Included in the Covenant

 

There I will make a horn to sprout for David; I have prepared a lamp for my anointed. His enemies I will clothe with shame, but on him his crown will shine.” (Psalm 132:17–18)

Who will benefit from the promises God made to David?

Here is Psalm 132:17–18 again: “I will make a horn to sprout for David; I have prepared a lamp for my anointed. His enemies I will clothe with shame, but on him his crown will shine.”

Now connect that with Isaiah 55:1, 3, “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! . . . And I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.”

From this side of the cross, here’s how I would paraphrase that promise: Whoever comes to God through Jesus Christ, his Son, thirsting for what God is for us in Christ, rather than depending on who we are or what we do, God will make with that one a covenant.

Remember how the Bible comes to an end in Revelation 22:17? “Let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.” This is not just the Jews of Isaiah’s day. This is anyone who comes to Christ to satisfy the thirst of his soul. “I will make with [that one] an everlasting covenant!”

What covenant? A covenant defined and secured by God’s “sure love for David.” Isaiah 55:3, “I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.” I take that to mean that I am included in the Davidic covenant. What David gets, I will get in Christ Jesus.

And what does that include?

A horn will sprout for me. That is, great strength will fight for me and protect me. There will be a God-prepared lamp for me. That is, light will surround me and darkness will not overcome me. There will be a crown for me. That is, I will reign with the Son of David and sit with him on his throne. “The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne” (Revelation 3:21).

It is an astonishing thing that we will benefit from the promises made to David. God means for us to be astonished. He means for us to leave our devotions astonished at the power and authority and surety with which we are loved by God.

Five Purposes for Suffering

 

For those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

We seldom know the micro reasons for our sufferings, but the Bible does give us faith-sustaining macro reasons.

It is good to have a way to remember some of these so that, when we are suddenly afflicted, or have a chance to help others in their affliction, we can recall some of the truths God has given us to help us not lose hope.

Here is one way to remember: 5 R’s (or if it helps, just pick three and try to remember them).

The macro purposes of God in our sufferings include:

Repentance: Suffering is a call for us and others to turn from treasuring anything on earth above God. Luke 13:4–5:

“Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

Reliance: Suffering is a call to trust God and not the life-sustaining props of this world. 2 Corinthians 1:8–9:

We were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.

Righteousness: Suffering is the discipline of our loving heavenly Father so that we come to share his righteousness and holiness. Hebrews 12:6, 10–11:

“The Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” . . . He disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Reward: Suffering is working for us a great reward in heaven that will make up for every loss here a thousandfold. 2 Corinthians 4:17:

This light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.

Finally, Reminder: Suffering reminds us that God sent his Son into the world to suffer so that our suffering would not be God’s condemnation but his purification. Philippians 3:10:

. . . that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings.

So, it is understandable that the Christian heart would cry out in suffering, “Why?” since we don’t know most of the micro reasons for our suffering — why now, why this way, why this long? But don’t let that ignorance of the micro reasons cause you to overlook the massive help God gives in his word by telling us his macro purposes for us.

“You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful” (James 5:11).

WHOM GOD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY JANUARY 31, 2023.

SUBJECT: WHOM GOD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES!

Memory verse: "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent." (Revelation 3 vs 19.) 

READ: Hebrews 12 vs 3 - 11:

12:5: And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him:

12:6: For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.

12:7: If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom the father does not chasten?

12:8: But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.

12:9: Furthermore we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits, and live?

INTIMATION:

Discipline means “to teach and to train.” Correction is a vital part of discipline, and discipline sounds negative to many people because some disciplinarians are not loving. God, however, is the source of all love. He doesn’t punish us because He enjoys inflicting pain but because He is deeply concerned about our development. He knows that in order for us to become morally strong and good, we must learn the difference between right and wrong. His loving discipline enables us to do this. 

God’s purpose in discipline is not to punish but to bring people back to Him. Are you lukewarm in your devotion to God? God may discipline you to help you out of your uncaring attitude, but He uses only loving discipline. You can avoid God’s discipline by drawing near to Him again through confession, service, worship, and studying His Word. Just as the spark of love can be rekindled in marriage, so the Holy Spirit can re-ignite our zeal for God when we allow Him work in our heart.

When we face hardship and discouragement, it is easy to lose sight of the big picture. But we’re not alone; there is help. Many have already made it through life, enduring far more difficult circumstances than you may have experienced. Suffering is the training ground for Christian maturity. It develops our patience and makes our final victory sweet.

At times, God must discipline us to help us. This is similar to a loving parent disciplining his child. The discipline is not very enjoyable to the child, but it is essential to teach him or her right from wrong. The Bible says, “Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12 vs 11.) When you feel God’s hand of correction, accept it as proof of His love. Realize that God is urging you to follow His paths instead of stubbornly going your way. 

