Praise, my soul, the King of heaven ...

1 Samuel 10:17-11:15

"Praise, my soul, the King of heaven; To His feet thy tribute bring. Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven, who like thee His praise should sing?" No earthly king could ever bless us the way You, Lord, have blessed us. What a great Saviour You have given to us! Jesus is greater than any earthly king. He does for us what no earthly king could ever do for us. He brings us into Your everlasting Kingdom.

Two Men With The Same Name

Two men with the same name – Saul, the first king of Israel, and Saul of Tarsus, the persecutor of Christ and His servants.

In both stories, we read of a new man.

* In the case of Saul, the first king of Israel, David was the new man. Saul was rejected. He was replaced.

The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king … So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed David in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power. Samuel then went to Ramah” (1 Samuel 16:1, 13).

* In the case of Saul of Tarsus, it was very different. Saul became the new man. He became Paul the apostle. He was saved by the Lord. His life was transformed by the power of Christ’s love. He became a new creation in Christ Jesus. He had this great testimony: “It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me.” (Galatians 2:20).

- We don’t need to be like Saul, the first king of Israel – castaway, laid aside as of no further use (1 Corinthians 9:27).

- Each of us can be like Paul the apostle. In 2 Corinthians 5:17, we have more than Paul’s own testimony. we have a call to each one of us. God is calling us to be transformed by the power of Christ’s love. He is calling us to become “a new creation in Christ” – “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone. The new has come!”

Where does true love come from?

1 Samuel 20:1-42

Where does true love come from? It comes from You, Lord. It comes from Your love. Give us real love. Give us Your love. When we know that we are loved by You, our love will grow strong - our love for You, our love for one another, our love for people who need You.

Help us, Lord, to be honest with You.

1 Samuel 23:1-29

Help us, Lord, to be honest with You - Do we want to get our own way or to do Your will? Set us free from the self-centred illusion that You will always support us  in everything that we decide to do. Help us to see that there's a great difference between 'what I want' and 'what You want.' Teach us to choose Your will rather than our own will.

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!

1 Samuel 9:11-10:16

"Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation! O my soul, praise Him, for He is they health and salvation!" When, Lord, we say that You are the great King, may we not think only of the greatness of Your power. May we think also of the greatness of Your love.

Holiness, holiness, the only life that the Lord will bless

1 Samuel 6:17-7:17

"Holiness, holiness, the only life that the Lord will bless" (Don Francisco). Lord, You are the holy God. You call us to be holy. The way of holiness is the way of blessing. Help us, Lord, to walk with You in Your way - the way of holiness, the way of blessing.

Here I am, Lord ...

1 Samuel 3:1-4:22

"Here I am, Lord ... I have heard You calling in the night. I will go, Lord ... I will hold Your people in my heart" (Daniel L. Schutte). Lord, You come to us. You come with Your Word. It is a Word for ourselves. It is a Word for others. We receive Your Word. We share Your Word. Glorify Your Name, Lord- in us and through us.

Lord, there are two ways of living.

1 Samuel 2:1-36

Lord, there are two ways of living. There's the way of holiness and joy, the way of living in the strength of Your Spirit. There's the way of living to please ourselves, living without the joy that comes from You, living in the weakness of the flesh. Help us, Lord, to keep on choosing Your way, and not to persist in going our own way and doing our own thing.

Help us, Lord, to take sin seriously. Help us to take Your salvation even more seriously.

1 Samuel 28:3-25
Help us, Lord, to take sin seriously - "Be sure your sin will find you out" (Numbers 32:23). Help us to take Your salvation even more seriously. Help us to believe that the story of our life is more than the story of our sin. It's also the story of Your salvation. When we are deeply aware of our sin, may we become even more deeply appreciative of Your promise of salvation: "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31).

Lead us, Lord, in the way of true wisdom.

1 Samuel 26:1-25

Lead us, Lord, in the way of true wisdom - "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Psalm 111:10). How foolish we are when we choose to go our own way rather than walking in Your way. Help us, Lord, to choose Christ every day - "O happy day, that fixed my choice on Thee, my Saviour and my God ... That vow renewed shall daily hear."

Praying Through God’s Word: 1 Samuel

1 Samuel 1:1-28

We come to You, Lord, with sadness. You give us gladness. How does this gladness come to us? It comes to us when we stand upon Your Word, when we believe Your promises. Our life is not controlled by our feelings – the feelings that drag us down, the feelings that pull us away from You. Your promises lift us out of these feelings. They lift us into Your presence. They assure us of Your love. They lead us into Your blessing. Thank You, Lord, for Your promises and Your presence, Your love and Your blessing.

1 Samuel 2:1-36

Lord, there are two ways of living. There’s the way of holiness and joy, the way of living in the strength of Your Spirit. There’s the way of living to please ourselves, living without the joy that comes from You, living in the weakness of the flesh. Help us, Lord, to keep on choosing Your way, and not to persist in going our own way and doing our own thing.

1 Samuel 3:1-4:22

“Here I am, Lord … I have heard You calling in the night. I will go, Lord … I will hold Your people in my heart” (Daniel L. Schutte). Lord, You come to us. You come with Your Word. It is a Word for ourselves. It is a Word for others. We receive Your Word. We share Your Word. Glorify Your Name, Lord – in us and through us.

1 Samuel 5:1-6:16

Lord, You are the true God, the living God, the everlasting God (Jeremiah 10:10). You are our Saviour (Isaiah 43:11). Speak to us Your truth. Breathe into us Your life. As Jesus draws near to us, help us to trust Him and be led by Him on the pathway to Your eternal glory.

1 Samuel 6:17-7:17

“Holiness, holiness, the only life that the Lord will bless” (Don Francisco). Lord, You are the holy God. You call us to be holy. The way of holiness is the way of blessing. Help us, Lord, to walk with You in Your way – the way of holiness, the way of blessing.

1 Samuel 8:1-9:10

Lord, You are the King. There is no king like You. No human king can even begin to compare with You – the divine King, the “King of kings” (Revelation 19:16). We lift to You our song of praise: “O worship the King, all glorious above. O gratefully sing, His power and His love.”

1 Samuel 9:11-10:16

“Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation! O my soul, praise Him, for He is they health and salvation!” When, Lord, we say that You are the great King, may we not think only of the greatness of Your power. May we think also of the greatness of Your love.

1 Samuel 10:17-11:15

“Praise, my soul, the King of heaven; To His feet thy tribute bring. Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven, who like thee His praise should sing?” No earthly king could ever bless us the way You, Lord, have blessed us. What a great Saviour You have given to us! Jesus is greater than any earthly king. He does for us what no earthly king could ever do for us. He brings us into Your everlasting Kingdom.

1 Samuel 12:1-13:15a

We thank You, Lord, that You speak to us the right Word at the right time. Sometimes, we need to hear Your Word of promise. Sometimes, we need to hear Your Word of warning. Assure us, Lord, that, in all life’s changing circumstances, “Your grace is always sufficient for us” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

1 Samuel 13:15b-14:23

Is there any hope for us, Lord? Sometimes, we wonder. It seems like we’re in a dark hole – and we can’t get out! Then, Lord, You come to us. You say to us, “I am the God of hope, I will fill you with hope (Romans 15:13). In ourselves, there is no hope. With You, there is real hope. Our future is in safe hands – “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms” (Deuteronomy 33:27).

1 Samuel 14:24-52

“We all make mistakes. If any one makes no mistakes … he is a perfect man” (James 3:2). Lord, there is only one perfect Man – Jesus. When we get it wrong, help us to look to Him – to put it right, to make us right. Our difficulties may not disappear, but, with Jesus on our side, we will rise above them.

