truth

Introduction To Psalm 119

Humans exist. If you are here reading this sentence you surely understand that fact. But where we seem to part ways is when we ask “why”? It’s the age old question, right? What is the purpose of life? What is the meaning of man’s existence?

I’m reminded of the Preacher in the book of Ecclisiastes who set out to answer that very question.

Ecclisiastes 1:12,13 says, “I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. And I set my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven; this burdensome task God has given to the sons of man, by which they may be exercised.” He spared no expense either! He sought to fulfill every desire of the flesh in search of something that was meaningful and would explain the meaning of life. So what was his conclusion? “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil (Ecclesiastes 12:13‭-‬14).

Genesis 1:1 tells us, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” It goes on to describe how God created everything that exists in six days. Everything that He created has a purpose and is bound by His law. The rise and fall of the sun and moon, the boundaries of land and sea, everything is bound by His natural law.

Genesis 2:7, “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” He then goes on to place the man in the Garden of Eden in order that he may tend to it. In other words, his purpose was to serve God and keep His commandments, the same purpose that Solomon concluded.

It seems like it is pretty cut and dry, but as the bible student will come to find out, mankind has a long history of rebellion. Over and over again the Israelites, whom God had chosen as His own special people, repeatedly disobeyed God. They rejected His laws and sought after their own paths and made their own gods to worship. That pattern of rebellion still continues today and leaves people feeling lost and confused, unsure of what the truth is. Lucky for us, we have a God who is merciful and good. He has given us a book in which we can trust to tell us the truth. To tell us the purpose for our lives.

In future posts I will be going through a series on Psalm 119. This is a psalm that declares the greatness of the word of God. I will try to keep each section brief, which will be a challenge since there’s a lot that can be learned in each section. I am looking forward to it. Stay tuned!

Hope In Christ

We’ve been through a lot in the past two years. The global pandemic has brought many challenges and interruptions to our lives that perhaps we never saw coming and weren’t prepared for. Heartache and loss have certainly been a large part of the struggles that we have encountered. On top of that, restrictions were put in place that interrupted our daily routines and what we considered to be normal life. A new reality took over. A reality that didn’t ask permission or allow for our opinions before taking hold. Change forced itself upon us all.

Change is inevitable in life. Everything we know, everything we see, everyone we love will change. We ourselves change, our interests, our desires, our physical bodies will change. With each change comes the necessity for us to adapt to that change and move forward. Some changes are relatively easy to adapt to and live with. Others bring us trouble, stress and grief. Adapting to those changes isn’t always so easy.

Working in healthcare, I see the effects of change on a daily basis. I see how different people react to the changes in their lives. Some seem to take the changes in stride, while others are quite down trodden, sad, and angry. I am alarmed at the increasing frequency which I see of younger and younger people attempting to end their lives. I see an increase of young individuals in need of psychiatric help. Life’s changes are bringing about troublesome times that some people just don’t know how to handle, or they’re seemingly incapable of accepting and adapting. They lose hope.

Hope in our modern language and hope in the Bible carry different definitions. When we speak of hope today, it is normally used in a way that whatever it is that we are hoping for is uncertain. “I hope we win the ball game.” “I hope I get that promotion at work.” When hope is spoken of in the Bible, there is no uncertainty to speak of. Instead it is a declaration of anticipation of what is certain. The inspired apostle Paul wrote to the Galatian church, “For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.” (Galatians 5:3) So, there is the “hope of righteousness”, but what is righteousness? “My tongue shall speak of Your word, For all Your commandments are righteousness.”  (Psa 119:172) God’s word is righteousness. God’s word gives us hope. It is in God’s word that we learn how we got here, why we exist, and the purpose for our lives. We learn how we should live and we learn of what is to come after this life. We read the promises of God to those who are obediently faithful to His word. We also learn of the punishment to come for those who reject God. We learn about Jesus, the Son of God, who bore our sins on the cross. We read His words and His commands. Everything we need to know in this life is revealed to us in the word of God.

