What of do you think about pride? Is pride a noble virtue, an inherent quality of mankind, or a fault to overcome? Look at the people of the world who you pass by each day. Have they presumed to live their lives in complete apathy towards God and endure without calamity? We create monuments to our vanity as we glory in ourselves each day. Oh the wretchedness of humanity ; we take the precious gift of life that God has given us and we degraded it to a freak occurrence of nature over billions of years. Do we fear God? Do we realize the peril that is upon our doorstep as we glory in our pride of life? Continue Reading…
Tag Archive - Grace
Leaving pride to find the enveloping grace of God: Isaiah 15 and 16
Find your hope in the saving grace of God: Isaiah 1 and 2
What emotions and thought come to mind when you think about culture, society, and prosperity? Do we live today at the pinnacle of human society? Across the generations people have thought that their current progress and ingenuity was paramount to the existence of man. In Isaiah chapters 1 and 2 the prophet Isaiah brings the word of God to the people of Israel. ”Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the LORD has spoken: ‘Children have I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me. The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s crib, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.’ Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the LORD, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly estranged.” Isaiah 1:3,4 Continue Reading…
Cease striving and collapse into the loving arms of God: Ecclesiastes 9 and 10
Where are you going? Do you know the way? Why are you not there? Have you been distracted along the way? “The toil of a fool wearies him, for he does not know the way to the city. Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child, and your princes feast in the morning! Happy are you, O land, when your king is the son of the nobility, and your princes feast at the proper time, for strength, and not for drunkenness!” Ecclesiastes 10:15-17 We are all sojourners traveling through this life but there are many who do not know where they have come from or where they are going. Do you know that God loves you? Do you know that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins? This world entices us to become satisfied with the wares it offers. Do not be foolish and believe that this world is all that there is. We are all equally in need of God’s saving grace and we all must come to a point where we place our full trust in Jesus Christ alone for salvation. Have you trusted in God’s saving grace. Continue Reading…
In our presalvific state we needed the grace of God: Ecclesiastes 7 and 8
We are apart of a great story that God has been playing out from eternity past. In this moment we are enveloped by God’s overall purpose for creation. We have been greatly blessed by God through the all surpassing grace that was extended to us upon the cross of Calvary. We are transformed when we place our trust and hope in Jesus Christ death on the cross. There will come a day when Jesus Christ will return and all who hold their hope in Him will be completely renewed and restored. “Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.” Ecclesiastes 7:8 We may want to look back upon our lives and think that what we once had was of greater worth than the life of faith in Jesus Christ we live today. When we look back upon our presalvific existence with longing we are believing a lie that God is not sufficient for our present circumstances. ”Say not, ‘Why were the former days better than these?’ For it is not from wisdom that you ask this.” Ecclesiastes 7:10 Continue Reading…
Will the collective resources of the world afford you salvation: Psalm 147
When we become utterly tired and weary from the concerns of life what do we hope in? In the morning and strength of our youth we can overcome every insurmountable obstacle that lays in our path but as time, worry, and fear erode our strength and resolve we face a moment of crisis. Will the collective resources of the world afford us the salvation we desire? Is our strength enough? Is there truly hope? It is easy to believe that money, possessions, and friendship can enable us to overcome any problem but we are sadly deceived. God is the wellspring of fulfillment that we crave but there is absolutely no way that we can achieve His grace and favor through any merit of ourselves. Continue Reading…
Is God your all encompassing everything who sustains you: Psalms 144
“My lovingkindness and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and He in whom I take refuge, who subdues my people under me. O Lord, what is man, that You take knowledge of him? Or the son of man, that You think of him? Man is like a mere breath; his days are like a passing shadow.” Psalm 144:2-4 Have we forgotten the love for God that was encompassed in complete awe and wonder because of God’s sufficient faithfulness? Listen to David’s words in Psalm 144; God is David’s lovingkindness, fortress, stronghold, deliverer, shield, and refuge. This list of who God was for David is all encompassing to every corner of David’s life. There is no area within David’s life that God was not intimately present in. God by our limited human understanding should have no desire to interact with us but His grace is greater than our inability. Continue Reading…
Blessing found in an unexpected glimpse of Jesus Christ: Psalm 106
All of our thoughts and ideas are wholly worthless compared to the truth contained and the blessing bestowed to us as we meditate upon Jesus Christ. Have you ever been fixated on a problem, task or idea when suddenly a seedling thought of Jesus Christ instantaneously grows in your mind to be all-comsuming? These unexpected moments where we clearly see what Jesus Christ has done for us are blessings of greater worth than anything mankind can contrive. Are you blessed as you meditate on Jesus Christ? Do you celebrate when you are given a clear perspective and picture of Jesus Christ in a moment you are not expecting a glimpse of Him? Why do we so often forget to continually look expectantly for glimpses of Jesus Christ in everything that we do? Continue Reading…
Expectantly await for the second advent of Jesus Christ: Psalm 85
Over two thousand years ago mankind received the greatest gift of all in Bethlehem. “Lovingkindness and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth springs from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven. Indeed, the Lord will give what is good, and our land will yield its produce. Righteousness will go before Him and will make His footsteps into a way.” Psalm 85:10-13 The ultimate good for us is the graciously given gift of salvation through the cross of Calvary. Jesus Christ is our hope and our future. The world may appear to collapse around you but the sovereignty of God is eternally enduring. Will you trust that Jesus Christ came and took on humanity so that fellowship could be restored? Continue Reading…
Live out your life walking beside God: Psalm 68
Who is God? How are we able to understand the infinite creator God? We cannot know God directly as He is but as we look upon His work in peoples lives we can gain a better understanding of His nature. David describes who God is in Psalm 68 as the father to the fatherless, a judge for the widow, a home for the lonely, bringing prisoners out of captivity into prosperity, our salvation, our strength, our deliverer, bearing our burdens on a daily basis and granting victory over our enemies. This is a finite glimpse of the infinite God who calls you His own. Can you look upon the greatness of God and exclaim, “But, let the righteous be glad; let them exult before God; Yes, let them rejoice with gladness. Sing to God, sing praises to His name; Lift up a song for Him who rides through the deserts, Whose name is the Lord, and exult before Him.” Psalm 68:3,4 Will you today stand in awe of God and sing praises to His name? Continue Reading…
Hope brought to bear upon our inherent helplessness: Psalm 63
What do your heart, mind, soul and strength yearn for on a consistent basis? The western culture today affords and allows an instant gratification to all the desires that cross our path. If you crave food there are numerous places to drive through to obtain a quick bite to eat. When we yearn for rest an assortment of stimulants stands ready to keep us going. The moments we are thirsty are easily quenched as we buy drinks from the connivence store or grab something to drink from our refrigerator. No matter what we do we will always yearn again after momentarily satisfying our desires. Where do we find lasting satisfaction for our yearnings? There is nothing in this world that we are able to beg, buy, borrow or steal that will bring satisfaction. We are inherently helpless. Continue Reading…
