relationships (Habakkuk 3:1-19) Free Will to Freedom

(Habakkuk 3:1-19) 

A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, according to Shigionoth.

2   Lord, I have heard the report about You, and I was afraid.
     Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years,
     In the midst of the years make it known.
     In anger remember mercy.

3   God comes from Teman,
     And the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah 
     His splendor covers the heavens,
     And the earth is full of His praise.
4   His radiance is like the sunlight;
     He has rays flashing from His hand,
     And the hiding of His might is there.
5   Before Him goes plague,
     And plague comes forth after Him.
6   He stood and caused the earth to shudder;
     He looked and caused the nations to jump.
     Yes, the everlasting mountains were shattered,
     The ancient hills collapsed.
     His paths are everlasting.
7   I saw the tents of Cushan under distress,
     The tent curtains of the land of Midian were trembling.

8   Did the Lord rage against the rivers,
     Or was Your anger against the rivers,
     Or was Your rage against the sea,
     That You rode on Your horses,
     On Your chariots of salvation?
9   You removed Your bow from its holder,
     The arrows of Your word were sworn. Selah 
     You divided the earth with rivers.
10 The mountains saw You and quaked;
     The downpour of waters swept by.
     The deep raised its voice,
     It lifted high its hands.
11 Sun and moon stood in their lofty places;
     They went away at the light of Your arrows,
     At the radiance of Your flashing spear.
12 In indignation You marched through the earth;
     In anger You trampled the nations.
13 You went forth for the salvation of Your people,
     For the salvation of Your anointed.
     You smashed the head of the house of evil 
     To uncover him from foot to neck. Selah 
14 You pierced with his own arrows 
     The head of his leaders.
     They stormed in to scatter us;
     Their arrogance was like those 
     Who devour the oppressed in secret.
15 You trampled on the sea with Your horses,
     On the foam of many waters.

16 I heard, and my inner parts trembled;
     At the sound, my lips quivered.
     Decay enters my bones,
     And in my place I tremble;
     Because I must wait quietly for the day of distress,
     For the people to arise who will attack us.
17 Even if the fig tree does not blossom,
     And there is no fruit on the vines,
     If the yield of the olive fails,
     And the fields produce no food,
     Even if the flock disappears from the fold,
     And there are no cattle in the stalls,
18 Yet I will triumph in the Lord,
     I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.
19 The Lord God is my strength,
     And He has made my feet like deer’s feet,
     And has me walk on my high places.

For the choir director, on my stringed instruments.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

It is interesting how people question how God can be loving when there is so much evil in the world.  Well, because He is love, He has given everyone a free will to choose if they want to love God back.  For those who choose salvation through Jesus, the Lord fights for those who are His children.  

For those who say they hate evil and that something needs to be done - why do they avoid putting their faith and trust in the Lord?  Why do they choose to hate and be angry at the Lord?  It is not His fault that people sin!  It is not His desire that anyone be punished or perish.  He desires that all come to know Him.  This is why He came to suffer and die on the cross - in our place - to pay for our sins!

Therefore, once we confess that we are sinners and want Jesus in our lives, in His forgiveness, He sets us free from sin, death, hate, fear and punishment.  And with that, no matter what is happening around us or to us, we can triumph in the Lord.  We can rejoice in our salvation.  God is our strength, and it is He that wants to help us with and in all things, all to His glory!  Why avoid this?  This is something and Someone to cling to ! ! !

relationships (Habakkuk 2:1-20) Being Prepared

(Habakkuk 2:1-20) 

1   I will stand at my guard post 
     And station myself on the watchtower;
     And I will keep watch to see what He will say to me,
     And how I may reply when I am reprimanded.
2   Then the Lord answered me and said,
     “Write down the vision 
     And inscribe it clearly on tablets,
     So that one who reads it may run.
3   For the vision is yet for the appointed time;
     It hurries toward the goal and it will not fail.
     Though it delays, wait for it;
     For it will certainly come, it will not delay long.

4   “Behold, as for the impudent one,
     His soul is not right within him;
     But the righteous one will live by his faith.
5   Furthermore, wine betrays an arrogant man,
     So that he does not achieve his objective.
     He enlarges his appetite like Sheol,
     And he is like death, never satisfied.
     He also gathers to himself all the nations 
     And collects to himself all the peoples.

