Israel – Page 38 – Praying Pint

They forgot Me

Deuteronomy 31:20 For when I have brought them into the land flowing with milk and honey, which I swore to give to their fathers, and they have eaten and are full and grown fat, they will turn to other gods and serve them, and despise me and break my covenant. And when many evils and troubles have come upon them, this song shall confront them as a witness (for it will live unforgotten in the mouths of their offspring). For I know what they are inclined to do even today, before I have brought them into the land that I swore to give.” So Moses wrote this song the same day and taught it to the people of Israel. And the LORD commissioned Joshua the son of Nun and said, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall bring the people of Israel into the land that I swore to give them. I will be with you.” When Moses had finished writing the words of this law in a book to the very end, Moses commanded the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, “Take this Book of the Law and put it by the side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there for a witness against you. For I know how rebellious and stubborn you are. Behold, even today while I am yet alive with you, you have been rebellious against the LORD. How much more after my death! Assemble to me all the elders of your tribes and your officers, that I may speak these words in their ears and call heaven and earth to witness against them. For I know that after my death you will surely act corruptly and turn aside from the way that I have commanded you. And in the days to come evil will befall you, because you will do what is evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger through the work of your hands.”

Hosea 13:6 but when they had grazed, they became full, they were filled, and their heart was lifted up; therefore they forgot me.

Our life this side of eternity has many trials, temptations, troubles, blessings, joyous moments, and precious peace.

Hope, faith, and trust in God during times of trials, temptations, and troubles yields blessings, joyous moments, and precious peace. No one wants trials, temptations, or troubles in their life. It is in these times that we grow in our understanding and knowledge of the awesome love and power of God. Yet it is deep within our sinful nature to forget God, the need for God, how worthy He is of honor, glory, and praise, and soon become complacent, neglectful, and deaf to hear His whispers of guiding, purpose, love, joy, rest, peace, courage, grace, and mercy, when “they became full, they were filled, and their heart was lifted up; therefore they forgot me” . Humble service to Him leaves our thoughts. Seeing His creation and praising His awesome power and might is gone.

God gave us instruction on how to fight this sinful nature of complacency and neglect. “Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates,“

Hear and Learn

Deuteronomy 31:12 Assemble the people, men, women, and little ones, and the sojourner within your towns, that they may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God, and be careful to do all the words of this law, and that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as you live in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.”

Psalms 78:4-8 We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might, and the wonders that he has done. He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children, that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments; and that they should not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God.

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Ephesians 6:4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Deuteronomy 11:2 And consider today (since I am not speaking to your children who have not known or seen it), consider the discipline of the LORD your God, his greatness, his mighty hand and his outstretched arm,

We have an awesome responsibility and privilege to speak of God and live for Him so that others might hear and see the hope we have in the power, might, strength, grace, love, and mercy of God.

We should not take this lightly for each day gives us opportunity to bring glory, honor and praise to Him. God’s word spoken will not return void, our prayers will not be unheard, and a softening of their heart can take place. Yet at the end of the day it each persons choice to believe in God and through faith come to salvation through Christ.

When we believe, and are saved, redeemed, forgiven and have heart, mind, and soul deep knowledge and understanding of God and the everlasting light He has opened up to us, it is hard to make sense of how we lived and believed before. We are born again, a new creation, where all things are new and morning by morning new mercies we see.

God’s word in our lives each day will have purpose for growing our love for Him and faith in Him. Many will try to make sense of the world through wisdom of man, denying God. Be mindful we too were once lost and without hope. Live to bring light of God to those still living in darkness. You never know who those who choose to live in darkness will have their heart softened by God through you. Tell of all of his glorious works, wonders, might, and ever lasting love for those who call upon Him.

I will bring it to pass.

“Who has measured the Spirit of the LORD, or what man shows him his counsel? Whom did he consult, and who made him understand? Who taught him the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding?”

“For who among them has stood in the council of the LORD to see and to hear his word, or who has paid attention to his word and listened?”

“‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’”

“I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it.”

“making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ”

Ephesians 1:11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,

Job 12:13 “With God are wisdom and might; he has counsel and understanding.

Proverbs 8:14 I have counsel and sound wisdom; I have insight; I have strength.

Isaiah 5:19 who say: “Let him be quick, let him speed his work that we may see it; let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near, and let it come, that we may know it!”

