Category: Romans
The belly of the big fish!
Scripture reading for September 17: Jonah 1-4
Jonah was a prophet of the Lord who was given orders by God to go and preach to the city of Nineveh. Nineveh was the capital of Assyria, the super-power of Jonah’s time whose inhabitants were known for their cruelty. They routinely killed, tortured and mutilated those they conquered! It is said that they impaled people on stakes and piled up heads in great pillars to spread fear and boast of their power.
Our prayers move the hand of God but so does wickedness and cruelty towards the poor and oppressed! (Jonah 1:2) God’s heart is for righteousness and He has promised retribution for sin. His wrath is ongoing towards sin and is being revealed daily in the earth. (Romans 1:18) It will be revealed eternally in the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:14-15) But God does not pour out wrath without first giving warning and an opportunity to escape. He takes no pleasure in the death of anyone but would rather show mercy!
Jonah was sent on a mission of mercy to a wicked people. He chose not to obey and, to avoid God’s command, boarded a ship going in the opposite direction. During the course of the journey, God sent a great wind to buffet the ship. The wind obeyed the Lord when Jonah wouldn’t! The sailors cast lots to find out the one causing the trouble and Jonah was exposed! Jonah told the men he was running from the Lord. He told them to throw him overboard and the sea would calm down. It worked!
As Jonah sank down into the sea, God appointed a great fish to swallow him up! We can only imagine the smell and cramped quarters! A feeling of helplessness must have gripped Jonah! For three days and three nights he wrestled with his own heart and finally decided to pray and give himself to obey the Lord! What a beautiful prayer of repentance Jonah made! (Jonah 2:2-9) The Lord spoke to the fish and Jonah was vomited up on the shore of Nineveh! The ironic part of all of this is that the Ninevites worshiped Dagon, the fish god! When Jonah came out of the fish, they thought that their ‘god’ had sent him! As he preached repentance, all of them humbled themselves!
Jesus used the sign of Jonah to tell people that He would be buried for three days before His resurrection! (Matthew 12:38-41) We learn that God is sovereign and that creation obeys His commands! How much more should we, who are made in His image, obey Him! If you hear God calling you to follow Him, why not avoid the belly of the big fish?
Multitudes in the valley of decision!
Scripture reading for September 10: Joel 1-3
“Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. The sun and moon will be darkened, and the stars no longer shine. The Lord will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem; The earth and sky will tremble. But the Lord will be a refuge for His people; a stronghold for the people of Israel.” Joel 3:14-16
This book of Joel is an appropriate reading for our day! Joel was a prophet of God who spoke to God’s people during a terrible plague of locusts. (Joel 1:4) God used this locust plague to speak of their coming judgment if they failed to repent and turn to Him. (Joel 1:13-14) Joel called God’s people to fast and prayer for God’s mercy. A trumpet was to be blown calling all to God’s temple for serious intercession. Joel spoke to them about the ‘day of the Lord’ being near and their need to be ready.
The preparation for this coming ‘day of the Lord’ was preparation of the heart. The custom for fasting was to put on sackcloth and sprinkle ashes on their heads. They would cry out in weeping before God, symbolically in mourning for their sins. But God was after something else. He desired a broken and contrite heart! (Psalm 51:17) (Joel 2:13) God through Joel called all the people together to rend their hearts. They were to say, “Spare Your people, O Lord.” (Joel 2:17) God’s grace and compassion was the motivation for the fast. The goodness of God always leads His people to repentance! (Romans 2:4)
The answer from God to this fast was an outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the whole land! (Joel 2:28-32) (Acts 2:14-21) As they came to fast, all would be anointed with God’s Spirit! There would be signs and wonders among God’s people, young and old, men and women! This would happen right before the ‘day of the Lord’! Everyone who would call on God would be saved! (Joel 2:32, Romans 10:13)
Joel ends with a vision of the coming ‘day of the Lord’. Joel sees multitudes of people gathered in the valley of Jehoshaphat. There God enters into judgment against the nations that have rejected Him and His people. There are multitudes who will be judged and eternally lost! (Joel 3:1-2) This will be a terrible day for the unsaved when the lights of heaven grow dim and eternal darkness covers their souls. But God will be a refuge for His people! Whose side will you be on? Maybe it’s time for another fast!
