Daily Bible Blessing

[jeremiah7]

DBB-140

Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, "Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? (Matthew 9:4)
Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. (Matthew 12:25)
Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. (Luke 9:47)

Everyday 1000's of thoughts pass through our minds and often by the end of the day, we do not even remember many of them. Some good thoughts, some bad, some evil and several others.

The Psalmist says,
You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. (Psalm 139:2)
Yes, every thought that passes through our minds is known by the One who has been given all authority in heaven and on earth and under the earth i.e.Jesus. He, during his earthly ministry of 3 and 1/2 years knew exactly what each person was thinking when he dealt with them.

In 3 different situations that we read in Matthew 9:2-7, Matthew 12:22-28 and Luke 9:46-50, we read of Jesus knowing the thoughts of certain people. In the first 2 instances, there were people questioning and passing judgement on his deeds. In the third instance, his disciples were arguing among themselves as to who among them would be the greatest.

We have much to learn from the life of Jesus. He was so humble and gentle in his ways, but at the same time he demonstrated the power of God with his amazing deeds.
His thoughts were always aligned with that of his Father, wanting to do his Father's will at all times.
And to be in a frame of mind as him, what we need is Holy Spirit power.
God wants to give us more of the Holy Spirit.

The Bible says,
For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. (John 3:34)
....how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! (Luke 11:13)
The Holy Spirit will help us in becoming more and more like Jesus; he will guide us in to all truth as we meditate on the Word of God. He will change our thought processes to think more of godly things.

And what is godly thinking all about?
The Apostle Paul writing to the Philippians says,
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable; if anything is excellent or praiseworthy; think about such things.(Philippians 4:8)

Such a thinking can come to a believer only when he or she is willing to submit to the working of the Holy Spirit in their lives.
So, let's pray to the Father in heaven everyday for granting us more of the Holy Spirit and a willingness to submit to the Spirit's leading's, so that our thoughts may be continually pleasing to our Father in heaven.

 

[jeremiah7]

DBB-141

I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint. (Jeremiah 31:25)

Jeremiah Chapter 31 is full of promises and blessings for a people who had suffered a lot because of their own sins. They were punished by God for their unruly ways, but he was willing to restore them because of his compassion for them.
And one of the promises was that God would refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.

Almost all believers go through distressing situations in their lives, some of which last for long periods and their heartfelt desire during those periods is that the Lord would refresh them.
And refresh he does, in ways which only he can.
Are you going through such a phase where you are tired and fed up of all things?
God has compassion on you and wants to refresh you.

Perhaps you have stopped praising him because you feel things are not changing whatever you do. Well, let me assure you this day that things will change, because Jesus is interceding on your behalf in the presence of the Father.
Remember, his promise is that he will never leave you nor forsake you.
Trust in him and his promises.
Meanwhile check your life as to whether there is is anything in your life that does not line up with the Word of God or is displeasing to God. However trivial you think it may be, if it is displeasing to God, cast it away, with the help of the Holy Spirit of God.

God loves you and sent his son Jesus to the cross for your sake.
Be faithful in prayer, meditate on the Word of God regularly and worship God.
He is sending you times of refreshing..............
You will find favor from God.....God will give you rest.....God will lead you beside streams of water on a level path where you will not stumble......God will redeem you from the hands of the enemy......God will satisfy you.....you will be filled with God's bounty......your work will be rewarded.

 

[jeremiah7]

DBB-142

When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. (Matthew 14:14)

One of the chief attributes of Jesus Christ was the compassion that he had for the people who came seeking him for diverse needs. The gospel writers frequently mention this wonderful trait of his. And what's more; with the compassion that he had, he did many marvelous things. To name a few--


When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. (Mark 6:34)

Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.”
Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. (Matthew 15:32, 36, 37)

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” (Matthew 6:36-38)

He taught people regarding God's provision of salvation through him and the importance of the kingdom of God in their lives, he healed their diseases and provided for their immediate needs. To a man who was demonized and delivered from the demonic possession by him, Jesus had a piece of advice......

"Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you." (Mark 5:19)...and we read...

....he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis (ten cities) all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled. (Mark 5:20)

He made an evangelist of a person on whom all had given up hope....

Such is Jesus, the Savior of the world.
A Savior, you can always depend upon.
He has compassion on you this day.

