Verse of the Day 1/31

 

Verse of the Day 1/31   

 

Deuteronomy 28:1-2     "Now if you faithfully obey the Lord your God and are careful to follow all His commands I am giving you today, the Lord your God will put you far above all the nations of the earth. ² All these blessings will come and overtake you, because you obey the Lord your God:   Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

 

In  yesterday's post from Matthew 25 we considered how hard work pays off.  Not  that we earn the  rewards from  God, as if He owes us anything, but still, He is faithful to bless those who follow Him, whose aim is to please Him.  You can see this time after time  in the Old Testament where we go for today's verses.  Reading the stories of Abraham, Moses,  David,  Ruth you can  see how the faithfulness of these God followers impacted generations, not only of  their own  families, but for the family of God, all His children.

 

In my eBible I had copied the following  note from Pastor Greg Laurie regarding Jonathan Edwards and his  legacy.  It  is a picture of  God's blessings "overtaking", going beyond Edwards for generations.  "Jonathan Edwards is best known for his sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" and his role in one of the great spiritual awakenings in the United States. He also was the third president of Princeton University.

 

But Edwards left an amazing legacy in other ways as well. He served the Lord to the best of his ability and made sure that his family was in church every Sunday. Of his descendants, 430 were ministers, 86 were university professors, 13 were university presidents, 75 authored books, seven were elected to Congress, and one became vice president of the United States."

 

We are called to be faithful, to  persevere, to follow and obey.  May that be our  objective today and every day.  In doing so we'll have His presence with us and  experience "God's blessing  in your coming  in and your going  out"  (The Message) day by day.  May it be that we would leave a legacy that will impact generations for Christ.

Blessings,

 

Mike

 

Deuteronomy 28:2-6The Message (MSG)

28 ^1-6 If you listen obediently to the Voice of God, your God, and heartily obey all his commandments that I command you today, God, your God, will place you on high, high above all the nations of the world. All these blessings will come down on you and spread out beyond you because you have responded to the Voice of God, your God:

God's blessing inside the city,
God's blessing in the country;
God's blessing on your children,
    the crops of your land,
    the young of your livestock,
    the calves of your herds,
    the lambs of your flocks.
God's blessing on your basket and bread bowl;
God's blessing in your coming in,
God's blessing in your going out.

 

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Verse of the Day 1/30

 

Verse of  the Day 1/30

 

Matthew 25:21   His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant.^[a] You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.'  English Standard Version (ESV)

 

Our Pastor Bob spoke on the topic of "sweat equity" yesterday and one of the verses that was covered was from  Luke 16:10 in  which Jesus states, "if you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones".  (NLT).  Following along in my study Bible, I looked  up a couple of cross references and today's verse is  one  of them.

 

It used to be that the attitude of working hard and being rewarded for that hard work was commonly understood.  Things have changed and  it  is more  common today to hear the attitude, the  belief "pay me more  and  I'll  work harder".  The "old way" is becoming more and more  counter cultural in a day when everyone receives a participation trophy.  But we as Christians are called to it in the realm of our faith and beyond.  It is not the world's reward or recognition that we should be concerned about, it is God.

 

Be faithful in what He calls you to  do.  Do it joyfully, heartily unto  the  Lord and He will reward you in  His time.  We are not  doing it  for the  reward, but out of love  for Him.  I like  what how The  Message sums it up with Jesus' saying "from  now  on, be my partner", it made me  think  of the  following  hymn, may we sing it in being  faithful  in  our little  corner  of the world.  It is a picture  of "entering into the "joy of your master" (ESV).

 

Jesus, my Lord will love me forever,
From Him no pow'r of evil can sever,
He gave His life to ransom my soul;
Now I belong to Him; 

Chorus
Now I belong to Jesus,
Jesus belongs to me,
Not for the years of time alone,
But for eternity.

Once I was lost in sin's degradation,
Jesus came down to bring me salvation,
Lifted me up from sorrow and shame,
Now I belong to Him; 

 

 

Blessings,

 

Mike

 

Matthew 25:21The Message (MSG)

^19-21 "After a long absence, the master of those three servants came back and settled up with them. The one given five thousand dollars showed him how he had doubled his investment. His master commended him: 'Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.'

