always the best way!

 

There are those who claim instant success, instant wealth, and instant this or that. Just send your gift in this amount of money to him or her. Be careful of false teaching! You are probably not ready for this sort of wealth or success. Do you remember the question a few pages back in the blog where Pastor Ed asked, “If you got what you wanted from Jesus, would Jesus get what He wanted from you?” The question is appropriate to consider again.

 

The shortest way is not going to get us to depend on Him! Instead, it presents to us what Jesus called the broad way – the way many people are on that leads to destruction. It is the easy way where one depends on himself, desires the fast service but not the best service.

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

1 Peter 5:8, Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

 

I know there are some who read this blog do so without receiving it through an email; you will not get the benefit of seeing the picture I am sending with this page. I will try to describe the visual as I write. For those who receive the blog through email – well, you will understand.

 

From time to time, I have written about the lessons our cat, Ranger have provided me. Once again, he has provided another one. Each of us must be alert and vigilant about our walk on the narrow way because our adversary is always looking for ways to “disrupt” our walk with Jesus. Peter compares him to a roaring lion or in this case a purring cat wanting to draw our attention away from walking with Jesus.

 

Ranger will often jump up on my desk, flop down on my laptop and demand my attention. Sometimes, he causes problems when I am writing the blog. I have become pretty attentive to where he is when he comes into the room (alert and vigilant!) and usually close the laptop. Look at the picture closely and you will see that is exactly what happened here. On this day I was done with the blog and was reading/studying God’s Word. Ranger started on the closed laptop and soon moved to where you see him. His “roar” was a small purring and I had to spend time scratching or petting his favorite spots – his head and the area under his ears. I believe today he stayed almost an hour.

 

I bet all of us have those things that try to distract us from walking the narrow way as God desires. By distractions I am talking about those things that shift our attention away from something of great importance to something of lesser importance. I am talking about those things that draw our attention from the greatest Object – God – to those things that really do not mean very much. I believe the Bible calls that idolatry. But not all distractions are due to this.

 

Do you remember the story when Jesus was in the home of Mary and Martha (Luke 10:41-42)? Martha was distracted from Jesus as she was busy serving her guests; Mary was sitting at the feet of Jesus taking in every word He spoke. Martha was making sure her guests were being taken care of and did not realize her distraction until Jesus pointed it out to her. She thought she was doing the right thing, but she had shifted her attention from the greater to the lesser.

 

It is easy to get distracted by busyness of life, isn’t it?! I cannot help but think we need to make sure our priorities are right. Believe me, I am pointing more fingers back at myself than I am at anyone else. Distractions are important reminders about how weak we are; we must be alert and vigilant about staying close to Jesus as we walk the narrow way. Let those distractions force us to humble ourselves and seek Him to give us the help we so desperately need to grow in our struggles with distraction.  

 

I need to get busy, to read/study and say a prayer while Ranger is outside!

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Mark 10:51, So Jesus answered and said to him, “What do you want Me to do for you?”

 

I have written before on questions Jesus asked. I looked up the questions Jesus asked while on earth. I was surprised to find He asked 135 questions, at least that is the number recorded in the Bible. Here are some questions He asked. Who do men say that I am? Who do you say that I am? Are you so dull (without understanding)? Can you prove me guilty of sin? Can You drink the cup I am going to drink? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Do you believe this? Do you love Me? Do you understand what I have done for you? Do you want to get well? For who is greater, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves? Have I not chosen you? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe Me? Yes, I know some questions He asked are simple ones; they are simple until the questions are asked from each of us.

 

The question asked in Mark 10:51 was spoken by Jesus to the blind beggar Bartimaeus. Yes, this is part of the passaged Dr. Ed Newton preached on last weekend. It is a question that each of us as His followers might consider. You have said yes to the salvation He offers – now what? What are your expectations regarding what you want Him to do for you? There are some who might think that He is going to supply every want that he/she has. Obviously, this person has been misled by those who have taught a prosperity type message. There are some who become discouraged or impatient when their prayer is not answered as quickly as they want or in the way they expect. There are many who continue to pray because of their strong faith believing for their need to be met in Jesus’ timing and in His way.

