Tag: God’s Word

It Started in the Garden

Published on by livinginhisgraceLeave a comment

The search for wisdom is an age old search. In fact, we are told it began in the Garden of Eden. Genesis 3:6 tells us, ” The woman saw that the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eyes, and the tree was desirable for gaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.” NABRE   The search for wisdom is apparently as old as mankind itself.  His Word tells us that “He (God) has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.”   Ecclesiastes 3:11 NASB  Is it possible that our need to learn and grow, to seek wisdom, is innate to us? Could it be that this is just a part of that eternity that God has placed in our heart? A yearning to know more about God? To seek and understand Him? It certainly seems reasonable to me. God created us for relationship; with Him and with others and if there is one thing needed in relationships, I submit to you it is wisdom! Wisdom when to speak and when to keep quiet; wisdom in decisions that must be made; wisdom to know and understand each other; and wisdom to know and understand ourselves.

Where does wisdom originate? According to scripture, wisdom or more specifically the spirit of wisdom comes from God. “You are to instruct all the skilled craftsmen, whom I have filled with a spirit of wisdom, to make Aaron’s garments for consecrating him to serve Me as priest. Exodus 28:3  Also, “I have filled him with God’s Spirit, with wisdom, understanding, and ability in every craft.“ Exodus 31:3 (Also, Exodus 35:31; 36:1 & 2)

Wisdom is sought after, it’s not automatic. We must desire and seek after wisdom. Here’s an interesting example. When King David, known as the man after God’s on heart, died; his son, Solomon began his reign as king. One night God appeared to Solomon in a dream telling him He, God, would give Solomon whatever he asked. This was Solomon’s reply: ““You have shown great kindness to your servant, David my father, because he walked before you with fidelity, justice, and an upright heart; and you have continued this great kindness toward him today, giving him a son to sit upon his throne. Now, Lord, my God, you have made me, your servant, king to succeed David my father; but I am a mere youth, not knowing at all how to act— I, your servant, among the people you have chosen, a people so vast that it cannot be numbered or counted. Give your servant, therefore, a listening heart to judge your people and to distinguish between good and evil. For who is able to give judgment for this vast people of yours?” 1 Kings 3:6-9

God was very pleased at Solomon. Not only was he granted wisdom and discernment beyond any man prior to Solomon or after; but because of his unselfish request, God also gave  him riches, glory and a long life. Not only proving God as the source of wisdom but also wisdom is quite important to God! There are many things recorded about the great wisdom of Solomon through his reign.

Job tells us this about wisdom: “Wisdom is found with the elderly, and understanding comes with long life. Wisdom and strength belong to God; counsel and understanding are His.” Job 12:12-13  HCSB  “When He established a limit for the rain and a path for the lightning, He considered wisdom and evaluated it; He established it and examined it. He said to mankind, “The fear of the Lord is this: wisdom. And to turn from evil is understanding.” Job 28:26-28 HCSB

Psalm 111:9-10   “He has sent redemption to His people. He has ordained His covenant forever. His name is holy and awe-inspiring. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His instructions have good insight. His praise endures forever.”  

We learned with Solomon and Job that wisdom is a gift from God and begins with the “fear of the Lord”. What is the fear of the Lord?  The original word for fear in this verse is yir ‘ah, meaning fear, terror, awesome, terror (object causing fear), respect, reverence, piety, and revered. It’s root word, yare, is an adjective meaning fearing, reverent, afraid.  Basically, God wants us to have an understanding of who He is; His sovereignty, character, goodness, and power. Our job is to view Him appropriately for who He is and have reverence and respect for who He is and consequently see our selves in comparison to His greatness and might. In our culture that is often hard to do. We have been programed over many years to think of everyone as equals and no one greater than another. In a democracy, we are encouraged to think this way.  Even in the Word we are told: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28  We are equal in Christ, but we are not equal to Christ or to God.

If you are in a conflict of opinion, action or ideas with an equal, compromise or a meeting of the minds may be in order; however, if it is with a superior, most likely the superior will prevail because of his or her place of authority.  Typically, authority comes because of a measure of wisdom that has been gained bringing recognition to our abilities in a particular area. God, as the Creator and Designer is the ultimate authority and expert. Wisdom belongs to Him and it comes from Him, there is no greater authority; therefore with great respect and reverence our job is to acknowledge His position and seek His wisdom.  His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9  “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways—oracle of the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways,
my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”

Blessings, Grace and Peace to you!

Psalm 90:12                                                                                                                                                    “Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts.”

When Life Sends a Detour-Wisdom

Published on by livinginhisgrace2 Comments

Life certainly has a way of getting in the way of good intentions! That said, 2016 has not been as productive so far as I’d imagined it would. All the plans of productivity for the year came to a delay by the end of the third day. It all started off great! A quiet peaceful beginning on Friday, and enjoyable gathering with some church family who love to write on Saturday afternoon and an amazing first service of the year on Sunday. A few of us girls get together on Sunday afternoons to catch up and study the Word together and that is when it started…a nagging tickle in the throat with a few coughs…really only an annoyance, honestly. Otherwise, we had a very nice time.