God tells us that in an ever changing world, “”For I am the LORD, I do not change;…(Mal 3:6)

God is a God “who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”  (1Ti 2:4)

God’s word tells us how we can be saved.

Peace and hope are found in Jesus Christ. His promises are certain if we remain faithful until death. The world will continue to change, will continue to bring hardship. All we need to do to overcome is to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow Christ (Luk 9:23).

Are you feeling hopeless? Are you feeling alone? Are you seeking purpose in life? I encourage you to seek out the truth that is found in God’s word, to seek out the gospel of Christ, and to become a faithful child of God. Please reach out via email or on the Facebook page and I will be happy to help you in your search for truth.

God bless.

He Shall Direct Thy Paths

Proverbs 3:5-6  Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;  (6) In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

It isn’t always easy to trust in someone who isn’t ourselves. It’s even worse when said trusting may result in pain, suffering, or even death. This proverb teaches us to trust in the Lord with all our heart and put aside our own understanding. As is usually the case, we have some examples in scripture to look to regarding this truth.

Job lost everything. His own wife and even his friends instructed him to just curse God and die. End your own misery! Wisely, Job did not heed their instruction. Instead, he trusted in the Lord to see him through. Job 13:15  Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him. Oh, he certainly questioned God, but he never cursed Him. Job surely knew that God could slay him, but be that as it may, he would still trust Him.

John 21:18-19  Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.”  (19)  This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.” Jesus is making known to Peter that he would one day suffer and die because of his faith. Yet even knowing this, Peter continued in the doctrine of Christ, trusting God to fulfill all of His promises.

We trust him unto death knowing His great and precious promises. 2Pe 1:4  by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. Can you count the promises of God? Is there anything of more value to us than what God has promised us?

When you think you’ve got it all figured out and your understanding is complete, remember Job. Job 38:1-4;Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:  (2) “Who is this who darkens counsel By words without knowledge?  (3) Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me.  (4) “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding.” Job had questioned God regarding his dealings with him and his afflictions. God is very direct with him and puts him in his rightful place as a mere man who is not even close to fathoming the knowledge and wisdom of God. Aren’t we sometimes like Job? Don’t we often think too highly of ourselves? Let’s also remember these scriptures:

Prov. 14:12 There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.

Jer. 10:23 O LORD, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.

Jesus implores us to always acknowledge Him. Matt. 11:28-30 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  (29) Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  (30) For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” We must acknowledge Christ and his doctrine and abide in it if we are to succeed in our endeavor to have heaven as our eternal home.

By putting our faith and our trust in Jesus Christ, God will direct our paths. How? Through His divine word. 2 Tim. 3:16-17 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,  (17) that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Jude 3 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. God’s word is truth, it is all sufficient.  Hold on to it and do not compromise! It is truly the most valuable possession one could have in this life.

John 12:48 He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him— the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. So tell me again, why wouldn’t I let God’s word direct my path? His word is what will judge us in the end!

Let us be diligent in contending earnestly for the faith. Trusting in the Lord and never wavering.

Rom. 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 

1 Cor. 2:4-5 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,  (5) that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

Who is it that leads you? Do you walk according to your own understanding? Do you follow some other doctrine thought up by man? Or, do you walk according to the pattern that God has laid out in His word? The choice is all yours to make. Choose wisely.

I’m Not _________ Enough

Often times when we reflect back on prominent individuals in the Bible we stand in awe of what they were able to accomplish. We compare ourselves to them and that often ends with us wishing we were as smart, or as brave, or as wise as they were. It is sometimes easy to gloss over the fact that they faced the same self doubts that we do which they had to overcome. Let’s consider, for instance, Moses.

In Exodus chapter 3 we have the account of Moses and the burning bush. God had heard the cry of the Israelite people who were suffering in bondage in Egypt. God had compassion for them and remembered his promise to Abraham and so was moved to deliver the people out of their bondage. He chose Moses to lead this effort and appears to Moses in the form of a burning bush to inform him of what he must do. If God were to appear to you today and give you direct instructions on how to accomplish a seemingly insurmountable task, would you trust Him and obey without question?