 

Perhaps there is another way to look at this. Jesus did not need to ask Bartimaeus what the desire of his heart was, his need; Jesus already knew that. Perhaps Jesus wanted him to stand on his faith and express out loud his request from Him. Perhaps Jesus wanted Bartimaeus to show his trust in Him. Jesus was always concerned about one’s spiritual healing as well as the physical healing. He always was concerned about one’s salvation. How many times did Jesus tell the person He had healed that their faith had healed them. He also told them to go and sin no more. Jesus is still concerned with each of our spiritual health!

 

Dr. Newton finished his message with an appropriate question of his own. It is a question related to what Bartimaeus did when he received his sight. “And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road”. Bartimaeus followed Jesus! Dr. Newton’s question is one each of us must ask ourselves when we are praying for our “needs”. “If you got what you wanted from Jesus, would Jesus get what He wanted from you?” Only you can answer that question!

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Exodus 5:2, And Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, nor will I let Israel go.”

 

I have decided to once again read The Daily Bible in Chronological Order – 365 Daily Readings for part of my daily devotions. There is really good commentary that goes with the daily readings and from time to time I will share some thoughts on it. You might be able to tell that I am reading about the “struggle” between Pharaoh and God. The commentary states the struggle “is classic because it demonstrates how all men and women tend to struggle with God”.

 

 I bring this to your attention because of the message taught by Dr. Ed Newton of Community bible Church this past weekend. Take a moment to read Mark 10:46-52, the text he used for his message. If it is okay, I would like to relate one of the statements he made to the verse about Pharaoh, as I reflect on the message. “Hell is not afraid of Sunday morning faith!” Stop and think about that. What does that mean? It means that if that is the only time we give any thought to God, if Monday morning faith is empty and gives no consideration to walking on the narrow way with Jesus as our guide, are we not asking the question that Pharaoh asked about obeying the Lord’s voice?

 

I am going to use the words in the commentary again. “ Pharaoh will first reject God altogether, then respond to initial demonstrations of God’s power by believing artificial manifestations of power which human trickery can devise. When the tricks of his magicians cannot duplicate the plagues brought against his people and property, Pharaoh will try to avoid God through procrastination, compromise, and insincere repentance. With each attempt at resisting God, Pharaoh’s heart gets harder, until he is unmoved by even the threat of his people.” Those who have a Sunday morning faith, in my opinion, are avoiding God in the same way Pharaoh did and are in danger of hardening their heart to the Word of God, His way of speaking to us today.

 

God demands His followers be obedient to Him. For each of us this requires change in the way we live our lives – every moment of every day. Remember Jesus told us that walking the narrow way would be difficult. The Holy Spirit is with each Believer to guide and help us change from within and become the people God wants us to be. If you have walked on this narrow way for any length of time, you know it comes with many temptations and trial; we must choose to walk in obedience to the Truth of God’s Word. That is a Sunday morning faith that shows up every day of the week.

 

In Mark 10:50, we are shown the response of Bartimaeus, the blind beggar when Jesus called him to come to Him. “And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Him.” He did not hesitate. He did not look for anyone to help him. He did not need to place his cloak where he could find it. He got up in response to Jesus’ call in complete surrender to Him. Jesus healed him and Bartimaeus followed Him.

 

Here is my point today. Jesus has called each of us to follow Him, to be obedient to Him, to worship Him not just on Sunday but to do so every day of the week. If we do not do so, we risk the world creeping into our lives, tempting us to not care about living like He wants us to. What is it that keeps you from walking as close to Jesus as He desires? Whatever it is, He wants you to throw it off and run to Him – right now. He wants you to know Him personally. He wants you to know His Word. He wants you to be obedient to Him every day. Be like Bartimaeus and not Pharaoh!

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Isaiah 41:10, Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God, I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

 

The unknown of the rest of the day and tomorrow would be frightening without Jesus in my life! Every day, attacks against Christianity are happening around the world, including our own country. Churches are being attacked, statues of Jesus are being knocked over and destroyed and more and more restrictions are being placed on those who speak out. The latest personality to be attacked is sportscaster Tony Dungy. When Damar Hamlin was experiencing a life and death on the football field, Dungy referred to those who would kneel during the National Anthem and wanting nothing to do with God, now were calling on Him. He also made some unfavorable comments that offended those supporting abortion and the LGBTQ people.

One wonders where all of this heading!

