Tag: deliver
Day 2–God is watching!
Scripture reading for March 3: 2 Chronicles 16:9 “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward Him.” Psalm 33:18-19 “Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His steadfast love, that He may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine.”
There are between eight and nine billion people alive now on the earth. Scripture teaches us that God knows each person by name. He even knows all their thoughts and the number of hairs on their head. God takes delight in people who are made in His image and likeness, especially those who honor Him as Lord and trust Him for righteousness.
Today’s verses declare that God’s eyes are in continual motion, scanning the hearts of men. He is looking for those who are blameless towards Him. But Scripture also declares that there are no righteous people, not even one! So how can anyone be ‘blameless’ towards God? It is by faith in Jesus Christ that we are declared to be blameless. (Romans 3:22-25) This is a gift given to all who believe and trust God’s cleansing us from sin by the blood shed by His Son. God is just in that He provided the sacrifice of His Son to pay for sin and is now able to justify those who by faith accept that payment.
It is comforting to know that God is watching us to determine how He might help us and support us. As a faith responder we can have strong confidence that God is with us. He has given us His Holy Spirit to be with us always, revealing God’s wisdom and counsel in each incident. Even in dry times, He will provide life-giving refreshment in the midst of famine. He knows your name and needs and will be honored if we call on Him for help! (Psalm 50:15)
Prayer: Father God, thank You for watching over all believers. I am encouraged to be reminded of this truth as I face each day and the dry times in life’s journey. Help me start each day acknowledging Your great love and concern with a thankful heart. I rest in Your provision for my blamelessness in Jesus. Amen.
Thanks be to God!
Scripture reading for June 23: Romans 7
“So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.” Romans 7:21-25
Paul described for the Roman believers how he personally wrestled in his own body and soul with the sin nature that was exposed by being under the law. The law of God acted as a mirror, revealing the rebellion to God’s law within him. In his mind, Paul wanted to do right and obey God’s law. In fact, he was a zealous Pharisee who delighted in God’s law. But he found a war going on within the members of his body that wanted to do evil and break God’s law. He felt like a captive in his own body to the appetites of his flesh, defeated in fulfilling his desire to do right. He was a wretched man under bondage to his flesh. Who would be able to deliver him?
Paul answered his own question: “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” It is through faith in Jesus Christ that the old sin nature in our members is defeated. God’s gift to us is Christ’s righteousness and the indwelling Holy Spirit Who leads us in triumph and applies Christ’s blood to our sins and eliminates guilt. Through the Spirit we put to death the old nature and find freedom. The Spirit reveals God’s Word and nature to us and in us as we humbly confess our sins and ask for mercy and power. The Spirit gives us understanding that we are God’s children and His love is shed abroad in our hearts! The Spirit brings the gifts and fruit that transform us into witnesses of Christ’s resurrection power.
Have you ever experienced what Paul describes as a war inside him between the desire to do good and evil present? Were you able to make the changes in yourself to defeat the evil desires from victory? Describe your “Thanks be to God” moment that helped you to victory.
Prayer: Father God, thanks be to You and Jesus Christ my Lord for the Gift of the Holy Spirit. Through Your Spirit, I am daily finding new freedom to walk in victory through humble dependence and obeying Your Word. Fill me with the Holy Spirit afresh today and use me to witness to a wretched soul. Amen.
Asking in Faith!
Scripture reading for July 28th: 2nd Chronicles 24, 2nd Kings 12, Psalm 50, Matthew 9
Key Scriptures: Matthew 9:27-30 “And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed Him, crying aloud, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.” When He entered the house, the blind men came to Him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.” And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, “See that no one knows about it.””
Jesus had just raised a dead girl to life and healed a woman who touched His garment of 12 years of hemorrhaging. As He moved on, two blind men followed crying out in faith to Jesus for their healing, using the divine title, ‘Son of David.’ Jesus asked them if they believed that He was able to do what they were asking and they replied in the affirmative. One touch from the Master Jesus and a Word brought instant healing! He sent them away warning them to tell no one!
Psalm 50:15 “. . . and call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will glorify Me.”
Faith confession and prayer: Lord Jesus, I believe that You can do all things and that I bring You glory when I call on You for help, healing, or deliverance. Help me to humbly ask for help as I labor restoring Your House.
2nd Chronicles 24:13 “So those who were engaged in the work labored, and the repairing went forward in their hands, and they restored the House of God to its proper condition and strengthened it.”