1 Samuel 15:1-35

Again and again, Lord, we take the easy way out. We avoid conflict. We side with evil, when we should be choosing good. Why are we like this? – We’ve always been like this. It’s the story of our life. It’s everybody’s story. Can we be changed? We’ll never be perfect, but we can begin to triumph over evil. Help us, Lord, to begin with You, to receive Your strength – strength to do good rather than evil.

1 Samuel 16:1-23

“Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me. Break me, melt me, mould me, fill me” (Daniel Iverson). Lord, it’s Your Spirit who makes the difference. He changes us. We lose heart. He gives us new strength. We feel like giving up. He keeps us going on. Thank You, Lord, for Your Holy Spirit. Lead us out of our emptiness and into Your fullness.

1 Samuel 17:1-58

Often, Lord, we feel like David – facing Goliath (1 Samuel 17). Everything seems too much for us. Was Goliath too much for David? He wasn’t too much for You – and You were on David’s side. We’re not alone. Help us to remember this. When we feel weak, help us to remember that You are strong – and Your strength has been given to us. Thank You, Lord.

1 Samuel 18:1-20

What a difference there is between the love of power and the power of love. The world is all about the love of power. You, Lord, are all about the power of love. Your power is never power without love. Your love is powerful love. Fill us with Your power – and help us to give glory to You, the God of loving power and powerful love.

1 Samuel 19:1-24

What are the most important things in our lives? Why are they so important to us? Everything revolves around ourselves, Lord. We forget about You. Call us back, Lord – back from the brink, back from “the broad way that leads to destruction” (Matthew 7:13). Call us into “safety, certainty and enjoyment” (George Cutting) – saved by You, assured of Your salvation, enjoying Your salvation.

1 Samuel 20:1-42

Where does true love come from? It comes from You, Lord. It comes from Your love. Give us real love. Give us Your love. When we know that we are loved by You, our love will grow strong – our love for You, our love for one another, our love for people who need You.

Samuel 21:1-22:23
Deliver us, O Lord, from religion without compassion. We don’t want to be Pharisees. we want to be followers of Jesus. Give us compassion – but may it always be compassion without compromise. Help us not to sacrifice truth and righteousness for the sake of relevance. Help us “to be the best that we can be for truth and righteousness and Thee.” Help us to see what relevance really is. Help us to see where relevance really comes from. It doesn’t just emerge out of our own minds, our own creativity. It’s based on truth. We didn’t create truth – and we don’t create relevance. “Your Word is truth” (John 17:17). Your Word is relevant – because it is truth: truth unchanged, unchanging and unchangeable. Lord, help us to be faithful to Your truth – and help us to care for people who need to be set free by Your truth, set free by Your Son (John 8:32,36). 1 Samuel 23:1-29
Help us, Lord, to be honest with You – Do we want to get our own way or to do Your will? Set us free from the self-centred illusion that You will always support us  in everything that we decide to do. Help us to see that there’s a great difference between ‘what I want’ and ‘what You want.’ Teach us to choose Your will rather than our own will.
1 Samuel 24:1-22
Help us, Lord, never to imagine that we can ever hope to be fruitful for You if we are not committed to being faithful to You. Help us, Lord, to be more than people who serve You. Help us to be people who love You. May we serve You because we love You. May we love You because “You first loved us” (1 John 4:19).
1 Samuel 25:1-44
Life is full of surprises. Sometimes, Lord, these surprises come from You – blessings that fill our hearts with your joy. Sometimes, the surprises come from Satan. He’s trying to catch us off guard. He’s trying to trip us up. He’s trying to lead us away from You. Help us to turn Satan’s surprises into Your surprises. When Satan comes to tempt us, to draw us away from You, help us to face him in Your strength. Help us to tell him that You were there before he arrived on the scene. – You are the eternal God. Help us to tell Satan that You are still here – the God who is with us to bless us, the God who is living in us to give us Your victory over Satan.
1 Samuel 26:1-25
Lead us, Lord, in the way of true wisdom – “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Psalm 111:10). How foolish we are when we choose to go our own way rather than walking in Your way. Help us, Lord, to choose Christ every day – “O happy day, that fixed my choice on Thee, my Saviour and my God … That vow renewed shall daily hear.”
1 Samuel 27:1-28:2
What a difference there is between fear – “I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul” – and faith – “The Lord will deliver me from the hand of the Philistine” (1 Samuel 27:1; 1 Samuel 17:37). Sometimes, fear, sometimes faith – this was the story of David’s life. It’s the story of our life. How, Lord, are we to overcome fear? How are we to grow strong in faith? It’s Your “perfect love that casts out fear.” It’s Your love that makes us strong in faith and gives us the victory (1 John 4:18-19; 1 John 5:4-5). Lord, fill our hearts with Your love. May there be, in us, more faith and less fear.
1 Samuel 28:3-25
Help us, Lord, to take sin seriously – “Be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23). Help us to take Your salvation even more seriously. Help us to believe that the story of our life is more than the story of our sin. It’s also the story of Your salvation. When we are deeply aware of our sin, may we become even more deeply appreciative of Your promise of salvation: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31).
1 Samuel 29:1-30:15
When, Lord, things are going badly, we start feeling sorry for ourselves – when we should be getting strengthened by You. You are “our strength and our shield.” You give us Your “strength” and Your “peace” (Psalm 28:7-8; Psalm 29:10-11). Give to us the peace that comes to us from knowing that we are not alone. May we not fall down in our weakness. May we stand up in Your victory.
1 Samuel 30:16-31:13
Far too easily, Lord, we accept defeat – when You’re leading us on into Your victory. What’s wrong with us? It’s sin. That’s our problem. It never goes away, this problem of ours – but we don’t have to fight against it in our own strength. Our sin may seem to be inevitable – “That’s the way I am. That’s the way I’ve always been. That’s the way I’ll always be.” Our sin isn’t invincible. Jesus triumphed over sin. That’s what He did when He died for us and rose again. Jesus won the victory for us. He gives His victory to us. Help us, Lord, to receive His strength, to walk in His victory, and to say. “This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes” (Psalm 118:23).

What a difference there is between the love of power and the power of love.

1 Samuel 18:1-20

What a difference there is between the love of power and the power of love. The world is all about the love of power. You, Lord, are all about the power of love. Your power is never power without love. Your love is powerful love. Fill us with Your power - and help us to give glory to You, the God of loving power and powerful love.

Help us, Lord, never to imagine that we can ever hope to be fruitful for You if we are not committed to being faithful to You.

1 Samuel 24:1-22
Help us, Lord, never to imagine that we can ever hope to be fruitful for You if we are not committed to being faithful to You. Help us, Lord, to be more than people who serve You. Help us to be people who love You. May we serve You because we love You. May we love You because "You first loved us" (1 John 4:19).

Lord, You are the true God, the living God, the everlasting God ... our Saviour.

1 Samuel 5:1-6:16

Lord, You are the true God, the living God, the everlasting God (Jeremiah 10:10). You are our Saviour (Isaiah 43:11). Speak to us Your truth. Breathe into us Your life. As Jesus draws near to us, help us to trust Him and be led by Him on the pathway to Your eternal glory.

Lord, we thank You that You don't give up on us - even when we don't pay much attention to You.