 

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Verse of the Day 1/29

Verse of the Day 1/29

Philippians 2:14-15  Do all things without grumbling or disputing, ¹⁵ that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,  English Standard Version (ESV)

I started my day yesterday with a devotional that was in Exodus 17 where the people of Israel were grumbling and complaining to Moses about the lack of water.  Another word for this grumbling is "murmur", saying the word reveals exactly what is sounds like.  You can hear murmering in a crowd and you may murmur to yourself under your breath, I know that I do it.  Elsewhere in the Old Testament the people  complained about the manna that God miraculously provided and then grumbled about the meat, the quail that He provided.

In today's society,  truly a "crooked and twisted generation" (ESV), we see it in action every day in the news as people complain, grumble and  murmur about our leaders.  We as Christians are to live differently, The Message paraphrases says that we are to "do everything readily and cheerfully—no bickering, no second-guessing allowed!".  What difference would it make in our homes, our churches and out in the community if we did not join others in the constant bickering?

Our conversation should be constructive, and as The Message states, be a "glimpse of good living and of the living God".  It is not easy, and doesn't mean that we simply ignore what is going on and burrying our heads in the  sand.  But we are to seek God's will, be a breath of fresh air and carry the "light giving Message" into this bickering, grumbling society, showing a better way.

--   In Christ,  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    

Philippians 2:14-16The Message (MSG)

^14-16 Do everything readily and cheerfully—no bickering, no second-guessing allowed! Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. Carry the light-giving Message into the night so I'll have good cause to be proud of you on the day that Christ returns. You'll be living proof that I didn't go to all this work for nothing.

Verse of the Day 1/27

Verse of the Day 1/27

 

Proverbs 4:25-26

Let your eyes look directly forward,
    and your gaze be straight before you.
²⁶ Ponder^[a] the path of your feet;
    then all your ways will be sure.  English Standard Version (ESV)

 

Our men's Bible study has been slowly going through the book of  James, which many (myself  included) refer to the "Proverbs" of the New Testament.  It is full of practical advice and direction for how to live the Christian life.  James 1:22 challenges and calls us to be doers of the Word and not "hearers" only.  In studying you may obtain knowledge but wisdom comes and shows in our lives in the application of the truths of scripture applied in our lives.  It involves knowing  what is right and true and doing it.  It involves discretion, timing, tact and many other things. 

 

Including yesterday's verses from the end of Chapter 4 we are called to "be attentive", to lean into  God's Word; keep these words of wisdom in our hearts and hold on, hold fast to them; we are to "keep and guard our hearts";  "put away "crooked speech", watch what we say; looking forward, keeping our eyes on the right path, not swerving off down rabbit trails which can lead into all kinds of messes.

 

Wisdom involves our "outlook".  It is aware of the facts of the past, what has brought us to where we are, but the focus is not there continually, nor is it solely on the here and now, it looks "straight ahead", considering the path ahead with the knowledge of the past and God's Word in your heart and mind to guide you.

,

Read the passage from The Message below, then decide to  " Keep your eyes straight ahead;  ignore all sideshow distractions.
Watch your step, and the road will stretch out smooth before you."  This is true wisdom.

 

 

Blessings,

 

Mike

 

Proverbs 4:21-27The Message (MSG)

Learn It by Heart

^20-22 Dear friend, listen well to my words;
    tune your ears to my voice.
Keep my message in plain view at all times.
    Concentrate! Learn it by heart!
Those who discover these words live, really live;
    body and soul, they're bursting with health.

^23-27 Keep vigilant watch over your heart;
    that's where life starts.
Don't talk out of both sides of your mouth;
    avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip.
Keep your eyes straight ahead;
    ignore all sideshow distractions.
Watch your step,
    and the road will stretch out smooth before you.
Look neither right nor left;
    leave evil in the dust.

 

 

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Verse of the Day 1/26

Verse of the Day 1/26

Verse of the Day 1/26   

 

Proverbs 4:20-21   My son, be attentive to my words;

    incline your ear to my sayings.

