Tag: verses

A Dream Near Realised

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A lovely morning. The air is cool(for Texas!), the peppermint mocha is hot and I slowly wake up here at my desk. I much enjoyed my reading this morning…as I read a few chapters in 2 Samuel(the ark being brought into Jerusalem – oh how David celebrated at the glory of His God! And the promise of God that the Davidic kingdom would be…forever. A achingly sweet herald of Christ who is promised). Also read some in one of my favourite books – Hebrews. Oh how wonderful…it stirred my soul. And it reminded me that too often I let myself be distracted and weighed down by things that do not matter. Too often do I seek pleasure and satisfaction in the dregs of this world instead of looking to Him that sits at the right hand of God. Oh why does my passion wax and wane so? If only I could be consistent in my honour and love for Christ. I am weak. But gloriously, wondrously – my God is strong and holds me close. And on my commute – listened to some of one of Dominic’s old sermons on 2 Peter 2(coincidentally – the sermon that was preached the evening service the week Mom and Dad were in Aberdeen with me – what sweet memories I have of that time!!). Listening to Dominic preach on the grave dangers of false teaching and the high regard in which we should hold the truth of God’s revelation to us reminded me yet again how I am most insufficient in and of myself. Do I get angry at the slights that are constantly made against my Lord and God? Do I defend the honour of my Lord in my life with my thoughts, words and deeds? Sadly I must confess I am oh too imperfect. I am most unworthy. But – glory be to Christ – that matters not. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain. For me.

Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you;
and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is
good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods,
through which those who were so occupied were not benefited.

We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have
no right to eat. For the bodies of those animals whose blood
is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering
for sin, are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also,
that He might sanctify the people through His old blood,
suffered outside the gate.

So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach.
For here we do not have a lasting city,
but we are seeking the city which is to come.
-Hebrews 13:7-14

Renewed

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So I’ve been reading through Deuteronomy of late, and while I’ve known for a while how wonderful of a book it is…I think I appreciate it even more as I have read through it this past time! There are many reasons why this latest read has encouraged me, but I think I just appreciate the fact that the laws God gives are a reflection of who God is. And at the end of the day, obeying God is – as according to the words of Deut 12:28 – doing what is good and right in the sight of the Lord Almighty. Do we truly care about what God thinks? We should long to obey and please Him – not because it will benefit us(though it will!), but because to obey God, pleases God. And as a child of my Father God, oh do I wish to please my Lord. A small excerpt from my Psalm reading this morning that echos my heart…

My soul cleaves to the dust;
Revive me according to Your word.
I have told of my ways,
and You answered me;
Teach me Your statutes.
Make me understand the way of Your precepts,
So I will meditate on Your wonders.
My soul weeps because of grief;
Strengthen me according to Your word.
Remove the false way from me,
And graciously grant me Your law.
I have chosen the faithful way;
I have placed Your ordinances before me.
I cling to Your testimonies;
O Lord, do not put me to shame!
I shall run the way of Your commandments,
For You will enlarge my heart.
-Psalm 119:25-32

Over the Rainbow

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All the commandments that I am commanding you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live
and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the Lord swore to give to your forefathers. You
shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years,
that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His
commandments or not. He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not
know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread
alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord. Your clothing did not
wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years. Thus you are to know in your heart that
the Lord your God was disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son. Therefore, you shall keep
the commandments of the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him.

For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and
springs, flowing forth in valleys and hills; a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and
pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey; a land where you will eat food without scarcity, in
which you will not lack anything; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you can dig
copper. When you have eaten and are satisfied, you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land
which He has given you.
-Deuteronomy 8:1-10

Breached

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Read this today…forgot how much I do love Psalm 103!

The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.
He will not always strive with us,
nor will He keep His anger forever.
He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far has He removed our transgressions from us.
Just as a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.

For He Himself knows our frame;
He is mindful that we are but dust.

And truly, what more can I say? It’s been a long day(even though it’s not yet 7…I’ve been up for a few hours since took Daniel to the airport!) and it’s been a long weekend…and I’m tired. Though – I do have a nice warm mocha in front of me, which always helps! Nonetheless! It was a beautiful reading time this morning once I got back from the airport. Too often do I get sidetracked by all that is going on in this weary, wounded world. And too often do I get distracted by the pains and travails of my earthly life. And that is not proper, at all. Instead, ought I more and more reflect on the staggering mercy of God. Indeed, when I think of how God’s sovereign hand reached in and breached that vainglorious barrier that I had constructed out of shiny metal and wheels and varied things…I ought to bow my head and weep at the love of God. That beautiful love of the God of the universe is mine. A weary, lonely soul forsworn of hope was I.

Now – I am a child of God. And that most glittering jewel of love and beauty I proudly wear upon my brow – life eternal through Christ Jesus my Lord. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain.

This Shall I Seek

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If anyone wishes to come after Me, he
must deny himself, and take up his cross
and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will
lose it; but whoever loses his life for
My sake will find it. For what will it
profit a man if he gains the whole world
and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man
give in exchange for his soul?
For the Son of Man is going to come in the
the glory of His Father with His angels and
will then repay every man according to
his deeds.
-Jesus Christ, Matthew 16:24-27

Look to the Stars

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I will lift up my eyes to the mountains;
From where shall my help come?
My help comes from the LORD,
Who made heaven and earth.
He will not allow your foot to slip;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, He who keeps Israel
Will neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD is your keeper;
The LORD is your shade on your right hand.
The sun will not smite you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
The LORD will protect you from all evil;
He will keep your soul.
The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in
From this time forth and forever.
-Psalm 121

Be blessed of God this dear, my dear, dear friends.