 

As Christians, we are told to “fear not”! We are to “fear not” because God, the Creator of all things is with us; He will strengthen us and defend us with His righteous right hand! Does that give you comfort? Are you encouraged by being told not to fear? You should be! When reading the Old Testament, we are able to see that the nation of Israel was continually facing things they could be fearful of. I am continually amazed how easily it is to relate these things to what we face in our country today.

 

The context of Isaiah 41 is Israel, a nation in exile, a nation that God has the power, the ability, and the desire to deliver out of its situation. Isaiah is telling the people of Israel that God loves them, and the nation has a future beyond their situation. Go ahead and read this chapter. Through Isaiah, God is telling them none of the nations against them has the same power and ability as Him. They are not to fear any humans because He is with them; this is not because Israel is good but because God alone is good. Isaiah is telling Israel that the gods of these pagan people are worthless and to not be tempted to accept them; instead, they are to embrace the One True God who can actually help them.

 

What are non-believers, non-Christians turning to today for their help, for their needs to be taken care of? The government wants people to turn to it to be their source for everything. They want their college debt to be paid for or forgiven, they want the government to supplement their salaries to pay for groceries, and the list continues to grow. It seems like the nations around Israel who were turning to idols to save them from that which they feared. Again, I write that God wants His people to turn to Him, to “fear not” because He is with us.

 

I am certainly not saying there is nothing to fear in this world. We are being told to get shots, wear masks, and to not go here or there because of something bad. There is sickness, famine, increasing prices, the increase of natural disasters, and “global warning”. Yes, there are plenty of things that are worthy to be fearful of! But the message of Isaiah 41 is God is bigger than anything we might fear! When God is in our lives, we do not need to fear.

 

To be dismayed means to be anxious about something. Anxiety is real – I know! But again, when God is in our lives, we do not need to worry. Most things people worry about are out of their control; worrying does absolutely nothing to change anything. Actually, the only thing worry does is to take away or rob you of the life you have in Jesus Christ. By the way, concern for something is different than worrying over it. When we walk the narrow way, our needs are provided for us because He takes care of them.

 

Let me finish by encouraging you to take your eyes off your circumstances and place your faith and trust in Jesus Christ. By doing so, fear can be overcome and the peace that passes all understanding will come upon you (Philippians 4:6-7). Jesus said that walking the narrow way would be difficult; but He is with you, willing to guide you with His “righteous right hand” as a father takes the hand of his son or daughter, encouraging him/her as they walk together through the circumstances of life.

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Isaiah 41:10, Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God, I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

 

Rock and roll singer, David Crosby, has died 1 day after he stated that “heaven is overrated. I wonder what he thinks now after entering where he will spend eternity! No judgment just a thought.

 

Isaiah 41:10 was said to be the verse of the year last year. Here is the problem – I forgot to write down the source where I read this. Anyway, I thought it would be interesting to explore this verse and see how it can help us as we walk on the  narrow way. I looked up the words “Fear not” in the Blue Letter Study Bible and found that these two words are found 365 times in the Bible. I thought today we would look at what the Bible says. I am going to write every verse and will use only the part of the verse with these two words. It will be up to you to read the entire verse if you desire.

 

Genesis 21:17, “Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is.”

Isaiah 41:10, “Fear not, for I am with you.”

Isaiah 41:13, “Fear not, for I will help you.”

Isaiah 43:1, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you.”

Exodus 20:20, “Fear not; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.”

Numbers 21:34, “Do not fear him for I have delivered him into your hand,”

Deuteronomy 3:22, “You must not fear them, for the Lord your God Himself fights for you.”

Deuteronomy 31:6, “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them, for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

2 Kings 6:16, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are greater than those who are with them.”

2 Kings 17:37, “You shall not fear other gods.”

Job 11:15, “Yes, you could be steadfast, and not fear.”

Psalm 27:3, ‘My heart shall not fear.”

Psalm 56:4, “In God (I will praise His Word), in God I will put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?”

 

Matthew 10:28, “Do not fear those who can kill the body, but cannot kill the soul.”

Matthew 10:31, “Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than the sparrows.”

Luke 12:22, “Do not fear, little flock for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

Hebrews 13:6, “The Lord is my helper, I will not fear.”

Revelation 2:10, “Do not fear any of those things you are about to suffer.”

 

“Do not fear!” “Do not fear!” “Do not fear!” “Do not fear!” “Do not fear!” “Do not fear!”

