August 2021 – Page 3 of 3 – Sonshine's Journal

August 10, 2021August 10, 2021

You can “know” God or just “about” God…

Jeremiah 10 to 14 is all about Jeremiah reminding the people that they can “know” God, not just “about” God. Paul reminded the reader of Romans this truth: “since the creation of the world his invisible attributes – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, because they are understood through what has been made. So people are without excuse.” [Rom 1] in sharp contrast to the idol worshipers. Jeremiah boldly told the people of Judah that idols are man-made blocks of wood covered in silver; they must be hammered to stand upright, they have no ears to hear and no mouths to speak. All who worship them “will prove to be stupid and ignorant.” [Jer 10:14]

In the book of Ruth, Orpah “knew about” God from Naomi. but Ruth “knew God.” We can discern that because of their response. Orpah knew about God, but she turned and went back to Moab when Naomi said, go home. Ruth, however, did not and insisted on going not back to Moab but forward to Bethlehem. That is the picture of the gospel. We either turn back to the world or move forward toward the “house of Bread” Bethlehem.

You can “know” God, not just “about” God. The question is, where are you?

August 9, 2021August 9, 2021

Boasting about God

Jeremiah 7 -9 The heart of God and the heart of Jeremiah.

God has revealed to Jeremiah the sin of his people. They are hypocrites and have a hard heart. Jeremiah reminds them that these are the two things God hates and He will bring judgment on them because they refuse to listen and obey. At the end of chapter nine, Jeremiah reminds them that if you want to be wise and you want to glory, then look and see if you are demonstrating God’s character. What then can we “brag” or boast about? It is this: “God chose what is low and despised in the world, what is regarded as nothing, to set aside what is regarded as something, so that no one can boast in his presence” [1Cor 1:28]

“Wise people should not boast that they are wise. Powerful people should not boast that they are powerful. Rich people should not boast that they are rich. If people want to boast, they should boast about this: They should boast that they understand and know me. They should boast that they know and understand that I, the Lord, act out of faithfulness, fairness, and justice in the earth and that I desire people to do these things,” says the Lord. [Jer. 9:23-24]

These are the characteristics of the Lord that stand in contrast to what men boast in. What are you boasting in this a.m.?

August 8, 2021August 8, 2021

Jeremiah 5 Is our Heart like God’s?

Jeremiah began to wonder, is there any good news? Is it all bad news?

Like Ezekiel whom God told to look for a man who would stand in the gap, [Ezekiel 22:30] God told Jeremiah, “See if you can find a single person who deals honestly and tries to be truthful. If you can, then I will not punish this city.” [Jer 5:1] In Gen 18 the Lord and Abraham had one of those “hard conversations.” Abraham asked God if he would kill the godly with the wicked. [Gen 18:25] In His mercy, God had quietly shared with Abraham; if I find 50 godly people, I will spare the whole place for their sake.

One of the marvelous things we can count on is that God always thoroughly investigates a situation before passing judgment. He cannot nor will He arbitrarily destroy because He is a fair and judge. As He did with Sodom, He does with us.

We can count on the fact that the God we serve is “compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness and truth.” It is because His “lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail.” [Lam 3:22]

Do we have these same character qualities? Do we judge before we have evidence? God’s heart is clear: He is fair and just and He expects us to be the same.

August 7, 2021August 7, 2021

Fake or Real?

Jeremiah 1 to 3 Are you a pretender? Jeremiah, who tried to get out of telling the nation about their sin, tells the nation that they are just playing pretend about their relationship with Yahweh. Like the church in Ephesus, they had lost their first love and pretended to love God. They want God to forgive, but they fail to repent. In chapter 2, God says: he Lord says: “I have fond memories of you, how devoted you were to me in your early years. I remember how you loved me like a new bride; you followed me through the wilderness, but now you wander to the nations that serve idols I said do NOT do. I am your God; I am a jealous God who will not share my glory with another.

How like Judah we are. Like them, we see the destructiveness of sin, but like the blind man who cannot see, we say it won’t happen to us. But, unfortunately, our prisons are full of those who bought into that lie, and our world is full of sinners who said the same thing. They were and are the pretenders. Their faith is not genuine. They will not hear the words of James about Abraham, who believed God, and his works demonstrated that belief.

This is a wake-up call. Are you listening? Will you pretend, or will you be honest?

August 6, 2021August 6, 2021

The Remnant…

Zephaniah 1 to3 The pages of history unfold in this book. Zephaniah traces his family lineage back to his great grandfather Hezekiah. In our study of 2Kings and 2Chron, we have this history: Hezekiah’s son was Manasseh–the evilest king of Judah and his son Amon. Zephaniah records that he is writing in the time of Amon’s son, Josiah. His writing is cryptic, listing the seven deadly d’s that Judah will face: (1) the day of the wrath of God, (2) trouble, (3) distress, (4) devastation, (5) desolation, (6) darkness (twice), and (7) gloominess but God always has a remnant. In the 3rd chapter, he reminds Judah and the remnant to “wait for Me.” 3: 7, they will call upon the Lord to serve Him with one accord. 3:12 God will leave a meek, and humble people and they shall trust in the name of the Lord 3:17 The Lord God will be in “their” midst, He will quiet you with His love, rejoice over you with singing; 3:20 He will gather you and give you fame and praise.

Lesson: God is sovereign; give Him praise. The day may be dark, but His light is ever before us.