Genesis 34:1-31
Lord, we thank You that You don't give up on us - even when we don't pay much attention to You. We can become so self-centred. Everything revolves around ourselves. You keep on coming to us. You come to us in love.  You're calling us back to Yourself. You're calling us to bring You back into the centre of our lives. Lord, may it be less of self and more of You.

Holiness - By Grace

The life of holiness is not an expression of our own moral virtue. It is an expression of the holy character of God being reproduced in us: ‘I am the Lord who sanctify you’ (Leviticus 20:8). God wants us for Himself – This is why we must not live the world’s way: ‘I the Lord am … holy, and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine’ (Leviticus 20:26). God has a great purpose for us: ‘You shall inherit their land… I will give it to you, a land flowing with milk and honey’ (Leviticus 20:24).  ‘The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly… in Christ Jesus’ (1 Timothy 1:14). This is the pathway to holiness: ‘By grace you have been saved through faith… for good works’ (Ephesians 2:8-10).

A Very Important Question

Matthew 25:1-13

Will we be ready, when the Lord returns? This is the question the Lord is putting to us here. It’s the most important question. It’s the question that we cannot evade. It’s the question that won’t go away. It’s the question of our life. What is our life all about? What is most important to us? Who is most important to us – Jesus or ourselves?

New Life

New life for Levi (Mark 3:1-4)
* His name was LEVI.
* He was EVIL.
He was a tax collector, making a fortune for himself at the expense of other people.
* He began to LIVE when he followed Jesus.
What a wonderful message there is in the conversion of Levi.
Our Saviour still calls sinners to make a new beginning with Him (Mark 3:17).
Let’s be like the new Levi – “He arose and followed Jesus” (Mark 3:15).

More Than A Prophet?

“A great prophet … Are you the one who is coming?” (Luke 7:16,19-20).

“A great prophet” – This may be the beginning of our faith, but it’s not the end of our faith.
“A great prophet” – This is the first stage of our faith. We sense that there’s something different about Jesus. Then, we begin to ask the question, “How different is Jesus?” We start to wonder, “Is Jesus more than a prophet?”
“Are you the one who is  coming?” Where does this question come from? It comes to us, when we start thinking, “There’s something different about Jesus.”
We ask the question. God gives His answer. It is an answer that arises in our hearts, as we think about Jesus, as we think, “This is more than a prophet. This is my Saviour.”

When we read God’s Word ...

Isaiah 11:1-9

When we read God’s Word, we ask, What can I learn about Jesus, about believing in him and living for Him?“The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him... ” (Isaiah 11:2) - This is about Jesus. It’s about Peter on the Day of Pentecost. It’s about us.

“Wisdom, understanding, counsel, knowledge” - All of these suggest something we know with our minds. Strength speaks to us about acting on what we know.

Where do all these blessings come from? - They come from “the Spirit of the Lord.” Everything that God gives to us is summed up in this: “the Spirit of the Lord.”

Life in the spirit includes both “the fear of the Lord” and trust in the Lord. Life in the Spirit includes both divine revelation and human response.There’s a vital connection between what we say and what we do and what we are. There will be powerful and effective preaching when what we say is backed up by what we do and what we are.

Make it personal!

Read the words of John 3:16 and Romans 10:9. Put your name into these great verses. Make it personal – Jesus is my Saviour. Jesus is my Lord.

God's Way Is The Best Way.

“As for God, His way is perfect” (Psalm 18:30).
The Lord knows what He has planned for each one of us. There are no surprises for Him. The Lord doesn’t leave us to travel on our own. He’s with us every step of the way. When we wonder about what’s happening in our lives, He is there, teaching us to say from the heart, “As for God, His way is perfect” (Psalm 18:30; 2 Samuel 22:31). He’s leading us to His Son, Jesus. He’s showing us our suffering Saviour. He’s showing us our risen Lord. He’s showing us that there is a way of peace, joy and love. It’s the way of Jesus. It’s the way of trusting Him. Keep your eyes on Jesus. He will lead you in His way. God’s blessing will surround you each day.

Coming Home

In Luke 15:13, we read of the prodigal son going into the “far country”. In Luke 15:20-22, we read of the joy of his homecoming -“So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.”

A Word That Reaches The Heart

“O Lord … Say to my soul, I am your Saviour”  (Psalm 35:1,3).

Assurance of our salvation comes to us from the Lord Himself. He speaks to us. His Word is a deep Word. It reaches the heart.

I Will Always Love You.

“proclaiming Your love in the morning and Your faithfulness at night” (Psalm 92:2).

What blessing there is in these few words! Our God is with us in the morning. He is with us at night. He is with us always. He loves us in the morning. He is faithful at night. He says to us, “I will always love you.”
What a God – a God of perfect love, a God of absolute faithfulness! "You, O Lord, are exalted for ever" (Psalm 92:8).
God is not exalted because we exalt Him. We exalt Him because He is exalted.

The Vine

“You transplanted a vine from Egypt. You drove out the nations and planted it. You cleared the ground for it, and it took root and filled the land” (Psalm 80:8-9).
When we read here about a “vine”, we should remember that Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). We read here that the vine “filled the land.” Let us pray for our land – “Shine, Jesus, shine. Fill this land with the Father’s glory.”

Again and again, Lord, Your blessing comes to us.

Genesis 35:1-15
Again and again, Lord, Your blessing comes to us. In Your blessing, we see Your love. Time and time again, we have failed You. When did You ever fail us? - Never! You are completely faithful, entirely trustworthy and absolutely reliable. You keep on loving us. Help us to keep on loving You.

Heartfelt Worship

“O God, my whole being desires you” (Psalm 63:1). 

May God help us to worship Him like that!

Better Than Just Hoping For The Best!

"My hope is in You" (Psalm 39:7).

Hope - what does this mean? We speak about hoping for the best' when we fear the words. We say, 'I hope so', when we're not too sure about saying, 'I think so.' What kind of hope is this. It's human optimism. It's wishful thinking. There is another hope, a better hope. This hope begins when we see that our human situation is hopeless. It begins when we look away from ourselves to the Lord, when we look to Him, and say, "My hope is in You."

A Faraway God?

“O my God, do not be so distant from me. Come quickly to help me, O Lord, my Saviour” (Psalm 38:22).
Is God a faraway God? If we think of God in this way, we’ve missed the point. We don’t just ask Him to come to us. We thank Him that He has come to us. Jesus is our Saviour (Matthew 1:21). Emmanuel – God with us (Matthew 1:23).

From Mourning - To Dancing

 * “I will honour You highly, O Lord … O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever” (Psalm 30:1,12).

At the heart of true worship, which gives much glory to God, there is thanksgiving. We must never forget that we are sinners, who have been saved by His amazing grace. We receive His grace at the Cross of our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us give thanks to God for our Saviour.

 * “You have turned for me my mourning into dancing” (Psalm 30:11).

What the Lord does for us – This is truly amazing. He does for us what we could never do for ourselves. He does for us what no-one else could ever do for us. We look at what we are. We look at what the Lord has done for us. We say, This is ‘amazing grace.’ We say, ‘To God be the glory. Great things He has done.’  “This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes” (Psalm 118:23). “Not to us, Lord, not to us but to Your Name be the glory, because of Your love and faithfulness” (Psalm 115:1).

Like A Roaring Lion!

Daniel 6:1-28

The deliverance of Daniel from the mouths of the lions - What a great miracle this is! It points forward to an even greater miracle - the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Why is the resurrection a greater miracle? - It seemed almost inevitable that Daniel would be killed, but he didn’t actually die. Jesus did die. The shadow of death hung over Daniel, but death did not take him. Jesus was raised from death. He was “crucified, dead and buried” - and, after all that, He was raised to life.