Did you read the words and understand we are not to allow fear become part of our lives as we walk with the Lord on the narrow way to His kingdom and to eternal life. God is with us, guiding us, through everything we face. He is continuing to cleanse and purifying us through the circumstances and trials we face each day. Do not fear!

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Genesis 45:4-5, And Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near to me.” So they came near. Then he said to them, “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. But now do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life.”

 

Reading the story of Joseph again emphasized that God leads His people in ways we often do not understand. Then we are used in a way that His purpose for the road we have taken is revealed to us and we realize that “God sent me”. Take a few moments to look back over your life; think of the events you went through, wondering why this was happening, only to God using you in a way that you would not have thought of. I wonder if there will be moments you were used in a particular way, in a particular time that you are not aware of.

 

I look back over the years since asking Jesus into my life and often wonder what would have been different if we had not left Iowa to live in Texas. What if I had stayed in retail instead of going back into the education field? What if I had not moved my family to San Antonio and stayed in College Station? I can only believe that God’s purpose was in all of that. There are many things and many people who have come into my life that have left their “mark” on my life and maybe the reverse has been true as well.

 

My friend and my brother in Christ wrote in his daily “Echoes From the Campfires”, “Perhaps one of the most hated, misunderstood, and neglected doctrines of the Bible is the sovereignty of God.  Man, especially the unbeliever, definitely doesn't want to look at the sovereignty for it tells of his destiny.  Christians, and I have never understood why, dislike this doctrine as well.  The main reason is that of selfishness.  They still want to hold onto the reins of their life.  Even among believers they love that song by Sinatra, "I did it my way," and yet it is very anti-Christian for our lives should be concerned with doing things God's way.” Joseph knew God had led him through all the difficulties he went through to become a leader in Egypt “to preserve life.”

 

God is sovereign and He governs providentially! He made the world and all things in it and He is managing it even though mankind messed up and fell to the deception of Satan. Understand that God is never surprised or frustrated by sin in the world. Instead, He empowers His people to live holy lives and uses them to promote his plan of salvation and walking on the narrow way to His kingdom. Like He directed Joseph, He works through His people today to turn “tragedies into triumphs” (LSSB), and to “overrule the evil actions of humans in order to carry out His will” (DJSB).

 

We can be encouraged because we know that He is directing our path, even when it involves chaos and trial in our lives, to help others come to know Him through the salvation offered by His Son and walk with others on the narrow way. God is creating and controlling circumstances that are directing history to what is known as the end of times. He wants each of His followers to be faithful where they are, to join Him (to be a Joseph) as He accomplishes His Holy purposes.

 

It is exciting to know that the Creator of all things desires to use each of us right where we are “to preserve life.” For us that means we are to be obedient to Him and His word. It means to allow the light of Jesus in us to shine brightly as we go about our daily lives. It means we are to never be ashamed of Him in our life and to share His Gospel whenever we have the opportunity. What a wonderful privilege He has given each of us. Shine right where you are; know that God “has sent you”!

LEARNING DAILY

 

Matthew 21:28-31, “But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my vineyard.’ He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went. Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?”  Jesus

 

Let me summarize what Jesus said in this parable about the two sons. The first said he was not going to do what his father instructed him to do, but later regretted this decision and went to the field to do the work. The second said he would go but did not. If we are going to walk the narrow way into eternal life, which son must we be like? To answer the question Jesus asked at the end of the parable is important to our walk. The answer is the first son. Let’s examine why.

 

Read the next few verses and one is able to see that Jesus was referring to the tax collectors and prostitutes to the first son. These people were thought to be the outcasts of society because of their actions. Yet, they believed the words and the way of righteousness John the Baptist spoke of, repented, and began to walk on the narrow way. In other words, they were walking in disobedience when they heard the words of repentance and accepted the righteous way that He spoke of.

 

The words of Scripture leading to this parable have told of Jesus’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem, His cleansing of the temple, and the fig tree being cursed by Jesus because there was no fruit on it. Now He is being challenged by the chief priests and the elders of the people; they are questioning Jesus’ authority. The religious leaders represent the second son because they claim to be doing the will of the Father but they are not really obedient.

 

How can we relate this to our own lives? Jesus is telling us that the words we profess are not counted as obedience; it is what we do, our obedience to His Word that really matters. The obedience He desires will bring us into the close personal relationship with Christ that consistently performs what we profess (paraphrase from the notes found in the DJSB). When we want to truly walk the narrow way, close to Jesus, the desire to be obedient to His Word becomes our focus or objective each day. This relationship becomes one where we do what our mouth speaks. This can happen when we begin to understand our walk with Him is not just a set of rules to follow but it is a true relationship with Him – as a child with their father.