6   “Will all of these not take up a song of ridicule against him,
     Even a saying and insinuations against him 
     And say, ‘Woe to him who increases what is not his—
     For how long—
     And makes himself rich with debts!’
7   Will your creditors not rise up suddenly,
     And those who collect from you awaken?
     Indeed, you will become plunder for them.
8   Since you have looted many nations,
     All the rest of the peoples will loot you—
     Because of human bloodshed and violence done to the land,
     To the town and all its inhabitants.

9   “Woe to him who makes evil profit for his household,
     To put his nest on high,
     To be saved from the hand of catastrophe!
10 You have planned a shameful thing for your house 
     By bringing many peoples to an end;
     So you are sinning against yourself.
11 For the stone will cry out from the wall,
     And the rafter will answer it from the framework.

12 “Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed,
     And founds a town with violence!
13 Is it not indeed from the Lord of armies 
     That peoples labor merely for fire,
     And nations become weary for nothing?
14 For the earth will be filled 
     With the knowledge of the glory of the Lord,
     As the waters cover the sea.

15 “Woe to him who makes his neighbor drink;
     To you who mix in your venom even to make your neighbors drunk,
     So as to look at their genitalia!
16 You will be filled with disgrace rather than honor.
     Drink, you yourself, and expose your own foreskin!
     The cup in the Lord’s right hand will come around to you,
     And utter disgrace will come upon your glory.
17 For the violence done to Lebanon will overwhelm you,
     And the devastation of its animals by which you terrified them,
     Because of human bloodshed and violence done to the land,
     To the town and all its inhabitants.

18 “What benefit is a carved image when its maker has carved it,
     Or a cast metal image, a teacher of falsehood?
     For its maker trusts in his own handiwork 
     When he fashions speechless idols.
19 Woe to him who says to a piece of wood, ‘Awake!’
     To a mute stone, ‘Arise!’
     That is your teacher?
     Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver,
     Yet there is no breath at all inside it.
20 But the Lord is in His holy temple.
     Let all the earth be silent before Him.”

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

What is it that we need to wait and watch for?  Well, no matter who we are, and no matter which era we live in, we all have an inevitable end.  To be prepared, in order to be saved from death, we need to find and embrace Jesus and His salvation.  We cannot save ourselves, or guide ourselves, or be "good enough".  If we think we can, or whenever we think that we know better, that is self-righteousness, and we are only deceiving ourselves.

We need to see, know and remember that Jesus is truth and righteousness!  By having a personal relationship with Him, and following Him and His word, He imparts to us His righteousness.  With Jesus' Holy Spirit living in us, He changes us from the inside out.

Therefore, we should consider how vigilant we are in knowing God's words which will help us get through each day, striving to live in His will, as well as praying and asking the Lord to continue working for us, in us, and through us.  Sometimes it is about seeing what needs to be addressed in our lives.  If and when God reprimands us - what is our reply?  This was Habakkuk's question.  And when the Lord spoke to him, Habakkuk was given a directive.  

As believers, we are not expected "to pay" for any sin.  Jesus has done that for everyone of us, in full.  His desire for us is that we keep relying on Him, in joy and thankfulness, and continue serving Him with the gifts that He has given us, in His strength and guidance.  In the way we live our lives, we will be a living testimony to those around us, so that they too might see their need for Jesus and His salvation, and the benefits that He brings to our lives right now.  This is what it means to wait on the Lord and keep watch.  This is the only way to be prepared and ready!

relationships (Habakkuk 1:1-17) A Love to Share

(Habakkuk 1:1-17) 

The pronouncement which Habakkuk the prophet saw:

2   How long, Lord, have I called for help,
     And You do not hear?
     I cry out to You, “Violence!”
     Yet You do not save.
3   Why do You make me see disaster,
     And make me look at destitution?
     Yes, devastation and violence are before me;
     Strife exists and contention arises.
4   Therefore the Law is ignored,
     And justice is never upheld.
     For the wicked surround the righteous;
     Therefore justice comes out confused.