 

[jeremiah7]

Jan 1

The watch night service was wonderful.
We sang songs of praise, there were fine testimonies of the Lords wonderful doings in the lives of believers and we entered the new year as a church reading Psalm 136.
I preached on Matthew 17:4
Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters---one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
Peter had seen something glorious and immediately had a plan.
He blurted out a few words and heaven responded to it. What actually happened was this.....
Matthew 17:1-6 NIV
[1] After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. [2] There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. [3] Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. [4] Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters---one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” [5] While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” [6] When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified.

Listen to Jesus! was heaven's command to Peter.
We may have many plans like Peter did, but it's best to go by God's plan for us. His plans are best.
Let's seek his face everyday of this new year and do as he says.
He will never leave us nor forsake us.

 

[jeremiah7]

Jan 2

While traveling to Kerala, India for a short vacation on Dec.23, I had a bad experience. The aircraft cabin pressure was discomforting to me and I had an episode of fainting. I recovered in a couple of minutes, and had a good vacation, most of it doing the Lord's work and visiting friends and relatives, but when it was time to fly back, I was a bit apprehensive.
Would the problem recur? was the question that haunted me.
All 10 days that I was in Kerala, I had prayed that the episode would not recur and by God's grace, it did not.
This testimony may sound trivial, but the experience taught me that we must not take any blessing of God for granted.
Every matter in the life of a believer in Jesus Christ is very closely related to him. We must remember that he is in charge of every aspect of our life, whether small or great.
We must never forget his goodness in our lives and give glory to him through our testimonies. As the Psalmist says,
Psalm 103:1-2 NIV
[1] Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. [2] Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits..........

So let's be faithful witnesses of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

 

[jeremiah7]

Jan 3

The first Friday worship of the year; Friday because Fridays are the Sundays or weekly holidays in the Middle East.
We had a great time of worship and a call to surrender ourselves afresh to the Lord.
Surrender!.......what a word......
Surrender!.......how difficult......
What would surrendering ourselves to Jesus mean after all?
Letting him run our lives and us living in obedience to his Word would seem to be the most appropriate definition.
Regarding this, the Bible exhorts us in this manner......

Proverbs 3:5-8 NIV
[5] Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; [6] in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. [7] Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. [8] This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.

Submission to God definitely brings blessings to our lives. One of these blessings is mentioned by James in his book. He says,
James 4:7 NIV
[7] Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Resisting the devil is only possible to one who is submitted to God.
There's victory in submission to God, so let's do it and be victorious, for the blessings of God are for the ones who are victorious.

 

[jeremiah7]

Jan 4

How significant is a needle? I mean it's just a thin short piece of metal with a minute aperture in it. What can it possibly achieve?
Had it a voice for itself, it could possibly get in to the Guinness book of records and every other record book for all that it has done for generations together.
God can really do wondrous things with seemingly insignificant people too.
Take for instance, an insignificant man called Gideon, living in fear of enemies and living with an inferiority complex. His story goes thus........

Judges 6:11-16 NIV
[11] The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. [12] When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior. ” [13] “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.” [14] The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” [15] “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family. ” [16] The Lord answered, “I will be with you , and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.”

God enabled Gideon. He, along with God's chosen 300 men wrought a great victory over a mighty enemy army.
Do you feel insignificant this day?
God can do mighty things through you. Look to him and obey his voice. You will be a blessing to thousands.

 

[jeremiah7]

Jan 5

It's disturbing and pathetic to see Christian websites sporting advertisements of horoscopes and sites dealing with immoral behavior. Some of them who run such sites say they have no control over the ads. that they show. That's a lame excuse for sure.

These are the sites that are to lead people to Christ and make weak Christians stronger, yet they choose to make revenue to run these sites in the above said manner and in the process make weak Christians fall. Wonder what Jesus would think of such things.

Come to see, many things wordly are now OK with many Christian Churches and Fellowships too. Many are willing to gel in with worldly things and yet call themselves believers.

Regarding a nation that God chose for himself and called out from Egyptian bondage....Israel.... he had great hopes on them and for a while they lived up to his expectations, but then they backslid and endured his wrath.

The Apostle Paul writing to the Corinthian believers exhorted them in this manner......
For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert. Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: "The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry." We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did - and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. We should not test the Lord, as some of them did - and were killed by snakes. And do not grumble, as some of them did - and were killed by the destroying angel. These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. (1 Corinthians 10:1-11)

The above verses speaks to us too......now.....that we should not take things for granted.
And a final word of exhortation from the Apostle.....
So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! (1 Corinthians 10:12)

 

[jeremiah7]

Jan 6

A believer friend spoke to me today of how he narrowly escaped two major accidents in a single day. He spoke about God's goodness and protection over him and his family.