Monday morning was pretty typical, just taking care of routine stuff like making phone calls and making plans for a carpet cleaning on Tuesday. Afternoon, I began notice the tickle turning to a cough and allergy symptoms but this is no time to be feeling bad; accessories and small furniture must be moved out of the way for the carpet cleaners. Sounds productive enough…healthy dinner prepared… Tuesday, yep it’s a cold!  Still no time for this; carpet must be cleaned, dry, and furniture returned to it’s proper place!!  Ok, maybe I can finish tomorrow, I’m beat. Wednesday it hit full force, not allergies or a little cough; but a full fledged, two week long head cold with a deep cough that continues to linger despite the vitamins, medications and home remedies!  Enough! Fourteen days just basically gone. I am declaring war on this detour hijacking 2016 and saying NO MORE!

Today, as I began getting back on track with my morning study/quiet time, I read Proverbs 8. No rhyme or reason, it was just where I landed. It is all about wisdom so maybe that is where my 2016 studies should resume. We certainly can use all the wisdom we can get; especially when  coming off a two week detour from where you thought you were going in 2016!!

Just a few words about wisdom:

Wisdom (Biblical) is defined according to christainbiblereference.org as “the ability to judge correctly and follow the best course of action, based knowledge and understanding.” quoted from Lockyer Page. 1103

Webster’s defines it as “knowledge gained by having many experiences; natural ability to understand things that most others do not understand; and knowledge of what is proper and reasonable.”

Cambridge Dictionary says “the ability to make good judgements based on what you have learned from experience or the knowledge and understanding that gives you this ability; the quality of being a good judgment.”

  •  James 1:5-6  “But if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and he will be given it.  But he should ask in faith, not doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed about by the wind.”  NABRE
  • Proverbs 8:12-14   “I, Wisdom, dwell with prudence and useful knowledge I have. [The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil;]Pride, arrogance, the evil way,and the perverse   mouth I hate. Mine are counsel and advice; Mine is strength; I am understanding.”  NABRE
  • Proverbs 8:17-21   “Those who love me I also love, and those who seek me find me. With me are riches and honor, wealth that endures, and righteousness. My fruit is better than gold, even pure gold, and my yield than choice silver. On the way of righteousness I walk, along the paths of justice, Granting wealth to those who love me, and filling their treasuries.”  NABRE
  • James 3:17-18   “But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peaceable, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without inconstancy or insincerity. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for those who cultivate peace.”  HCSB
  • Proverbs 4:5-9   “Get wisdom, get understanding; don’t forget or turn away from the words of my mouth. Don’t abandon wisdom, and she will watch over you;
    love her, and she will guard you.
    Wisdom is supreme—so get wisdom. And whatever else you get, get understanding.
    Cherish her, and she will exalt you; if you embrace her, she will honor you.
    She will place a garland of grace on your head; she will give you a crown of beauty.”
  • Ecclesiastes 2:24-26   “There is nothing better for man than to eat, drink, and enjoy his work. I have seen that even this is from God’s hand,  because who can eat and who can enjoy life apart from Him?  For to the man who is pleasing in His sight, He gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy, but to the sinner He gives the task of gathering and accumulating in order to give to the one who is pleasing in God’s sight. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.” HCSB
  • 1 Corinthians 1:18-25“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but it is God’s power to us who are being saved.  For it is written: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will set aside the understanding of the experts. Where is the philosopher? Where is the scholar?  Where is the debater of this age?  Hasn’t God made the world’s wisdom foolish?   For since, in God’s wisdom, the world did not know God through wisdom, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of the message preached.  For the Jews ask for signs and the Greeks seek wisdom,  but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles. Yet to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is God’s power and God’s wisdom, because God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.”  HCSB

 

Just in the above verses, the Word of God tells us that wisdom is much more than knowledge, intelligence, understanding, experience or experiences. Proverbs 8:21 tells us God is the source of wisdom:                                                                                                                                                 ““The Lord made me at the beginning of His creation, before His works of long ago. I was formed before ancient times, from the beginning, before the earth began. I was born when there were no watery depths and no springs filled with water. I was delivered before the mountains and hills were established, before He made the land, the fields, or the first soil on earth.  I was there when He established the heavens, when He laid out the horizon on the surface of the ocean, when He placed the skies above, when the fountains of the ocean gushed out, when He set a limit for the sea so that the waters would not violate His command, when He laid out the foundations of the earth. I was a skilled craftsman beside Him. I was His delight every day, always rejoicing before Him. I was rejoicing in His inhabited world, delighting in the human race.”

    Perhaps wisdom in the greatest sense of the word is the compilation of knowledge, intelligence, understanding, experience of both successes and failures, what we have learned from those experiences and from our study of God’s Word; generously mixed together and submitted to God in prayer. It is in His hands that  it can be sorted, tested and tried while we patiently await the true wisdom we so desperately need. He alone is the sure source of true, impartial and untainted wisdom.

Grace and Peace to you!