5   “Look among the nations! Watch!
     Be horrified! Be frightened speechless!
     For I am accomplishing a work in your days—
     You would not believe it even if you were told!
6   For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans,
     That grim and impetuous people
     Who march throughout the earth,
     To take possession of dwelling places that are not theirs.
7   They are terrifying and feared;
     Their justice and authority originate with themselves.
8   Their horses are faster than leopards,
     And quicker than wolves in the evening.
     Their horsemen charge along,
     Their horsemen come from afar;
     They fly like an eagle swooping down to devour.
9   All of them come for violence.
     Their horde of faces moves forward.
     They gather captives like sand.
10 They make fun of kings,
     And dignitaries are an object of laughter to them.
     They laugh at every fortress,
     Then heap up dirt and capture it.
11 Then they fly along like the wind and pass on.
     But they will be held guilty,
     They whose strength is their god.”

12 Are You not from time everlasting,
     Lord, my God, my Holy One?
     We will not die.
     You, Lord, have appointed them to deliver judgment;
     And You, O Rock, have destined them to punish.
13 Your eyes are too pure to look at evil,
     And You cannot look at harm favorably.
     Why do You look favorably 
     At those who deal treacherously?
     Why are You silent when the wicked swallow up
     Those more righteous than they?
14 Why have You made people like the fish of the sea,
     Like crawling things that have no ruler over them?
15 The Chaldeans bring all of them up with a hook,
     Drag them away with their net,
     And gather them together in their fishing net.
     Therefore they rejoice and are joyful.
16 Therefore they offer a sacrifice to their net
     And burn incense to their fishing net,
     Because through these things their catch is large,
     And their food is plentiful.
17 Will they therefore empty their net,
     And continually slay nations without sparing?

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Seeing the horrors in life, one might wonder why God allows this.  Well, He is loving and righteous, so He will not force anyone to believe in Him or live in His will.  Yet He is also sovereign, therefore people and the spiritual realm can only do as much as God allows.  And because God is fair and just, one day all unbelievers will be held accountable.  Yet, it is in the darkness that many people will realize their need for salvation and desire to seek, find and live in the light, putting their faith and trust in the Lord.  

Part of trusting in the Lord is to wait on Him to accomplish whatever it is He has in store for each time period.  Another aspect of trusting and waiting on the Lord is to rely on Him to get us through each day in His strength, wisdom and grace, no matter what is happing to us or around us.  

For believers, seeing the darkness is a good reminder to continue praying, and sharing the good news!  But there isn't any need to seek out the darkness, it is all around us wherever we are.  And that should not be our focus anyway.  Our purpose isn't to stamp out darkness, but to pursue and share God's light and love, while always drawing closer in a personal relationship with the Lord.  We cannot share what we do not have.

relationships (Nahum 3:1-19) Friend and Advocate

(Nahum 3:1-19)

1   Woe to the bloody city, completely full of lies and pillage;
     Her prey does not leave.
2   The sound of the whip,
     The sound of the roar of the wheel,
     Galloping horses
     And bounding chariots!
3   Horsemen charging,
     Swords flashing, spears gleaming,
     Many killed, a mass of corpses,
     And there is no end to the dead bodies—
     They stumble over the dead bodies!
4   All because of the many sexual acts of the prostitute,
     The charming one, the mistress of sorceries,
     Who sells nations by her sexual acts,
     And families by her sorceries.
5   “Behold, I am against you,” declares the Lord of armies;
     “And I will lift up your skirts over your face,
     And show the nations your nakedness,
     And the kingdoms your shame.
6   I will throw filth on you 
     And declare you worthless,
     And set you up as a spectacle.
7   And it will come about that all who see you 
     Will shrink from you and say,
     ‘Nineveh is devastated!
     Who will have sympathy for her?’
     Where shall I seek comforters for you?”

