Daily Bible Blessing

jeremiah7 · Jan 7, 2013

DBB-83

Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, "Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?" They replied, "Certainly, O king." He said, "Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods."(Daniel 3:24, 25)

King Nebuchadnezzar was witnessing something spectacular. The three men whom he had ordered to be thrown into the fire had an addition to their count and according to the king, the fourth looked like a son of the gods. No, the four men were not yelling or groaning because of the flames, but they were walking around in the fire; walking unbound and unharmed. Amazing, jaw dropping miracle. No wonder if the king pinched himself to check whether this was another dream he was dreaming. The climax of this true story, scripted by God Almighty was spectacular too, because the kings attitude towards these Hebrew youths changed instantly. This is what happened...

Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, "Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!" So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them. Then Nebuchadnezzar said, "Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king's command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way." Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon. (Daniel 3:26-30)
If you are experiencing a situation similar to that of the Hebrew youths these days, know this, that it will soon workout for your deliverance and exaltation, so praise God.

jeremiah7 · Jan 8, 2013

DBB-84

But when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison.(Genesis 40:14)

It's true that people forget the kindness that we show to them and this is exactly what happened in Joseph's case. He was in prison for no fault of his, but an opportunity had risen for him to have a recommendation given to Pharaoh regarding the injustice that had taken place in his life. This is what happened...
The cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their master, the king of Egypt. Pharaoh was angry and put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the same prison where Joseph was confined. The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he attended them. After they had been in custody for some time, each of the two men had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own. When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw that they were dejected. So he asked Pharaoh's officials who were in custody with him in his master's house, "Why are your faces so sad today?" "We both had dreams," they answered, "but there is no one to interpret them." Then Joseph said to them, "Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams."
Joseph interpreted their dreams and gave a favourable interpretation to the cupbearer and then told him to speak a good word to Pharaoh regarding him. Pharaoh restored the cupbearer to his position, just as Joseph had said to him in his interpretation. The cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.

Joseph must have waited for many days thinking that the cupbearer must have put in a good word for him to Pharaoh, but that was not the case. Yet, God did not forget him and had him released from prison when Pharaoh himself had troubling dreams which no one could interpret and Joseph was called to interpret them.
God is faithful and even though people may forget what good we do for them and not help us in return when we are in need, God will be watching over us to deliver us at all times and his promise to "never leave us nor forsake us" will always come true if we trust in him continually.

jeremiah7 · Jan 8, 2013

DBB-85

"Go and look toward the sea," he told his servant. And he went up and looked. "There is nothing there," he said. Seven times Elijah said, "Go back." (1 Kings 18:43)

If the Elijah's stop praying, miracles won't happen, that's for sure. If you are called to be one who intercedes for others or for your city or nation, please do not stop praying, even if you do not see any signs of a change. The miracle will happen and that's for sure.

3 years back, the prophet Elijah had proclaimed to Ahab, the king of Israel: "As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word."(1 Kings 17:1) And it was so.

As the years passed, the land was devastated because of the resultant drought. After a long time, in the third year, the word of the Lord came to Elijah: "Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land." (1 Kings 18:1)

Here was a promise...a promise for the good. With God's promise with him, Elijah again proclaimed to the king, "Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain." (1 Kings 18:41) So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees. As we read in the title verse, Elijah asked his servant seven times, to go check for any signs of rain. The first six times, the servant saw no signs and he reported to his master the same. But the seventh time the servant reported, "A cloud as small as a man's hand is rising from the sea." So Elijah said, "Go and tell Ahab, 'Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.'" Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain came on and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. (1 Kings 18:44, 45)

God will fulfill his promises to you and me. But we must pray and also watch for signs of the miracle that is to happen. It will happen and no one can stop it, provided we persist in prayer.

jeremiah7 · Jan 10, 2013

Daily Bible Blessing- 86

But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly the evildoers prosper, and even those who challenge God escape.'" (Malachi 3:15)