Moses hesitated. In verse 11 we find Moses struggling with the concept proposed to him by God. “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” Moses seems shaken by what God has asked him to do. God responds, promising that He would be with him. But Moses continues to question God and would seem to doubt his own abilities. What do I say to the people of Israel? What if they don’t believe me?

God gave Moses miraculous signs to prove himself to Pharaoh and the Israelite people, but still Moses questioned. In chapter 4 verse 10, Moses states, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” This same logic and reasoning hinders a lot of Christians today from carrying out the work of the Lord. How many use the excuse, “I am not smart enough”, or “I am not good enough” to teach the Gospel of Christ to others?

Further on in the account, we read that God becomes angry at Moses. But it was God’s will that Moses be the individual to accomplish His work, so He worked with Moses and provided him the means by which he would eventually accomplish his task.

We are human. It is understandable that we would doubt ourselves and our abilities to do difficult things. Being a Christian is a difficult thing. The work of the church, God’s kingdom, is important work indeed. It will often be uncomfortable, forcing us to step out of our comfort zones to do His will. But just as God provided for Moses, He will provide for us as well. We CAN understand the Bible. We CAN know the truth. We CAN teach it to others.

John 8:32 NKJV
And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

Matthew 28:19-20 NKJV
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [20] teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

What is hindering you from serving the Lord?

Doomed To Repeat History

The Old Testament is full of rich history that any serious Bible student would do well to study.  There is much to learn about how God dealt with his people, the Israelites.  The Israelites were God’s chosen people.  He promised Abraham in Genesis 22:17-18, “blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies.  In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”  Because of Abraham’s great faith, the people of Israel obtained great favor from God.  They were brought out of captivity by Moses and shown many great wonders by the Lord.  They were promised an earthly inheritance in the land of Canaan, a land flowing with milk and honey.  They were blessed beyond belief, and yet……..time and time again, they turned their backs on God.  They disobeyed His laws and worshiped false idols.  God sent prophets to them to instruct them to turn from their wicked ways or there would be consequences.  God is a loving God, and he is a just God.  He cannot abide with sin.  You will find very similar stories in each of the books of the minor prophets, but for our purposes, we will focus our attention on Micah.

Not much is known of Micah, as far as who he was or what he did for a living before becoming a prophet of God.  He was chosen to deliver a message to the people of Israel.  The message was that of a coming destruction.  Because of their wicked ways, God determined that his wrath would befall them.  He speaks specifically to the rulers and prophets in chapter 3.  These were the “heads of Jacob” who ruled over the people at that time.  They were the ones who were supposed to provide justice and rule righteously.  Instead, they were oppressing the people, plotting in the night how they would take advantage of them for their own wicked gain.  They hated good, and loved evil.  Micah declares to them, “Therefore because of you Zion shall be plowed like a field, Jerusalem shall become heaps of ruins, and the mountain of the temple like the bare hills of the forest.” (Micah 3:12)  Their wickedness would bring them utter destruction.  All of the good that they had been blessed with would be taken away because they turned away from the love of God.

Throughout the Old Testament we see God’s relationship with his people.  It was very much a Father to children relationship.  And it is no different today.  God has blessed this great nation with so much good.  Yet evil seems to be making so much headway in our land.  Headline after headline reflects the fact that we are turning away from God, no longer seeing it necessary to seek His face.  Our pride has made us fools.  Instead of kneeling on our knees in prayer seeking forgiveness, we are boldly mocking and cursing the very One who gave us everything.  Like the people of Israel, we say, “…Is not the LORD among us?  No harm can come upon us.” (Micah 3:11)  Do we not think that destruction can come upon our land because of our own wickedness?  History proves it to be true.  It would behoove us to learn from past mistakes and make corrections before it is too late!