Thoughts

Thought for the Morning

Isaiah 66:2 For all those things My hand has made, And all those things exist,” Says the LORD. “But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word.

What a contrast, The Creator of everything we know of, and don’t know of, is interested in you and I. Isaiah’s words reflect Gods disappointment with Israel and His desire for them to return to fellowship. But if we apply these words to ourselves, His eye is on us also. What does He want to see?

He wants to see a poor and contrite spirit. Poor in respect to us knowing that we come into this world with nothing. The material things we gather along the way will become of no importance with our passing. The relationships we form with family and friends will hopefully be remembered but they too will fade as the many, many years go by.

The illustration of a person who thinks they are of some importance is like water being stirred in a bucket. When the stirring stops the water will become calm again and the stirring will not be remembered any more.

But when God says “But on this one will I look”, He doesn’t take His eye away from us. His relationship with us is to be eternal, “He will never leave or forsake us” (Hebrews 13.7), He is also looking for the “contrite spirit”, a spirit within us that knows the sinfulness of our nature and is totally trusting in His work on the Cross. We come into this world poor but when we become a child of His we become heirs. (Galatians 4. 5). We become a child of the King!

Why are we to tremble at His word? His word reveals to us what our walk should be, and many times we find ourselves off the path. The Spirit of God uses the holy word to teach us, and instruct us. The Lord is merciful and gracious, but He also is a jealous God. (Ex 34.14). He is willing to draw near to us but we must be willing to draw near to Him. “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you…”(James 4:8). We draw near to Him through His word and His word is to make us tremble with worship and adoration!

Isaiah 66.2 “… Says the Lord “But on this one will I look…”

What does He see when He looks upon us? Does He see a poor and contrite heart? Just a thought for the morning.

Carl

Thought for the Morning

Psalm 71:9 Do not cast me off in the time of old age; Do not forsake me when my strength fails.

We all get older. When we are considered an old timer, we may get the feeling that we become useless for the Lord, but this is not the case. We only have to search the Scripture to see how God used older saints to accomplish His plans. We have examples of Joshua and Caleb. They were not young when the promised land was cleared of all the enemy.

Our strength may be seen as failing and we are not as physically strong as we were in our 20s or 30s. But with age should come wisdom, based on our life’s experience through the years. Hopefully our walk has been with the Lord, allowing him to direct our every step. He has taught us through our experiences. There have been many valley situations and many mountaintop experiences that the Lord has allowed us to encounter.

Hopefully, with the Lord’s help, we have gained wisdom through these times. Job went through many hard times but he says, “Wisdom is with aged men, And with length of days, understanding” (Job 12:12)

In our own life, even as we get older. our past experiences should be thought of as learning experiences to be applied as we go on. You only put your hand on a hot stove once.

But acquired wisdom, as you get older, is not only for yourself, but it is something that should be shared with others. Those you know travel the same roads you have traveled and have run into the same problems you have. We older ones are here to help others along the way. Hopefully by our walk we are capable of being of help, not only in counsel, but in prayer.

God does “not cast us off in the time of old age”. He will use us to help others. Just a thought for the morning.

Carl

Thought for the Morning

1 John 3:2  Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

What words of comfort, expectation and hope, “We shall see Him as He is”. For the one that is lost and without Christ there is no hope. As believers in the Risen Lord we have a hope that is sure! As a child of God, we have no doubt about what the future holds for us.

When in the future will He be revealed to us? We know that the next event to happen to the ‘Church” is recorded in Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians “  For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17  Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thess. 4:16-18)

The world today is chaotic with division and hatred prevailing. The Lord could come at any time to take us home to be with Him. This is our hope! As believers in the Lord Jesus we know what the future holds. Can you imagine the joy of going to be with Him forever, we shall see Him as He is, and we shall be like Him. What a promise we have!

We may be going through a time of trial, there may be discouragement, and sadness. But because, as believers in the Lord Jesus, we have a hope, we have One who will never leave us or forsake us (Heb 13.5).  Even as we walk this earth, He is with us.

But can you imagine seeing Him in all His glory at His coming. Can you imagine what it will be like to be released from our “natural man” who leads us astray, and can you imagine what our eternal home will be like. Can you imagine what it will be like to join those who have gone on before us.

We have a great promise, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. Just a thought for the morning.  

                                                                                                           

Carl

     Thought for the morning

 

Job 5:17-18  “Behold, happy is the man whom God corrects; Therefore do not despise the chastening of the Almighty. 18  For He bruises, but He binds up; He wounds, but His hands make whole. 