Not once, not twice, but umpteen times, the Lord saves and he delivers his children, though we may not realize it every time. His watchful eyes are always keeping vigil over them who believe in him and live for him according to his Word.

In Psalm 121, the Psalmist sings,
The Lord will keep you from all harm; he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. (Psalm 121:7, 8)

I believe the Psalmist meant it when he sang it...... And we must believe.

Scores die each day in accidents. Some say that, that was all the life that God had given them. Others speak of fate.
But a believer in Jesus Christ and the triune God (Father, Son & The Holy Spirit)must believe that the Lord has promised him/her a long and fruitful life to do his will and that he is able to guard and guide them all through their lives.

To him who dwells in the shelter of the Most High, the promise from Psalm 91 says,
With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation. (Psalm 91:16)

Another great promise for them who love the Lord and acknowledge his name from the same Psalm goes like this.....
"Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. (Psalm 91:14)

The truth shall set us free.............
He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. (Proverbs 2:7, 8)

 

[jeremiah7]

Jan 7

Of what I read in the papers, the quaint tradition of burning cars on New year's eve in France still continues. This year more than 1000 cars were burnt. The custom of setting vehicles alight on New Year’s Eve reportedly began in Strasbourg, in the 1990s, in the the city’s poorer neighbourhoods. It was then quickly adopted by youths in cities across the country. What a strange way to celebrate at the expense of other's property!

The Bible speaks of the depraved condition of men in the end days......
People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God...... (2 Timothy 3:2-4)

Without self-control, brutal, not lovers of good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure...........how true!

Amidst all the chaos, God is still seeking a people for himself; people who are willing to humble themselves and live for him, accepting his solution to the chaos; Jesus Christ.

The Bible is clear regarding God's righteous judgement in this matter.......
To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism. (Romans 2:7-11)

To them (us) who have put their faith in Jesus Christ, Jude, has an excellent piece of advice as to how we should live during these last days........
But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear - hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh. (Jude 1:20-23)

 

[jeremiah7]

Jan 8

In 1995, a middle aged woman walked in to a meeting that I held on Wednesdays, suffering from after effects of a snake bite that she had a year ago. God did a miracle in her life and she was healed, she accepted Jesus as her savior and was baptized. Her husband who was a chronic alcoholic, chronic smoker and chronic asthmatic caused her much misery, but she prayed for him for 18 years. He accepted Jesus as savior last month (Dec.2013) and was baptized in water. When he was baptized, she testified with tears that she serves a living God, who answers prayers.

David, the psalmist sings,
Praise awaits you, O God, in Zion; to you our vows will be fulfilled. O you who hear prayer, to you all men will come. When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave our transgressions. Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple. (Psalm 65:1-4)

For them (us) who believe in the only way, the truth and the life-Jesus Christ, answers to most prayers are only a matter of time. As the psalmist sings.......
You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness, O God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas... (Psalm 65:5)

Approach the throne of grace with confidence, believing that God will answer your prayers that you pray in the name of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world.

Jesus said, " 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)

Pray, believe and receive!

 

[jeremiah7]

Jan 9

For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect ; if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time. So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the desert,' do not go out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it." (Matthew 24:24-26)
And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve. (2 Corinthians 11:14,15)

Careful then to what crusade you have packed your bags to! It's imperative that every believer in Jesus Christ prays for discernment these last days, for there are many false Christs and false prophets out there waiting to deceive the gullible.
Jesus warned his disciples long back and the warnings are for us too, that we may not be deceived.

As the Apostle Paul writes, Satan's servants will masquerade as servants of righteousness. They would be using the name of Jesus, but the power will be of the devil. And every person, (even believers) who goes to get prayed by such servants of Satan will be inviting a bondage in to their life.

Paul had the gift of discerning of spirits as we read in Acts Ch.16....
Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune telling. This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved." She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, "In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!" At that moment the spirit left her. (Acts 16:16-18)

Mind you, the spirit was not saying lies...."These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved." But Paul discerned in his spirit that it was an evil spirit, so he commanded it to come out of her and it left her.

False Christs....False Prophets......Servants of Satan......They are all out there.....masquerading as angels of light........Let's pray for discernment in these end days, so that we may not fall in to traps set by the enemy.