 

What we do is more important than what we say we will do! I believe that Jesus wants us to say “yes” to him. I really believe He wants us to do what we say yes to. He wants us to say we forgive, or we love others. But He really wants us to forgive and to love others. When He tells us to “Follow Me!”, that is exactly what He wants us to do in word and in our actions.

 

Father, strengthen each of us to not just say yes to You but be faithful to do what you have told us to do!

 

From now on DJSB will be used to note information or quotes from the David Jeremiah Study Bible and LSSB will refer to information and quotes from the Life in the Spirit Study Bible. 

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

1 Corinthians 13:13, And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest is love.

 

1 Corinthians 13 is known for explaining what love is and what love is not. It is clear from this chapter that God desires His followers to be Christlike in character more than everything else we do. From this chapter we can see that “He values and emphasizes character that acts in love, patience (v. 4), kindness (v. 4), unselfishness (v. 5), hatred for evil and love for the truth (v. 6), honesty (v. 6), and endurance in righteousness (v. 7) much more than faith to move mountains or to perform great achievements in the church (vv. 1-2, 8, 13)” (LSSB).

 

In the verse above, Paul tells the followers of Christ they must walk on the narrow way in faith, in hope, and in love. Without reading or knowing the verse, which of the three would you say is the most important, the one that makes the greatest impact on your life? It might be difficult. Without faith, would you place yourself in God’s care, trust him in all things and stay committed to Him in those trials of life? How would you look at your life if you did not have hope? Would life be meaningless to you? Would you become a doubter and a worrier? The notes in the DJSB say this about faith and hope. “When Christ makes all things new and His followers are ushered into the eternal state, faith will no longer be necessary because the redeemed will see face to face. Hope will no longer be necessary because their hope will have been perfectly realized. But love will remain, and it will finally be known without taint or sin.”

 

Go back and read chapter 13! Take time and read it! When you do, you will see that everything Paul writes about comes from love. Without love, we would not have faith and hope because they are found in and come from God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit! Think about the love that the Father has for each of us – He sent His Son to take our place on a cross. Jesus did that willingly because He loves each of us that much. The Holy Spirit brings God’s love to us to each day regardless of our hurts, in our joy and happiness, and regardless of our mixed-up emotions. It is because of love that faith and hope exist in us.

 

Each of us are created in God’s image. When Jesus comes into our lives, we are blessed with His love that helps us to love Him, to love others, and to even love ourselves. That can motivate each of us to love others. Let me add that loving others is not an option for a follower of Jesus Christ! We are to show love to others even when we do not want to do so. Why do we show love to others? It is simply because the Lord Jesus Christ told us to do so. When we do, even when they do not deserve it, our faith and our hope begin to grow with the love you have shown. As we choose to love each day, it will help us to grow in our faith and our hope; doing so will help us stay alert and encouraged regardless of the trials and circumstances we face.

 

May the love of God become a flood in your life and be demonstrated to each person in your life and to all you come into contact with each day!

 

From now on DJSB will be used to note information or quotes from the David Jeremiah Study Bible and LSSB will refer to information and quotes from the Life in the Spirit Study Bible.

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

2 Corinthians 1:3-4, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

 

If you have walked with the Lord for any length of time you will understand the following statement. You are going through some trial right now, or you are coming out of some trial, or you are about to enter into some trial. Are you with me? I want you to stop reading this right now and open your Bible to 2 Corinthians 1 and read verses 3-11. Too many preachers preach, teach or hint that once you ask Jesus Christ into your life, you will enjoy a prosperous life without any more trails. That is simply not true! Therefore, it is important to understand that opposition and trials come to the Believer! Why?

 

The answer to that question is that growth for the Christian comes when we are in the valley or in the wilderness; growth does not come when we are on the mountain top or when all life seems like we are in control. I am going to make another bold statement: the journey you are on is ordained by God; He at least has given His permission for the devil to “sift” you (check it out in Luke 22:31-32). You want to ask why this occurs. God wants you to trust Him and not trust in yourself. Another reason would be to drive you to Jesus Christ; opposition or trials in your life are meant to bring you to the point where Jesus Christ becomes first in all that matters in your life.