Isaiah 28:29 This also comes from the LORD of hosts; he is wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

Sometimes we get lost in our uncertainty, worry, confusion, and troubles. We seek God’s plan but are not good about waiting, or listening, or trusting His timing. We pray for His revelation of His plan and purpose. We even give Him ideas about what would be best for our lives. Yes we pray for Him to lead us down a path and most of the time according to our thoughts of what is best for us, not realizing we are not seeking His plan and purpose but our own.

Seek God first. Praise Him first. Worship Him first. Honor Him First. Obey Him first. Trust in Him first. With our eyes focused on Him we soon lose sight of our plans and see His so much clearer.

This was shared with me today: The Bible says, ‘The LORD will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right’ (Psalm 84:11). Sometimes we pray for a certain thing, believing it’s good for us. But God, who has a plan for your life, knows what would be ‘good’ and what wouldn’t be. Billy Graham’s wife, Ruth, said if God had answered all her prayers when she was young, she’d have married the wrong man – several times. Two teardrops were floating down the river of life. One asked the other, ‘Who are you?’ The second replied, ‘I’m the teardrop from the girl who loved a man and lost him. Who are you?’ The first teardrop replied, ‘I am the teardrop of the girl who got him.’ That’s the way life goes, isn’t it? We cry over what we don’t have, not realizing we might have cried twice as hard if God had given it to us. The expression ‘walking by faith’ means trusting the plan God has already worked out, and will reveal to you on a need-to-know basis. Paul said, ‘I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content’ (Philippians 4:11). Clearly his contentment didn’t come from his surroundings, since he spent all but seven years of his ministry in prison. So, where did it come from? The knowledge that God ‘makes everything work out according to his plan’. Does that mean Paul understood every detail of God’s plan? No, but when he didn’t understand the plan, he trusted the Planner! And that’s where Paul’s peace, joy, and contentment came from. The same goes for you.

Light of the world

“The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.”

“ As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

“I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.”

“for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light”

Psalms 107:10 Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in affliction and in irons, for they had rebelled against the words of God, and spurned the counsel of the Most High. So he bowed their hearts down with hard labor; they fell down, with none to help. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and burst their bonds apart. Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! For he shatters the doors of bronze and cuts in two the bars of iron.

Luke 1:79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

Isaiah 42:7 to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.

Isaiah 60:1-3 Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.

Exodus 2:23-24 During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.

Job 36:8-9 And if they are bound in chains and caught in the cords of affliction, then he declares to them their work and their transgressions, that they are behaving arrogantly.

Romans 6:20-21 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.

Acts 26:18 to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

1 Thessalonians 5:4-5 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness.

I wonder if we get confused with what is light and what is darkness. For sure we know the physical difference between night and day, light and dark. However when it comes to sin darkness, do we see it? do we own it? do we understand it? do we know the author of darkness? When it comes to sin darkness, sometimes, it binds us in chains, blinds our eyes, and makes our senses unable to see or feel the love and light of Christ. We grope around trying to find a path forward. Sometimes we end up in darkness be cause we neglect the light. Other times we just plan fail to run to the light, choosing rather to remain in the darkness. What are we to do when we see someone in darkness? Show them the light. Encourage them with the light. Proclaim the light. And at other times allow the light of Christ flow through you. We all have found ourselves in darkness. Allow God to use you as a light to others and always pointing to Him alone.

Choose to be His disciple

John 4:1 Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples), he left Judea and departed again for Galilee.

John 3:26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.”

Acts 10:36 As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all),

1 Corinthians 2:8 None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

2 Corinthians 4:5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.

1 Corinthians 1:13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name. (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

Jesus’s disciples were baptizing disciples more so than John. When Jesus heard the Pharisees had heard of this he departed for Galilee. John’s disciples also made note of this. This had to have made John’s heart very very happy. People back then, like now, either reject or embrace the need for confession of sin and restoration (made right) with God. Baptism symbolizing death to old self (repenting) and rebirth of new self (turning away from old self). When God speaks to a persons heart they have the choice to come to Him or reject Him. To those who choose to listen, honor, serve, follow and obey they find new life. A life with clearer purpose, joy, peace, understanding, faith, and hope. Those who do not see this choice as foolishness and a sign of weakness. This is so much more to live when lived for serving Him. Find your purpose in choosing to be His disciple.