8   Are you better than No-amon,
     Which was situated by the canals of the Nile,
     With water surrounding her,
     Whose rampart was the sea,
     Whose wall consisted of the sea?
9   Ethiopia was her might,
     Egypt too, without limits.
     Put and Lubim were among her helpers.
10 Yet she became an exile,
     She went into captivity;
     Also her small children were smashed to pieces
     At the head of every street;
     They cast lots for her honorable men,
     And all her great men were bound with shackles.
11 You too will become drunk,
     You will be hidden.
     You too will search for a refuge from the enemy.
12 All your fortifications are fig trees with ripe fruit—
     When shaken, they fall into the eater’s mouth.
13 Behold, your people are women in your midst!
     The gates of your land are opened wide to your enemies;
     Fire consumes your gate bars.
14 Draw for yourself water for a siege!
     Strengthen your fortifications!
     Go into the clay and tread the mortar!
     Take hold of the brick mold!
15 There fire will consume you,
     The sword will cut you down;
     It will consume you as the creeping locust consumes a crop.
     Multiply yourself like the creeping locust,
     Multiply yourself like the migratory locust.
16 You have made your traders more numerous than the stars of heaven—
     The creeping locust sheds its skin and flies away.
17 Your courtiers are like the migratory locust.
     Your officials are like a swarm of locusts
     Settling in the stone shelters on a cold day.
     The sun rises and they flee,
     And the place where they are is not known.
18 Your shepherds are sleeping, O king of Assyria;
     Your officers are lying down.
     Your people are scattered on the mountains
     And there is no one to gather them.
19 There is no relief for your collapse,
     Your wound is incurable.
     All who hear about you
     Will clap their hands over you,
     For upon whom has your evil not come continually?

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

I always find it interesting but not surprising that criminals have their level of standards which should not be crossed, and they will turn on each other when someone has either crossed that line, or is no longer a benefit to them.  As well, people strive to look good in order to cover up their sins, so if and when anyone's depravity is exposed, most people will not want to associate with them to preserve their own "reputation" - whatever that is.

As for God, He sees and knows everything, so nothing is hidden from His sight.  As well, it doesn't matter what sins have been committed, sin is sin and requires punishment.  At some point, everyone must face Him, and the enemies of the Lord do not stand a chance, as they cannot justify any of their actions.  Understand, though, that the Lord doesn't want to punish anyone.  He desires that all come to know Him personally!  So, the only way to escape eternal punishment is to repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.  

To accept Jesus as Lord and Savior is to accept Him as our Friend and Advocate.  He alone can defend us, because when He forgives our sins, He chooses to no longer remember our sins, and covers us with His righteousness.  Therefore, when believers stand before the Lord to be judged, we will be judged and rewarded according to the good deeds we have done with right motives...which is to say that as we strive to live in God's will, we ask the Lord to do it for us, all in His strength, wisdom and in His righteousness, and all to His glory.

relationships (Nahum 2:1-13) Restoring vs Scattering

(Nahum 2:1-13)

1   The one who scatters has come up against you.
     Keep watch over the fortress, watch the road;
     Bind up your waist, summon all your strength.
2   For the Lord will restore the splendor of Jacob 
     Like the splendor of Israel,
     Even though destroyers have laid waste to them 
     And ruined their vines.

3   The shields of his warriors are dyed red,
     The warriors are dressed in scarlet,
     The chariots are fitted with flashing steel
     When he is prepared to march,
     And the juniper spears are brandished.
4   The chariots drive wildly in the streets,
     They rush around in the public squares;
     Their appearance is like torches,
     They drive back and forth like lightning flashes.
5   He remembers his officers;
     They stumble in their advance,
     They hurry to her wall,
     And the mantelet is set up.
6   The gates of the rivers are opened
     And the palace sways back and forth.
7   It is set:
     She is stripped, she is led away,
     And her slave women are sobbing like the sound of doves,
     Beating their breasts.

8   Though Nineveh was like a pool of water throughout her days,
     Yet they are fleeing;
     “Stop, stop,”
     But no one turns back.
9   Plunder the silver,
     Plunder the gold!
     For there is no end to the treasure—
     Wealth from every kind of desirable object.
10 She is emptied! Yes, she is desolate and waste!
     Hearts are melting and knees wobbling!
     Also trembling is in the entire body,
     And all their faces have become pale!
11 Where is the den of the lions
     And the feeding place of the young lions,
     Where the lion, lioness, and lion’s cub went
     With nothing to disturb them?
12 The lion tore enough for his cubs,
     Killed enough prey for his lionesses,
     And filled his lairs with prey
     And his dens with torn flesh.