Now, who loves his child more—the father who allows the child to do what will harm him, or the one who corrects, trains, and even punishes the child to help him learn what is right? It’s never pleasant to be corrected and disciplined by God, but His discipline is a sign of His deep love for us. When God corrects you, see it as proof of His love, and ask Him what He is trying to teach you.

It’s difficult to know when God has been disciplining us until we look back on the situation later. Of course, not every calamity that happens to us comes directly from God. But if we rebel against God and refuse to repent when He has identified some sin in our lives, He may use guilt, curses, or bad experiences to bring us back to Him. Sometimes, however, difficult times come when we have no flagrant sin. Our response then should be patience, integrity, and trust that God will show us what to do.

We may respond to discipline in several ways: (1) We can accept it with resignation; (2) we can accept it with self-pity, thinking we really don’t deserve it; (3) we can be angry and resentful toward God; or (4) we can accept it gratefully, as the appropriate response we owe a Loving Father.

Believers should persevere in their Christian faith and conduct when facing persecution and pressure. We don’t usually think of suffering as good for us, but it can build our character and our patience. During times of great stress, we may feel God’s presence more clearly and find help from Christians we never thought would care. Knowing that Jesus is with us in our suffering and that He will return one day to put an end to all pain helps us grow in our faith and our relationship with Him. (See Romans 5 vs 3 - 5)

Prayer: Abba Father, You chasten those You love. O Lord, let me fall into Your hand, for Your mercies are great, and Your chastening is for my good. I know with You all things work together for good to them that love You, for Your thoughts for me are good and not of evil, to give me a future and hope, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

SIN AND GOD’S FORGIVENESS!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY JANUARY 30, 2023.

SUBJECT : SIN AND GOD’S FORGIVENESS!

Memory verse: "If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and heal their land." (Second Chronicles 7 vs 14.)

READ: Second Chronicles 6 vs 36 - 39:

6:36: When they sin against You, (for there is no one who does not sin), and You become angry with them, and deliver them to their enemies, and they take them captives to a land far or near;

6:37: yet  when they come to themselves in the land where they were carried captive, and repent, and make supplication to You in the land of their captivity, saying, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong, and have committed wickedness’;

6:38: and when they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, where they have been carried captives, and pray toward their land which You gave to their fathers, the city which You have chosen, and toward the temple which I have built for Your name:

6:39: then hear from the heaven Your dwelling place, their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive Your people who have sinned against You.

INTIMATION:

Sin is a condition we all share, and we all should acknowledge it. The Bible makes it clear that no one is exempt from sin. The Scripture says, “What is man, that he should be clean? and he who is born of a woman, that he could be righteous? If God puts no trust in His saints, and the heavens are not pure in His sight, How much less man, who is abominable and filthy, who drinks iniquity like water!” (Job 15 vs 14 - 16.) 

No one but God is perfect, all of us stand guilty before Him (Romans 3 vs 23) and need His forgiveness. No matter how well we perform or how much we achieve compared to others, none of us can boast of His or her goodness when compared to God’s standard. God not only expects us to obey His laws, but He wants us to love Him with all our heart. No one except Jesus Christ has done that perfectly. Because we all fall short, we must turn to Christ to save us (Romans 10 vs 9 - 11). 

The Scripture says, “For there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin.” (Ecclesiastes 7 vs 20.) No one can say I am pure from my sin. As soon as we confess our sin and repent, sinful thoughts and actions begin to creep back into our lives. We all need ongoing cleansing, moment by moment. Thank God for He provides forgiveness by His mercy when we ask for it. Make confession and repentance a regular part of your talks with God. Rely on Him moment by moment for the cleansing you need. 

The four conditions God has given us for forgiveness are: (1) Humble yourself by admitting your sins. Humbling yourself before the Lord is the first condition for seeking God’s forgiveness. God hears and dwells with the humble: “For thus says the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy; “I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” (Isaiah 57 vs 15.) 

(2) Pray to God, ask for forgiveness. Prayer is to make supplication or petition to God. It is a call of love of the Father to come and fellowship with Him. Prayer is our need crying out for help with the voice of faith to the Father. Prayer therefore, is born out of the sense of need, and the assurance that the need will be met. In summary, prayer is God's Will and part of His program for us, to come before Him with our needs. 

(3) Seek God continually. To seek the Lord is to search for Him, and desire to know Him, even the more. It is God’s delight that we seek Him; The Lord said, “Yet they seek Me daily, and delight to know My ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and did not forsake the ordinance of their God: they ask of Me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching God.” (Isaiah 58 vs 2). The Scripture says, “Seek the LORD and His strength, seek His face continually.” (First Chronicles 16 vs 11.) 