21 Let them not escape from your sight;

    keep them within your heart.  English Standard Version (ESV)

 

Aaron Geoffrey several years ago put out  a song by the title "He Is" which went through each book of the  Bible reviewing the names of God, both written and unwritten through the  Bible, both Old  and New Testaments.  It is a powerful song which impacted me from the  day that  I heard it.  For the book of Proverbs the  song  referred to God as "wisdom's cry".  Reading through the book of Proverbs written  by Solomon, wisdom calls out to God's people from His written Word.

 

We've recently considered how  important  it  is to carve  out  some  time each day to spend time  with God in His Word, in prayer and pondering what it means to us and what He would have us to do,  how  we should live,  and apply His word.  Today's  verses from  Proverbs have wisdom's cry, God's Word calling  us to "be attentive" to pay attention to His Word, to "incline our ears",  to lean into it, understand it  and adhere to it.  We are also  to keep it in front of us, not letting it  "escape" from our sight.  If you ever had a small pet  like a hamster or something similar, if you took it  out of its cage you would have to keep your eyes on it and grab hold  of it at times or  it   would escape you.  So it is with God's  word, you need  to keep it in front  of you,  lay your  hands, eyes and  heart on it.  Not that it would escape on its own  but rather that we would not forget it.  If it is stored  in our hearts  it will be accessible when we need it, when we want it, unlike some pets that escaped never to be seen again.

 

Read the short passage from  The Message below.  I like  the way Eugene Peterson puts it,  "Those who discover these words live, really live;  body and soul, they're bursting with health", spiritual health.

 

Carve out and spend time with God.  Read through  the Bible, discover who "He is" in each book and  page you read.  Listen to and for "wisdom's cry".

 

Blessings,

 

Mike

 

Proverbs 4:20-22The Message (MSG)

Learn It by Heart

^20-22 Dear friend, listen well to my words;
    tune your ears to my voice.
Keep my message in plain view at all times.
    Concentrate! Learn it by heart!
Those who discover these words live, really live;
    body and soul, they're bursting with health.

 

 

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Verse of the Day 1/25

 

Verse of the Day 1/25

 

Luke 9:4-5   And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart.⁵ And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them."  English Standard Version (ESV)

 

As you  approach most  homes there  is a "welcome mat"outside the front door.  People will commonly wipe  there shoes on the mat before entering  to remove loose gravel or dirt that may be on  the sole of  their  shoes.  Upon  entering there often another mat or perhaps a throw rug where the guest will do that a second time.  Many times  they will offer to take  off  their shoes to make  the extra effort not to drag dirt into the house and onto a light colored rug.

 

I've probably read this passage dozens of times along with it's parallel passage in  Matthew.  Reading  it  this time and then  having  some friends over  on  a rainy day and  going through the  process mentioned in the first paragraph made me stop and think.  Jesus instructed the  disciples to shake the dust off their feet as they left.  In other words, they did not  want to leave the home or  place "soiled" from the  experience, but  to shake it off  and  leave  it behind.   Imagine what would be going  through the homeowners mind as they left.

 

The  heading in The  Message for this passage where Jesus sends out the  disciples and gives  them His  instructions says "keep it  simple".  They will be going  forth with the gospel  message, bringing it  to  homes  and  villages, through the  doorways and the gates.  Their mission is to  leave  the  message of  good news  with them.  At the same time, if this message is not  accepted,  they were not  to carry anything else out of the house with them.  Nothing should  be added to the message, no new thoughts,  no  compromising so  that it  would be better received.  Instead they are to go to the next home, the next town carrying the same message.

 

How will we apply this to our lives?  I'll leave that  to you to consider.  But if we are sharing the  gospel, don't compromise the message.  " If you're not welcomed, leave town. Don't make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and move on."

 

Blessings,

 

Mike

 

Luke 9:4-5The Message (MSG)

Keep It Simple

9 ^1-5 Jesus now called the Twelve and gave them authority and power to deal with all the demons and cure diseases. He commissioned them to preach the news of God's kingdom and heal the sick. He said, "Don't load yourselves up with equipment. Keep it simple; you are the equipment. And no luxury inns—get a modest place and be content there until you leave. If you're not welcomed, leave town. Don't make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and move on."

 

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