“Instruct a wise man, and he will be wiser still;
teach a righteous man, and he will learn more.
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Proverbs 9:9-10

 

 

Courage in Battle

Published on by livinginhisgraceLeave a comment

As early as I can remember, my parents read me Bible stories.  You know, the Creation; Adam and Eve sin; Cain and Able; David faces the Giant; Daniel and the lion’s den; Joseph and his colorful coat… the list could go on and on. They taught me biblical principles from the time I was a tot even we were not a “church going family” or as some would say a “religious” family. My parents and my Nannie (grandmother) taught me the importance of living my life based on God’s Word; that He was always with me and that He knew and saw everything that happens. They taught me the importance of prayer and that God answers our prayers. By the time I was five or six, I was in a very frightening situation, and I put it to the test. This timid little girl prayed and prayed hard. Did I say I was terrified?? That evening I promised God if I made it out of that situation alive, I was His, forever. As you can see, He saw me through! My family had set the stage by teaching me God was faithful every time they read those stories of His faithfulness to me! When I found myself in a pinch, I remembered and held fast to those stories, and He answered in a mighty way that has affected my life ever since that evening.

There was one thing back in the day; it seemed no one ever told us. At least I never heard it once even after I started attending a church nearby a couple of years later. The truth is I was an adult before I realized that a decision to believe God and accept Jesus brings a Declaration of War against us! Many of us were told a decision for Christ was the greatest, most important decision we would make and it is. Many of us believed or were taught once that decision was made it is smooth sailing from then on. Let me just tell you; nothing is further from the truth! The battle between good and evil and light and darkness began in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve ate from the forbidden fruit to “be like God”.  This age-old battle has raged ever since!

Jesus came to give us life and life abundantly, but the enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy. (John 10:10)  Jesus came to set us free from bondage/captivity; heal us and heal our brokenness; and bring us wholeness: “The Spirit of the Lord God is on Me because the Lord has anointed Me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of our God’s vengeance; to comfort all who mourn, to provide for those who mourn in Zion; to give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, festive oil instead of mourning, and splendid clothes instead of despair. And they will be called righteous trees, planted by the Lord to glorify Him.” (Isaiah 61:1-3 HCSB)  Once we choose to join Team Jesus, we are no longer off the radar of His enemy; we are now a threat because we have chosen sides. Jesus Christ has already paid the price and won the victory over sin and death. Satan refuses to admit defeat and uses all means possible to keep us distracted and deceived about our worth and our standing so that we find it difficult to walk in the abundant life and freedom Jesus has already made available to us.

It is important for us to know the truth and that begins with understanding the Word.  “For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.” (Ephesians 6:12 HCSB)  “Be serious! Be alert! Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. Resist him and be firm in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world. Now the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will personally restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered a little. The dominion belongs to Him forever. Amen. (1 Peter 5:8-11 HCSB)  The priority is to know whose side we are on. Next, is knowing that there’s an enemy and a battle going on; we are targeted.  Third, that person who doesn’t seem to like you; who lied to you or about you; who betrayed you…it is not about them. Perhaps they have misunderstood you or been deceived about you; they may be a pawn in the battle of the ages, but it is really not about them.

So what do we do with this info? Ephesians 6 tells us:

“Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by His vast strength. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the tactics of the Devil.”

Because of this, you must take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. In every situation take the shield of faith; with it, you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is God’s word. Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alerted in this with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.” (Ephesians 6:10-11, 13-18 HCSB)

•    Be Strengthened by the Lord’s immense strength; don’t fight in our

strength!

•    Take up the Full Armor of God.

•    Stand Firm.

His Armor:

The Belt of Truth – ” Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. (John 14:6) The belt holds the armor together and gives stability!  Likewise, Jesus is the truth; He is the One who holds us together and gives us confidence. Colossians 1:17 says. ” He is before all things, and by Him, all things hold together.”

The Breastplate of Righteousness –  “We are Christ’s Ambassadors…Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:20-21) This piece guards our heart!  Above all else, guard your heart for it is the source of life.(Proverbs 4:23)

The Gospel of Peace –  “Teacher, which command in the law is the greatest?” He (Jesus) said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” which is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend  on these two commands.” (Matthew 22:38-40)

Don’t hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you’ve got it in you, get along with everybody. Don’t insist on getting even; that’s not for you to do. “I’ll do the judging,” says God. “I’ll take care of it.” (Romans 12:17-19 MSG)  Just as the sandals protected the warrior’s feet from the terrain, keeping peace with others helps us keep our walk safe.

The Shield of Faith – “The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd. (Hebrews 11:1-2 MSG)  Our faith is our shield that protects us. It is a huge barrier that protects our full body and quenches the tactics of our enemy!

The Helmet of Salvation – guard your mind!  Our greatest battles are fought in our minds. Our mind is where we form strategies and plans. It is where we reason and decide how to move forward. It is where the battles between fear and faith are either won or lost. “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Romans 12:2)
Romans 8:37 “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”

The Sword of the Spirit (God’s Word) –   “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.(Hebrews 4:12) This is our one offensive weapon and it is powerful!  God’s Word has an answer for every question; a solution for every problem!

Pray at all times – “Pray constantly.  Give thanks in everything, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Don’t stifle the Spirit. Don’t despise prophecies, but test all things. Hold on to what is good.  Stay away from every kind of evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:18-22)

“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. “For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened.…” (Luke 11:9-10)  In the original,  this passage really reads ask and keep asking, seek and keep seeking, knock and keep knocking indicating perseverance in our  prayers.   Our battles will be won not by using earthly weapons but by walking in faith using the spiritual weapons He provides us!