August 5, 2021August 5, 2021

Fools do NOT listen, Wise ones Do

2Chron 35: We love the story of the boy king Josiah, but then at the end of his life, he acted as we say “stupidly.” He had all that God could and would give him…if he asked…but he did NOT! He went to pick a fight with Pharaoh Necho without consulting God. Have I ever done that? For sure, I have, and perhaps you have as well. Why is it that we are such a slow-to-learn person? Is it pride? Is that we are impatient? What is the lesson? Stepping out ahead of God is not the wisest thing to do, and Josiah paid with his life because of it.

As believers, we have the Holy Spirit to teach and guide us, but more often than not, like Josiah, we grieve and quench his power when we make decisions on our own. Sometimes God graciously sends an unbeliever to get our attention. Josiah had everything at his disposal to seek God’s will, but he chose not to do so, and we are guilty of the same.

God knew from eternity past what Josiah would do, but he was even gracious to give him what we call an “out.” He allowed that unbeliever Pharaoh Necho to speak words of counsel, but Josiah, in his stubbornness; that is really what it was, disregarded that counsel. End of the story, an archer’s arrow found him and brought about his death. What can I /you learn?

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding…he will make your paths straight” [Prov 3:5]. Sometimes, God is gracious but not always as we see in Josiah’s case.

August 4, 2021August 4, 2021

False or True Repentance

Nahum 1-3 In 1935 there was a huge dust storm in the US. It crossed the midwest and carried more dirt than was dug from the Panama Canal all the way to the ocean on the east. It was called Black Sunday. Nahum describes a similar scene; “[God] marches out in the whirlwind and the raging storm; dark storm clouds billow like dust under his feet.” [Nah 1:3] One hundred years earlier, when Jonah spoke all of Nineveh, both man and beast, put on sackcloth and ashes in repentance; but, now, they had returned to their cruel ways. Although God’s mercies are new every morning, if repentance is not real, He will bring judgment.

God is slow to anger not willing any should perish, but all come to repentance, [2Pet 3:9] yet He is also zealous and will avenge. Whereas the former king repented and Nineveh was spared, the new king was indolent and unrepentant. God allowed the winds of the Babylonians to come in and destroy Assyria for this unrepentance. The point is that God is looking for true repentance. Is our repentance real or fake?

Assyria was destroyed, and their idols burned yet scoffers say: “where is the promise of his coming? It is as it always has been.” [2Pet 3:4] Amazingly, in 1845, an archaeologist stumbled upon Nineveh’s site and found an extensive library proving Nahum’s words were true and accurate.

Beloved, God is merciful, but He will be patient just so long. If Jesus were to return today, would you be ready?

August 3, 2021August 3, 2021

“God’s Mercy!”

2Chron 33 There is nothing like hooks in your nose, bronze chains, and extradition to a foreign land; a prison cell, cold gruel, day-old bread, and water to awaken your senses, and that is what happened to King Manasseh. He then “realized that the Lord is the true God” and repented. It was because of the mercy of God that he was released and returned to his kingdom. God’s mercy is overflowing!

God has placed this event to remind us that it begins with how you pay attention to the Lord and His Word. A word of caution here: his sin, just like ours, does impact family and children. His unrepentant son Amon is proof of that.

The Chronicler records these words: the annals record all his sins and unfaithful acts, and identify the sites where he built high places and erected Asherah poles and idols “before he humbled himself.” [2Chron 33:19] Mark that last phrase: he humbled himself, and that is what God is seeking.

You can listen and repent now, or you can do it later, but beware because God doesn’t guarantee there will be a tomorrow. Unfortunately, Amon learned that lesson the hard way; his life ended in an assassination.

August 2, 2021August 2, 2021

“Our Response Reveals our Heart.”

2 Kings 20 God has placed this story of King Hezekiah to teach us several wise lessons. The backdrop began in the life of Hezekiah when he endured a terminal illness. Perhaps you can relate because you, too, are facing a terminal illness. When we hear devastating news, do we go to God, who is the author and finisher of our lives as Hezekiah did? How we respond reveals our heart. God not only heard Hezekiah’s plea but, in His graciousness, chose to heal him miraculously. God was gracious and gave him a sign of his answered prayer for healing, and the addition of fifteen years added to his life. How do we respond to the good news?

Not long after, some Babylonian visitors came supposedly to encourage Hezekiah and he revealed all of the treasures of Israel. Did all of their false overtures blind Hezekiah? Why did he not take them to see the House of the Lord? By showing them the riches of Israel, Hezekiah revealed a proud heart. When confronted by Isaiah, Hezekiah’s response in vs. 19 seems out of character, but is it? How we respond reveals our heart. Hezekiah was like those who accomplish much and take the credit upon themselves. How do we respond when others gush over our accomplishments?

The lesson we can glean from Hezekiah is that our words and actions reveals who we truly are. What is your response?

August 1, 2021August 1, 2021

Puzzles and Mazes

Isaiah 64 to 66 If you have ever worked on a jigsaw puzzle or tried to find the path in a maze, you know that you must have patience as you search for that piece or that path. God is a master at puzzles and mazes, and He has no problem. He knows which piece fits, and the right path. Isaiah, as God’s prophet, has been faithfully piecing the puzzle pieces and the right path of the maze. Although he will never see the birth and life of the Messiah, the Holy Spirit has graciously shown him the finished product. He has faithfully written the words that the Holy Spirit has given to him. Some were harder than others, and some were praiseworthy.

In a tough time, Isaiah pours out his heart and looks for when the Lord will come to rescue them. But, God the Almighty tells Isaiah that He will not come “yet.” Their sins are like scarlet, and their so-called righteousness is as filthy rags, and their praises are not for Jehovah but for the idols they fashion. But, God had promised centuries before, and He will again: I will not abandon my children.

The patience of God is amazing. He will not leave his children even as sinful as they are; He is not slow but is patient because he does not wish any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

God is faithful and patient. Are you?