The message of Daniel’s deliverance from the mouths of the lions - “For He is the living God, and He endures forever; His Kingdom will never be destroyed, and His dominion has no end” (Daniel 6:26). This is the message of Jesus’ resurrection.

Daniel’s deliverance gives us a glimpse of God’s glory. Jesus’ resurrection is a marvellous and mighty revelation of the eternal God and eternal life (see 1 John 5:20 - “Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.”) Daniel was a great man. Jesus is our great Saviour.

Like Daniel, we will face “lions” - Satan goes about “like a roaring lion” (1 Peter 5:8). Like Daniel, we must “resist” the devil, firm in the faith” (1 Peter 5:9). Christ delivers us - and He will raise us.

Looking forward to the future

Isaiah 35:1-10

Isaiah looks forward to the future. He says that there will be blessing from the Lord. He looks forward to a time of "joy and singing." He says that it will be a night of "the glory of the Lord" (Isaiah 35:2). Isaiah brings Good News to the people - "He will save you" (Isaiah 35:4). This is the Good News: "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners"  (1 Timothy 1:15). Those who have been saved by the Lord are described by Isaiah as "the redeemed." Once we have been "redeemed" or saved by the Lord, we are called to "walk in the Holy Way" (Isaiah 35:8-9). Isaiah's prophecy speaks to us of being saved by the Lord. It speaks of walking with the Lord. It also speaks of being with the Lord forevermore. This is the great message of Isaiah 35:10. This is "unending joy." There will be no more "sorrow." This is the completion of our salvation.

Making Choices

Isaiah 1:16-20

Each of us must make choices - not just, What suit, shirt and tie will I put on?
Will I worship the Lord? or Will I stay at home?
What attitude will I bring with me to church? - ‘This is just a religious habit” or “This a meeting with God. It will change my way of thinking and living.”
In Isaiah 1:18-20, we read about two very different responses to God - returning to Him or rebelling against Him. When we return to the Lord, this will change the way we relate to other people (Isaiah 1:16-17).
We’re not to be like Judas Iscariot - making money for himself, but paying the ultimate price: “What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul? (Matthew 16:26).

I will praise the Lord ...

Psalm 111:1-10 

Hallelujah! Jesus Christ is risen today - a celebration for Easter, and every Lord’s Day.
 * At the start of the Psalm - “I will praise the Lord” (Psalm 111:1).
 * At the end of the Psalm - “His praise endures forever” (Psalm 111:10).
In our worship, there is to be both “the fear of the Lord” (Psalm 111:10) and trust in the Lord - “the Lord is gracious and compassionate... He has sent redemption to His people” (Psalm 111:4,9).
We give thanks to the Lord for His love, but we must never forget that “His Name is holy and awe-inspiring” (Psalm 111:9).
 * The character of God: He is holy, He is love.
 * The message of the Gospel: In love for us, the holy God has provided a way for our sins to be forgiven.
These are the truths of God’s Word which are to shape our lives, making us more holy and more loving.

Lord, give us Your wisdom.

Genesis 25:19-34
Lord, give us Your wisdom. Help us to see that walking in Your way is better than getting our own way. When we are being drawn away from Your way, bring us back again - back to the way of obedience, back to the way of blessing.

A turning-point ...

Genesis 32:1-33:20; Matthew 12:22-45; Proverbs 2:1-11 
In Genesis 28:10-22, we read about a turning-point in Jacob’s life. Here, in Genesis 32:22-32, we have another turning-point. It’s summed up in Genesis 32:28 – “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.” Jacob may “have overcome”, but there is no-one who has overcome so mightily as our Lord Jesus Christ. He “drove out demons by the Spirit of God” and, in Him, we are overcomers –  ”They triumphed over him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony” (Revelation 12:11). Victory comes from the Lord – “He holds victory in store for the upright” (Proverbs 2:7). He is our “shield”; He “guards” and “protects” us in the heat of the battle (Proverbs 2:7-8). As we walk in the pathway of victory, we are led in “every good path” (Proverbs 2:9). We are led in a way which, the Lord says, “will be pleasant to your soul” (Proverbs 2:10). 
From my One Year Bible

Dreams ...

Genesis 36:1-37:36; Matthew 13:18-35; Psalm 10:12-18 
When Joseph spoke of his dream, “his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind” (Genesis 37:11). Jacob was becoming aware that Joseph was the man whom God had chosen to carry the purpose of God forward into the next generation. Joseph’s dreams had been given to him by the Lord. God was indicating to him the “new thing” (Isaiah 43:19) that He was about to do. God spoke to Joseph through dreams. God spoke through Jesus in parables (Matthew 13). Whether we’re reading about Joseph’s dream concerning God’s continuing purpose or Jesus’ parables of the Kingdom, we must remember this: “The Lord is King for ever and ever” (Psalm 10:16).

Jacob “struggled with God” before he was “blessed” by God (Genesis 32:28-29). The blessing of God comes to us as we live in obedience to Him – “whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother” (Matthew 12:50). When the Word of God comes to us, Jesus says to us, “He who has ears, let him hear” (Matthew 13:10). As we receive God’s Word in obedient faith, our knowledge of God increases. As we get to know Him better, we desire to Him in even greater depth – “Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance” (Matthew 13:12). There is, however, also a warning – “Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him” (Matthew 13:12). To despise the blessing of God, like Esau did, is to become like “the wicked man”, described in Psalm 10:1-11. 
From my One Year Bible 

Lord, we thank You that Jesus came to earth for us ...

Genesis 24:1-21

Lord, we thank You that Jesus came to earth for us – and we thank You that He died for us.

He ‘came to seek and to save the lost’ (Luke 19:10). He came to bring us back from our wandering about in the shadows of our life. He came to bring us into the light of Your love.

Lord, we give You thanks for Jesus.

When Satan Comes, Sowing Seeds Of Doubt ...