May grace and peace be yours!

Note: You can find many additional scriptures by using a concordance or Google to search keywords about this or any topic. I highly recommend that you are sure to keep them in their original context and always check out the accuracy for yourself rather than relying on what any individual may say. Part of being armed is knowing God’s Word for ourselves. How else can we be on guard and not be unintentionally or for that matter, intentionally deceived?

Your Kingdom Come

Published on by livinginhisgraceLeave a comment

     Today, while reading Revelation 5, the following scripture was the focus of my study:  “They were singing a new song: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals because you were killed, and at the cost of your own blood you have purchased for God persons from every tribe, language, people, and nation. You have appointed them as a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.” (‭Revelation‬ ‭5‬:‭9-10‬ NET)      Because I have been researching on our identity in Christ a lot lately, these two verses stood out among all the others. Why? In these two small verses we learn that Jesus’ obedience to His Father cost Him His life, which He willing laid down; His blood has purchased people from every nation, language and tribe; Jesus has appointed those people (His followers) as kings and priests to serve God; and lastly that His people will reign on earth.  We have been commissioned to represent Jesus on the earth by making disciples. (Matthew 28:19) What did this look like? When John the Baptist drew the people, he would call out repent and be baptized for the Kingdom of God is at hand. When Jesus began His ministry, that Kingdom, though not what the world has expected had come. (Matthew 12:28 and Luke 11:20 tell us this.)       Acts 10 tells us this about Jesus: “…37you yourselves know the thing which took place throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed. 38“You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. 39“We are witnesses of all the things He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross”      Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit and went around doing good. Full of the Holy Spirit, He walked in and by the Spirit. This tells us according to Galatians 5 that His life looked like this: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Then goes on to tell us:  “Against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also behave in accordance with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, being jealous of one another. (‭Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭22-26‬ NET)      Isaiah 53 tells us this about Jesus… “He sprouted up like a twig before God, like a root out of parched soil; He had no stately form or majesty that might catch our attention, no special appearance that we should want to follow Him. (‭Isaiah‬ ‭53‬:‭2‬ NET) I mention this to point out that it was not Christ’s looks that drew them to follow Him according to scripture. Based on Galatians; it was His personality as He submitted His life to the Holy Spirit and walked in the fruit of the Spirit. Jesus went about doing good; teaching; making disciples; healing; bringing deliverance; exemplifying the character of God by walking in the Spirit exuding love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control! He showed mercy, grace and compassion when interacting with people. Consider the woman at the well. She was a Samaritan and a woman. She came to the well in the heat of the day to avoid towns people because of their treatment. Jesus shows her kindness and compassion and strikes up a conversation; a Jewish man speaking to a Samaritan! A woman! How could this be? By the time the disciples were returning, He had confirmed her truthfulness of her lack of a husband and had lovingly pointed out her past. Why do I think it was done in love and compassion? She went back to her town, to people who disapproved of her, and she told them about Jesus and her encounter. They all came to see Jesus. Why would she do this unless it was the fruit of the Spirit is His life and in His conversation with her?  He responded a little differently with the religious leaders who knew God’s Word and taught it, yet did not observe it themselves He was less gentle and more to the point because they knew the Scriptures.      Jesus set the example of what the Kingdom of God looks like and entreated us to walk as He walked.  He set an example of being loving and compassionate with people gently teaching them and speaking the truth in love. This is why they followed Him!  Based on this, I am positive beyond a doubt His success was because He exemplified the fruit of the Spirit! There is absolutely no indication that Jesus used guilt, fear or shame, those are tactics of the enemy who comes to kill, steal and destroy. (John 10:10) Jesus came to give life to us! Kingdom life. He came to purchase us for God, bring us into the Kingdom, empower us with the Holy Spirit and infuse us with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.      Can you just imagine what would happen if all His people choose to walk this way? It seems a little to hard to believe that we could but if we had a revelation of our true identity in Christ, who God says we truly are and walked in that, I believe we would live in a noticeably different world than the one we often see around us. Grace and peace to you! Blessings

Days of Grace-Day 32

Published on by livinginhisgraceLeave a comment

Our stop along the grace walk today will give some glimpses into God’s love and His kindness toward us following up on our look at Psalm 139. In Ephesians 2:10, we are told “For we are His workmanship, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we may do them.”(Ephesians 2:10 NET)  This goes right along with the psalm. We each have been specially designed by the Creator of the universe on purpose and for a purpose. It is no coincidence when, where, how and why we come into the world, yet because we have freedom of choice, we may or may not fulfill our originally intended destiny.  The Message puts it this way…

It wasn’t so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. You let the world, which doesn’t know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It’s a wonder God didn’t lose His temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, He embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on His own, with no help from us! Then He picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah. Now God has us where He wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all His idea, and all His work. All we do is trust Him enough to let Him do it. It’s God’s gift from start to finish! We don’t play the major role. If we did, we’d probably go around bragging that we’d done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join Him in the work He does, the good work He has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing. (Ephesians 2:1-10 MSG)

