Month: September 2024

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Praising God

Worship God alone for He is Creator

Psalm 102 God is God

Day after day we read of those who have passed on into eternity, some to everlasting peace and some to everlasting torment. Some honor God in this lifetime and others deride Him, yet the truth remains about our God: “But You are the same, And Your years will not come to an end.” [Ps 102:27]  

God is eternal and He is everlasting. It is because of this we stop and praise Him this day as we go to the houses of worship. The psalmist wrote in Ps 99 “Let them praise Your great and awesome name; Holy is He.” That is what I shall do today. I praise Him because He is God and there is no other. I praise Him for He has ordained my existence now and for all eternity. I praise Him for those I love who love God. 

What shall you do today precious reader? Will God find you praising Him? I pray that this is true. 

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Are you prepared?

Ready to be God's servant

Proverbs 21 Solomon points out that there are several classes of people his son will encounter in his life as king. These are the same that we also face. There are the stubborn,the simple, the naive, the wise and the foolish. He sums it up this way, ‘Proud,” “Haughty,” “Scoffer,” are his names, Who acts with insolent pride.” [Prov 21:24] Pride is the downfall of all men. 

In war, there are the victors and the losers. And, just as the soldier prepares for battle, Christians must prepare for the battle they will face from the enemy who seeks to kill and destroy. As King, Solomon was clever in his illustrations. Listen to his counsel using a vivid description of the victorious vs the losers: “The horse is prepared for the day of battle, But victory belongs to the Lord.” [Prov 21:31] 

Today, are you prepared to face the arch enemy, Satan? Paul, like Solomon,used the graphic illustration of preparing for battle. David Guzik explains it like this: “God gives the believer a full set of equipment, and He sends us out into battle with everything we need at our disposal.” 

Are you prepared for the battle today? 

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God Protects

Psalm 98 God protects His faithful followers

Do you have a busy day ahead? Do you face timelines and people with tempers flaring? Does the news set you on edge? The psalm 98 is a perfect psalm for you to start the day.

You who love the Lord, hate evil!He protects the lives of his faithful followers; he delivers them from the power of the wicked.

Over and over through the centuries we see the proof of these words. Yes, there are times when God allows evil to triumph, but it is short lived and the evil doers do meet their doom. The story of Esther is proof that God protects His own and takes down the Haman’s of this world. 

Further the psalmist wrote: You godly ones, rejoice in the Lord. Give thanks to his holy name. 

What a wonderful psalm to start the day as we move from place to place in traffic. 

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Are you a Phoebe?

Romans 16 Honoring Servants

In today’s world we honor those who serve with gifts and accolades. In the time of Paul, those who served well are also honored not with gifts but with help as needed. What a wise consideration. Phoebe must have been a willing servant and Paul closes his letter to the Romans with that thought. It appears that she has been chosen to carry this letter to them and Paul encourages that church to provide for her needs while she is there. Imagine being asked to carry this document from Cenchrea (a suburb of Corinth) across the sea to Rome. You are going by yourself with such precious cargo. How do you prepare? According to google, it was “ 617 miles.”’ [ as the crow flies]. 🙂

‘“There was not a letter courier service that Paul could use to deliver this letter to the church in Rome. Instead, he would need to use a person. Taking this letter probably encompassed many months of time. Traveling was difficult. Often traveling occurred at nights so that the stars could be followed. I don’t think I can accurately realize the difficulty it was just to take this letter to Rome. What an incredible feat it was just to get this letter to Rome.” [anonymous blogger]

Also Paul asks the Romans for three things for Phoebe: Welcome her in a manner worthy of fellow saints in Rome, Help her in whatever she may need because She has been a patron of many and of Paul.

Would Paul have considered you a “Phoebe” for the work of the Lord?

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Respecting Others

Romans 14 Wisdom Speaks

This year we are in the book of Revelation in our small groups. One thing the teacher/pastor has emphasized is what Paul has said in this chapter. “Now receive the one who is weak in the faith, and do not have disputes over differing opinions,” [Rom 14:1] The last phrase in this verse speaks wisely. It is often because of our spiritual superiority that we do just that! Paul is counseling us to not just be wise but to see others as they are. Some are learned in the study of the scriptures while others are weak and not as learned. Treat each other with respect and honor their opinions. Be patient and loving with those who think differently than you do. 

To help us understand this in a practical way, Paul uses the example of different foods. Some will not partake of wine but others see nothing wrong with that. Some will not eat meat but only vegetables while others eat meat with gusto! One of the fruits of the Spirit is gentleness. We are to be gentle and not pushy with those who think or act differently than we do. If we don’t we are not just not obeying the Spirit but we are like the Pharisees who lived by the motto of listen to what I say not as I do. 

Today, be ye kind to one another. 

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What will you do?

Prayer is God's technology

Romans 13 Submit to the Government

Today we are being bombarded with anti-government forces. We have those who want to defund the police. They are being used by the evil one to seek,kill and destroy. This should not be. Instead, we are to honor and obey those in government because God has instituted such for our good. 

Do you fear the government? Do you obey them that hold positions there? You should because “authorities are God’s servants devoted to governing.” [Rom 13:6] God has allowed them for this purpose that our time here on earth may be quiet and orderly. 

Just as in Paul’s time, it is so now. The evil one seeks to undermine what God has placed over us. What will you do when faced with these arguments? Do you do as Nehemiah or Esther? Take a page out of their diary to find out what to do.

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Handling Adversity

Let God handle this

Romans 12 As Paul directs his thoughts to the Romans, he reminds them of what Jesus had said: “Love one another as I have loved you.” Then he adds this counsel: “Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse.” [ Rom 12:14] Thinking back on those who have gone before me, I recall Joseph whose life mirrored that in spades. Then as I am reading The Cost ofDiscipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, I see it in again. Neither man cursed but prayed for their persecutors. Joseph must have prayed diligently for his brothers because when they appeared before him, he blessed them with a test of their love to prove that they had changed. When Bonhoeffer was in prison, he prayed and taught and on the morning of his execution, he spent time in prayer for those who were going to hang him. What is the lesson I am to glean? It is this: no matter what comes my way, I am to bless those who persecute and do not curse. How does one do that? They do it by being in a mode of prayer. 

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