“Behold, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought many devices” (Ecclesiastes 7:29).
* Following the glory and majesty of the Creator and His creation in Genesis 1 & 2, the third chapter of Genesis begins with the enemy of God, the enemy of our souls, the devil, Satan (Revelation 12:9; Revelation 20:2). He is “subtle” – sly, cunning, crafty. He is evil.He sows seeds of doubt: “Did God say?” (Genesis 3:1). From his very first words, it is clear that he is the enemy of God. “Did God say? Did God really say?” One can almost hear the wicked, unbelieving tone of voice with which Satan spoke.
* When the woman heard the voice of Satan, she ought to have turned away from him. She ought to have said, “Get behind me, Satan. I don’t want to have anything to do with you.” She ought to have said this, but she didn’t. She discussed the matter with the enemy. She had no right to do this. There was one answer she ought to have given to the devil: God has spoken, God has stated His will, God has given His Word.  This is what she ought to have said to Satan, but she didn’t.
* As Satan spoke to Eve and she listened to him, he made her doubt God’s Word and question His command. Eve started to talk things over with Satan. This is where she made her big mistake. She should have told Satan that God’s command is for our good. She should have told him that God’s law is good and pure and holy. She should have said this to the devil, but she didn’t. The more Eve spoke with Satan and listened to him, the less she delighted in God’s holy Word; She was seduced by the devil’s subtlety. She was led astray by the deceiver. By this time, Satan had moved beyond questioning God’s Word. He was contradicting it. He was saying the exact opposite of what God had said. He was saying “You will not die” (Genesis 3:4). By this time, Eve was taken in by the tempter. When she looked at the tree, she saw only what Satan wanted her to see (Genesis 3:6). She had cast aside the Word of God and listened, instead, to the voice of the devil. She no longer allowed God’s Word to be the last word on the matter. Now, she thought that she had the right to decide whether or not God’s way was the best way. She made herself the judge of what was good and evil, right and wrong. She had stopped listening to the Word of God. She was no longer committed to obeying the Word of God. The story of Genesis 3:6  continues down to the present day – Adam’s sons are still “rushing helter skelter to destruction with their fingers in their ears” (Don Francisco).
* The immediate effect of sin was shame. Note the contrast between Genesis 2:25 and Genesis 3:7. Sin and shame go together. Sin is not something of which should be proud. Sin is something of which we should be ashamed. Refusing to listen to god’s word is a matter of great shame. Refusing to do god’s will is a shameful thing. The shamefulness of sin is bound up with the undeniable fact that sin makes us guilty – utterly and completely guilty before God. The innocence of Genesis 1 & 2 was lost. Like, Adam and Eve, we are guilty – unquestionably guilty before the God of perfect holiness. The judgment of God is upon us. Like Adam and Eve, we may resort to finger-pointing. Adam blamed the woman (Genesis 3:12). Eve blamed the serpent (Genesis 3:13). There can be no passing the buck. We must acknowledge our sin before God. We must confess our sin to Him. as we come to God, seeking His forgiveness, we will discover the wonder of His love for us.
When we come, acknowledging the holiness of God and our own sin and guilt – “God made man upright, but they have sought many devices”, we discover that the God of great holiness is also the God of great love. The God, who pronounces His judgment upon sin, is also the God who demonstrates His love for sinners.
When God says, “What is this that you have done?” (Genesis 3:13), this is not only a Word of judgment on sin. It’s also the Word that speaks of God’s love for sinners. God is declaring His love for sinners. He is saying, ‘I have loved you so much. There is absolutely no reason why you should have done this.’ God is declaring His love for us. In love, He’s appealing to us not to turn our backs on Him and lose out on the blessing that He wants so much to give to us. He’s saying to us, ‘I love you. Why are you turning away from Me? Will you not return to Me, and discover how much I love you?’
When God says, “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9), this is not only a Word of God’s holiness, from which we have been separated by our sin. It’s also a Word of His love, This is God’s seeking love. This is the God of love, seeking the lost sinner. He is saying, ‘I love you, and I am seeking to save you.’

The God of love, the God who seeks to save sinners, gives the first promise of a Saviour, as early as Genesis 3:15. These words, spoken to the enemy. promise that there will be One who will triumph over the enemy: “I will put enmity between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” Jesus, our Saviour, fulfils this promise of love. He was “bruised” for our sins, and, through His death, He has triumphed over Satan for us. So, even here in Genesis 3, with its message of sin and guilt, there is, for us, a message of hope – triumphant hope, glorious hope, eternal hope.

Build Your Life On The Word Of The Lord.

As we seek to build our Church and our lives on Jesus Christ, we turn to the book of Deuteronomy. Here, we are following our Lord Jesus Christ. When He was being tempted by Satan, Jesus quoted from Deuteronomy 8:3 - "Man does not live by bread alone ... Man lives by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord."

This is the lesson which comes through, again and again, in Deuteronomy: We need to hear the Word of the Lord, We need to build our lives on the Word of the Lord.

The teaching of Deuteronomy has been summed up in this way: (i) Looking back; (ii) Looking up; (iii) Looking forward.

  (i) Looking back - God's people were to look back to the past. They were to remember what the Lord had done for them. This is what we must do. Look back and remember. Why are we to look back to the past? We look back to the past so that we might learn to look up to the Lord and look out into the future with faith (Deuteronomy 4:32, 40).

  (ii) Looking up - The people of God were called to love the Lord with all their heart, soul and might (Deuteronomy 6:5). Love for the Lord is not to be a half-hearted thing. The Lord stands before us with a call to decision. He calls us to choose. Jesus says to us, "You cannot serve two masters." He says to us, 'There are two alternative ways of living. You can love the Lord, or you can love the world.' He asks us, 'Which will it be - the Lord or the world?' Think about how much the Lord has loved you, and let your response be the love for the Lord. Look back and remember what the Lord has done for you. Look up to Lord and let him be the centre of your life.

  (iii) Looking forward - Life in Christ, life as the redeemed people of God, is always life with a future. As God's people, Israel looked out. They saw "a land flowing with milk and honey" (Deuteronomy 6:3). This is, for us, a picture of the life into which the Lord is calling us. It is a life "sustained by God and helpful to men" (Hans Kung, On Being a Christian, p. 602). Israel looked out to the land God was giving to them. We look forward to all that He has planned for us, as we learn to walk with Him. Let us move forward with faith. Let us pray, 'Lord, bless me, and make me a blessing.' We must not keep the blessing of the Lord to ourselves. We, who receive  blessing from the Lord, must share his blessing with others. We, who have heard the Word of the Lord, must share His Word with others (Deuteronomy 6:6-7). Look out from where you are. Look forward to what God is going to do. Say to God, "Here I am, wholly available" - and let Him work in you and through you. Israel advanced, with God, into the promised land. Let us step forward, in faith, with God and for God/ Let us step forward into the blessing He's going to give to us - the blessing that reaches out to us, the blessing that reaches out, through us, to others.
_____________

After I had posted these notes on Deuteronomy, I came across this quotation - "I avoid looking forward or backward, and try to keep looking upward" (Charlotte Bronte). This made me think about what I had written. We cannot live our life without looking back and looking forward. There are, however, dangers in both looking back and looking forward.
When we look back, we may see only our sin and fail to see the grace of God. This will fill us with guilt and regret. This can overwhelm us. What we need to do is this - look upward. On the other hand, we may look back and see only our own achievements. this will fill us with pride in ourselves. There will be no giving glory to God. What are we to do when we look back? We must look up to the Lord. This will take our attention away from our sin and failure. This will fix our attention on our Saviour and His His salvation. We will learn to say, "To God be the glory! Great things He has done ... "
When we look forward, we will filled with fear. This can fill us with dread, constantly wondering what bad thing is going to happen next. We may think about the future in a very different way, "I'm going to achieve this, that and the next thing." Really?! What's this all about? It's not about God. It's about me - This is what I'm going to achieve. What are we to do when we start thinking like this? We must look up to the Lord - and ask Him to help to keep on looking up to Him.
Life includes the backward look and the forward look - but it must also include the upward look. Without the upward look, our life is in a mess. We may be painfully aware of the mess we're in. We may be blissfully unaware of the mess we're getting ourselves into. Whatever kind of mess we're in, we need to look up to the Lord. We need to say, "Lord, we need you every day and every hour - all the time." We need to say, "Everything good comes from You, Lord - especially our Saviour, Jesus. Thank You, Lord, that you keep on loving us - even when we've forgotten You. When we forget to look up to You, show us Your love - and teach us to love You."

The Authority Of Jesus - The Word and The Spirit

"It is right to do good on the day of worship" (Matthew 12:12). Why did Jesus have authority over the day of worship? It was because of who He is. He is worshipped. Jesus fulfils prophecy (Mathew 12:17-21). He has authority over Satan (Matthew 12:28). The victory of Jesus over Satan becomes ours when we receive God's Word, with humble faith, as "the sword of the Spirit." This speaks of the work of the Spirit in and through the Word. The Spirit leads us to Jesus. He leads us out for Jesus. Jesus is risen from the dead (Matthew 12:40), Let us serve Him and be His true family (Matthew 12:50).

