Psalm 1: 1-3
How blessed -- Very happy.
is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly -- Does not believe worldly lies.
Nor stand in the path of sinners -- Act like or live our life like those of the World.
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers. -- We are not "at home" in this World, we don't belong here.
But his delight -- What we deeply enjoy.
is in the Law of the Lord -- The ways God designed this World to work, how we are to interact with and care for it and one another.
And in His Law he meditates day and night. -- We are to think about it all the time, figure it out, connect the dots.
And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water -- Constantly watered by the Word.
Which yields its fruit in its season -- Not out of season.
And its leaf does not wither -- Maintains good health.
And whatever he does, he prospers. -- We succeed.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
I Chronicles 17: 1
And it came about when David dwelt in his house, that David said to Nathan the Prophet, "Behold, I am dwelling in a house of cedar, but the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord is under curtains."
V. 4 Go and tell David My servant, thus says the Lord, "You shall not build a house for Me to dwell in."
Vs. 11-12 "He (Solomon) shall build for me a house, and I will establish his throne forever."
V. 10 "The Lord will build a house for you."
V. 16 "Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house that Thou hast brought me thus far?"
I Kings 8: 18
But the Lord said to my father David, "Because it was in your heart to build a house for My Name, you did well that it was in your heart."
I Chronicles 22: 7-10
David has "shed much blood" and Solomon would have peace and quiet. And,
V. 14 David says that, with great pains I have prepared for the House of the Lord.
So when David had built himself a beautiful mansion to live in, he realized that the Ark of the Lord was still in a tent, and he considered the Lord much more deserving than himself of a beautiful dwelling place. And God commended him for this desire to house the Lord's Ark in a more permanent structure.
The Lord appreciated David and knew that his heart was true. But David had waged the Lord's wars, so had shed a lot of blood before the Lord, and the Lord didn't want to be identified with bloody wars. So He told David that his son Solomon would be a man of peace and build the Lord's house.
So David made extensive preparations for building this imposing structure.
Instead of David building the Lord a house, the Lord said he'd build a house (lineage) for David! This astounded David.
David had a humble heart that was true to the Lord, and remained aware of his beginnings as the youngest son of his father when the oldest had the premier position, and was a simple shepherd. Nothing here at all would suggest a regal bearing.
God does not choose the qualified, He qualifies the chosen. David loved the Lord, so God qualified him to not only be king, but to be the progenitor to God's Messiah, Who would reign forever!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Romans 12: 17-21
Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.
Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord." (Deuteronomy 32:35)
The World says to always give back what you've been given, and to get even with whoever wrongs you. This is the world's way to even things up, but things never do get evened up, the revenge just gets scaled up more and more. And when we want to get our own revenge, it causes bitterness to grow in our spirits, instead of the love and peace God wants for us.
God is the only One Who can exact revenge for wrongdoing safely, and He will make sure that every wrong will be made right, every debt will be paid, every inequality will be made even.
But,
A much safer and better response on our part to being wronged, is:
"If your enemy is hungry, feed him.
If he is thirsty, give him a drink.
If you do this, you will heap burning coals on his head (make him feel guilty and ashamed)." (II Kings 6:22 and Proverbs 25:21-22)
If someone has wronged us, whether inadvertently or even overtly as an enemy, our reaction would be the World's response, which is natural. However, if we pause to consider, then our response can be more in line with the advice given here. To do something good for someone who has just been mean to you can make a huge impression and can honor the Lord.
Don't let evil conquer you, but conquer evil with good.
Here is the conclusion of this whole matter. To conquer evil with good.
This is not easy. It takes strength of character, discernment, and opportunity. We must be deliberate and intentional. None of this can ever be automatic.
O my Father, please help me to be deliberate and intentional when anyone would do me wrong. Help me to have the strength of character to discern what good to do when the opportunity presents itself.
Show me Your ways, Father, and teach me to respond in a godly manner to everyone with whom I have dealings.
Give me Your gentle and winsome ways as I interact with other people, whether they are my own family, a neighbor or friend, or a stranger I would happen to come across.
Help me to destroy my enemies by making them my friends. And deliver me from human wrath, as it does not promote Your righteousness.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
John 8: 12
Again therefore Jesus spoke to them saying, "I am the Light of the World; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the Light of life."
Light is understanding; darkness would be misunderstanding or deception. Since our own hearts deceive us, as well as the World, and especially our enemy the devil, we need His light to understand the Truth of everything we see, hear and experience.
Followng Him is conforming our lives to His transforming ways through His Holy Spirit. God sends us His Spirit to teach us His ways, which are not our ways. That's why we need to turn around (repent) away from the World's ways toward God's ways.
O my Father, please help me learn Your ways. Teach me how to think Your thoughts instead of mine; teach me to have Your attitudes toward the happenings in my world; strengthen me to do whatever You have planned for me to do.
Teach me how to love others with Your lovingkindness, and to monitor my tone of voice to be gentle and accepting. Keep me from mocking and foolish jesting. Help me to be a good example of Your ways to others in my life and world, and to always be encouraging.
Use me, Father, to draw others to Yourself, displaying Your love and wisdom and winsomness. My Lord Jesus drew the crowds to Himself with His warm acceptance; help me to be more like Him. Continue to mold me and shape me into His image, and shine Your Light through me into the darkness of others whose paths cross mine.