The Perfect Sacrifice!
Scripture reading for February 18th: Leviticus 1-3, Psalm 27, Hebrews 2
Key Scriptures: Hebrews 2:9-10, 14-15 “But we see Him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.” . . .”Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.”
The writer of Hebrews was sharing about how God sent Jesus to earth as the perfect and final sacrifice for our sins and to deliver us from the fear of death. Sin brings death and fear of punishment. Jesus came in a human body to experience death for us and destroy the devil who is enslaving us. But death did not hold Jesus, now crowned with glory and honor, at God’s right hand as our High Priest, made perfect through suffering.
Faith Confession and prayer: Thank You Jesus for sending Jesus as the perfect sacrifice. Help me to share the good news of Jesus suffering and death that all men might be delivered from the fear of death.
Leviticus 3:7-8 “If he offers a lamb for his offering, then he shall offer it before the Lord, lay his hand on the head of his offering and kill it in front of the tent of meeting; and Aaron’s sons shall throw its blood against the sides of the altar.”
Psalm 27:13 “I believe that I shall look on the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”
Talking to our Father in Heaven
Scripture reading for January 8th: Matthew 6, Psalm 6, Prov. 6 (Reading through the New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs one chapter a day, five days each week in 2019–please join me in the trek!)
Key Scriptures: Matthew 6:9-13 “Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your Name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.””
Jesus taught His disciples a pattern of prayer. Prayer was not to be empty repetitions and vain babbling. Prayer is humble and vital communication with a loving Father who hears our every cry. Prayer declares our alignment with the Father and His will and Word and our dependency on Him for daily provision, protection and deliverance from temptation and the evil one. Prayer keeps our alignment right with God and others made in their Father’s image. Prayer is the basic language of the kingdom of heaven.
Faith’s confession: I believe that my Father in heaven hears and answers prayer. I am dependent on Him for provision, protection and forgiveness of my sins and forgiving others. (Action: Search your heart today for unforgiven sins or bitter roots and ask God and/or others for grace to let go and receive restoration.)
Psalm 6:9 “The Lord has heard my plea; the Lord accepts my prayer.”
“Mighty Warrior!”
Scripture reading for March 11: Judges 6-8
Poor self-image and discouraging self-talk are common symptoms of a life out of touch with the Lord. It is so easy to focus on our lack and the way we are made. We always seem to magnify our weaknesses, see only the flaws, and are quick to blame them on someone else. Sometimes, we simply rehearse them over and over to ourselves and stew in the negativity. Gideon was just such a man during the days of the Judges. The God we serve loves to use the weak and flawed and make them into mighty warriors, even in spite of themselves!
For seven years the Israelites had been under attack by the Midianites. They cried out to God for help and He sent them a prophet. The prophet told them about God’s mighty power in delivering them from Egypt and His warning not to worship the gods of the Amorites. This was their problem. They had not listened to the Lord!
God then sent his Angel to Gideon. We find Gideon hiding in a wine press, threshing grain. The Angel’s first words to Gideon: “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior!” (Judges 6:12) Gideon’s first response is not one of faith. He was not sure why the Midianites were attacking them. He believed that the Lord had abandoned them. This messenger then sent Gideon on a mission to deliver Israel–in the strength he had. (Judges 6:14) Gideon again protests that his clan is the weakest in Manasseh and that he is the weakest of all! What a self-image problem! Or could it be that he is seeing accurately through his natural eyes?
The angel had told him to use the strength he had–little or great! God would be with him and that would make all the difference in the world. God sees each person as special and has a job that they can do. He specializes in taking weak people and infusing them with His strength. When they choose to believe His Word, nothing shall be impossible to them! (1st Corinthians 1:25-29)
As Gideon prepared to deliver Israel, he gathered an army together. God reduced it from 32,000 to 300! He took away their weapons and gave them torches and pitchers! He told them to break the pitchers and wave the torches and shout! Gideon’s faith was strengthened by supernatural signs that he asked for. God met him where he was. God sent him into the enemy camp to hear a prophetic dream about his victory. He obeyed and in the strength he had, delivered Israel from the Midianites! (Judges 7:13-20)
If you are struggling today with a poor self-image or have been engaging in negative self-talk, let this greeting from the Word of God touch your heart today! With God on your side, there are more for you than against you! Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world! “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior!”