Verse of the Day 5/30

Verse of the Day 5/30

Psalm 103:17-18  But from eternity to eternity

the Lord's faithful love is toward those who fear Him,

and His righteousness toward the grandchildren

18 of those who keep His covenant,

who remember to observe His precepts.   (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

Friday would have been my mom's 89th birthday and it was the first one since her passing.  Naturally, I've thought about her a lot over the past month and am grateful for her life and example of faith.  I've been preparing for her memorial service on June 7th and as I've gone through photographs and other momentos of her life,  a lot of things have been going through my mind.

Today's verse came up in my devotions yesterday and it easily brought my mind back to her for several reasons.  Mom loved her children, grand children and great grandchildren and I know that she would enjoy hearing that God's faithful love and righteousness would be "toward" her grandchildren.  She was a faithful wife, loving mother, grandparent, pianist and organist at her church, taught Sunday School and worked in AWANA Clubs.  Yet, those things didn't earn her a right relationship with God, did not earn his favor, it was all by God's grace.  This reminds me of her nickname "Gracie".

The other thing that stood out in the HCSB translation of verse 17 was the word eternity.  As Christians we long and hope for an eternity with God and a reunion with loved ones.  In Ecclesiastes 3 we read, "He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end."

I saw the ravages of what advanced stages of dementia can bring, but we take solace in the fact that in eternity, by God's grace, we will see renewal and restoration and life everlasting.  The Lord has touched her and made her whole.

Lord of Eternity
Blessed is the man
Who walks in Your favor
Who loves all Your words
And hides them like treasure
In the darkest place
Of his desperate heart,
They are a light
A strong, sure light.

Sometimes I call out Your name
But I cannot find You.
I look for Your face,
But You are not there.
By my sorrows, Lord,
Lift me to You,
Lift me to Your side.

Lord of Eternity,
Father of mercy,
Look on my fainting soul.
Keeper of all the stars,
Friend of the poorest heart
Touch me and make me whole.    (Lord of Eternity - Fernando Ortega)

Blessings, 

Mike 

Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com  Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,

in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV

Psalm 103:15-22
English Standard Version
15 As for man, his days are like grass;
    he flourishes like a flower of the field;
16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
    and its place knows it no more.
17 But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him,
    and his righteousness to children's children,
18 to those who keep his covenant
    and remember to do his commandments.
19 The Lord has established his throne in the heavens,
    and his kingdom rules over all.
20 Bless the Lord, O you his angels,
    you mighty ones who do his word,
    obeying the voice of his word!
21 Bless the Lord, all his hosts,
    his ministers, who do his will!
22 Bless the Lord, all his works,
    in all places of his dominion.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!

Verse of the Day 5/28

Verse of the Day 5/28

Habakkuk 3:18-19 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord,

I will joy in the God of my salvation.

19 The Lord God is my strength;
He will make my feet like deer's feet,
And He will make me walk on my high hills.  English Standard Version

For today's verse we'll return once more to the book of Habakkuk and the final words that we have from the prophet.  It shows the heart of one who "lives by faith".  The circumstances hadn't changed, there was still the reality of impending invasion of the Chaldeans, but his faith remained unshakeable.  No matter what would happen, he trusted in God for the strength for the day and restoration, whether here or in eternity.

I've shared this before, but I'll do so again. While hunting in the mountains of Colorado I took a stand overlooking  a clear cut where trees had been cut down from a plot of land leaving stumps, branches and other debris.  To traverse this ground on foot would probably taken me an hour with the risk of turning an anchor or worse.  I was watching over this field when 3 mule deer appeared on the other side.  They heard something behind them and took off "bouncing" as mule deer do.  They covered that field in a matter of seconds without missing a beat or a step.  They were made that way by God and learned to apply those "instincts" in their lives, having run through similar fields every day of their lives.

We will encounter "clear cuts" in our lives where to others the field, our lives may appear to be non-navigable.  But yet, realizing that God has been with us before, we trust that He is with us and will be with us come what may, and we press on.  We have His assurance from on high that He is with us.

You may notice (below) that the chapter is actually written as a song and was put to music.  The song that comes to my mind today (which would have been my mom's 89th birthday) is "Blessed Assurance".  We can have the assurance that He will make our feet like deer's feet and walk on those high heavenly hills.

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine;
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood. 

This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.
This is my story, this is my song,
  Praising my Savior all the day long.

2

Perfect submission, perfect delight,
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels descending, bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

3

Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Savior am happy and blest;
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.

Blessings, 

Mike 

Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com  Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,

in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV

Habakkuk 3:17-19
New King James Version
17 Though the fig tree may not blossom,
Nor fruit be on the vines;
Though the labor of the olive may fail,
And the fields yield no food;
Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,
And there be no herd in the stalls—
18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.
19 The Lord God is my strength;
He will make my feet like deer's feet,
And He will make me walk on my high hills.
To the Chief Musician. With my stringed instruments.

Verse of the Day 5/27

Verse of the Day 5/27

Habakkuk 3:2   O Lord, I have heard the report of you,

    

and your work, O Lord, do I fear.

In the midst of the years revive it;
    in the midst of the years make it known;

    in wrath remember mercy.  English Standard Version

The other day from Romans 12:2 we considered "being transformed by the renewal of our minds", it is not re-imagining but renewal.  Another word for it is found in today's verse from the prophet Habakkuk, revival.  It is bringing life back into something and in spiritual terms it is often referred to as revival.  The prophet was looking at the situation of the nation and how it had turned from God and he saw the coming judgment for their rebellion.  His prayer was a call for revival, and the renewal of their minds in the midst of the years of chaos.

