“Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.” Ecclesiastes 7:8 ESV Growing up, I understood pride to fall into one category, vanity. To me, pride was to look in the mirror and admire your beauty, intelligence, and strength. I’ve learned, though, that pride is a tricky thing and usually shows up in ways less subtle than staring into a mirror. One example of the subtly of pride is the belief that we know more about our lives than God does, and because of this, we disregard His…
“Then the Assyrian king’s chief of staff told them to give this message to Hezekiah: “This is what the great king of Assyria says: What are you trusting in that makes you so confident?” 2 Kings 18:19 NLT As I read this chapter of 2 Kings, this verse stood out to me. The Assyrian king spent a lot of time mocking and taunting Hezekiah and no matter what price Hezekiah offered to pay, it was never enough. Another battle was just on the horizon. The question is then posed to Hezekiah “What are you trusting in that makes you so confident?” What would your response be if someone asked you that same question? Would you boldly and honestly say God? Perhaps something or someone has taken His place in your life, and your answer would not be Him. We can easily become distracted and place our trust in earthly things such as finances, our career, or even our spouse. God is the only one we can ever truly trust our future with. He is always working on your behalf, He loves you with everlasting love and His mercies are new every morning. God knows the end from the beginning and…
“Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands”. Psalm 100:1 KJV While reading my Bible, I became intrigued by the word “noise” in the above verse. Why was it not written as a joyful sound, joyful song, or joyful melody? The term “noise” appeared to be a peculiar choice for the opening of this Psalm. According to the Blue Letter Bible, “noise” translates as “rûaʿ” which means to shout, raise a sound, cry out, or give a blast. Strong’s Definition explains it as to mar (especially by breaking); figuratively, to split the ears (with sound). Strong’s Concordance explains that rûa was used in many different contexts, such as “expressions of joy, alarm, or battle cries.” They also note that in ancient Israelite culture, “shouting was a common form of expression in both religious and military settings. Shouts were used to signal the beginning of a battle, to celebrate victories, or to express communal worship and praise. The act of shouting was often seen as a way to invoke divine intervention or to demonstrate unity and strength among the people.” The same term is used in Joshua 6:16 when Joshua commands the people “And at the seventh time, when the…
“Let this be recorded for a generation to come, so that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord:” Psalms 102:18 ESV The beginning lines of this Psalm appear to be the remnants of a great tragedy that left the writer shattered and wounded. We read of distress, a broken heart, loneliness, and withering away. The scene set is one of hopelessness, desperation, and intense sorrow. After 11 verses of anguish, the writer begins to speak of the nature and character of God. He expressed his vulnerability, acknowledged his sorrow, and found himself standing once again on his firm foundation.…
“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” 1 Peter 5:6-8 KJV If there were ever a time to be daily standing at the ready, it is now. It has become very apparent that the forces of evil are becoming bolder in their attempt to thwart the plan of God. No one and nothing is off limits, the enemy is coming for our children, marriages, families, and churches. Our responsibility as the people of God can sometimes feel overwhelming, as the attack never seems to end. The above scriptures give us some instructions to prepare for the time we are living in. First, we must humble ourselves. I absolutely cannot and do not ever want to walk this life without His hand guiding me every step of the way. If I’ve learned anything these last few years it is my need for God. Next, we must cast (throw) our cares upon Him. God is big enough to handle every single…
“By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.” Hebrews 11:8 I never get tired of reading Abraham’s story in the Old Testament. There are so many lessons we can learn from this man who was so faithful to God. He was willing to leave everything he had and start on a journey to an unknown place, simply trusting that the Lord would be with him. The Lord led him step by step until he finally reached the land of Canaan. There once again, God appeared to him and renewed the promise that the land would one day be his. “And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land. And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.” Genesis 12:6-7 It is significant that upon hearing from the Lord, he built an altar, a place of prayer and communion with the Lord. As we…