What a great message. In Ephesians 1 we were told in verse three that we were blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms. We have seen that we have been designed masterfully for a purpose and that God has gone to great lengths to do all that is necessary for us to have right standing with Him. Our job is to trust Him. One of the best gift’s we can give ourselves is to get to know this God we believe in. How? Studying His character throughout the Word, looking at how He interacts with His people. Looking at His character by how He interacts with the patriarchs, Israelites and people in the New Testament can be very eye-opening! Throughout history, God has used ordinary, normal, common, and flawed people to accomplish extraordinary feats. Timid Gideon becomes a mighty warrior. Young David becomes a giant killer, then a mighty warrior and King. Orphan Hadassah becomes the courageous Queen Esther and sabotages evil Haman’s plot. Rejected, Joseph enters as a slave into Egypt and in time becomes second in command and is able to take in the brothers who rejected him during the famine in their homeland. Moses who fled to the desert, goes back to Egypt 40 years later to lead around two million of his people to freedom. The list could go on. When we take a deeper look at the stories, we see they were all flawed people who messed up at times just as we do. Many of them questioned God, asked for signs; some lied. God knows better than anyone that we’re human and we fail. In fact that is why He made provision through Jesus. If we look carefully, we will see God is not just a just God waiting to dole out punishment; but we will see He is holy, extraordinarily patient, kind, merciful, forgiving, impartial, generous, compassionate and so much more. Psalm 113:13-15 says:

“Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.  For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust. As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.”

God knows our weaknesses, strengths, and our humanity. Nothing about us is a surprise and not only that; no circumstance we ever find ourselves a part of takes Him by surprise. He has an answer for every question and a solution for every problem. Because He loves us immensely, He wants us to trust Him, seek Him, surrender our lives in exchange for the best life we could imagine. He has done all the work for us; now, He asks for our trust. Our problem is we shy away from trusting someone we do know.  We have to choose to get to know Him through His Word and then for some of us, one baby step at a time. For others, one giant leap of faith. Either way, it is worth more than we can ever imagine!

 Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]– To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen (so be it). (Ephesians 3:20, 21 AMP)

Days of Grace- Day 18

Published on by livinginhisgraceLeave a comment

     As the early church grew, so did the needs among the people as they would in any growing population. This group of like-minded believers were made up of both Hebraic Jews and Hellenistic Jews, the difference being their language and their culture. The Hebraic from Hebrew and the Hellenistic from Greek language and culture.  The Hellenistic people were concerned that their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution and brought it to the attention of the Twelve.  They summoned all the disciples and held a discussion as to what to do in order to more effectively serve the needs of the widows and those who had needs.  Clearly this was very important, but so was the continuance of ministering through prayer and the Word. One should not be neglected for the other, so they gathered together to choose seven men full of the Holy Spirit, with a good reputation, and full of wisdom.  They would be put in charge of food distribution, serving and making sure those in need were no longer neglected.

     The disciples selected Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicholas. Now they were set apart for this purpose by going before the Apostles for prayer and the laying on of hands. With this concern now addressed, the Word of God continued to be taught and the number of followers continued to grow in Jerusalem.

    Today’s grace verse focuses on one of these men, Stephen. We know that Stephen was one of the men chosen to oversee serving by the disciples which indicated that he was of good reputation, wise and full of the Holy Spirit. The first we hear of Stephen is in Acts 6:5 and we are told Acts 6:8: “And Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people.” One would look at this and believe that Stephen was a good man, living his life, serving God and the people around him, and he was. There was just one problem, some men from the Synagogue of Freedom could not bear the wisdom and Spirit of what he was speaking. They not only stirred up an argument against Stephen, they incited some people against him, drug him before the Sanhedrin and encouraged false witnesses to testify against him. Press pause on Stephen’s story…

     “Where is the grace in what happened?” I am tempted to ask. Maybe you have been tempted to ask that same question. We all have times in life when we are living the best life we know how; juggling maybe, but keeping it balanced and steady, then out of the blue a “suddenly” moment happens. One minute all seemed perfect…ok maybe that should be all seems normal and then suddenly it’s not. If we live long enough, we all have these “suddenly” moments. Some are small; others much bigger. The question is what do we do with those moments? How do we survive false accusations? How do we get past a betrayal? What do we do with a big loss; when we feel as if the world is against us; when hopelessness threatens us?  The questions are endless when a “suddenly” moment happens and the answers in that moment are few. Often we either go on blind instinct or shut down for a while until we begin to be able to process what has happened.

     Personally, I have experienced a number of “suddenly” moments, some were unexpected losses. I would love to be able to say I have handled them well  but it wouldn’t be true. What is true, however, is there was always grace because whether or not I realized it at the time God was always there with me! His Word says He will never leave us or forsake us, and His Word is truth. I might not “feel” Him there or that His grace is with me but that doesn’t change the reality. Looking back on those times, the ones best navigated were the ones that I neither shut down, nor acted on instinct, but those that I hit my knees and immediately turned to God in prayer.  There grace met me. It was the times that I immediately turned to Him being totally helpless in the situation that I found the strength to take the next breath; the next step.  Being told that my Mom had died suddenly when she was in good health and still young; seven years later to the month, my Dad gone suddenly-no major known illness-just gone in a moment; still I will say… He has never left or forsaken me.  Where He is there is grace and His grace is always sufficient!

     Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may work through me.  Since I know it is all for Christ’s good, I am quite content with my weaknesses and with insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.  2 Corinthians 12:8-10

Days of Grace-Day 11

Published on by livinginhisgraceLeave a comment

     We  have now spent ten days focusing of the Grace of God. I don’t know about you, but His grace never ceases to amaze me! Sometimes it seems to show up at the very last possible moment, just when you think you can not make it another day or another step. Other times it comes suddenly and unexpectedly. Sometimes it comes before you even realize you need it; or right in the midst of something; then He reminds you… remember, I have already made provision for that.  I don’t know about  you, but sometimes for me grace can be as simple as a glimpse of a rainbow that brings a big smile to my face and child-like joy and wonder in the middle of an ordinary or complicated day. “Why is that grace?” you might ask. These are just a few examples of things I just delight in: a rainbow; a beautiful cardinal or blue bird that lands on the rail of my back deck unexpectedly while I am studying or writing; a child’s laughter or children running and playing; a beautiful sunrise or sunset; a beautiful blue sky filled with fluffy clouds that form all kinds of shapes gently blowing over my head. Again, “why?” You see, I am one of those people (you might know one or be one,too) whose mind runs constantly full speed ahead and  rarely slows down or  takes a rest from thinking. Seriously the wheels are always turning! Even in my sleep, I have vivid dreams. It is always nice to get unexpectedly surprised by one of these grace moments when the glory of God shows up and my mind just takes a few moments to pause and relish in the moment of glory rather than rushing around and missing them. His glory is  all around us if we just take the time to notice!

     The scripture for grace today is a prophetic word from Zechariah found in chapter twelve. It is a prophecy for a future time. Commentators aren’t completely in agreement or completely convinced when it will take place but let’s look at it anyway and then we’ll talk about it just a little.

“I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced ; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.  “In that day there will be great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the plain of Megiddo.  “The land will mourn, every family by itself ; the family of the house of David by itself and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Levi by itself and their wives by themselves; the family of the Shimeites by itself and their wives by themselves; all the families that remain, every family by itself and their wives by themselves. Zechariah 12:10-14

     I don’t know about you but the Spirit of grace and supplication seems to refer clearly to the Holy Spirit because He is the one Who draws into belief in Jesus, the One they pierced. This gives us a good indication that the prophecy takes place in the future and after the time of Christ’s birth, death, burial and resurrection. Other than that, it could be hard to pin point. Many believe that this referred to the time in AD 70 when the Romans sieged Jerusalem and the second temple of the Jewish people was destroyed. Still others believe that it is a future event, and some believe it is a double prophecy depicting both.

     Since our focus is on grace and the Spirit of grace (Chen, meaning grace, favor, charm, elegance and acceptance) and supplication ( Tachanuwn, meaning supplication, supplication for favor with God or man); I think we can say for certain that this prophecy would take place after Christ’s return to Father God’s right hand and after the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was given to all believers in Christ. AD 70 seems like a definite fulfilling of this prophecy, because there certainly was great mourning in the land over the loss of their homeland and the loss of their temple. Will we once again see it fulfilled, in our lifetime or the future? Who can say but our gracious God.

     This I do know, both from personal experience and based on the history we have traced over the last week and a half: God has this and He will provide His people every ounce of grace and mercy needed if there is yet another fulfilling to come!  His grace is sufficient for everyone; His love is unending; His mercy endures forever; and He is enough for any and every situation that we face in our life! Skeptical? Just give Him a try! He is who He says He is! He is faithful even when we doubt Him and when we are not faithful. His promises are true even when they are not in our timing and His timing is always right on time because He sees things from a much bigger perspective than we do. In every trial, difficulty or loss that I have experienced in my life, He has proven this true. It may have taken more time for me to see it than I would have liked, but never-the-less it is true!

Grace and blessings to you, my friend! Until next time…

Days of Grace-Day 10

Published on by livinginhisgraceLeave a comment

     In yesterdays, post I briefly mentioned the rebuilding of the second temple in Jerusalem. The rebuilding of the temple was authorized by Cyrus the Great, who was a Gentile king.  He was at that time in charge of the land where the Babylonians had once ruled. An interesting thing to know about Cyrus is that the prophet Isaiah foretold his kingdom 150 years before Cyrus was born! Let’s look:

     This is what the Lord, your Redeemer who formed you from the womb, says:  I am Yahweh, who made everything; who stretched out the heavens by Myself; who alone spread out the earth; who destroys the omens of the false prophets and makes fools of diviners; who confounds the wise and makes their knowledge foolishness; who confirms the message of His servant and fulfills the counsel of His messengers; who says to Jerusalem, “She will be inhabited,” and to the cities of Judah, “They will be rebuilt,”and I will restore her ruins; who says to the depths of the sea, “Be dry,” and I will dry up your rivers; who says to Cyrus, “My shepherd, he will fulfill all My pleasure” and says to Jerusalem, “She will be rebuilt,” and of the temple, “Its foundation will be laid.” Isaiah 44:24-28 (HSCB)