13 “Behold, I am against you,” declares the Lord of armies. “I will burn up her chariots in smoke, and a sword will devour your young lions; I will eliminate your prey from the land, and no longer will the voice of your messengers be heard.”

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

In God's perfect timing, He will completely do away with all evil and all enemies.  Whoever is not a believer, is against the Lord.  To be "sitting on the fence" is to be on the side of evil.  The only protection from God's wrath is to seek God's loving and everlasting protection - which is salvation through Jesus Christ.  

Understand that evil scatters, divides and destroys, while the Lord restores, reconciles and builds.  Understand that God doesn't want to punish anyone, but desires that all come to Him personally.  Understand that He came in flesh in order to pay the price for all sin so that anyone who chooses to believe in Him will have eternal life, and a relationship with Him. 

The benefits of turning away from evil and turning to the Lord are so much more.  As believers, we can walk with the Lord, according to His will, all in His strength and wisdom, which provides a life of purpose and fulfillment.  As believers, we have a certain hope, sealed with His Holy Spirit of promise, so we can experience His peace, joy, contentment and courage, in all things, all to His glory.

relationships (Nahum 1:1-15) Faithful Refuge of Peace

(Nahum 1:1-15) 

The pronouncement of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite:

2   A jealous and avenging God is the Lord;
     The Lord is avenging and wrathful.
     The Lord takes vengeance on His adversaries,
     And He reserves wrath for His enemies.
3   The Lord is slow to anger and great in power,
     And the Lord will by no means leave the guilty unpunished.
     In the gale and the storm is His way,
     And clouds are the dust beneath His feet.
4   He rebukes the sea and dries it up;
     He dries up all the rivers.
     Bashan and Carmel wither,
     The blossoms of Lebanon wither.
5   Mountains quake because of Him,
     And the hills come apart;
     Indeed the earth is upheaved by His presence,
     The world and all the inhabitants in it.
6   Who can stand before His indignation?
     Who can endure the burning of His anger?
     His wrath gushes forth like fire,
     And the rocks are broken up by Him.
7   The Lord is good,
     A stronghold in the day of trouble,
     And He knows those who take refuge in Him.
8   But with an overflowing flood 
     He will make a complete end of its site,
     And will pursue His enemies into darkness.

9   Whatever you devise against the Lord,
     He will make a complete end of it.
     Distress will not rise up twice.
10 Like tangled thorns,
     And like those who are drunken with their drink,
     They are consumed 
     Like stubble completely dried up.
11 From you has gone out 
     One who plotted evil against the Lord,
     A wicked counselor.

12 This is what the Lord says:
     “Though they are at full strength and so they are many,
     So also they will be cut off and pass away.
     Though I have afflicted you,
     I will afflict you no longer.
13 So now, I will break his yoke from upon you,
     And I will tear your shackles to pieces.”

14 The Lord has issued a command concerning you:
     “Your name will no longer be perpetuated.
     I will eliminate the carved image and the cast metal image 
     From the house of your gods.
     I will prepare your grave,
     For you are contemptible.”

15 Behold, on the mountains, the feet of him who brings good news,
     Who announces peace!
     Celebrate your feasts, Judah,
     Pay your vows.
     For never again will the wicked one pass through you;
     He is eliminated completely.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

About a hundred years before this, Jonah had gone to Nineveh to warn the people that God was going to destroy the city.  They all repented and believed in the Lord, and so the Lord spared them.  Sadly, the next generations, even though they "knew better", didn't have any interest in the newfound faith and went right back to their evil practices.  

Given that the Lord is jealous, avenging and wrathful, we should be so very thankful that the Lord is also slow to anger. good and great in power!  So it is never too late!  But - why wait?  The good news of peace is that we can take refuge in Him by accepting His free gift of salvation, and He is faithful to protect us for all eternity.  