 

The Apostle Paul tells us a third reason for the trials we face – to know the comfort only God can bring us during these times so that we might be able to comfort others during the times of their trials. We are comforted so we might become comforters. That means we stand with another person, encouraging and helping him/her in their time of need. Paul was no stranger to suffering. He knew that regardless of the severity of the trial, nothing can separate a Believer from God’s care and compassion. His writing, in these verses, is an emphasis that walking the narrow way with Jesus was a life that included both suffering and experiencing His compassion. When we are experiencing a trial, it does not necessarily mean it is because we have been disobedient! Satan may have asked to “sift” you. Or we might be suffering because we identify as a Christian.

 

When trials come, what should you do? The best answer I can give is to be in God’s Word and to pray. Then, pray some more! Romans 8:28 is a verse often quoted, “And we know all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” God will bring good out of every affliction, trial, persecution, and suffering we face. Remember the good that God works is conforming us into the image of Christ and ultimately bringing about our glorification when we step into His kingdom.   

 

If living your life on the narrow way, walking with Jesus was easy, would you need Him?

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Micah 6:8, He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

 

Deuteronomy 10:12-13 where Moses said, “Hear now Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him and serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good?”

 

I want to continue with these verses from the last page of the blog where the meaning of “the heart” was discussed. Today, I want to breakdown what both Micah and Moses said was required of Believers as we walk on the narrow way to eternal life in God’s kingdom.

 

The question being asked is what God requires of us? The answer given is to love God, walk in His ways. And serve Him humbly and with all your heart and soul. We do that by keeping his commandments. Sounds easy enough. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus would say something like one must choose to live this way by walking on a narrow way instead of a broad way. Each of us chooses each day to walk with God the way He requires; He expects His followers to give Him who we are and what we have and let Him bless and provide for us.

 

Remember that God did not want Israel to substitute outward religious forms for loving and following Him from their heart. Now, substitute the word Israel with the Church and your own name. Have you ever wondered what others see when they look at the church or you or me when they look at us? Do they see the light and love of God in us? I do not want others to see me as a good person who goes to church, writes a blog, and does the right thing. Anyone can do those things. Outward appearance of doing the right thing is only valid and significant when they are based on knowing Jesus through faith and love for Him.

 

In 1 Samuel 15:22, the prophet Samuel told King Saul, “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice…”. There is that word – obedience – which people seem to shake and tremble at; it is so much easier to do things that give an appearance of being correct and acceptable to God. You know the outward appearance of being “religious” for an hour on Sunday and then living like hell the rest of the week. Saul’s sin was guilty of putting his own concept of what was right above being obedient to God’s decree. Read the story of Saul in 1 Samuel 15 for yourself. He was partially obedient to what God commanded; but partial obedience is still sin! Oh man, I have many fingers pointing back at me as I point a finger at you!

 

 Let me tell you the importance of this for the day we live in. 2 Thessalonians 2 :9-10 states, “The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all powers, signs, and lying wonders, and all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth.” The idea of placing our own concept of right and wrong above what God requires will be at the very center of the end times – the time before Jesus comes for His faithful Church and returns to establish His kingdom on earth.  Let me emphasize again that hollow worship, praise, prayer, going to church and all that ceremonial religious activity is caused by the deception of Satan. Look around you and you can see it everywhere! Satan is doing everything he can to take the place of Christ in the minds and hearts of people, even those who are doing everything they can to walk on the narrow way.

 

We make sure this does not happen by following what Micah 6:8 and Deuteronomy 10:12-13 tell us what God requires from us. Be encouraged this day that God loves each of you and desires you to understand and walk in His ways in love and with all your heart and soul.

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Micah 6:8, He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

 

If we are going to walk on the narrow way to God’s kingdom, we must know what He requires from us in doing so. Micah was referring to Deuteronomy 10:12-13 where Moses said, “Hear now Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him and serve the Lord your god with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good? God showed His amazing grace even in the Old Testament. Moses was emphasizing to Israel that loving and following God must come from the heart. For those of us doing everything we can to walk on the narrow way, we must remember that God does not want us to substitute heartfelt love for Him with religious traditions and following Him in ways to be seen by men. For example, Christians might read the Bible, pray and do all the right things regarding church but not do it from a heartfelt devotion to God; that could be called legalism because it can be done without having a relationship with Jesus Christ. Sincere faith in Him and love for Him can only come because of who He is and what He has done for us through the cross and resurrection.