Passing through difficult times often makes believer's think differently. There are many whys? that arise in their minds and as we read above, the mind tends to tell our beings stories of how the arrogant are blessed, how evildoers prosper and how them who challenge God escape. But that is not the truth. None of the above categories are truly blessed. As Asaph, the Psalmist sang, "Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin. How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors! As a dream when one awakes, so when you arise, O Lord, you will despise them as fantasies." (Psalm 73:18-20)

Another thing that some believers think during suffering is....."It is futile to serve God. What did we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord Almighty?" (Malachi 3:14)
These disturbing thoughts can be overcome by the help of the Holy Spirit of God. The Bible says, "And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." (Romans 5:5)

God knows what suffering the righteous are going through and he will make them triumph by his strength. He says,
"They will be mine, in the day when I make up my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as in compassion a man spares his son who serves him. And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.(Malachi 3:17, 18)

Let's hope and trust in God's assuring promises each day and overcome our sufferings by his strength.

jeremiah7 · Jan 12, 2013

DBB-87

And Asa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O Lord, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee. (2 Chronicles 14:11)

A prayer that proved to be very effective when King Asa of Judah faced an enemy army almost twice the size of his army.
We read in 2 Chronicles 14 that King Asa had an army of 5,80,000 while Zerah the Ethiopian had an army numbering 10,00,000.

Prayer makes all the difference and as Asa did, we can pray that the Lord fights our battles against the enemy; against satan and co. who are often out to trouble us.
The Bible says,
So the Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled. (2 Chronicles 14:12)

God is always willing to fight our battles, but prayers are vital. God wanted Gideon to take only 300 men with him to fight against the vast Midianite army. The victory was promised already and it happened as God had said. But the point that God wanted to impress upon Gideon who was chosen to lead the fight against the Midianites was this....
"You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her............" (Judges 7:2)
Gideon set out with 32,000 men, but God trimmed the army to just 300 and Israel was victorious because the Lord fought for them.

Yes, the Lord will fight all our battles, and we will be victors. Pray we must and pray we will.

jeremiah7 · Jan 14, 2013

DBB-88

Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. You will increase my honor and comfort me once again. (Psalm 71:20, 21)

We, like the Psalmist, can always hope that the Lord will once again do wonderful things for us, if we are seeing troubles and difficult days at present. Hope in our Saviour is what will keep us going, even though we experience pain now. The Psalmist sings thus about his confidence in his God, "But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more." (Psalm 71:14)

The Lord has delivered his own from impossible situations and he is still doing it, so we have hope. His eyes are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love.

James, in his epistle, exhorts believers in this manner.....
As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. (James 5:11)
Who would have ever imagined the dramatic restoration of Job's life. No one, not even Job, I guess. But the Lord has his ways. He is the one who is called El Sheddai- God Almighty.

Yes, we have hope this day and all the days of our life, because we serve God Almighty, the one who sent his son to the cross for our sakes, that we may not perish in our sins, but have eternal life. All glory be to him.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)

jeremiah7 · Jan 16, 2013

DBB-89

Is it not wheat harvest now? I will call upon the Lord to send thunder and rain. And you will realize what an evil thing you did in the eyes of the Lord when you asked for a king." Then Samuel called upon the Lord and that same day the Lord sent thunder and rain. So all the people stood in awe of the Lord and of Samuel. (1 Samuel 12:17, 18)

This man Samuel, seemed to have clout with God, so as to say, or that was what the Israelites were witnessing. He was claiming that a miracle would happen as a sign of their wrongdoing in asking for a king and it did happen. And the Bible says, "So all the people stood in awe of the Lord and of Samuel."