 

[jeremiah7]

Jan 10

Not many would know what Boanthropy means unless they google it or look it up in the dictionary. But there is a man mentioned in the Bible who suffered from this or a similar illness for 7 long years. He was the King of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar. In Boanthropy, the sufferer believes himself/herself to be an ox or cow and they prefer to eat and drink what an ox or bull does- grass and water.

Nebuchadnezzar's illness was a punishment from God for his arrogance and wickedness. Actually God had warned him of the same in a dream...a dream which only the prophet Daniel could interpret.
Here's how Daniel interpreted the king's dream......
"This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree the Most High has issued against my lord the king: You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes. The command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots means that your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules.
Therefore, O king, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue." (Daniel 4:24-27)

The king did not repent of his sins and wickedness, so what the prophet had said came to pass in 12 months time........He was driven away from people and ate grass like cattle. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird. (Daniel 4:33)

The king later testified....At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored......All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: "What have you done?" At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble. (Daniel 4:34-37)

The bottom line being.............those who walk in pride, God is able to humble.....even now.

 

[jeremiah7]

Jan 18

Taking my vehicle for an auto-wash the other day really tested my level of patience . There were a couple of vehicles ahead and then the machine took over after I put my vehicle in neutral. I was out soon after, but then the owner of the first vehicle was not satisfied with the mopping and suction work of his vehicle and got into a prolonged argument with the supervisor. The guy after him and me kept waiting for our turns and with the look on the arguing guy's face, we didn't venture to speak to him to get going. The guy finally moved out and we heaved a sigh of relief.

Patience.......it's so vital in our Christian life.
Talking about the qualities that we must have as believers in Jesus Christ, the Apostle Peter says, "And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness...." (2 Peter 1:5, 6)

But why patience? James, the epistle writer gives us the answer...
But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. (James 1:4)

Paul, the Apostle, writing to the believers in Thessalonica said,
"Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men." (1 Thessalonians 5:14)

When we pass through troubles, often we get jittery and impatient, but we must remember that the Lord will work on our behalf if we wait patiently.
Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. (James 5:11)

Yes, the Lord Jesus Christ is merciful. He will answer our prayers. Let us wait patiently in his presence and see the deliverance come true.
But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31)

 

[jeremiah7]

Feb. 1

"The Lord has done this for me," she said. "In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people."(Luke 1:25)

That's Elizabeth, wife of Zechariah, proclaiming the Lord's goodness. They were a couple who lived a life pleasing to God. The Author Luke writes,
Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commandments and regulations blamelessly. But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years. (Luke 1:6, 7)

For long, Elizabeth was suffering.....in her own words........she was suffering disgrace among her people. But now it was time for her to enjoy the Lord's favor...she was pregnant.
In the fullness of God's time, she gave birth to a son and her joy was complete.

Despite being a child of God, if you have been suffering disgrace for a while, God's time of favor will come to you soon; at a time that you do not expect. Perhaps you have lost hope, but let me tell you that Jesus loves you and he will answer your prayer.

They were upright in the sight of God.....is what we read regarding Zechariah and Elizabeth in Luke 1:6...

The ones who are upright in the sight of God have blessings prophesied in the Bible for them....

Consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a future for the man of peace. (Psalm 37:37)
Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart.(Psalm 97:11)
His children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. (Psalm 112:2)
Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man. (Psalm 112:4)
He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless.. (Proverbs 2:7)

A good future, light & joy, blessings for children, victory....all in store for the upright...Receive it with faith this day and glorify God. Praise the Lord.

 

[jeremiah7]

DBB-143

3 portions of Scripture........

1. When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. (Luke 7:37,38)
2. While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. (Matthew 26:6, 7)
3. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. (John 12:3)

3 women, 3 acts of love, reverence and worship.
There were people who were not pleased with what they were doing, yet they did not hesitate in doing what they intended to do.
All three did their acts of worship in different ways. One wet his feet with tears, wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. Another poured the perfume on his head and Mary, Lazarus' sister poured the pure nard on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair.

Jesus was supportive in his attitude towards these women amidst the criticisms from people and responded by showing mercy.

Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." (Luke 7:48)

When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. (Matthew 26:12)

"Leave her alone," Jesus replied. "It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. (John 12:7)

A merciful Savior is who we have, understanding our situations and responding with mercy and kindness.

Jesus says,
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)

Blessed are they who find their rest in Jesus.

 

[jeremiah7]

DBB-144

Leviticus 23:42-43 NIV
Live in temporary shelters for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in such shelters so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in temporary shelters when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.