     Just as the Lord had spoken, Cyrus was born, grew up and became king. Cyrus wrote the following decree:  ” In the first year of King Cyrus, he issued a decree concerning the house of God in Jerusalem:  Let the house be rebuilt as a place for offering sacrifices, and let its original foundations be retained. Its height is to be 90 feet and its width 90 feet, with three layers of cut stones and one of timber. The cost is to be paid from the royal treasury.  The gold and silver articles of God’s house that Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and carried  to Babylon must also be returned. They are to be brought to the temple in Jerusalem where they belong and put into the house of God.” Ezra 6:3-5 9 (HSCB)

     So the building began.  Can you just imagine how elated the Israelites were to be allowed to return to their land and start this rebuilding process? Not to mention they had the blessing and support of Cyrus. They had mourned for a long time over the destruction of their temple. Construction for the foundation was said to take about two years and then the delays began.  Because of opposition and delays, it took many years for the Israelites to rebuild the temple.  In fact, it was not finished until after Darius had become the king. He also had a decree written about the temple. He echoed Cyrus’ decree and added to it a directive about what should happen to anyone who interfered. You can find this in verses 6-11 in Ezra 6.

     This leads us to today’s verse on grace. As Zechariah 4 begins, an angel is speaking to him about things pertaining to the temple. The angel asks him what is it that he sees. Zachariah describes the golden lamp stands and two olive trees and asks “what are these, my lord?” The angel responds “don’t you know?” and he responds, “no.” Next, we find today’s verses in the angels reply:  “Then he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the LORD of hosts.  ‘What are you, O great mountain ? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain ; and he will bring forth the top stone with shouts of “Grace, grace to it!””Also the word of the LORD came to me, saying,  “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house, and his hands will finish it. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you. “For who has despised the day of small things ? But these seven will be glad when they see the plumb-line in the hand of Zerubbabel – these are the eyes of the LORD which range to and fro throughout the earth.” Zechariah 4:6-10 (NAS)

     The angel is speaking to the prophet Zechariah with a message to Zerubbabel, who was the civil head of Jerusalem. The message is that the work will be completed and the top stone will be placed but it will not come by the might or power of the people, it will come by God’s Spirit! The mountain which stands before them delaying the building will become as a plain, the obstacles removed and the top stone placed. Then there will be shouts of “Grace, Grace”. Then you will know God has sent me. What an incredible message of hope and encouragement for Zerubbabel and the people. Not only would the obstacles be done away with but the temple would be completed, and in Zerubbabel’s lifetime. Those who began the work would see it to completion even though right now that looked impossible to them. Now that is grace, it is the promise of God’s favor to accomplish that which He had begun! Grace that He announced through the prophet Isaiah 150 years ahead of schedule that though they are taken captive and away from their homeland, the temple destroyed, He will send Cyrus and they will find favor and return to rebuild their beloved Jerusalem. That my friend, is God’s grace and His favor! No matter what we are going through, He sees our struggles and our pain. Even when we are not rescued from them or spared, He has a plan. We may not understand but He is working to redeem our hurts and pain and in His timing restore us and bring us to an even greater place.

Http://www YouTube.com/watch?v=_5AR5b8EOxU

Days of Grace-Day 9

Published on by livinginhisgraceLeave a comment

     Speaking of grace, I hope your day is as beautiful as it is here today! The sky is gorgeous and sunny! It is absolutely wonderful even though the cold has returned and it is a bit breezy. Alas, I do miss those seventy degree days; thankfully, Spring is near!

     Today, our scripture portion on grace is found in Jeremiah 31:2 but we will look at a few other verses for context, and it is a bit longer than those we have looked at before. We will begin in verse one:  “At that time,” declares the LORD, “I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be My people.”  Thus says the LORD, “The people who survived the sword found grace (chen) in the wilderness – Israel, when it went to find its rest.”  The LORD appeared to him from afar, saying, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness (checed).  “Again I will build you and you will be rebuilt, O virgin of Israel! Again you will take up your tambourines, and go forth to the dances of the merrymakers.  “Again you will plant vineyards on the hills of Samaria; the planters will plant and will enjoy them.  “For there will be a day when watchmen on the hills of Ephraim call out, ‘Arise, and let us go up to Zion, to the LORD our God.’  “For thus says the LORD, “Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations ; Proclaim, give praise and say, ‘O LORD, save Your people, the remnant of Israel.’ “Behold, I am bringing them from the north country, and I will gather them from the remote parts of the earth, among them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and she who is in labor with child, together; a great company, they will return here.  “With weeping they will come, and by supplication I will lead them; I will make them walk by streams of waters, on a straight path in which they will not stumble; For I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is My firstborn.”  Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, And declare in the coastlands afar off, and say, “He who scattered Israel will gather him and keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock.”  For the LORD has ransomed Jacob and redeemed him from the hand of him who was stronger than he. “They will come and shout for joy on the height of Zion, and they will be radiant over the bounty of the LORD – Over the grain and the new wine and the oil, and over the young of the flock and the herd; and their life will be like a watered garden, and they will never languish again. “Then the virgin will rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old, together, for I will turn their mourning into joy And will comfort them and give them joy for their sorrow. “I will fill the soul of the priests with abundance, and My people will be satisfied with My goodness,” declares the LORD.  Thus says the LORD, “A voice is heard in Ramah, Lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.”  Thus says the LORD, “Restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears; for your work will be rewarded,” declares the LORD, “And they will return from the land of the enemy. “There is hope for your future,” declares the LORD, “and your children will return to their own territory.”  Jeremiah 31:1-17 NAS

