Tag: good and evil
God’s amazing eyes!
Scripture reading for April 12: 2 Kings 13-17
Because God the Father is Spirit, He has the ability to see and know all things. The writers of Scripture often speak of the “eyes” of the Lord. God’s eyes are able to see in different ways than our eyes function. His eyes are able to penetrate into the depths of our thoughts and motives. His eyes see what we think we are doing in secret. His eyes can see in the darkness as if it is daylight and no detail escapes Him. His eyes are able to weigh good and evil and make righteous judgments.
As we read through the stories of the various kings of Israel and Judah, we have one of two remarks that are repeated time and again. If the king was good, the writer states that “he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord”. (2 Kings 15:3) If the king was wicked, the writer states that “he did evil in the eyes of the Lord”. (2 Kings 15:9) Those kings who obeyed the Lord and sought to walk in honor of Him were seen by the Lord and rewarded accordingly. God’s eyes are always watching for those whose hearts are fully committed to Him so that He can show himself strong on their behalf. (2 Chronicles 16:9)
We would also do well to remember the “eyes of the Lord”. God is watching us as well! David asked God to keep him as the “apple of His eye”. (Psalms 17:8) God told Solomon that His eyes and heart would always be in the Temple he had built. (1st Kings 9:3) We are now the living stones of the new Temple built by the greater son of David and Solomon! God’s keeping eye is upon us today. He looks in love upon us because of His Son. He lives and dwells with us and in us by His Holy Spirit. He is with us always to watch over His Word and bring it to pass in our lives as well. Take a moment to look up today and thank God for his marvelous eyes! Cry out to Him in worship and for help to open the eyes of your heart.
“The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry;” Psalm 34:15
Milk or solid food?
Scripture reading for March 9th: Hebrews 5, Psalm 49, Proverbs 18
Hebrews 5:11-14 “About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil..”
Most people have ears. Not all people are able to hear! This is not just those who experience deafness. The writer of Hebrews lamented that those he was writing to had become dull of hearing. They had heard enough teaching of truth that they should have been teaching others, but since they did not go on to put it into practice, it was lost and this had dulled their ability of hearing more truth. God calls His people to pay attention to His Word, particularly the Word of righteousness by grace through faith. This is a basic doctrine that we must grasp and understand or we easily slip back into dead religion, rules and traditions. This is the milk of Scripture for the newly born-again. Solid food can only be received when the milk has been digested!
Psalm 49:1-3 “Hear this, all peoples! Give ear, all inhabitants of the world, both low and high, rich and poor together! My mouth shall speak wisdom; the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.”
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for giving all Your disciples the milk of Your Word, that we might be born again. Thank You for Your patience to help me understand the basic truth of grace and faith. Thank You for solid food of all of Your Word that brings discernment of good and evil through the Holy Spirit to my life. Help me to live as a mature follower of Jesus and model this maturity to the younger and the world.
Proverbs 18:15 “An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.”
Don’t deny God by your works!
Scripture reading for July 9th: 1st Kings 12, 2nd Chronicles 10-11, Titus 1
Key Scriptures: Titus 1:15-2:1 “To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. The profess to know God, but they deny Him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good works. But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine.”
Paul instructed Titus, a young minister and another ‘son’ of Paul’s in the faith, about the various parties in the church. The ‘circumcision’ party was causing disruption by teaching false doctrine and causing disruption and division. Paul told Titus to silence them and rebuke them sharply. Their profession of Christ was a lie because their works were denying Jesus. Sound doctrine must be taught which produces good works. Salvation is by faith through grace, not through works of the flesh like circumcision.
Faith confession and prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for cleansing my conscience and mind and giving me the ability to discern good from evil. Order my works today to bring glory to You alone as I set my heart to seek You and Your will.
2nd Chronicles 11:16 “And those who had set their hearts to seek the Lord God of Israel came after them from all the tribes of Israel to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the Lord, the God of their fathers.”
1st Kings 12:28 “So the king (Jeroboam) took counsel and made two calves of gold. And he said to the people, “you have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. Behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.”