What we read above are the instructions given by God Almighty to the Israelites regarding the Feast of Tabernacles.

Leviticus 23:39-41 NIV
“So beginning with the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have gathered the crops of the land, celebrate the festival to the Lord for seven days; the first day is a day of sabbath rest, and the eighth day also is a day of sabbath rest. On the first day you are to take branches from luxuriant trees-from palms, willows and other leafy trees-and rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. Celebrate this as a festival to the Lord for seven days each year. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come; celebrate it in the seventh month."

In this context, all Christian believers must remember that they also are living in temporary shelters here on earth. Perhaps in our lifetime we may move in to different houses at several junctures of our life, but we must always look forward to our permanent home which is Heaven.

Regarding Abraham, the author of Hebrews writes, Hebrews 11:9-10 NIV "By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God."

O, what a day that will be when each one of us for the first time beholds that city whose architect and builder is God!
Revelation 21:1-3 NIV
Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God."

O believer in Christ, you have a future in heaven for sure, there in those mansions sublime. So, be strengthened this day and praise God.

 

[jeremiah7]

DBB-145

I will look on you with favor and make you fruitful and increase your numbers, and I will keep my covenant with you. (Leviticus 26:9)

How blessed it is when God looks on us with favor and it is so for all who have been chosen by him to be a part of his heavenly kingdom.

Here God promises the Israelites who were in the wilderness that he was going to make them fruitful and increase their numbers and also that he was going to keep his covenant with them.

We too need favor of God in these difficult times that the world is going through. At the present moment there are more than 50 million people living in refugee camps and some without even these kinds of shelter.
Amidst all the chaos around us, God is still able to make us fruitful and will maintain his love and faithfulness with those who have placed their trust in Jesus.

In a godless generation in the ancient past, we read of one man finding favor with God. The Bible says,
But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. (Genesis 6:8, 9)

Are you walking with God? If so, you will find favor in his eyes and he will make you fruitful.

An exhortation from the writer of Proverbs tells us exactly how we can find favor with God and with men....
Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. (Proverbs 3:3, 4)

Let's take this exhortation to heart and find divine favor and be fruitful always.

 

[jeremiah7]

Bible Blessing-146

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... (Ezra 1:1)
Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites; everyone whose heart God had moved, prepared to go up and build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem. (Ezra 1:5)

It's very evident from these two verses, that God, in his sovereignty, moves the hearts of people, whether they be of royal lineage or commoners. A fine proverb concerning this goes in this manner....
The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases. (Proverbs 21:1)
How wonderful!

The KJV version says, "the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia.."
God moves the hearts of people or stirs up their spirits, so that his divine purposes are accomplished. God's people were in captivity in Babylon for 70 years and it was time for their deliverance. The prophesy that they would return to their homeland was to be fulfilled and God began moving hearts; first the heart of Cyrus, the Persian king, to make a proclamation (he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah; anyone of his people among you; may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the Lord, the God of Israel) and then the hearts of his people to build the temple.

God can choose anyone to fulfill his purposes in your life too. Your prayers will be answered according to his ways. You may wish that God answered your prayer in a certain way, but he is Almighty and he will do it his way.

Many blind came to Jesus for healing, but he healed them in several ways...to some he spoke healing, some he touched, he spat in to one man's eyes, to another he applied dirt and asked him to wash it in the pool of Siloam. They all received their sight, but as he choose.

Remember this day, that he can move the hearts of people in your favor, answering your prayers and fulfilling his purposes in your life.

 

[jeremiah7]

Bible Blessing-147

But in your great mercy you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God. (Nehemiah 9:31)

What a great privilege it is to serve a merciful God!
Nehemiah writes about God's "great mercy" towards his chosen ones. Despite their unfaithfulness and stubbornness, God did not put an end to them or abandon them.
He did punish them for their rebellion, but did not put an end to them or abandon them.

His promise to "never leave nor forsake" remains true even for us. No doubt, as believers in Jesus Christ, he disciplines us for our sins, yet he shows mercy.

Do not fear that the Lord will abandon you, even if you have strayed from him. He is the one who leaves the 99 faithful sheep in the open country and goes searching for the one lost.

Luke, the Physician writes,
"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' (Luke 15:4-6)

O lost sheep, your Shepherd seeks you. And when he finds you, he intends to joyfully put you on his shoulder and rejoice; so great is his mercy.

Good Shepherd Jesus, we love you, for you are a gracious and merciful God.