(4) Turn from sinful behavior. True repentance is more than talk—it is changed behavior. Turning from your sinful ways is actually acknowledging that your former ways are unacceptable, and you genuinely desire to change. True repentance also involves a commitment not to continue in sin. We wouldn’t be genuinely repenting from our sins if we planed to commit them again, and just wanted temporary forgiveness. We should also pray for strength to defeat temptation the next time we face it. 

God will answer our earnest prayers, and knowing we have a tendency to sin should keep us close to God, seeking His guidance and strength. When we realize we have sinned, we should quickly ask God for forgiveness and restoration. 

All people are sinners by nature and by practice. At conversion all our sins are forgiven—past, present, and future. Yet even after we become Christians, we still sin and still need to confess. This kind of confession is not offered to gain God’s acceptance but to remove the barrier to fellowship that our sin has put between us and Him. Confession is supposed to free us from sin to enjoy fellowship with Christ. It should ease our consciences and lighten our cares. 

When we come to Christ, He forgives all the sins we have committed or will ever commit. Though we have confessed our sins, there is the tendency that we will sin, and even do sin. However, we don’t need to fear that God will reject us if we don’t keep our state perfectly clean. Our relationship with Christ is secure. Of course we should continue to confess our sins, but not because failure to do will make us lose our salvation. Instead, we should confess so that we can enjoy maximum fellowship and joy with Him.

Someone may ask, “If God has forgiven us of our sins because of Christ’s death, why must we confess our sins?” We need to because in admitting our sins and receiving Christ’s cleansing, we are (1) agreeing with God that our sin is truly sin and that we are willing to turn from it, (2) ensuring that we don’t conceal our sins from Him and consequently from ourselves, and (3) recognizing our tendency to sin and relying on His power to overcome it. 

Prayer: Abba Father, You are so merciful; forgiving my sins and remembering them no more. I desire to be in fellowship with You always, and for the endowment of Your grace to live a purposeful life in line with Your Will, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Prevailing Grace

 

I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will lead him and restore comfort to him and his mourners.” (Isaiah 57:18)

Learn your doctrine from biblical texts. It stands up better that way, and feeds the soul.

For example, learn the doctrine of irresistible grace from texts. In this way, you will see that it does not mean grace cannot be resisted; it means that when God chooses, he can and will overcome that resistance.

In Isaiah 57:17–19, for instance, God chastises his rebellious people by striking them and hiding his face: “Because of the iniquity of his unjust gain I was angry, I struck him; I hid my face and was angry” (verse 17).

But they did not respond with repentance. Rather, they kept backsliding. They resisted: “But he went on backsliding in the way of his own heart” (verse 17).

So grace can be resisted. In fact, Stephen said to the Jewish leaders, “You always resist the Holy Spirit” (Acts 7:51).

What then does God do? Is he powerless to bring those who resist to repentance and wholeness? No. He is not powerless. The next verse says, “I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will lead him and restore comfort to him and his mourners” (Isaiah 57:18).

So, in the face of recalcitrant, grace-resisting backsliding, God says, “I will heal him.” He will “restore.” The word for “restore” is to “make whole or complete.” It is related to the word shalom, “peace.” That wholeness and peace is mentioned in the next verse which explains how God turns around a grace-resisting backslider.

He does it by “‘creating the fruit of the lips. Peace, peace (shalom, shalom), to the far and to the near,’ says the Lord, ‘and I will heal him’” (Isaiah 57:19). God creates what is not there — peace, wholeness. This is how we are saved. And this is how we are brought back from backsliding — again and again.

The grace of God triumphs over our resistance by creating praise where it did not exist. He brings shalom, shalom to the near and the far. Wholeness, wholeness to the near and the far. He does it by “restoring,” that is, replacing the disease of resistance with the soundness of submission.

The point of irresistible grace is not that we can’t resist. We can, and we do. The point is that when God chooses, he overcomes our resistance and restores a submissive spirit. He creates. He says, “Let there be light!” He heals. He leads. He restores. He comforts.

Therefore, we never boast that we have returned from backsliding. We fall on our faces before the Lord and with trembling joy thank him for his irresistible grace that conquered all our resistance.

Caused to Return

 

Cause us to return, O Lord, that we may return! (Lamentations 5:21, my translation)

There is no hope for God’s people unless God causes them to return from their sliding and leaping into sin and unbelief.

The book of Lamentations is the bleakest book in the Bible. God himself had decimated the apple of his eye: Jersualem.

The Lord gave full vent to his wrath; he poured out his hot anger, and he kindled a fire in Zion that consumed its foundations. (Lamentations 4:11)He has killed all who were delightful in our eyes. (Lamentations 2:4)The Lord has afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions. (Lamentations 1:5)

So how does the book end?

