Verse of the Day - weekend 7/3

Through the Bible - Job 28-33, Acts 13

 

Good morning,

I've shared before how our son Jeff couldn't speak for two years after his accident.  Even today, he doesn't speak eloquently, or use large words or sentences, but some of the simple things he says blow us away.  They do this because they come from his heart, his heart for God, and God working through him.

 

I read several passages in a few devotionals this morning that dealt with the subject of hope.  One of my favorite "Jeffereyisms" is "hope is my favorite thing to have".

 

For today's verse we'll go to Romans 5 a powerful chapter that speaks of hope.

 

Rom 5:1-Since we have been made right with God by our faith, we have peace with God. This happened through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 who has brought us into that blessing of God's grace that we now enjoy. And we are happy because of the hope we have of sharing God's glory.   NCV

I like the way the NCV translates verse 2 "we are happy because of the hope we have of sharing God's glory".  Jeff is probably the happiest 27 year old you'll meet.  It is so because of the hope that he has along with  the "peace that passes understanding."

 

John MacArthur writes in his commentary, "Unlike the English word hope, the NT word contains no uncertainty; it speaks of something that is certain, but not realized.  The believer's ulitmate destiny is to share in the very glory of God, and that hope will be realized because Christ Himself secures it.  Without the clear and certain promises of the Word of God, the believer would have no basis for hope."

 

Heb 11:1  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  NKJV
Moody's "Today in the Word" devotional was in Psalm 146:

 

Ps 146:5  Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help,
Whose hope is in the Lord his God,
6 Who made heaven and earth,
The sea, and all that is in them;
Who keeps truth forever,
7 Who executes justice for the oppressed,
Who gives food to the hungry.
The Lord gives freedom to the prisoners.   NKJV

I'll end with the conclusion of that devotional.

 

"Where do you place your help and hope? Whom do you trust for security and peace? The world says our success and safety lie in our own hands or the hands of other humans, in our talents and achievements, in our investments and insurance. Psalm 146:3-6 teaches the exact opposite. We are mortal and powerless to save; God is forever faithful and mighty to save. If you are trusting yourself or others for help and hope, pray that God would transform your heart and actions to trust only in Him."  www.todayintheword.com

 

If a song of praise comes to your mind, sing it in your heart or out loud in preparation for worship this weekend.   A few examples would be "Mighty to Save" and "Praise Him, Praise Him".

 

In Christ,

Mike

mikevw@bellsouth.net
http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV

Rom 5:1-11

 

Developing Patience

 

5 By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us — set us right with him, make us fit for him — we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that's not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand — out in the wide open spaces of God's grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise.

 

There's more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we're never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary — we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!

 

Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn't, and doesn't, wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn't been so weak, we wouldn't have known what to do anyway. We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him.

 

Now that we are set right with God by means of this sacrificial death, the consummate blood sacrifice, there is no longer a question of being at odds with God in any way. If, when we were at our worst, we were put on friendly terms with God by the sacrificial death of his Son, now that we're at our best, just think of how our lives will expand and deepen by means of his resurrection life! Now that we have actually received this amazing friendship with God, we are no longer content to simply say it in plodding prose. We sing and shout our praises to God through Jesus, the Messiah!
(from THE MESSAGE)