Dawn, it Comes

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But You, O LORD, be not far off; O You my help, hasten to my assistance.
Deliver my soul from the sword, my only life from the power of the dog.
Save me from the lion’s mouth; from the horns of the wild oxen You answer me.
I will tell of Your name to my brethren; in the midst of the assembly I will praise You.
You who fear the LORD, praise Him; all you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him,
And stand in awe of Him, all you descendants of Israel.

For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
Nor has He hidden His face from him; but when he cried to Him for help,
He heard.

From You comes my praise in the great assembly;
I shall pay my vows before those who fear Him.
The afflicted will eat and be satisfied;
Those who seek Him will praise the LORD.
Let your heart live forever!
All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD,
And all the families of the nations will worship before You.

For the kingdom is the LORD’s
And He rules over the nations.
All the prosperous of the earth
will eat and worship,
All those who go down to the
dust will bow before Him,
Even he who cannot keep his soul alive.
Posterity will serve Him;
It will be told of the Lord
to the coming generation.
They will come and will declare
His righteousness
To a people who will be born,
That He has performed it.
-Psalm 22:19-31

Redeemed

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Just thought I’d share some of my notes from my recently completed study on 1 Peter 1:17-21. Some gorgeous verses…and I’m obviously not doing them justice. But…God has encouraged my soul this afternoon and I can’t help but share. Be blessed, dear friends.

So to wrap up – anything that can sum all this up? Namely – the gospel is glorious. We have a Father who loves us, who planned before the foundation of the world this grand redemptive work – the death of Christ and His resurrection from the dead – which is the price by which our lives are bought. So no longer are our lives meaningless – no longer are we lost, sheep that have gone astray. We now worship God, acting with awe and respect towards our Father, worshiping His name, full of faith in this present life and full of hope for the life to come. If you can think of anything this week to dwell on – think on the fact that we were redeemed with the precious blood of Christ.

One more thing I’d like to bring up. This redemptive work that Christ did – is not something He was forced into. He did it for us, out of love and care and deepest passion. For us. In John 18:4, we see some glorious words which I’ll just read briefly. Right before this verse, the mob comes to arrest Jesus. And in verse 4, “So Jesus, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forth and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” Do you see that? Jesus knew all that was coming. He knew of His impending suffering, of the wrath that was about to be poured upon Him. He knew He was about to fulfill the prophecy of John the Baptist – “The Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world”. He knew He was about to be forsaken by His Father. He knew He was about to be smitten of God, afflicted, pierced through, crushed. He knew the iniquities of us all were about to fall on Him. He knew all these things. And what did He do? Did He shy away or decide it wasn’t quite worth it. That we weren’t quite worth it? No. “So Jesus, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him…went forth.” He did this – for us. The precious blood of Christ – the Lamb that was slain. Our only response should be to fall on our faces before God and worship. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing! Amen. Amen. Amen.

Crown Him

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“And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say,
‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’
Therefore if God gave to them the same gift as He gave to us also after
believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?”
When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying,
“Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.”

What glorious words from Acts 11 – are they not?? As I read them this morning, I could not help but thank God that indeed this wondrous gospel has been offered to one such as I – indeed, this salvation is not restricted to one culture or people group…this free gift of God is offered to all who repent of their sins and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. And I am full of the Holy Spirit. It gives me chills writing those words, that one such as I am blessed so. I am a child of my Father and I am loved.

Comfort Ye

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Get yourself up on a high mountain,
O Zion, bearer of good news,
Lift up your voice mightily,
O Jerusalem, bearer of good news;
Lift it up, do not fear.
Say to the cities of Judah,
“Here is your God!”

Behold, the Lord God will come with might,
With His arm ruling for Him.
Behold, His reward is with Him.
And His recompense before Him.
Like a shepherd He will tend His flock,
In His arm He will gather the lambs
And carry them in His bosom;
He will gently lead the nursing ewes.

This passage from Isaiah 40 – is it not beautiful? I wish I could write the whole chapter of Isaiah 40 – truly one of the most stunningly magnificent chapters in Scripture. But for now, just read the verses from above and meditate on the glorious attributes of our Lord. He is one who is mighty and all powerful. He is one who reigns and deals swift justice. And this same God is also one who is tender and gentle. He is one who has compassion on the fainthearted and deals kindly with the weak. Look at the above verses – the arm of God that rules is the same arm that gathers the lambs and carries them in His bosom. This God we serve is mighty and able to do all things, sovereign in power and perfect in justice. This God we serve is merciful and compassionate beyond measure, perfect in love and sovereign in grace. How precious is it to know that we can trust this God to lead and care for us, even when we know not the way? He is sovereign and He cares for us. He chooses to care for us. Our God will one day come and rule perfectly upon this earth. He will pour out wrath upon the wicked yet He will lift up the flock that is His. The flock that our God has chosen for His own. Is that not a wonderful thought? Here is your God! So think on that, this day – we serve a mighty God. We serve a sovereign God. And this God deeply cares for us. He holds us in His bosom. Be at rest this day, my friends. Meditate on the grand compassion and mercies of our God. Rest in His arms. Think on His love. Rest.