The Adulterous Wife
Scripture reading for September 4: Hosea 1-3
Hosea was a unique prophet called by God to let his whole life, his marriage, and his children be a prophetic word to God’s people. Hosea was told by God to marry an adulterous woman named Gomer. God’s plan was to show Israel how they behaved toward Him and give them a visual picture of His love for them. (Hosea 1:2) The children’s names also were prophetic and would remind the people of the consequences of their sins. God’s ways are often above our ways and He will go to great lengths to reach His people. Those whom He called to be His prophets had to be willing to obey His instructions, even in their personal lives. We are not our own, we are bought with a price! (1st Corinthians 6:19-20)
Hosea married Gomer and took her as his wife. She conceived and bore him a son. The Lord told Hosea to call the son “Jezreel”, because He was going to punish the house of Jehu for the massacre at Jezreel and put an end to the kingdom of Israel. (Hosea 1:4) Gomer also had two daughters and they were also named by the Lord. One was Lo-Ruhamah which meant “no love left” and the other was “Lo-Ammi” which meant “not my people”. God was telling the Israelites about a coming judgment on their nation because of their sins of idolatry and spiritual adultery. He wanted them to be reminded every time they saw the prophet and his family of their own state and through those children’s names. (Hosea 1:4-8)
As I reflect on this story, I am reminded we are just like Gomer in our ways. We have been in spiritual adultery and unfaithful to God in many ways. We have not obeyed His command to be filled with His Spirit and to go out into the world and be His witnesses. We have run after other gods of pleasure and ease instead of wholeheartedly keeping ourselves for Him. Just as Gomer ran after other lovers who offered her food, and clothes and drinks, so we have not walked faithfully before our God. (Hosea 2:5-6) We have not recognized that God is the real provider of all the good things that we have and instead have used them to serve ourselves instead of Him. (Hosea 2:8)
However, as Hosea was commanded to take back his unfaithful wife and buy her back from the slave market, so God has done the same for us! (Hosea 3:1-2) He died for us in payment for our sins and deliverance from slavery to demonstrate His love for us! (Romans 5:8) Hosea did tell Gomer to leave her life of adultery and live free from that bondage and he would live with her. God tells us to depart from sin and live a holy life. Without holiness, no one will see the Lord! (1st Peter 1:14-15) Are you ready? Your loving Husband could come today!
Don’t bet on the horses!
Scripture reading for July 25: Isaiah 31-35
“Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or seek help from the Lord. Yet He too is wise and can bring disaster, He does not take back His words. He will rise up against the house of the wicked, against those who help evildoers. But the Egyptians are men and not God; their horses are flesh and not spirit. When the Lord stretches out His hand, he who helps will stumble, he who is helped will fall; both will perish together.” Isaiah 31:1-3
Our city, state and nation are obsessed with gambling. Our state governor and some elected officials are constantly trying to find a way to institute more revenue through gambling. Betting on the horses, casinos, lottery or any other human scheme is a futile endeavor.
Now I know that Isaiah wasn’t writing about gambling. He wasn’t writing about horse racing either. He was writing to God’s people who had a tendency to trust in man and man’s ways rather than in the Lord and His ways. It was a problem in Isaiah’s day and is still a problem today. Trusting in man and horse-power is folly. Man and horses are flesh. The flesh profits us nothing; it is the Spirit that will bring life and peace. (Romans 8:6-8) Isaiah went on to tell the people the real key to all that they needed. If they would just fear the Lord, they would have all the treasures of security, righteousness, justice, wisdom and knowledge. (Isaiah 33:5-6)
If you want a real tip for a winning ticket for life, don’t bet on the horses or lottery! Fear the Lord and humbly trust in Him and He will bless you with all your heart desires and far more!
“The Lord is exalted, for He dwells on high; He will fill Zion with justice and righteousness. He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.” Isaiah 33:5-6
The answer to life’s meaning!
Scripture reading for July 13: Ecclesiastes 7-12
This quest of Solomon to find meaning is played out every day in our world. People are going to and fro seeking pleasure, wisdom, meaning and purpose in life under the sun. They are trying wine, women, sports, building, materialism, and fame to find happiness and fulfillment. Many are laughing and appearing to have fun, but it is shallow and meaningless. Many are in bondage to sins of the flesh and are miserable. They go from one form of bondage to another looking for that elusive fulfillment that can only be found in God Himself!
Solomon tells us that the day of death is better than the day of birth. Death takes away every man and their works will stand judgment. Being mindful of this should give us motivation for righteous living here and now. There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right all the time and never sins. (Ecclesiastes 7:10; Romans 3:23) Solomon found that God had made men upright, but that men in their folly had gone in search of many schemes! (Ecclesiastes 7:29) How true of man throughout history and today!