Lord, we thank You that You want to bless us ...

Genesis 27:1-40
Lord, we thank You that You want to bless us - more than we want to be blessed by You. We don't deserve to be blessed - but You keep on blessing us. Help us never to forget to say, "Thank You, Lord." Help us always to treasure Your blessing - and to keep on praying that it will grow and grow and ...

God’s purpose was not hindered ...

Genesis 38:1-39:23; Matthew 13:36-58; Psalm 11:1-7 
What a contrast there is between the unrestrained lust of Judah (Genesis 38) and the sexual restraint of Joseph  – “How then can I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9). Joseph was unjustly treated, and put in prison. Nevertheless, God’s purpose was not hindered – “the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did” (Genesis 39:23). When we read of Joseph, being thrown into slavery and, later on, into prison, we see the similarity to Jesus – “Only in his home town and in his own house is a prophet without honour” (Matthew 13:57). Whenever things are going badly (Joseph in prison, Jesus – “a prophet without honour”), we must remember – “The Lord is in His holy temple; the Lord is on His heavenly throne” (Psalm 11:4). We must learn to say, “In the Lord, I take refuge” (Psalm 11:1). We must rest in this assurance: “upright men will see His face” (Psalm 11:7). 
From my One Year Bible 

Lord, when our hold on You is weak ...

Genesis 26:1-35
Lord, when our hold on You is weak, help us to remember that Your hold on us is strong. Often, we get bogged down in our sin. Lift us up by Your grace. Give us strength to rise above our sin - strength to become all that You want us to be.

Teach us, Lord, to count our blessings.

Genesis 24:50-67
Teach us, Lord, to count our blessings.
We try to think of all the good things You have done for us, all the great gifts You have given to us.
We cannot keep up with You, Lord. There is so much to count, so much for which we can only say, ‘Thank You, Lord.’

Holiness

Genesis 2:3 - “holy”

When God blesses us, He makes us holy. He has not given to us the forgiveness of our sins and left us just the way we were before we came in faith to Christ. We come to the Saviour – “Just as I am” – but do not remain the same. God has given us new life – the life of the Holy Spirit. From the moment we receive God’s forgiveness, we begin our new journey on the High Way of holiness (Isaiah 35:8). We will often wander away from this High Way, but the Lord keeps on bringing us back. He brings us back to the Cross where we find forgiveness. He brings us back to the risen Lord, who empowers us for walking with God in holy living. When we see that our forgiveness and holiness comes from Jesus Christ, crucified for us and risen for us, we give all the glory to God. This is not our own doing. It is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes (Psalm 118:23).

History - His Story

Genesis 2:4 - “This is the history”

This is His Story. This is God’s Story. In this great Story of creation, which leads on to the great Story of salvation, we read about the God who has done for us what we could never do for ourselves. we could not create ourselves. We could not save ourselves. We have been created by God. We have been saved by God. Apart from the work of God, we would have no life. Our life has come from Him. Apart from the work of God, we would have no new life. It is through His mighty power that we have become “a new creation in Christ Jesus” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Apart from the work of God, we would have no hope of eternal life – “God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son” (1 John 5:11). In ourselves, there is no hope. In the great God of our salvation, we have this glorious hope – “the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

Showers Of Blessing

Genesis 2:5
“rain”
No rain, no plants of the field, no herbs of the field, no man to till the ground. This is a picture of life without God’s blessing. To His faithful servants who look to Him for the blessing, God gives His precious promise: “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is My Word that goes out from My mouth: It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:10-11).

Genesis 2:6
“watering the whole surface of the ground”

It’s water that makes the difference. Without water, everything dries up and dies. There’s a better way than the way of spiritual death. God says to us, “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters” (Isaiah 55:1). Jesus says to us, “whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14).

The Breath Of Life

Genesis 2:7

“the breath of life”

Everything changes when the Lord breathes His breath of life into us.

* Until God comes to us in power, our situation is desperate – “I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry” (Ezekiel 37:2).

When He breathes life into us, we are changed by the power of His love. We become new men and women in Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:17).

From The Garden To The City

Genesis 2:8
“garden”

To those who put their trust in Him, the Lord gives His very precious promises – “You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail” (Isaiah 58:11); “They will be like a well-watered garden, and they will sorrow no more” (Jeremiah 31:12). Looking to the Lord as we move towards the great future He has planned for us, we look beyond the Old Testament prophets. We look forward to the glorious fulfilment of God’s wonderful purpose of eternal salvation – “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city … I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God … God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away”(Revelation 22:1-2; Revelation 21:2-4).

One River Becomes Four Rivers.

Genesis 2:10 - One river becomes four rivers.

God’s blessing is not to be kept to ourselves.
“Water that was ankle-deep” becomes “water that was knee-deep”. Then it becomes “water that was up to the waist”. This is just the beginning of God’s blessing. He is leading us on to even greater blessing – “now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in-a river that no one could cross” (Ezekiel 47:3-5).
When the Lord’s blessing is shared, there is an increase of blessing and greater glory is given to the Lord.

Pour Out Your Heart ...

Genesis 2:12
“aromatic resin and the shoham stone”

“Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume” (John 12:3).
This is not only the story of Mary’s costly devotion. It’s a call to us to be “the pleasing aroma of Christ. The Lord is calling us to “spread the aroma of the knowledge of Him everywhere” (2 Corinthians 2:14-15).
We will do this when we are trusting in Jesus Christ, the “chosen and precious cornerstone” upon which our faith is built (1 Peter 2:6).
When we come in faith to Jesus Christ, our Saviour, God does a mighty work of grace in us: “As you come to Him, the living Stone – rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to Him – you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:4-5).

Flow, River, Flow ...

Genesis 2:13
“the river that flows through the whole land”

God is not only concerned with our personal blessing. He wants His blessing to reach out to many people in every land: “Fill this land with the Father’s glory … Flow, river, flow … Flood the nations with grace and mercy” (from the hymn, “Shine, Jesus, Shine” by Graham Kendrick).

Genesis 2:14
“Hiddekel … Ashshur … Perat”

The names are unfamiliar to us. Think of the places that are familiar to you. Pray that the river of God’s blessing will flow freely in these places, bringing people to know the Saviour and leading them on to “a closer walk with God.”

Genesis 2:15
“dressing and keeping the garden”

Coming into the “garden” of God’s blessing is just the beginning. We must keep on walking with God in the “garden” of His blessing – “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in Him” (Colossians 2:6).

My Redeemer Lives!

In Job 18, Bildad, the Shuhite, shows his lack of spiritual stature. In his description of “the wicked” (Job 18:5), he implies that all that he says applies to Job. His speech ends with the summarizing words: “This is what happens to the homes of wicked people and to those who do not know God” (Job 18:21). The opening words of the book of Job - “He was a man of integrity ... He feared God” (Job 1:1) - make it clear that Bildad’s words do not apply to Job.

For most of his speech, in Job 19, Job is in the depths of despair, then, towards the end of his speech, there is a breakthrough- “I know that my defender (or Redeemer) lives, and, afterwards, he will stand on the earth. Even after my skin has been stripped off my body, I will see God in my own flesh. I will see Him with my own eyes” (Job 19:25). There is, in Job’s heart, a great conflict. Immediately after speaking these great words of triumphant faith and glorious hope, he speaks, again, with deep agony - “My heart fails inside me!” (Job 19:27).

Forgotten by men - but not forgotten by God ...