Samuel, the prophet, had lead Israel since he was a youth. He was faithful in all his ways towards God and towards his fellow Israelites. Now it was time for him to move away from his God given position as leader of Israel, because the people had asked for a king and he had selected one for them taking God's guidance. He challenged the people to witness against him regarding any wrongdoing on his part in all his service. They replied, "You have not cheated or oppressed us, you have not taken anything from anyone's hand." (1 Samuel 12:4)

There was thunder and rain during wheat harvest season when Samuel prayed to God.The people were afraid and said to Samuel, "Pray to the Lord your God for your servants so that we will not die, for we have added to all our other sins the evil of asking for a king." (1 Samuel 12:19)
"Do not be afraid," Samuel replied. "You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. (1 Samuel 12:20)

The prophet Samuel lived very close to the Lord and served the Lord with all his heart. In his service for the Lord as prophet, judge and priest, he was faithful. From the beginning of his ministry to the end, the Lord was continually with him and the let none of his words fall to the ground.

May the Lord grant us grace to be faithful in our calling too.

jeremiah7 · Jan 17, 2013

DBB-90

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. (Revelation 21:4)

How wonderful will that day be when the old order of things passes away!
Till then the groaning will persist off and on. Christian life is one of ups and downs and almost all experience the downs. Yet, in the downs, we have God who remembers us. As the Psalmist says in Psalm 136....To the One who remembered us in our low estate....His mercy endures forever.

Keep going! Sunshine or rain, snow or storm...for the Lord cares for you. Cast your cares on him. Call out to him and he will answer you like only he can.
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)

Sometimes, the Saviour may ask the question...Where's your faith? Not to chide you, but to remind you that he is still there in the boat, when the waters are trying to shatter the vessel.
1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th watch, he's there for you. Day in and day out, he's there by your side, though you do not see him. He may surprise you by coming to deliver you sooner than you expect. So be on the watch.
And when he says "a word", the deliverance is yours.
What a Saviour! A very present help in times of trouble.

So cast away the doubts and let praise rise from your mouth, so that the dark clouds may vanish and the light of heaven may shine on you.

jeremiah7 · Jan 20, 2013

DBB-91

Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! (Hebrews 12:9)

Submission requires humbling one's self and not all are receptive to the idea, yet according to the author of Hebrews, submission leads to life and so those who are in Christ, should live lives submitted to the Father in heaven. Jesus was submissive to his Father and so the Father exalted him and the Bible says, .......Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11)

Another great blessing of submitting to God is that we can then gain victory over our adversary, the devil. We read in the book of James, "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:7)
For resisting the devil, the first step is living a life of submission to God.
It's pointless to live as one pleases and then try to gain victory over the enemy.
This is very clearly explained in Psalm 81...........But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not submit to me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices. "If my people would but listen to me, if Israel would follow my ways, how quickly would I subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes! Those who hate the LORD would cringe before him, and their punishment would last forever. But you would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you." (Psalm 81:11-16)

Let us then submit ourselves to the Father of our spirits and live and be blessed.

jeremiah7 · Jan 23, 2013

DBB-92

While they were bringing out the money that had been taken into the temple of the Lord, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the Lord that had been given through Moses.(2 Chronicles 34:14)

The Book of the Law of the Lord had most probably been neglected for quite a while as many Christians do with their Bibles even in our day. Wonder why no one had made it a point to search for it, since it was 'God's Word' for his people. Now that it was found accidentally, it was brought to the, then king of Judah, Josiah. Josiah, was a god fearing king who was in the process of cleansing the land of idolatry. When the words of the book were read out to him, he tore his robes and asked for an expert opinion regarding the law from the prophetess Huldah.

