Showing posts with label devotion on God's promises and help. Show all posts
Showing posts with label devotion on God's promises and help. Show all posts

Sunday, 28 January 2024

relationships (2 Samuel 7:1-29) Building Godly Homes

(2 Samuel 7:1-29)  Now it came about, when the king lived in his house, and the Lord had given him rest on every side from all his enemies, 2 that the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I live in a house of cedar, but the ark of God remains within the tent.” 3 Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your mind, for the Lord is with you.”

But in the same night, the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying, 5 “Go and say to My servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says: “Should you build Me a house for My dwelling? 6 For I have not dwelt in a house since the day I brought up the sons of Israel from Egypt, even to this day; rather, I have been moving about in a tent, that is, in a dwelling place. 7 Wherever I have gone with all the sons of Israel, did I speak a word with one of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’”’

8 Now then, this is what you shall say to My servant David: ‘This is what the Lord of armies says: “I Myself took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be leader over My people Israel. 9 And I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have eliminated all your enemies from you; I will also make a great name for you, like the names of the great men who are on the earth. 10 And I will establish a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place and not be disturbed again, nor will malicious people oppress them anymore as previously, 11 even from the day that I appointed judges over My people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. The Lord also declares to you that the Lord will make a house for you. 12 When your days are finished and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come from you, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he does wrong, I will discipline him with a rod of men and with strokes of sons of mankind, 15 but My favor shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from you. 16 Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.”’” 17 In accordance with all these words and all of this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

18 Then David the king came in and sat before the Lord, and he said, “Who am I, Lord God, and who are the members of my household, that You have brought me this far? 19 And yet this was insignificant in Your eyes, Lord God, for You have spoken also of the house of Your servant regarding the distant future. And this is the custom of mankind, Lord God. 20 Again what more can David say to You? For You know Your servant, Lord God! 21 For the sake of Your word, and according to Your heart, You have done all this greatness, to let Your servant know. 22 For this reason You are great, Lord God; for there is no one like You, and there is no God except You, according to all that we have heard with our ears. 23 And what one nation on the earth is like Your people Israel, whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people, and to make a name for Himself, and to do a great thing for You and awesome things for Your land, because of Your people whom You have redeemed for Yourself from Egypt, from other nations and their gods? 24 For You have established for Yourself Your people Israel as Your own people forever, and You, Lord, have become their God. 25 Now then, Lord God, the word that You have spoken about Your servant and his house, confirm it forever, and do just as You have spoken, 26 so that Your name may be great forever, by saying, ‘The Lord of armies is God over Israel’; and may the house of Your servant David be established before You. 27 For You, Lord of armies, God of Israel, have given a revelation to Your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house’; therefore Your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to You. 28 Now then, Lord God, You are God, and Your words are truth; and You have promised this good thing to Your servant. 29 And now, may it please You to bless the house of Your servant, so that it may continue forever before You. For You, Lord God, have spoken; and with Your blessing may the house of Your servant be blessed forever.”

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Some of these verses are part of the Davidic covenant, as God promises to establish David's throne and kingdom forever.  In part, it is talking about David's son, Solomon (who would build the temple).  But for the most part, it is talking about how Jesus would and will fulfill all of this.  Jesus is the only one who can make all of this possible.  

Jesus came to earth, fully man while still being fully God, being born through David's bloodline.  Jesus is not only the rightful King of Israel, but as He is God, He is the King of kings, and He will reign forever.  Meanwhile, here on earth, right now we are in the Church Age, and the Jews are still waiting for their Messiah because they didn't recognize Him when He came in flesh the first time.  It will only be at the end of the Tribulation that Israel as a nation will believe in the Lord - that He was and is their Messiah!  Then Jesus will come again and sit on the throne of David to establish His kingdom here on earth for a thousand years.

David had great intentions to build a house for the Lord, but the Lord desires to build us a house - a house that is eternal - which is the Church (encompassing all believers of all time).  And the Lord will bless His children!  We all can think and ask, "Who are we that God wants to save us and bless us and embrace as part of His family?"  Yet God wants to do everything for us.  Therefore, just as David wanted to live a life pleasing to the Lord and to be blessed by Him, may we always desire to live a life that is pleasing to God - by allowing God to build our homes for us here on earth, as well as in heaven!

Friday, 2 June 2023

relationships (Exodus 3:1-22) Trusting and Respecting a Personal God

(Exodus 3:1-22) Now Moses was pasturing the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 The angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed. 3 So Moses said, “I must turn aside now and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up.” 4 When the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” 5 Then He said, “Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” 6 He said also, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

7 The Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have given heed to their cry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings. 8 So I have come down to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. 9 Now, behold, the cry of the sons of Israel has come to Me; furthermore, I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians are oppressing them.

10 Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.” 11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?” 12 And He said, “Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain.”

13 Then Moses said to God, “Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ Now they may say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?” 14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” 15 God, furthermore, said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations. 16 Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, “I am indeed concerned about you and what has been done to you in Egypt. 17 So I said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, to a land flowing with milk and honey.” 18 They will pay heed to what you say; and you with the elders of Israel will come to the king of Egypt and you will say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. So now, please, let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.’ 19 But I know that the king of Egypt will not permit you to go, except under compulsion. 20 So I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My miracles which I shall do in the midst of it; and after that he will let you go. 21 I will grant this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be that when you go, you will not go empty-handed. 22 But every woman shall ask of her neighbor and the woman who lives in her house, articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing; and you will put them on your sons and daughters. Thus you will plunder the Egyptians.”

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

In this chapter, the Lord demonstrates just how personal He wants to be with us, as He lets Moses know about his ancestors: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  But He also wants us to realize His holiness.  Along with familiarity and closeness should be a very awesome respect for the One who saves and looks out for us.  Just as the Lord told the Israelites what He was going to do for them, and then did what He promised; we can have complete confidence in the Lord that He does everything He promises, and everything He says to us is true.

The angel of the Lord is the Lord Jesus Christ pre-incarnate - part of the Trinity - God, Himself - the Great I Am!  He hears our cries and He cares.  He came down in flesh to accomplish His work on the cross so that anyone who chooses to believe in Him will be delivered.  And in salvation, we become children of God and receive eternal life.  Our promised land is heaven, where we will blessed and rewarded!  It is a promise from God, so nothing can undo what He has said or done!  

While we are still on earth:
- the Lord meets with us in His word (the Bible) and in Spirit (the Holy Spirit)
- the Lord calls and sends His children to do various ministries
- the Lord is always with us to help us in whatever He calls us to do
- and we will experience the Lord's blessings of spiritual peace, joy, comfort, strength, confidence... without guilt, fear or worry!

relationships (Matthew 27:61-66) Having in Common the Most Important Thing

(Matthew 27:61-66) 55 And many women were there watching from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee while caring for Him. 56 Amon...