It ends with the only hope there is:

Cause us to return, O Lord, that we may return! (Lamentations 5:21)

That is my only hope — and your only hope!

Jesus said to Peter, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:31–32).

Not if you return. But when you return. I have prayed for you! You will return. And when you do, it will be my sovereign grace that brought you back from the precipice of apostasy.

Christian, this is true for you. This is your only hope of perseverance in faith. Glory in it.

Christ Jesus is the one who . . . is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. (Romans 8:34)

He will cause us to return. Therefore, “to him who is able to keep you from stumbling . . . be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever” (Jude 1:24–25). Amen!

THE WAY OF ESCAPE FROM TEMPTATION!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY JANUARY 29, 2023.

SUBJECT: THE WAY OF ESCAPE FROM TEMPTATION!

Memory verse: "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able; but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." (First Corinthians 10 vs 13.) 

READ: Genesis 3 vs 1 - 5:

3:1: Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God Indeed said, “You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?”

3:2: And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden;

3:3: but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’”

3:4: Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.

3:5: For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

INTIMATION:

Temptation is to entice to sin; to put to test; to make a trial of. Temptation is Satan’s invitation to give in to his kind of life, and give up on God’s kind of life. He is busy getting people to sin. In our society filled with moral depravity and sin-inducing pressures, temptation to sin is relatively high. It happen to everyone, and no one can say or feel he or she has been singled out. Temptation will always come, therefore,  we need to be constantly on guard against the devil’s ongoing attacks. The good news is that many others have resisted temptation, and so you can do it. 

We must realize that being tempted is not sin, until we give to the temptation. Temptation comes from evil desires Satan is throwing up inside of us. It begins with an evil thought and becomes sin when we dwell on the thought and allow it to become an action. The best time to stop temptation is before it is too strong or moving too fast to control. However, any temptation can be resisted because God will show you a way out. Then, to resist temptation we must:

(1) Pray for strength to resist. If we attempt to meet life’s challenges with human effort alone, we will find the pressures and temptations around us too great to resist. We must be alert and pray. Being alert means being aware of the possibilities of temptation, sensitive to the subtleties, and spiritually equipped to fight it. Because temptation strikes where we are most vulnerable, we can’t resist it alone. Prayer is essential because God’s strength can shore up our defense and defeat Satan’s tempting power.

Jesus said to His disciples, “Watch and Pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Mark 14 vs 38.) He is speaking to all of us. In time of great stress, you are vulnerable to temptation, even if you have a willing spirit. Therefore, to escape temptation we must keep watch—stay awake and be morally vigilant by praying to God, and this is how you maintain you vigilance. 

(2) Run, sometimes literally, from anything you know is wrong. Stay away from people, places, and situations that may tempt you. God will help you recognize those people and situations that give you trouble. Running from a tempting situation is your first step on the way to victory, and often can be the most courageous action to take. Remove yourself physically from any situation that stimulates your desire to sin. Knowing when you run is as important in spiritual battle as knowing when and how to fight. 

(3) Seek support of friends and loved ones who love God and can offer help when you are tempted. This is how you build up your resistance and help others. When one is weak, others might be strong. The devil often tempts us when we are vulnerable—when we are under physical or emotional stress (for example; lonely, tired, weighing big decisions, or faced with uncertainty). Sharing your concerns or opinion with others can help you avoid any temptations by the devil. You may have strong faith, but you also have areas of weakness, and that is where temptation usually strikes. Strengthen and protect yourself where you are weak because a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. 

(4) Be focused on doing God’s Will and not your own. Often we are tempted not through our weaknesses, but through our strengths, where we are most susceptible to pride. We must guard at all times against his attacks. When we give in to the devil and wrongly use our strengths, we become proud and self-reliant. Trusting in our own powers, we feel little need of God. To avoid the trap, we must realize that all our strengths are God’s gifts to us, and we must dedicate those strengths to His service. 

Most decisions about how to face temptation are made with cool heads long before we feel the heat of temptation. Build your defenses now before temptation strikes. When temptation strikes it is too late to ask for advice. When desire is fully activated, people don’t want advice, they want satisfaction. Resistance is easier if the decision has already been made. Don’t wait to see what happens. Prepare for temptation by deciding now how you will act when you face it.

All Christians struggle with temptation. Sometimes it is so subtle that we don’t even realize what is happening to us. Satan wants to destroy believers or at least neutralize them through sin, shame, and guilt. He tries to block God’s purposes for your life or for someone else’s life. God has promised that he won’t allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear. Ask God to help you recognize temptation and to give you strength to overcome it and choose God’s way instead. At the root of most temptation is a real need or desire that God can fill, but we must trust in His timing. 

Prayer: Abba Father, help me to be sensitive to temptation, and give me the strength and wisdom to overcome it. Endue me with the spirit of total obedience and commitment to Your laws, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!