She had 2 messages; one for the nation in general and one for the king. Disaster was decreed for the land and the people because of idolatry and rebellion to God, but for the king, this was the message...'Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before God when you heard what he spoke against this place and its people, and because you humbled yourself before me and tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the Lord. Now I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place and on those who live here.'...... (2 Chronicles 34:27, 28)

God is just and he watches everything. Nothing is hidden from his presence and he judges righteously as is very evident here. He says,
"This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word." (Isaiah 66:2)
Are we among them that God esteems is a question that we can ask ourselves as we live as believers in a corrupt generation. Humble and contrite in spirit and them who tremble at his word.

jeremiah7 · Jan 27, 2013

DBB-93

Mordecai was prominent in the palace; his reputation spread throughout the provinces, and he became more and more powerful. (Esther 9:4)

Looking at the life of Mordecai, one can see how God can effect mighty changes for the good in a person's life. This man, Mordecai, a Jew, once upon a time, sat at the king's gate, seeking mainly, the welfare of 2 persons- the king and his cousin (Esther), whom the king had chosen as queen. Though he had saved the king's life, he was neither rewarded nor honoured immediately. What happened was......
During the time Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate, Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's officers who guarded the doorway, became angry and conspired to assassinate King Xerxes. But Mordecai found out about the plot and told Queen Esther, who in turn reported it to the king, giving credit to Mordecai. And when the report was investigated and found to be true, the two officials were hanged on a gallows. All this was recorded in the book of the annals in the presence of the king. (Esther 2:21-23)

Esther had given the credit to Mordecai, but the king had not rewarded him. Then came the evil plan of Haman, to destroy the Jews including Mordecai and Esther. Mordecai, Esther and the Jews fasted and God brought about a total reversal of the wicked plans of Haman. One of those night's, the king could not sleep and so he ordered the book of the chronicles to be read to him. He realized that no honour or reward was given to Mordecai who had saved his life. Thus came the first honour to Mordecai wherein he was robed with the king's robe and rode the king's horse through the city. Later on, after Haman was sent to the gallows by the king, Mordecai was honoured again. And finally.....Mordecai was prominent in the palace; his reputation spread throughout the provinces, and he became more and more powerful.

If you are passing through difficult times, remember that God is able to effect a total reversal for the good and he is also able to destroy every plan that the enemy forges against you.

jeremiah7 · Jan 29, 2013

Daily Bible Blessing- 94

Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. (Romans 16:19, 20)

The great blessing for being wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil is that, we can then be victorious in our battles against our adversary, Satan.

The Apostle Paul, here, was warning Christians in Rome to watch out for them who were causing divisions. He warned them in this manner..........I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. (Romans 16:17, 18)
To the believers in Philippi, the apostle wrote,
For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things. (Philippians 3:18, 19)
Involving ourselves with such people will hinder our spiritual growth and we can be waylaid by them if we are not extremely careful.
The Bible exhorts us to......
Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:21, 22)

If we are wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil......the God of peace, will sanctify us through and through and our whole spirit, soul and body will thus be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

jeremiah7 · Jan 31, 2013

DBB-95

Do your best to come to me quickly, for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica................. (2 Timothy 4:9, 10)

As believers in Jesus Christ, we all need friends; at least most of us do. And it's painful, when them who have been friends for long, leave for unspiritual pursuits. Here, the apostle Paul, needed Timothy to be with him, so he asked Timothy to come to him quickly, for someone close, had deserted him. Paul's friend, companion and co-worker, Demas had deserted him because he loved the world. Earlier they had together suffered imprisonment for witnessing Christ, but now Demas had other objectives in life.
After many years of fruitful spiritual lives, some believers tend to go astray and seek vain things. Any of the three things mentioned by the apostle John, can be the factor, namely, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.

Here is a warning for all of us who have placed our faith in the Son of God, Jesus Christ. John, the apostle writes,
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. (1 John 2:15-17) (KJV)

We must not follow them who go after vain pursuits, even if they are closest to us. We must look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. God will give us others as friends or co-workers. He knows our needs. Let's remain faithful to him till the end.

jeremiah7 · Feb 4, 2013

DBB - 96

This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. (Psalm 34:6)

The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. (Psalm 34:17)

A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all; (Psalm 34:19)