 

Let me explain what “the heart” means. When the Bible speaks of the heart, it refers to one’s intellect, emotions and choices. The Bible speaks of knowing things from the heart (an inner knowing) (Deuteronomy 8:5). Psalm 119:11 says we are to hide God’s Word in our heart. Psalm 19:14 tells believers to meditate in their heart. Proverbs 4:21 tells us to keep God’s Word in our heart. Romans 10:9 tells us to believe in our heart.

 

As for our emotions the Bible speaks of the heart as the center of our feelings. Let me give just a few of the verses that speak of this. We are to have a glad heart (Exodus 4:14), a repentant heart (Psalm 51:17), and a humble heart (Matthew 11:29).

 

The heart is the center of our choices. There are verses that tell us to not have a hardened heart that refuses to do what God commands us to do. Instead, we are to have a heart that is yielded to God (Joshua 24:23), a heart that is devoted to seeking the Lord (Chronicles 22:19), a heart that desire to receive from God (Psalm 21:1-2), and a heart that wants to do something for God (Romans 10:1). These things come because we choose to do what God desires, commands us to do.

 

The human heart has become polluted with evil due to the fall of Adam and Eve. Jeremiah 17:9 tells us, “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked’. Jesus confirmed that what makes a person unclean before God was not all the ceremonial stuff being done but the serious sin that comes from sin. Take a few minutes to read Mark 7:17-23! The human heart is committed to doing evil; continuing to do so may cause one’s heart to become hardened. Those who continue to refuse to listen to God and follow their own heart will find God eventually hardening their heart, so they have no desire at all for God’s Word and desire to follow Him. An example of this would be Pharoah’s heart as shown in the book of Exodus.

 

But God has an answer to this problem. To all who repent and place their faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, He gives to them a new heart. This is called regeneration and means that He creates in the person who is “born again”, a spiritual rebirth, a desire to love Him and obey Him. God has repeatedly emphasized in His Word that people must love Him from their heart and that this love must include obedience to Him. This is not an outward appearance, not a substitution of religious ceremonies but a genuine love for Him that flows from the heart.

 

LEARNING DAILY

 

Matthew 6:33, But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

 

Matthew 6:33 seems logical to explore its meaning for our lives after Matthew 5:6. Not only do Christians need to hunger and thirst for righteousness but we must seek God’s kingdom before everything else.

 

“Seek” is a “verb that implies being continually absorbed in a search for something or making a strenuous and diligent effort to obtain something” (LSSB). I want to do everything I can to have God’s authority and power flowing through me as a demonstration of His life in me. It is through time in His Word, time spent with Him in prayer, and the power of the Holy Spirit that sinners are shown Jesus, people are healed of disease, demonic bondage is broken and the narrow way to the kingdom of God is shown.

 

It is important to read the verses before this statement. Jesus was telling His followers to not worry over food, clothing, and the necessities of life; His promise is to provide for all His children in our day of trouble and uncertainty. We are not to worry if we seek to let him reign in our lives. Instead of being anxious about these things, we must trust that He will provide for His faithful followers as little children trust in their earthly parents to provide for their needs. Jesus said instead to pursue (seek) God’s kingdom, trust in God’s righteousness, and leave it to God to take care of the basic needs we have.

 

How do we do this? We must place God first in our thoughts and seek to walk on the narrow way by being obedient to His Word, remain separate from what the world would want us to follow, show Christ’s love to all people, and to live in continual repentance from sin. If we do that God will provide everything we “need” to accomplish His will.

 

I want to give added emphasis about seeking the kingdom of God before everything else. Jeremiah 29:13 which says, “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you seek Me with all your heart.” That means we must seek Him willingly and intentionally. In the days we are facing, it is wise to choose to seek Him with our whole heart; He will not force anyone to do this. What a privilege it is to be able to seek Him, knowing that it is His desire we do so, and knowing He gives to us in abundance, in accordance with His wisdom, when we do.  It seems logical to me that seeking God’s kingdom and His righteousness is the way we avoid worrying about things that are often beyond our control.

 

From now on DJSB will be used to note information or quotes from the David Jeremiah Study Bible and LSSB will refer to information and quotes from the Life in the Spirit Study Bible.