No man knows when the hour of his end will come. Things don’t always turn out according to a movie script where the good guy wins and the evil person is destroyed! “The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.” (Ecclesiastes 9:11) No one really knows the future or what it holds. Accidents can come suddenly and death can snatch us from this life without warning! “As fish are caught in a cruel net, or birds are taken in a snare, so men are trapped by evil times that fall unexpectedly upon them.” (Ecclesiastes 9:12)
“The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails–given by one Shepherd. Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them. Of the making of many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body. Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or bad.” Ecclesiastes 12:11-13
Solomon concludes his book with a simple warning. Have you found true meaning in life here on earth? Are you still searching in all the wrong places? Turn to Jesus Christ today and ask Him for mercy and a new beginning! He lovingly took the penalty for your sins and offers you eternal life in Father’s house!
The star-breathing God!
Scripture reading for June 8: Psalms 31-35
Psalm 33:6,8 “By the Word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth all their host. . . .Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him!
The Psalms reveal a lot about the character, power and majesty of the God we worship. God is the subject and object of these writings quite often, and Psalm 33 is especially rich in revelation! It is one of my personal favorites! It begins with music–singing, shouting, and instruments played skillfully! It is fitting to begin with praise and worship when we contemplate the majesty of God!
God is first commended for His Word. God can be depended on to do what He has said. He made the heavens by His own Word. When He spoke, the psalmist states, God breathed out the starry host! When we think of the vast universe with it’s countless stars, galaxies, and star clusters, stretching out for billions of light-years, we can only worship in awe and holy fear! He speaks and out of nothing, stars and galaxies appear! His Word holds the universe together and is the agent that brings faith to those who will hear Him! (Romans 10:17) (Colossians 1:17)
God is in total control of the earth and all it’s peoples! He knows how to stop nations and people from interfering with His plans. His plans and purposes are established firmly forever! The nation that serves the Lord will be blessed because that is His plan! God is watching over mankind and knows everything that is happening. He knows the hearts of all men and is looking for those whose hearts are sold out to Him. He will show Himself strong for them! (Psalm 33:18-19) He will save them and preserve them!
As we contemplate the truths of this psalm, we gain an understanding of the magnitude of the God we worship! Faith begins to grow that He is truly in control! No purpose of God can be stopped! He knows how to stop nations that are going against Him. He knows how to bless people who are sold out to Him!
“We wait in hope for the Lord’ He is our help and our shield. In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you.” Psalm 33:20-22
What is a ‘fool’?
Scripture reading for June 5: Psalms 13-18
“The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.” Psalm 14:1
The fool in Scripture is the one who denies the existence of God. Why would anyone want to deny that God exists? Hasn’t God placed eternity in the hearts of all men? (Ecclesiastes 3:11) Isn’t God evident to all through creation? (Psalm 19:2-4) The reason this kind of fool exists isn’t because of an intellectual problem. It is something much deeper than that!
According to Psalm 14, the reason the fool says that there is no God is because of corruption of character. These people are vile and do not do anything that would be considered ‘good’ in God’s sight. These people avoid seeking God so that they do not have to answer for their wicked deeds. They prefer their corruption and want no ‘God’ to interfere with their evil ways and thoughts. It is convenient to do away with God or any knowledge of Him, thinking this liberates them from responsibility and judgment.
The Apostle Paul describes the fool’s way of thinking in Romans 1:18-23. These people have known about God and His ways but have suppressed this truth in unrighteousness. Having suppressed truth, the lie of their own ‘godhood’ based on their own futile thinking darkens their hearts and souls. God allows them to follow their darkened understanding and worship creatures and creation rather than the creator.
The next step is sexual perversion. (Romans 1:24-27) When a person rejects God because of their wickedness, God allows that person to be deluded and go deeply into perversion and further depravity in the breaking of God’s laws. This results in all kinds of sexual sin, lying, greed, envy, malice, strife, and idolatry. This is where every ‘fool’ in Scripture ends up without the grace of God.
There is no excuse for staying a fool however, for God is always ready to save, heal and forgive. We must humble ourselves and admit that He exists and that He will reward and forgive those who seek him. (Hebrews 11:6) If you have been foolish in your words or attitudes about God, take time today and repent. God is faithful and just and will forgive you! (1st John 1:7-9)
God turns the tables!
Scripture reading for May 15: Esther 5-7
“If a man digs a pit, he will fall into it; if a man rolls a stone, it will roll back on him.” Proverbs 26:27 “An evil man is snared by his own sin, but a righteous one can sing and be glad.” Proverbs 29:6
We must be careful when we plot revenge. All judgment and vengeance is the Lord’s. (Romans 12:19) The Lord has a way of turning the tables on those who seek revenge and plot evil. He has ways of protecting those who are innocent and those who are serving Him.