What we can infer from these three verses is that the Lord is able to deliver and does deliver the righteous from all their troubles. This is not the only portion of the Bible where we read this. There are other verses that supports this fact. So we must believe that the Lord will deliver us too, if Jesus has become our righteousness.
David was hounded by several enemies, yet God delivered him from them all. He sang,
I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies. (Psalm 18:3)
Also....He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. (Psalm 18:17)

The enemy that pursues us may be strong, but we must remember that Jesus is stronger and that he will rescue us. He is the one who.....
....having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross and having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. (Colossians 2:14, 15)

Yes, he is able to deliver you and me from satanic foes and he will, when we call out to him. He says,
And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly......." (Luke 18:7, 8)

jeremiah7 · Feb 9, 2013

DBB-97

In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and to put it in writing: "This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: "'The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Anyone of his people among you - may the Lord his God be with him, and let him go up.'" (2 Chronicles 36:22, 23)

These parts of v.22 give us significant insights....in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah.........the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia.....
The facts that we can infer from them are that God's word finds fulfillment sooner or later and that God does move hearts.
God moved the heart of Cyrus, a gentile king, for granting permission for the temple to be built after the captivity in Babylon. God had great plans for this king, long before he was born. Isaiah prophesied these words that God gave him.............who says of Cyrus, 'He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please; he will say of Jerusalem, "Let it be rebuilt," and of the temple, "Let its foundations be laid."' (Isaiah 44:28)

As believers in Jesus Christ, we must believe that God's word to us will also be fulfilled in his time.
For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. (Habakkuk 2:3)
We must also believe that God can move hearts for us and is always working on our behalf as we continually pray to him.

jeremiah7 · Feb 13, 2013

DBB-98

"Like birds hovering overhead, the Lord Almighty will shield Jerusalem; he will shield it and deliver it, he will 'pass over' it and will rescue it." (Isaiah 31:5)

Shield, deliver, rescue......3 so very important words.....and this was the Lord's promise for Jerusalem; that he would shield, he would deliver and he would rescue. It is so evident that the Lord cared and still cares for his people. And you and me, we must know that he cares for us; us, who have put our trust in his son, Jesus Christ.

The Apostle Paul writing to the Thessalonians says,
And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men, for not everyone has faith. But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. (2 Thessalonians 3:2, 3)

Oppositions rose against Paul as he bore witness to Jesus Christ among the gentiles and he was often persecuted. There were times when he did not have anyone to support him or defend him. Wicked and evil men persecuted him and he barely escaped their clutches on many occasions. He wrote this to Timothy,
Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done. You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message. At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion's mouth.(2 Timothy 4:14-17)

The watchful eyes of the Lord were upon him always. He was there to shield, deliver and rescue him and Paul was confident of this, so he wrote,
The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (2 Timothy 4:18)
Though Paul died a martyr's death, as he wrote, God was with him continually and rescued him from every evil attack till it was time for him to enter God's heavenly kingdom.

The promise is for us too...........the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect us from the evil one. He will shield, he will deliver and he will rescue. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

jeremiah7 · Feb 16, 2013

DBB-99

This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. (1 John 3:11)

John, the Apostle placed a lot of emphasis on this one command that the Saviour gave before he went to the cross for saving humanity from eternal death. This was what the master said.....
Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. (John 13:34)

And the apostle reminds us and all who read his epistle of the same.
And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. (1 John 3:23)
Repeatedly he exhorts his readers that love is very important, for, as he puts it, love comes from God.
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.(1 John 4:7)

Many believers fail in this matter because of various reasons. There are some who don't even love their own family members, leave alone others. Among the initial churches established by the apostles, there was often lack of love and we read in the epistles, several exhortations from them, to overcome this shortcoming and love each other genuinely.
The Apostle Paul wrote to the Colossians,
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. (Colossians 3:12-14)

Let us then humbly accept this command of the Lord and live as sons and daughters of the Most High.
No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. (1 John 4:12)

jeremiah7 · Feb 18, 2013

DBB -100

If the axe is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed but skill will bring success. (Ecclesiastes 10:10)

Seriously, one wouldn't venture to fell a tree without sharpening the axe. But it does happen frequently and then alas! the one wielding the axe realizes the folly. Many who are called to God's work follow in the same vein; some getting frustrated in the process and some burning out fast. A call to God's work usually calls for preparation for the task, according to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Of course, there are few who are commissioned by God for immediate action, but the norm is, action after preparation. The period of preparation varies with individual to individual and the work called to. God remains in control all through, if one submits to him while being readied for the task.