     Notice the highlighted words. The first, chen, is the Hebrew word that we have seen most so far and is translated most often grace or favor. The second, checed, is the Hebrew word for loving kindness, goodness, and faithfulness and it is also translated mercy in one hundred forty-nine scriptures. In this text Jeremiah is speaking to the people of Israel, the Hebrew people. They have had a long history with God already. They have shared times of great prosperity and times of captivity by other nations. In our text, we are at a time in history where they have been scattered and separated. They are dispersed among the nations. Jeremiah is a prophet to the Hebrew people and has spent much time warning them about their ways and urging them to turn back to God.  Many commentators believe that this was a two-fold prophecy, one for the short-term when the Israelites would return from captivity to Judah and that the second fulfillment would come much later in the end times.

     A remnant of the Jewish people did return and the walls of Jerusalem, the city and the temple was rebuilt. This began during the reign of Cyrus and rebuilding the temple took many years to complete because of those who continually tried to stop the progress. It was the early fulfillment of the prophecy of Jeremiah.  Eventually their land and the city of Jerusalem came under Roman control. The temple stood until AD 70, when it was once again destroyed and the surviving Jewish people were once again dispersed and displaced no longer having a country of their own. This continued to be true until Israel became a nation in May 14 of 1948.  Also, in 1967 Israel fought the Six Day war and recaptured Jerusalem as their capital.  I will post a couple of links below in case you would like some modern history pertaining to Israel’s rebirth.

http://www.examiner.com/article/after-1-878-years-israel-becomes-a-nation-again-may-14-1948

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/state-of-israel-proclaimed

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/myths3/MFroots.html

Days of Grace-Day 6

Published on by livinginhisgrace2 Comments

Have you met Hannah? If not, I am pleased to introduce you to her. Today, we will look at another woman spoken of in the Word of God, her name is Hannah. Hannah lives with her husband Elkanah from the hill country of Ephraim. They are mentioned beginning in First Samuel chapter one. One of the first things we learn is Hannah is not Elkanah’s only wife. To make life even more difficult for her, she shared her husband with another wife, Peninnah. Peninnah had been blessed with children; Hannah had none.

    Elkanah was a man of God, we know this because he made a yearly journey to worship and sacrifice to the Lord. When the time for sacrifice came he gave portions to Peninnah and her children, but to Hannah he would give a double portion because he loved Hannah. Hannah suffered greatly because of her inability to have children. If it were not enough, Peninnah made it a rivalry and did not miss a chance to remind Hannah of her lack of fruitfulness. In verse 8 we see Elkanah as he tries to comfort Hannah saying, ” “Hannah, why do you weep and why do you not eat and why is your heart sad ? Am I not better to you than ten sons?” I am sure she appreciated her husband’s attempt at comfort, but Hannah wanted more than anything to give her husband children. She went up to the temple. Hannah bowed in prayer, weeping greatly in her cries to the Lord.  Eli, the priest saw her there and rebuked her thinking that she was drunk.  One would think that might have been the tipping point for Hannah. Here she is childless, broken-hearted, suffering taunting and provocation from her rival and now she was also misunderstood completely by the priest who thought she was crying uncontrollably because she was drunk. But no, Hannah answered Eli calmly, ”  “No, my lord, I am a woman oppressed in spirit ; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have poured out my soul before the LORD.  “Do not consider your maidservant as a worthless woman, for I have spoken until now out of my great concern and provocation.” 1 Samuel 1:15-16 Eli’s, response was, “Go in peace, may the Lord grant you your request.” Hannah, in verse 18 responded, “And she said , Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat , and her countenance was no more sad.”

The following day Elkanah and Hannah went early to bow and worship the Lord and began their journey home to Ramah. After a while, The Lord remembered Hannah, she conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel because she “requested him from the Lord.” verse 20.  Not only did our friend Hannah find grace in Eli’s sight, she also found grace and compassion in God’s sight and He answered her prayer. In gratitude, she raised young Samuel, dedicated him to the Lord, and when he was weaned this young boy served the Lord in the temple alongside Eli the priest.  1 Samuel 2:21 goes on to tell us that God remembered Hannah, at least one translation says ‘was gracious to Hannah’ and she had another three sons and two daughters. As for Samuel, he was raised in the temple and called by God to be a prophet in Israel and later a judge over Israel. God heard Hannah’s cries and He had a plan greater than she could have ever imagined. We may not always understand when we go through difficult trying times or times of suffering.  This I do know looking back in hindsight on my life’s circumstances and at the stories we are seeing in this journey. There is always a greater plan and God among all His other attributes is a God of mercy and grace.

Grace and blessings to you!


Continue reading “Days of Grace-Day 6” →