Joseph was the forgotten man. He asked the chief cup bearer to remember him (Genesis 40:14). The chief cup bearer forgot Joseph (Genesis 40:23). He wasn’t remembered until “two full years had passed” (Genesis 41:1). As he languished in prison, these two years must have seemed a very long time. Nevertheless, Joseph kept close to God, and when the time came for him to speak for God, he was ready. Joseph didn’t seek glory for himself – “I cannot do it.” He gave all the glory to God – “but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires” (Genesis 41:16). John the Baptist was also imprisoned (Matthew 14:3). For John, unlike Joseph, there was to be no release. Whatever our circumstances, we must seek to honour God. The important thing is not the outcome of our adverse circumstances. It’s our faithfulness in these difficult times. Whatever is happening to us, we must remain in “the straight paths” and must not “walk in dark ways” (Proverbs 2:13). 
One Year Bible - Day 20: Genesis 40:1-41:40; Matthew 14:1-21; Proverbs 2:12-22

Be Real!

“The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau” (Genesis 27:22).

Be real! What we are and what we appear to be can be two very different things. God is calling us out of hypocrisy and into holiness. There can be no real holiness if we’re only trying to keep up appearances. God is looking for holiness of heart. This is so different from the “holiness” of the Pharisees. That wasn’t holiness. It was hypocrisy. Lord, deliver us from hypocrisy, and lead us into holiness.

Waiting Patiently For God's Answer

Habakkuk 1:1-2:14
‘How long, O Lord, must I call for help, but You do not listen?’(1:2). There are times when it seems that God is not listening to us. What are we to do when we feel like this? Are we to give up on God? Are we to stop praying? No! We must wait patiently for the Lord’s answer - ‘I will look to see what He will say to me’. We must not forget His promise: ‘The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul that seeks Him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord’(2:1; Lamentations 3:25-26). ‘The vision awaits its time... If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay’. Let us ‘live by faith’, awaiting the Day when ‘the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea’(2:3-4,14).

Rest Secure In God's Love.

“Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in Him, for He shields him all day long, and the one that the Lord loves rests between His shoulders” (Deuteronomy 33:12).

The Lord loves us. His love casts out our fear. His love gives us security. His love shields us. We rest in His love. There’s a place in His heart for us. The love of God – This is the message which reaches out “to the ends of the earth” (Deuteronomy 33:17).

“The great love of God is revealed in the Son, who came to this earth to redeem every one. That love, like a stream flowing clear to the sea, makes clean every heart that from sin would be free. It binds the whole world, every barrier it breaks, the hills it lays low, and the mountains it shakes. It’s yours, it is ours, O how lavishly given! The pearl of great price, and the treasure of heaven!” (Daniel Thambyrajah Niles). “All for your sake, all for my sake; yes, for all, I say: Now for the world comes news of salvation: ‘Christ is born today!” ‘Christ is born today!'” (From the Gujarati of Kahanji Madhavji Ranagrahi).

Two ways of living

Psalm 1

The first Psalm speaks to us about two ways of living – the Lord’s way and the world’s way. Each of us must choose. When we choose God’s way, His blessing fills our lives. We must not turn away from Him, and lose out on His blessing. May God help us to keep on walking with Him, and to enjoy His blessing on our lives.

Out Of Our Failure - And Into The Lord's Victory ...

The end of Saul’s reign, the beginning of David’s reign

For Saul, the end was tragic - “See how the mighty have fallen” (2 Samuel 1:19,25,27).

David’s reign marked a new beginning. God is gracious. He gives a new beginning when we have made a mess of things. He is the God of hope. He leads us out of our failure and into His victory.

David became the king of Judah (2 Samuel 2:1-7) and the king of Israel (2 Samuel 5:1-5). Behind the story of David, there is the story of God at work: “The Lord was with David”,     “The Lord had established him as king of Israel and made his kingdom famous for the sake of Israel, the Lord’s people” (2 Samuel 5:10-12).

“David worships the Lord” - “I will celebrate in the Lord’s presence”, “You are great, Lord God. There is no one like You, and there is no other god except you” (2 Samuel 6:21; 2 Samuel 7:22).

David trusts God - “Almighty Lord, You are God, and Your words are trustworthy” (2 Samuel 7:28).

David obeys God - “David ruled all Israel. He did what was fair and right for all his people” (2 Samuel 8:15).

“God’s kindness” (2 Samuel 9:3)

God has shown His kindness to us. We are to show His kindness to others.

“Be strong!” (2 Samuel 10:12) - We are to be strong in the strength of the Lord.

Strength and kindness - God will give us the strength to be less self-centred, and more other-centred and God-centred.

“The Lord considered David’s actions evil” (2 Samuel 11:27) - This is a summary of the sinful and shameful events that are recorded in 2 Samuel 11. For most of 2 Samuel 12, we have a record of the consequences of David’s sin. At the end of the chapter, there is a ray of hope - the birth of a son, Jedidiah. His name means “The Lord’s Beloved”. God’s love is greater than our sin!

In 2 Samuel 13 - 14, we read about sin - rape, murder and deception. This realistic account of human behaviour highlights the sin which separates us from God. This shows us very clearly our need of salvation. We need the Lord’s saving grace in our lives, if we are to be kept from going further along the road of sinful living. By His grace, He saves us. He forgives our sin. He calls us to walk with Him on the pathway of holiness.

In 2 Samuel 15 - 16, we have a very human story. It’s just like our life today. We read it, and we think about our own life. We ask, “Where is the Lord in all of this?” We need to maintain the Lord’s priorities. We need to keep “God’s ark” - His Word - among us. We need to seek His favour and honour His servants (2 Samuel 15:25; 2 Samuel 16:18). Maintaining the Lord’s priorities is so important if we are to keep sight of Him. If we fail to maintain our focus on the Lord, we will be swept along by events that do not seem to be filled with any real sense of the purpose of God being fulfilled in our lives. When God seems far away, and we can’t see Him at work, we must keep on believing in His presence and power, We walk by faith - not by sight.

In 2 Samuel 17 - 19, we read of Absalom pursuing David (chapter 17), David defeating Absalom (chapter 18), and David being restored to the throne (chapter 19). At the heart of these very human events concerning conflict within the nation, we must see the outworking of God’s purpose.

“May the Lord your God be praised. He has handed over the men who rebelled against your Majesty” (2 Samuel 18:28). The king is called “your Majesty”. We must never forget that there is an even greater King, an even greater Majesty. The Lord is King. We “worship His Majesty”.

In 2 Samuel 20 - 21, there are so many names. As we read about the various incidents that are described in these chapters, we must not overlook the spiritual dimension. We must respect the Lord and His servants (2 Samuel 20:19). We must seek the Lord’s blessing. “God answered the prayers for the land” (2 Samuel 21:14) - We must look to the Lord to do this in our generation.

David sings his song to the Lord (2 Samuel 22:1-51). It’s a song of praise. It’s a song which exalts the Lord. It’s a song which gives glory to the Lord. At the heart of David’s song of praise, there’s a particularly rich section, which is full of precious statements concerning the Lord.

* God’s way is perfect (2 Samuel 22:31).

* Who is God but the Lord? (2 Samuel 22:32).

* God arms me with strength (2 Samuel 22:33).

* He makes my feet like those of a deer (2 Samuel 22:34).

* He trains my hands for battle (2 Samuel 22:35).

* You have given me the shield of Your salvation (2 Samuel 22:36).

* You make a wide path for me to walk on so my feet do not slip (2 Samuel 22:37).