The temptation to walk ahead of God or run ahead of him remains a great danger. To cite an example....One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. Glancing this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. The next day he went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, "Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew?" The man said, "Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?" Then Moses was afraid and thought, "What I did must have become known."When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian......... (Exodus 2:11-15)

In his heart, Moses knew that he could possibly save his people from the cruel Egyptian bondage, but alas!it was not God's time. He did something in his own strength and it backfired.

God's call came to him 40 years later, when Moses was 80 years old and no longer keen for heroics. Thus he tried to stall God's call by giving several excuses, but finally God made him do what he intended him to do.....leading his people out of Egypt en route to the promised land.
Age 40 and Moses was bubbling with enthusiasm to save his people minus God's direction and age 80, he wanted nothing to do with God's glorious plans and that's why he said, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it."(Exodus 4:13)

A period of 'no active work' in a minister's life could be God's call to wait upon him in prayer and time to sharpen the axe, whatever the gift or talent be. God's timing is perfect and we should stick to his schedule, rather than ours.

jeremiah7 · Feb 23, 2013

DBB-101

Follow justice and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the Lord your God is giving you. (Deuteronomy 16:20)

A righteous God, he always desired his chosen people, the Israelites, to be just in their dealings, so he gave them a promise for following justice...and justice alone.....they would live and possess the land that he was giving them. But many of them failed to keep this requirement and could not enjoy the fullness of his promise.

One of things that God commanded them regarding this matter was that the should not pervert justice. He was clear in his instructions. He told them,
Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd..... (Exodus 23:2)

But this is one thing that happened frequently then and keeps happening even now...........following the crowd.
Jesus set an example for us, by not following the crowd and by not perverting justice by siding with the crowd. We must follow in his foot steps.

There was even a curse reserved for them who perverted justice in the days of the Law. It said,
"Cursed is the man who withholds justice from the alien, the fatherless or the widow." ........(Deuteronomy 27:19)

How would it be if we have promise of a glorious inheritance but not being able to inherit it because of perverting justice?
That would be a tragedy, to say the least.
God wants his chosen ones to experience the fullness of his promises, but that is achievable only when they walk according to his ways and ........following justice and justice alone is one of the prime requirements.

jeremiah7 · Feb 26, 2013

DBB-102

Joshua told the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you." (Joshua 3:5)

Consecration means to declare or set apart as sacred. Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. Consecration is the act of dedicating something to God, sanctifying it and making it holy. Different combination of words from different sources; all pointing in one direction and Joshua wanted the people he was leading in to the promised land of Canaan to be such...set apart for Almighty God. And God too was particular regarding this matter. He wanted the people whom he had chosen to be different; set apart for himself; living for him. And that is what God asks of us too; us, who have been redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ.

During the journey to the promised land, God wanted the Israelites to obey Moses, their leader, so he told Moses, "I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear me speaking with you and will always put their trust in you. Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes and be ready by the third day, because on that day the I will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people."

God reminded his people time and again that they were consecrated-set apart for him and his purposes......

I am the Lord your God, who has set you apart from the nations. (Leviticus 20:24)
You are to be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own. (Leviticus 20:26)

And we as believers in Jesus Christ....as we go about living our lives, here on earth, with its ups and downs, must acknowledge the fact that we have been set apart for God and his purposes and so, live for him and bring glory to his name always.

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