Psalm 125:1-5

Faith is the key to living in a way that is pleasing to the Lord.  God delights in those who trust in Him completely and do not waiver in that trust because of the circumstances that arise in their lives.  We must learn that faith is vital to every aspect of our relationship with God and that apart from faith we cannot be in a right relationship with God. When our trust in the Lord is weak, we will be far more prone to sin and vulnerable to temptation.  No matter how difficult our station in life may seem, we must not doubt the sovereign control or the gracious love of God.  Our faith in Him must be steadfast and unwavering for only through faith will we experience the joy and rewards of our relationship with Him.

THOSE WHO TRUST IN GOD WILL EXPERIENCE GOD’S PROTECTION: Jerusalem is a city that is surrounded by mountains.  God uses these mountains to illustrate the fact that He surrounds His people.  No matter what may happen in the city of Jerusalem, those mountains will not be moved.  Mountains are fixtures on the land that protect those who live in their shadows.  God is THE “fixture” of the universe.  He will not be moved.  He does not change.  He is always in full control.  God’s protection does not mean freedom from adversity.  God’s protection means that nothing will ever happen to us that is outside of His will and control.  Jerusalem was attacked and destroyed on various occasions but the mountains continued to surround it.  We may face storms, adversity and even death but we can be assured that God is with us in the midst of all of these.  We are surrounded by His perfect care and can trust in His eternal protection no matter how hostile or violent our passage from this life to our eternal life might be.  The rule of the wicked on this earth is short lived and will soon be forgotten by those made righteous through faith.


THOSE WHO TRUST IN GOD WILL EXPERIENCE GOD’S PROVISION: When our circumstances on earth become difficult, the level of our temptation to sin seems to increase greatly.  God knows this and He is faithful not to allow us to be tempted above the strength that He provides to be faithful in the midst of temptation.  God will provide all that is necessary for us to be able to be obedient and good.  His Spirit is in us that we might have upright hearts.  Goodness and obedience are not natural to the hearts of fallen men.  However, those who live by faith have been provided with a new heart that delights to live in obedience to the Lord.  When men stop trusting the Lord and begin to follow the crocked ways of their own hearts their lot in life becomes one of captivity.  They are enslaved to sin and will pass into an eternity without hope and without God’s provision of forgiveness.  The path to forgiveness and the gracious eternal provision of God is the path of faith.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Isaiah 54:1-17

Hope is a wonderful blessing from God, without which we would be vulnerable to all kinds of destructive tendencies in our lives.  Today’s society is marked by depression, anger, fear, anxiety and self-righteousness, in large part, because of the sense of hopelessness that prevails in our culture.  Isaiah writes to a people who are about to be taken into captivity because of their sin.  God knows that they will feel rejected, threatened and hopeless so He reveals His future plans for the nation in order to give them hope in the midst of the coming trial.  Hope is the expectation of good based upon the promises of God.  Many times when our lives are marked by the sins mentioned above it is because we have forgotten or failed to focus upon the promises of God’s Word. THE PROMISE OF GOD: From the very first day that God revealed His plan for the nation of Israel, He promised numerous descendants.  God chose Abraham, not because he was more righteous than any of the other people of his
Read more

1 Timothy 1:3-7

As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not   to teach any different doctrine,   nor   to devote themselves to myths and endless   genealogies, which promote   speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith.    The aim of our charge is love   that issues from a pure heart and   a good conscience and   a sincere faith.    Certain persons, by   swerving from these, have wandered away into   vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law,   without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.   There will always be false teachers that come into the church attempting to distract people from the truth and destroy people’s faith.  When this happens, it is the job of spiritually mature leaders to confront these false teachers and correct their teachings.  However, it is important that this correction be accomplished with the right motives and methods. 
Read more

1 Timothy 2:11-15

Let a woman learn quietly   with all submissiveness.    I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.    For Adam was formed first,   then Eve;   and Adam was not deceived, but   the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.    Yet she will be saved through   childbearing—if they continue in   faith and love and holiness, with self-control. There is certainly controversy and confusion about this passage in many churches today.  The idea of a distinction between men and women and their roles in the family and church certainly goes against the flow of many cultures around the world.  Some would argue that the literal and plain teaching of this passage is no longer applicable to today’s culture.  However, it is always dangerous to discard biblical teaching or try to interpret Scripture based on the cultures in which we live.  Certainly, the Spirit who inspired this text was aware of the many changes that would occur in future cul
Read more