Haman was thrilled with his position and his influence! He boasted to his wife and friends of his good fortune and how he was the only one invited to meet with Queen Esther for a banquet. (Nehemiah 6:1-12) He was happy, except for one fly in the ointment: Mordecai the Jew would not show him honor by bowing before him! He complained to his wife and friends who proposed a plan to hang Mordecai on a gallows 75 feet high! This would have been high enough to display the execution above the walls of the city! He had the gallows built and was ready for the next day.
But God was moving silently behind the scenes. The king could not sleep, so he had the chronicles of his reign read to him. He heard the story of a foiled plot to assassinate him–a plot Mordecai had exposed, thus saving his life. He asked what had been done for this man and found out it had been overlooked. He asked who might be in the court to honor Mordecai, and providentially, Haman had just walked in. The king asked him what he would do to honor someone special to the king. Thinking it was him to be honored, Haman proposed a grand public honor and was shocked when the king told him to honor Mordecai! God turned the tables deftly and quickly!
The end of the story finds Haman hanged on the gallows he built for Mordecai after being exposed as the one seeking to kill off all Jews, including the Queen! It may look as if the wicked get by with their schemes, but not in the end! Do you have thoughts of revenge or plans to get even? Why not forgive and turn the table back toward God’s mercy before He turns the tables on you?
The secret to great power!
Scripture reading for April 29: 2 Chronicles 26-28
People are always curious when someone says that they know a secret that will make them young, rich, beautiful, successful or powerful. Many people have gotten rich selling secrets relating to these popular desires. Most of them are people who are playing on the selfish nature of man for their own benefit. We would do well to avoid them. But in today’s reading, we find a treasure from the Lord!
Do you want the secret of great power? Lets look at the life of Jotham, the twenty five year old son of King Uzziah. This king did right in the eyes of the Lord. (2 Chronicles 27:2) The main event recorded of this king was a war with the Ammonites and it says that Jotham conquered them. (2 Chronicles 27:5) After the conquest, he got a large amount of silver, wheat, and barley for several years.
The secret of his power is found in one verse that makes up a paragraph! “Jotham grew powerful because he walked steadfastly before the Lord his God.” (2 Chronicles 27:6) It is so simple that anyone can grasp this concept. Faithfulness is the first requirement of a good steward. Jotham was faithful and he kept the faith all of his life! He served the Lord his God. God wasn’t just the God of his father or mother. He wasn’t just his nation’s God or his wife’s God. In order to serve steadfastly, you need to know God for yourself!
If you need to ask the Lord to be your God today, take time now and get right with Him. The path to great power starts with a heart commitment to the Lord in faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. (Acts 4:12) We must humbly confess our sins and our need of His grace. (1st John 1:9) We choose to believe in our hearts and confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and we will be saved. (Romans 10:9-11) We are saved by grace through faith in Christ and He has good works for us to walk in. (Ephesians 2:8-10) If you continue in the faith, steadfast to the end, you will experience the greatest power available to man–God will raise you from the dead and you will live forever with Him! (1st Thessalonians 4:13-18) May the Lord bless you with great power!
Revenge belongs only to God!
Scripture reading for March 22: 1st Samuel 24-26
Nabal was a “Calebite”, a descendant of Caleb, the faithful spy and conqueror of giants. Nabal was described as being “surly and mean in his dealings”. (1st Samuel 25:3) One of his own servants also described Nabal as a man who was “such a wicked man that no one could talk to him”. (1st Samuel 25:17) He liked to party and alcohol was also a factor in his reputation. (1st Samuel 25:36) If he were around today, he would fit in well with many in our world.
Nabal was married to a Abigail, a woman described as “intelligent and beautiful”. Often our mate is the one who can help us with our own sins and weaknesses. Hearing how arrogantly her husband had treated the servants of David, who had helped protect their herds, Abigail quickly took action to avert a disaster. She was like the godly woman in Proverbs 31 who was working for her husband’s good. Abigail took goods and met David and his men as they were coming to seek revenge. She appealed to David, humbly asking for his favor. David listened and relented. Through this godly woman, he heard the voice of God and was spared the shedding of innocent blood though revenge.
1 Samuel 25:32-33 “And David said to Abigail, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, Who sent you this day to meet me! Blessed be your discretion, and blessed by you, who have kept me this day from bloodguilt and from working salvation with my own hand!” Romans 12:19 “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, says the Lord.”
Returning home, Abigail found her husband at a party, drunk. She waited until morning to tell him what she had done. When Nabal heard about her kindness, God struck him with what appears to be a stroke. The scripture says that Nabal “became like a stone” and soon died.
What lessons can we learn for our lives today from this story of Nabal and Abigail? What were some factors in Nabal’s life that brought him trouble and judgment? How did God show him mercy? How does this story speak to today’s culture in our time?