 

Jobs friends do not appear to bring words of comfort to Job who is struggling at the hands of Satan (Job 1.11-12).  Their bed side manner leaves something to be desired.

 

In Eliphaz’s discourse there are some thoughts to be considered.  I believe the above verse is one of them. “Happy is the man whom God corrects”! Correction is always difficult to take, how can you be happy in it?  When God corrects it is always to our benefit. Before correction must come conviction. The Holy Spirit works within us pointing out the error of our ways. He uses the “word”; He uses brothers and sisters in Christ.

 

We are not to “despise the chastening”, because that would be grieving the Spirit (Eph. 4.30), and we are not to quench the leading of the Spirit (1Thes. 5.19). Walking in the will of God is a “happy walk”!  It is “happy” because you have the realization of that “Someone” who is always at your side!

 

Bruising and wounding are the painful aspects of correction. Acknowledging wrongdoing can be painful, but it will lead to the Lord binding your bruises up, and making whole the wounds that have occurred. God does not want to bruise or wound but sometimes it is the only way we acknowledge His correction.

 

1 Thessalonians 5:19-22  Do not quench the Spirit. 20  Do not despise prophecies. 21  Test all things; hold fast what is good. 22  Abstain from every form of evil.

 

Galatians 5:25  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

 

Revelation 3:19  As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.

 

God loves us and as our Father He will chasten us when needed. May our walk each day be pleasing to the Lord. Just a thought for the morning.

 

                                                               

Carl

Thought for the Morning

Isaiah 30:21 Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left.

This verse has always intrigued me. In the Old Testament we have many occasions where God speaks directly to man. We have Adam (Gen. 1.28), we have Noah (Gen. 6.13), we have Abraham (Gen.12.1), we have Moses (Ex. 3.4), and many others, including Isaiah. How does the Lord speak to us today? Is it like a voice behind us indicating to us which way we should go?

We know as a believer in the Risen Lord we have the Indwelling Spirit, (John 14.26, 1Co 2.12). It is the Indwelling Spirit that guides the believer in this dispensation. But how does He do that? His major way of communication is through the Holy Word. To Timothy Paul wrote, “ All Scriptureis given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2Tim. 3:16-17). It is by the word of God that we are told, “this is the way, walk in it”.

It is also through prayer that we are guided by Him. The Scripture says “pray without ceasing” (1Thes 5.17). Many times, it is prayer that leads us to the Scripture. It is by the words of the Scripture that we are to turn “to the right hand” or “turn to the left”.

There are times when we may drift away from the path the Lord desirers us to be on. It is at these times the Lord will speak to us as “a word behind us”. The Indwelling Spirit will convict us and lead us in the way we should go. The Spirit of God directs our mind to the Holy Word which is to is our guide

Psalm 119:104-105 Through Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way. 105 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.

Psalm 130:4-5   But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared.
5 I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, And in His word I do hope.

We are to wait and listen for “This is the way, walk in it”. Just a thought for the morning.

Carl

Thought for the Morning

Habakkuk 2:1 I will stand my watch And set myself on the rampart, And watch to see what He will say to me, And what I will answer when I am corrected.

There are two times in this verse that the prophet Habakkuk uses the word “watch”. He is watching to see what the Lord has for him.

In the next series of verses the Lord answers Habakkuk. Included in His answer is the phrase in verse 4: “Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith”. This phrase is repeated three times in the New Testament (Rom.1.17, Gal. 3.11, Heb.10.38). Faith is a concept that is somewhat difficult to understand. In Hebrews 11.1 we are told that faith is a thing hope for, and the evidence of things not seen. We have not seen God, but we are to believe, or have faith that He is. Those who have gone before us have demonstrated their faith, and the evidence of their faith was seen in their actions. We are to have such faith. Our faith is to result in actions honoring our Lord.

The prophet Habakkuk, by his faith watched. When we watch we are to wait for the Lord to answer. Our rampart can be any place, but I picture a place of battle, struggle, and deep need. When the enemy is before us, whatever it may be, we are to watch in faith as the Lord deals with it. There is nothing too small, or too large that He cannot handle.

We also have the phrase, “And what I will answer when I am corrected”. How do we answer God? If we are to be corrected, it seems that we might be of limited faith. When the Lord directs us, it is by our faith that we respond to that direction. His will is that we might walk according to His precepts and it is our faith that puts us on the path.

1 Corinthians 16:13-14 Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.
14 Let all that you do be done with love.

Habakkuk did not rush off and deal with what was before him, he waited for the Lord’s direction. He waited to see “what He will say to me”. We are to do the same. Just a thought for the morning

Carl