These great verses jump out from the particular historical circumstances out of which David speaks.
They speak to us as words which jump across the centuries.
These words begin as David’s confession of faith. They become our confession of faith.

David’s work was intended by God to bring blessing to the people.

He was “raised up” by God (2 Samuel 23:1). “The Spirit of the Lord spoke through him" (2 Samuel 23:2).

David’s influence on the people was not always a good influence.

He “sinned” against the Lord, bringing judgment upon the nation (2 Samuel 24:10,15).

Sin and judgment are not, however, the last word concerning God’s dealings with His people.

“So the Lord heard the prayers for the country, and the plague in Israel stopped” (2 Samuel 24:25).

The Lord’s servants are not perfect. There is sin in us. This affects our usefulness in God’s service.

God is greater than His servants.

His grace reaches out to men and women through His very inadequate servants. “We have this treasure in earthen vessels”.

Why? - “To show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to ourselves” (2 Corinthians 4:7).

Where does worship begin?

Isaiah 55:1-13

“Without money and without cost” (Isaiah 55:1) - “The best things in life are free. Money can’t buy me love” (The Beatles).

We read, in Matthew 26:7, about a woman who anointed Jesus with “very expensive fragrant oil.”

What are we to say about all of this? - It’s not about repaying the Lord for His love for us. It’s about expressing our love for Him. It’s about worship.

Where does worship begin? - “Seek the Lord... He will freely forgive” (Isaiah 55:7).

How does the love of Christ reach us and change us? You feel like you’re lost. The love of Christ says, “You can be found,” This is the message of Jesus’ parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son (Luke 15) - three parables, one message.

It’s not so much about us - our seeking the Lord and finding Him. It’s about the Lord. He seeks us and finds us.

In Matthew 26, we read about a woman who worshipped the Lord, and a man who betrayed Him.

Worship or betrayal? Which will it be?

 * How do we worship the Lord? - We worship Him, when we make Him the top priority in our lives.

 * How do we betray the Lord? - We betray him when we fill our lives with other things, and leave no place for Him.

The woman is to be remembered for the right reason. She worshipped the Lord. Judas Iscariot is remembered for the wrong reason. He betrayed the Lord.

We remember them. We remember Jesus, the Passover Lamb, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).

There Is Only One Power Able To Destroy The Power Of Satan: ‘He Shall Be Broken By The Hand Of God.’

Daniel 7:1-28
There before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven... His Kingdom is one that will never be destroyed’(13-14). These words point us to Christ’s description of His Second Coming, the Coming of His Kingdom: ‘They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory’(Matthew 24:30). In Revelation 1:7, we have another echo of Daniel’s ‘vision’: ‘Look, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him’. ‘Lo! He comes, with clouds descending... Yea, Amen! let all adore Thee, high on Thine eternal throne; Saviour, take the power and glory, claim the Kingdom for Thine own. O come quickly! O come quickly! O come quickly! Alleluia! Come, Lord, come!’(Church Hymnary, 316).

Daniel 8:1-27
Here, we have a ‘vision’ concerning ‘the distant future’, ‘the time of the end’(26,17). Here, we catch a glimpse of Satan, the very powerful enemy of God’s people. Satan’s power is very frightening - ‘His power shall be great, and he shall cause fearful destruction...’. It was the power of Satan which lay behind the ‘stern-faced king’: ‘He will become very strong, but not by his own power’(23-24). Satan’s power will be broken. Satan faces certain defeat- ‘He will be defeated’. How will he be defeated? We will not defeat him - ‘He will not be destroyed by human power’. There is only one Power able to destroy the power of Satan: ‘He shall be broken by the hand of God’. ‘Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ’(1 Corinthians 15:57).

God ‘Blesses’ Us Through ‘His Word.’ He ‘Blesses’ Us In ‘The Spirit.’

Psalm 147:1-20
‘The Lord builds up Jerusalem. He gathers the exiles of Israel. he heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds’(2-3). This is much more than the building of the city of Jerusalem with bricks and mortar. This is God building up His people in their ‘most holy faith’(Jude 20). This is God blessing His people as they gather together to worship Him. In Christ, we are ‘being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit’(Ephesians 2:22). The Lord draws us to Himself. He brings us into fellowship with His people. He calls us to worship Him: ‘Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving’. He ‘blesses’ us through ‘His Word’. He ‘blesses’ us in ‘the Spirit’: ‘He sends His Word... and the waters flow’(7,12-13,18; John 7:37-39).

Psalms 148:1-150:6
‘Praise the Lord’. Psalms 146 and 147 began and ended with these words. Now, we find the same beginning and ending in each of these three Psalms - ‘Praise the Lord’. Our personal song of praise to God - ‘Praise be to the Lord my Rock... I will sing a new song to You, O God... I will exalt You, my God the King; I will praise Your Name for ever and ever; Every day I will praise You... My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord... I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live’(144:1,9; 145:1-2,21; 146:2) - is just a small part of something so much richer and fuller - ‘Let everything that has breath praise the Lord’(150:6). May these great Psalms of praise inspire us to praise the Lord more truly and more fully.

The Lord is my Shepherd ...

Psalm 23:1-6

“The Lord is my Shepherd” (Psalm 23:1).

He speaks to us. He calls us to Himself. He leads us on with Himself (John 10:3).

He is all that we need for walking the walk as well as talking the talk.

He works in us through the “oil” of the Holy Spirit and the “table” and “cup” of Christ (Psalm 23:5).

The completion of God’s work in us is beyond this life. It’s more than “as long as I live.” It’s “forever” (Psalm 23:6).

Live In The Will Of God - Within The Boundaries Set By His Word.

‘Drive out all the inhabitants of the land’(Numbers 33:52): We must drive out the enemy (Satan) if we are to enter more fully into our salvation in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 5:3-14). Idolatry is to be banished (Numbers 33:52). It has no place among God’s people. God wants us to ‘possess the land’(Numbers 33:53) - a fuller enjoyment of Him. Idolatry is settling for ‘second best’ - letting something or someone else become more important to you than the Lord. Don’t let it happen! The setting of the boundaries of the land of Canaan (Numbers 34:1-29) is a reminder that there are boundaries in the Christian life, boundaries set by God Himself, the boundaries of Holy Scripture. When we move beyond the boundaries of God’s holy Word, we move outside the sphere of God’s blessing. Live in the will of God - within the boundaries set by His Word.

Let's Give God Our Very Best.

Ephesians 4:7-5:14
God wants us to ‘grow up in every way into Christ’ (15). We are to ‘walk in love’ (2), a life which is ‘pleasing to the Lord’ (5:10).
It is so easy for us to settle for something less than God’s very best. We settle down into a state of spiritual complacency.
What does God have to say about this? - ‘Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God’ (30). He gives us His wake-up call: ‘Awake, O sleeper…’ (5:14). God says to us, ‘Awake, awake, put on your strength… Shake yourself from the dust, arise’ (Isaiah 52:1-2).
Have you become ‘lukewarm’? - ‘Be zealous and repent’. Christ says, ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come into him’ (Revelation 3:16,19-20).

Lord, You are our Creator.

Genesis 1:26-2:3

Lord, You are our Creator. We have been created by You. We have been created for You. What have we done with this great blessing? We have turned away from You. We have gone our own way. We have done our own thing. Have You lost patience with us? Have You given up on us? We often feel like we are a waste of Your time - then we remember Jesus. That's when everything changes - We remember Jesus. He came from where You are. He came to where we are. From where we are to where You are - This is what Jesus does for us.