Our society, in many respects, seems to be falling into chaos and the re-imagining spoken of would likely mean more chaos and disruption and not the peace that is sought.  So it is with the spiritual condition of hearts today.  They are looking for something new, when in fact, what they need is a revival of the faith that they have left or perhaps simply drifted away from (Hebrews 2:1)

Hababkkuk's prayer is one that can still be prayed today.  It is acknowledging his former work, his power displayed in history from the parting of the read sea to the defeat of previous invading armies and He can still turn the tide today.  But if His judgment is coming, we can still call for His mercy.

May the Lord bring about revival today in the midst of our years, in the midst of this chaos and may it start with us.

Blessings, 

Mike 

Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com  Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,

in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV

Habakkuk 3:1-6
English Standard Version
3 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, according to Shigionoth.
2 O Lord, I have heard the report of you,
    and your work, O Lord, do I fear.
In the midst of the years revive it;
    in the midst of the years make it known;
    in wrath remember mercy.
3 God came from Teman,
    and the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah
His splendor covered the heavens,
    and the earth was full of his praise.
4 His brightness was like the light;
    rays flashed from his hand;
    and there he veiled his power.
5 Before him went pestilence,
    and plague followed at his heels.
6 He stood and measured the earth;
    he looked and shook the nations;
then the eternal mountains were scattered;
    the everlasting hills sank low.
    His were the everlasting ways.

Verse of the Day 5/26

Verse of the Day 5/26

Habakkuk 2:1-2 I will take my stand at my watchpost

    

and station myself on the tower,

and look out to see what he will say to me,
    and what I will answer concerning my complaint.

2 And the Lord answered me:

"Write the vision;
    make it plain on tablets,

    so he may run who reads it.  English Standard Version

Our men's Bible study group recently finished a short study in the book of Habakkuk.  Not much is known about him but he was a prophet in one of the most challenging times for the nation of Judah.  He was a contemporary of Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel (among others) and wrote during a period of spiritual decline in the nation and an impending threat of invasion by the Chaldeans.  He verbalized his complaint to God in prayer, not understanding God's methods or purposes, but trusting none the less and not holding back his feelings.  He prayed and then told the Lord that he would take his post and watch and wait for God's answer.

The Lord responded to his heartfelt prayer and gave him clear instructions that he wanted to have written down clearly that it could easily be passed on to others then and to future generations. Continuing in the passage he writes:

The words were plain and they were preserved.  The statement "the righteous shall live by his faith" were latched onto by the Apostle Paul in Romans 1:17 and Galatians 3:11 and by the author of Hebrews in Hebrews 10:38.  John Piper states that another way to look at the statement would be to say that the "righteous by faith shall live."  The prophet was in right standing before God and lived out his faith, taking his stand on the watchtower.

Habakkuk 2:4   " but the righteous shall live by his faith."  ESV

We are to do the same today.  We may not understand the circumstances around us and the challenges that they bring, but we can know that we can be honest with God including our questions.  Our part is to put our faith and trust in Him; seek Him in prayer; wait on Him and live by that faith.

 

Blessings, 

Mike 

Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com  Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,

in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV

Habakkuk 2:1-4
English Standard Version
I will take my stand at my watchpost
    and station myself on the tower,
and look out to see what he will say to me,
    and what I will answer concerning my complaint.
2 And the Lord answered me:
"Write the vision;
    make it plain on tablets,
    so he may run who reads it.
3 For still the vision awaits its appointed time;
    it hastens to the end—it will not lie.
If it seems slow, wait for it;
    it will surely come; it will not delay.
4 "Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him,
    but the righteous shall live by his faith.

Verse of the Day 5/25

Verse of the Day 5/25            

Romans 12:2

 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.                                                                                                 English Standard Version

One of the "catchwords" that is often heard these days is "re-imagine".  In actuality it is a call to change the way we think of certain things.  Most often it is not a subtle change but almost a 180 degree change.  It is a call for "new" thinking and to do away with the old.  This permeates many facets of our culture including religion and faith.

Today's verses show us how transformation takes place, it is when we place our faith and trust in God's Word, our minds can be transformed by being renewed.  It is going back to the way it should be.  It is finding the right  path.  I'm sure that you can come up with other verses to support this.

David Jeremiah writes, "American brothers John and Isaiah Hyatt changed the world in 1872 by inventing the injection molding process. Through this process, plastics and other materials can be heated and forced into a mold. Once cooled, a perfectly formed object appears. Every day we pick up something created by injection molding. ....When English scholar J. B. Phillips was looking for a way to paraphrase Romans 12:2 for The New Testament in Modern English (1958), the image of a mold came to mind: "Don't let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-mould your minds from within." The word "squeeze" pictures the pressure that is constantly exerted by sin (the flesh), the world, and the devil. The mold of the world takes many shapes, but none of them are original. They all question the authority of God—attempting to discount God's Word and excluding Him from our priorities. As Satan said to Eve, "Has God indeed said?" (Genesis 3:1)."

It is another one of those times where we need to choose where we form our ideas.  Are we being forced into the mold of the world or are our hearts and minds being renewed, refreshed, restored by spending time in God's Word and in prayer and in applying the time tested truths in our lives?

Blessings, 

Mike 

Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com  Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,

in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV

Romans 12:1-8
New King James Version
12 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. 4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.