For those who take refuge in the Lord, He is a stronghold.  And in His salvation, we are able to have a close, relationship with our loving heavenly Father, who desires to help us and direct us into His goodness, in all things!

relationships (Micah 7:1-20) Our True Soulmate

(Micah 7:1-20)

1   Woe to me! For I am 
     Like harvests of summer fruit, like gleanings of grapes.
     There is not a cluster of grapes left to eat,
     Nor an early fig, which I crave.
2   The godly person has perished from the land,
     And there is no upright person among mankind.
     All of them lie in wait for bloodshed;
     Each of them hunts the other with a net.
3   As for evil, both hands do it well.
     The leader asks for a bribe, also the judge,
     And the great one speaks the capricious desire of his soul;
     So they plot it together.
4   The best of them is like a thorn bush,
     The most upright like a thorn hedge.
     The day when you post your watchmen,
     Your punishment is coming.
     Then their confusion will occur.
5   Do not trust in a neighbor;
     Do not have confidence in a close friend.
     Guard your lips 
     From her who lies in your arms.
6   For son disavows father,
     Daughter rises up against her mother,
     Daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
     A person’s enemies are the people of his own household.

7   But as for me, I will be on the watch for the Lord;
     I will wait for the God of my salvation.
     My God will hear me.
8   Do not rejoice over me, enemy of mine.
     Though I fall I will rise;
     Though I live in darkness, the Lord is a light for me.

9   I will endure the rage of the Lord 
     Because I have sinned against Him,
     Until He pleads my case and executes justice for me.
     He will bring me out to the light,
     And I will look at His righteousness.
10 Then my enemy will see,
     And shame will cover her who said to me,
     “Where is the Lord your God?”
     My eyes will look at her;
     At that time she will be trampled down 
     Like mud of the streets.
11 It will be a day for building your walls.
     On that day your boundary will be extended.
12 It will be a day when they will come to you 
     From Assyria and the cities of Egypt,
     From Egypt even to the Euphrates River,
     Even from sea to sea and mountain to mountain.
13 And the earth will become a wasteland because of her inhabitants,
     On account of the fruit of their deeds.

14 Shepherd Your people with Your scepter,
     The flock of Your possession 
     Which lives by itself in the woodland,
     In the midst of a fruitful field.
     Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead 
     As in the days of old.
15 “As in the days when you went out from the land of Egypt,
     I will show you miracles.”
16 Nations will see and be ashamed 
     Of all their might.
     They will put their hand on their mouth,
     Their ears will be deaf.
17 They will lick up dust like a snake,
     Like reptiles of the earth.
     They will come trembling out of their fortresses;
     To the Lord our God they will come in trepidation,
     And they will be afraid of You.
18 Who is a God like You, who pardons wrongdoing 
     And passes over a rebellious act of the remnant of His possession?
     He does not retain His anger forever,
     Because He delights in mercy.
19 He will again take pity on us;
     He will trample on our wrongdoings.
     Yes, You will cast all their sins 
     Into the depths of the sea.
20 You will give truth to Jacob 
     And favor to Abraham,
     Which You swore to our forefathers 
     From the days of old.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Verses 5 and 6 warn us against putting our faith and trust into people, even into our spouse.  Nobody is perfect.  Nobody is sovereign, or able to save us, or help us, or fulfill, satisfy or complete us!  Jesus literally wants to be our soulmate!!!  Choosing to have a close relationship with the Lord is the best decision a person could ever make.  He is the only one who is able to save us, help us, and fulfill, satisfy and complete us!

The Lord is our Defender, when we humbly repent and become believers.  He is faithful and forgives us and protects us.  He protects us from His own wrath by choosing not to keep track of our sins.  And no matter what struggles we are going through; we can trust and rely on Him.  Striving to live in His will brings us real purpose and direction.  Therefore, before rashly acting out in our own strength and wisdom, wait on the Lord, for He is good!  Even though we are surrounded by darkness and evil, the Lord is our light!  Our light to guide us on the only right path!

relationships (Micah 6:1-16) Real Purpose and Success

(Micah 6:1-16)

1   Hear now what the Lord is saying,
     “Arise, plead your case before the mountains,
     And let the hills hear your voice.
2   Listen, you mountains, to the indictment by the Lord,
     And you enduring foundations of the earth,
     Because the Lord has a case against His people;
     And He will dispute with Israel.
3   My people, what have I done to you,
     And how have I wearied you? Answer Me.
4   Indeed, I brought you up from the land of Egypt,
     I redeemed you from the house of slavery,
     And I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
5   My people, remember now 
     What Balak king of Moab planned 
     And what Balaam son of Beor answered him,
     And what happened from Shittim to Gilgal,
     So that you might know the righteous acts of the Lord.”