Keep me always aware of Your own presence with me each day, and to walk every step of my life in the center of the path You have placed my feet on.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Hebrews 2: 17
... To make propitiation for the sins of the people.
"Propitiation" (pro-pit-chee-ay-shun) is a big, technical word. It refers to God's wrath being fully satisfied for sin.
What God has made, is. It cannot be destroyed or annihilated, nor can it be added to. It just is.
Sin is taking the good that God as made and changing its form into what is twisted or upside down or other than the good it was made to be, rendering it evil.
Jesus took on sin on the Cross; the Creator taking what was damaged and repairing and restoring it back to the good it was originally intended to be. This is how He removes our sins and cleanses us.
He is the catalyst that accomplishes all the restoration and renewing. Just as He said, "I make all things new."
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Ephesians 3: 10
In order that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.
The mystery that is known now is that both Jews (Hebrews) and Gentiles have equal standing in the church (Vs. 1-6), the body of Christ. So now the church is to show forth the wisdom of God before (both the world and) the heavenly rulers and authorities.
We are to demonstrate to them God's wisdom in His plan to draw people from every nation, every tribe, every people, every language, all over the World, into His church, all with equal standing and place in Christ Jesus.
God had chosen one Nation, the family of Jacob, Israel, to give them His Law, so that if they followed His rules He would bless them. Then other Nations would see their prosperity, and come to learn of this Lord God also; and individual persons both in Israel and from other Nations would come to recognize God's authority and be saved.
Now God is calling persons from all over the World to take part in His plan to grow His family, build His building, betrothe His Son to a bride (whichever picture you prefer to see), in saving individuals from the power of sin, and redeeming them from the very presence of sin.
The angels have always watched to see how humans are faring, and they are still watching. They're watching us now.
O my Father, let me be a good example of Your power and wisdom. Teach me Your ways, lead me in Your paths for me, strengthen me to be bold in my choices to do good and to live my life according to Your ways, Father, not my own. Grant me Your wisdom to choose every time according to Your ways and Your character, Father. Continue to grow me to be more like Your Son.
It seems to me that the more I learn of You and grow in Your grace, the farther away that goal of being like Him gets. I know that You started a good thing in me, and that You are continuing to work in and on me to change my attitudes and my character so that You can work through me, also.
Thank You for this encouragement, Father. I see You working in my own life, in the lives of others, and in the governments of the World. No mere man, regardless of the authority he has been given in this world, will be able to change Your Plan in the least detail. Your will will prevail. Your Plan will succeed. There is no doubt of that.
Just as my own son built castles and forests and villages with his Legos, then moved them around and finally broke them down into their individual bricks, and no one could say anything to him about what he was doing with his "creations;" so You, our Lord God Almighty, are moving around the constituent pieces of Your Creation to affect the outcome of the "free will" You gave us to exercise.
You are using every decision that is made in every individual life, in every organization, and in every governmental hall to further Your program for the Nations of the World; to set the stage for the greatest drama ever performed, the live, real, actual ending of this very Age of Man.
Father, You have told us so much of what to expect when all this comes "down to the wire" so we won't need to be afraid or worry or fret about what is happening around us, we can trust You that Your plan is working out. My life isn't falling apart, it's falling into place. And this World looks like it's falling apart, but it's also just falling into place.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Romans 5: 17
For by the transgression of the one (Adam), death reigned through the one (by inheriting his DNA); much more these who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in Life through the One, Jesus Christ.
Because Adam sinned, he passed on his damaged DNA to all Mankind, making sinfulness universal in our Race of Man.
But the gift of grace is not automatically universal like sin is (Vs. 15 & 16), because each person must choose for himself to receive this gift. Those who do receive that gift will reign in Life, overcoming the reign of death, because Jesus conquered that enemy on the Cross and with His Resurrection.
Our reality today is that we are victors over sin. There is no longer any need to give in to the baser instincts, we've been freed from those shackles. When we have shifted our thinking to realize the freedom that we are given in Christ, then we will walk away, or run away, from the wrong that tempts us to go astray. We never again have to just fall into old habits, but to intentionally and determinedly decide to turn away from the evil and foolish to do what is right.
The power of Christ's Resurrection lives in each of us, in the Person of His Holy Spirit. He gives us the ability to turn our lives around and boldly do the hard thing, the unpopular thing, the thing derided by the World. We can stand against the wrong and the easy way, and go the "road less traveled" hand-in-hand with Jesus.
When we take His yoke upon us, He is partnering with us, and will take the brunt of the load. That's why He says that His load is light--light for us. He is strong, and in His strength I can be strong, too. I can do things I never thought I could do, but with Him at the helm I'm doing them.
O my Father, thank You so much for Your great Love for me! Thank You that there is no fear in love, and You love me more than I can imagine! So when I experience feelings of fear or worry or anxiety, I can remind myself that You are handling the timeline of my life, and I choose instead to be excited about how You are moving in my own life, in the lives of others, and in this World. You are setting the stage, Father, for the final scene, the climax, for the Hero to enter at the "last possible moment" to rescue the heroine, His bride. (Hollywood cannot out-dramatize our Lord God Almighty!)
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
