Tag: draw near
Faith pleases God!
Scripture reading for March 17th: Hebrews 11, Psalm 55, Proverbs 24
Hebrews 11:4-6 “By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.”
The most basic element of faith is to believe that God is real and exists. The second element, is to believe that God is good and desires our attention. In today’s culture, God is marginalized or blocked out as irrelevant. Humanism teaches that man is the center of all things and that he can rise to new heights with his own efforts and thinking. God’s Word declares that it is faith that endures and speaks throughout man’s history. God is pleased when man humbly acknowledges His eternal existence and creative power. He is pleased when man seeks Him out, looking to Him for answers to prayers and for eternal reward. To live a life of joy, we must live by faith, humbly listening to God’s Word and seeking His pleasure.
Psalm 55:22 “Cast your burden on the Lord, ad He will sustain you; He will never permit the righteous to be moved.”
Prayer: Father God, my prayer today is motivated by faith that You are real, You are good, and You receive pleasure from my humble trust. I am sustained today by casting all my cares and burdens on You. I have joy today because You have said that my faith pleases You and Your pleasure brings me great joy and peace. I draw near to You, and declare that You are my eternal reward, riches, joy, and delight.
Proverbs 24:3-4 “By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.
We need more grace!
Scripture reading for October 8th: Jeremiah 27, 28, 29, 24, James 4
Key Scriptures: James 4:6-10 “But He gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.”
James speaks plainly to the church concerning their need for God’s grace. Pride was causing quarreling and fighting and division in the church. God opposes the proud. Satan’s pride got him thrown out of heaven and he was seeking to cause division here. In order to get God’s grace, humility and submission to God was required. The humble must draw near to God through Jesus Christ and find cleansing through repentance and faith in the promises of God. Mocking and laughter concerning sins will only bring God’s opposition. Humility and repentance will bring life and exaltation.
Faith confession and prayer: Lord Jesus, I need more grace. I humbly draw near to You each day for strength and truth to resist the devil and live victoriously.
Jeremiah 29:11-13 “”For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will hear you. You will seek Me and find Me, when you seek Me with all your heart.””
Grace to the Humble!
Scripture reading for November 5th: James 4, Psalm 71, Proverbs 5
Key Scriptures: James 4:6-10 “But He gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.”
James knew what he needed and the people of God would need as they walked through this pride-filled world influenced by demonic power. More grace was the antidote that would keep them all on the right path. James taught that “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (Proverbs 3:34) He encouraged all people to humble themselves before God by drawing near to Him to confess sin and receive cleansing. God would draw near to them and exalt them in due time.
Faith Confession: I humbly draw near to God and seek Him for forgiveness and grace to share His mighty works of salvation in my old age, to those who are coming behind me. I praise Jesus Christ for His righteousness and grace to His people.
Psalm 71:17-18 “O God, from my youth You have taught me, and I still proclaim Your wondrous deeds. So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim Your might to another generation, Your power to all those to come.”
Let’s draw near!
Scripture reading for November 11th: Hebrews 10:19-39
Once a person understands the new covenant and the benefits of believing on Jesus Christ for forgiveness of sins, there is a choice to be made. We must either draw near to God through Jesus Christ or choose to go our own way. The writer of Hebrews plainly lays out the choice in the passage we are reading today. We can choose freely, but the consequences of our choice will come as stated by Scripture!
“Therefore, brother, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is His body, and since we have a great priest over the House of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 10:19-23) The logical choice is drawing near to God by faith in Jesus’ sacrifice and priesthood! We are free from sin and condemnation and are made pure through His blood. (Hebrews 9:14) He promised that those who would believe on Him would be saved completely! (Hebrews 7:25)
“If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. . . .It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Hebrews 10: 26-27, 31) This warning concerned the sin of unbelief in God’s final Word, Jesus. Willful rejection is the same as willful sin under the old covenant. Sacrifice could be made for sins in ignorance and they would be accepted by God. But willful, defiant sinning was punishable by death. (Numbers 15:27-31)
Who in their right mind would shrink back from the promise of eternal life, a clean conscience, rest from religious labors and freedom from the fear of death? Who would choose standing before God and having to answer for their own sins? We are encouraged not to throw away our confidence by shrinking back, but to go on towards Jesus who is our reward! The best is yet to come for those who hold fast! (Hebrews 10:35-29)
Drawing Near or shrinking back?
Scripture reading for November 11th: Hebrews 10:19-39
Once a person understands the new covenant and the benefits of believing on Jesus Christ for forgiveness of sins, there is a choice to be made. We must either draw near to God through Jesus Christ or choose to go our own way. The writer of Hebrews plainly lays out the choice in the passage we are reading today. We can choose freely, but the consequences of our choice will come as stated by Scripture!
“Therefore, brother, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is His body, and since we have a great priest over the house of god, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 10:19-23) The logical choice is drawing near to God by faith in Jesus’ sacrifice and priesthood! We are free from sin and condemnation and are made pure through His blood. (Hebrews 9:14) He promised that those who would believe on Him would be saved completely! (Hebrews 7:25)
“If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. . . .It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Hebrews 10: 26-27, 31) This warning concerned the sin of unbelief in God’s final Word, Jesus. Willful rejection is the same as willful sin under the old covenant. Sacrifice could be made for sins in ignorance and they would be accepted by God. But willful, defiant sinning was punishable by death. (Numbers 15:27-31)
Who in their right mind would shrink back from the promise of eternal life, a clean conscience, rest from religious labors and freedom from the fear of death? Who would choose standing before God and having to answer for their own sins? So we are encouraged not to throw away our confidence by shrinking back, but to go on towards Jesus who is our reward! The best is yet to come for those who hold fast! (Hebrews 10:35-29)