6   With what shall I come to the Lord 
     And bow myself before the God on high?
     Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings,
     With yearling calves?
7   Does the Lord take pleasure in thousands of rams,
     In ten thousand rivers of oil?
     Shall I give Him my firstborn for my wrongdoings,
     The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8   He has told you, mortal one, what is good;
     And what does the Lord require of you 
     But to do justice, to love kindness,
     And to walk humbly with your God?

9   The voice of the Lord will call to the city—
     And it is sound wisdom to fear Your name:
     “Hear, you tribe. Who has designated its time?
10 Is there still a person in the wicked house,
     Along with treasures of wickedness,
     And a short measure that is cursed?
11 Can I justify dishonest balances,
     And a bag of fraudulent weights?
12 For the rich people of the city are full of violence,
     Her residents speak lies,
     And their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.
13 So also I will make you sick, striking you down,
     Making you desolate because of your sins.
14 You will eat, but you will not be satisfied,
     And your filth will be in your midst.
     You will try to remove valuables for safekeeping,
     But you will not save it all,
     And what you do save I will turn over to the sword.
15 You will sow but you will not harvest.
     You will tread the olive press but will not anoint yourself with oil;
     And tread out sweet wine, but you will not drink any wine.
16 The statutes of Omri 
     And every work of the house of Ahab are maintained,
     And you walk by their plans.
     Therefore I will give you up for destruction,
     And your inhabitants for derision,
     And you will suffer the taunting of My people.”

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Looking at verses 7 and 8, one might wonder, who in the world would think to kill any of their children in order to appease God, or gods.  Well, in many places!  Like, in Peru, the pre-Incans would bury their children alive, thinking that they could pay for the ills of their society and make everything better!  But, let's take a closer look at our own society!

Satan wants us to think that sacrificing either our loved ones, and/or ourselves, is a good thing.  Even simply focusing on our own successes, our own pleasures, or getting caught up in some religious rituals or cults, will lead us to neglect our real needs and our loved ones.  Then there's the prevalence of abortion!  Must the baby be sacrificed for the sins of a rapist, or one's neglect in the throws of passion?  Now there are those who are creating a pandemic in adults AND CHILDREN becoming confused with who they are or should be, and are convinced that their only solution is to mutilate or change their bodies, and/or kill themselves.  Suicide is on the rise for many reasons.  And now, we're even seeing a trend where people are killing those they don't like, or those who simply don't align with their distorted idealisms.  And people are encouraging them and cheering them on, making them heroes!  Hatred and persecution against the Jews and Christians is on the rise, globally.

Notice how distorted, divisive and destructive all of this is.  Satan literally desires that all people die without hope.  The dark forces are at work, doing and saying whatever they can to keep people away from the Lord.  Where there is sin, there is death!  Hopelessness, fear and hatred, along with pride, arrogance and greed, all leading to death, spiritually, emotionally, mentally and physically.

While there is a spiritual warfare raging, we are told in God's word that He already has the victory!  And salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ is our only solution, light and hope!  So, how can people forget about God so quickly?  Or how can people expect God to "accept" their wickedness and injustices when God is holy and just?  And then when things don't go their way, act as if God is the enemy?  Meanwhile, God is love, and He is good.  He only wants the best for us!  He created us with purpose, with a much better way!

In the efforts to mislead people, Satan, via the different idols, gods and religions, will demand that people work and/or pay for some sort of "salvation" and/or temporary fix or satisfaction.  But God came in flesh as the ultimate sacrifice to pay for all sins, so that He can offer us His free gift of forgiveness, to set us free from sin, for all eternity.  He communicates to us - all that we need to know - in His word!  And He gives us His Holy Spirit of promise - to guide and help us in every situation!

This chapter tells us to fear the Lord, and walk humbly with Him, which includes doing justice and loving kindness.  And even with that, we are to do everything in His strength and wisdom!  All He requires is our sincere hearts to trust and rely on Him for all things: to love God and love people.  In having a relationship with the Lord, there is victory!!!