Feasting on God's Word (One Year Bible)

“Here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments” ( Ecclesiastes 12:13 ). There are many matters which are secondary. Living in accordance with the Gospel is the all-important thing: “We put up with anything rather than hinder the Gospel of Christ” ( 1 Corinthians 9:12 ). “For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; He is to be feared above all gods” ( Psalm 96:4 ). The fear of the Lord is directly related to worshipping Him. To fear the Lord is not to cower away from Him. It is to come to Him in worship. Together with the fear of the Lord, there is rejoicing in Him ( Psalm 96:11 ).

“Do not be over-righteous, neither be overwise” ( Ecclesiastes 7:16 ). This is not a protest against wisdom and righteousness. It is telling us that, in our wisdom and righteousness, we must not become proud like the Pharisees. “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up” ( 1 Corinthians 8:1 ). Without love, everything else is nothing. We must never forget this. “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts” ( Psalm 95:7-8 ). Where our wisdom (or knowledge) and righteousness become centred on ourselves - ‘How wise and righteous I have become’, we have closed our hearts to God. Listen to God. Learn from Him. Live for Him. Real wisdom has nothing to do with self-centredness. It’s all about learning to be Christ-centred. Real wisdom leads to true righteousness. It’s about learning to become like Jesus. We look to Him and we learn to live for Him.

“Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income” ( Ecclesiastes 5:10 ). This is the world’s way. The Lord’s way is a better way. We are to “use the things of the world” without being “engrossed in them” ( 1 Corinthians 7:31 ). What we must remember is this: “The fear of the Lord leads to life; Then one rests content, untouched by trouble” ( Proverbs 19:23 ). When our relationship with the Lord is the most important thing in life, we do not get unduly anxious about how things are going, in terms of material prosperity.

“I know that everything God does will endure for ever” ( Ecclesiastes 3:14 ). In the constant flux of life in this world, here we have something which must never be forgotten. There are many circumstances in life which are confusing - “How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?” ( 1 Corinthians 7:16 ). In the face of life’s confusing circumstances, there will be times when we will say, “My foot is slipping.” In times like these, we must learn to say, “Your love, O Lord, supported me” ( Psalm 94:18 ).

“A glorious throne, exalted from the beginning, is the place of our sanctuary” ( Jeremiah 17:12 ). The Lord is enthroned on the praises of His people - “Jesus, we enthrone You ... We lift You up with our praise. And as we worship, build Your throne. Come, Lord Jesus, and take Your place.” When the Lord is enthroned on the praises of His people, there will also be prayer and proclamation - “Devote yourselves to prayer ... that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ ... clearly” ( Colossians 4:2-4 ). The blessing of the Lord is upon those who come to His House, seeking Him: “Blessed is he who comes in the Name of the Lord. From the House of the Lord we bless you” ( Psalm 118:26 ).

Our spiritual warfare is both outward and inward. We have enemies coming at us from without and from within. Concerning the enemies from without, God says, “This people will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you to rescue and save you ... I will save you from the hands of the wicked and redeem you from the grasp of the cruel” ( Jeremiah 15:20-21 ). Concerning the enemies from within, God says, “Put to death ... whatever belongs to your earthly nature” ( Colossians 3:5 ). We are not to “fret because of evil men” ( Proverbs 24:19 ). We are to “fear the Lord” ( Proverbs 24:21 ).

The life of faith is a life of conflict. We live among “the faithless” - God is “always on their lips, but far from their hearts” ( Jeremiah 12:12 ). We are called to maintain the faith in the face of “hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world’s rather than on Christ” ( Colossians 2:8 ). There is conflict, but there is also victory  - “The Lord is with me ... I will look in triumph over my enemies ... “ ( Psalm 118:6-8 ).

The Lord’s people are called to a ministry of preaching the Gospel and teaching the Word ( Jeremiah 11:6 ; Colossians 1:25 , 28 ). While this ministry is carried out by particular individuals, e.g. Jeremiah and Paul, it is a ministry which is strengthened by the support and encouragement which comes from the Lord’s people. It is not only to the preachers and teachers that God says, “Extol Him.” He says, “Extol Him all you people” ( Psalm 117:1 ). 

There is a great contrast between sin - “Do not trust your brothers. For every brother is a deceiver ... and no-one speaks the truth” ( Jeremiah 9:4-5 ) - and salvation - “the holy and faithful brothers in Christ ... the Words of truth, the Gospel ... has come to you” ( Colossians 1:2 , 5-6 ). God is calling us from sin to salvation, and then on to service. Those who say, “I will lift up the cup of salvation” go on to say, “O Lord, I am Your servant” ( Psalm 116:13 , 16 ). This service is offered to the Lord in gratitude for His salvation,. We acknowledge Him as Saviour, saying, “You have freed me from my chains”, and we say to Him, “I will sacrifice a thank-offering to You” ( Psalm 116:17 ).

Amos was commissioned by the Lord - “Go, prophesy to My people Israel ” ( Amos 7:15 ). The purpose of such prophecy, in our generation, is to declare the Gospel: “God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” ( Romans 5:8 ). If this message of love is to be brought to the people, the preacher must pray: “Teach me Your way, O Lord, and I will walk in Your truth ...” ( Psalm 86:11 ).

Religion is not salvation. “Sacrifices and offerings” ( Amos 5:25 ), circumcision ( Romans 4:9-12 ) - All of this can be “works” which are given to God as a means of earning His favour. The Gospel shows us another way - “righteousness apart from works” ( Romans 4:6 ). This is the way of which the Psalmist speaks: “You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to You” ( Psalm 86:5 ).

Scripture speaks honestly about sin - “You have not returned to Me” ( Amos 4:6 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ); “There is no fear of God before their eyes” ( Romans 3:18 ). God’s reply to sin is salvation - “Surely His salvation is near those who fear Him, that His glory may dwell in our land” ( Psalm 85:9 ).

God is perfectly holy. He cannot stand sin. This is clear in both Amos and Romans. It is stressed in Proverbs, which emphasizes that sin is not so much sin against man but “contempt for their Maker” (17:5). Proverbs 17:9 tells us that we are to “promote love.” This love is to be modelled on the love of God. He is always the One who is sinned against. He is never the One who has done the sinning. Nevertheless, His love remains constant. It is the divine pattern for our living in love.

Day 29 4 Jeremiah 48:1-49:6 ; 2 Timothy 1:1-18 ; Psalm 119:81-88 “A curse on him who is lax in doing the Lord’s work!” ( Jeremiah 48:10 ). We should not be lax in doing the Lord’s work, “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a Spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline” ( 2 Timothy 1:7 ). Through the power of the Spirit of God, we are able to say, with Paul, “I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him for that Day” ( 2 Timothy 1:12 ). Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are enabled to “obey the statutes of Your mouth” ( Psalm 119:88 ). Day 29 5 Jeremiah 49:7-50:10 ; 2 Timothy 2:1-26 ; Proverbs 25:21-26:2 Jeremiah speaks of a time of judgment upon Babylon ( Jeremiah 50:1-3 ) and a time of blessing upon the people of Israel ( Jeremiah 50:4-5 ). If the blessing, and not the judgment, is to come in our own day, we must be faithful in the ministry of God’s Word ...

The Word of God is to be preached, even if it is a difficult message. In face of the judgment pronounced upon Babylon , God says to His messengers, “When you get to Babylon , see that you read all these words aloud” ( Jeremiah 51:61 ). Paul calls on Timothy to “preach the Word” - “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of His appearing and His Kingdom, I give you this charge” ( 2 Timothy 4:1-2 ). Those who truly love the Lord’s Word and meditate on it all day long ( Psalm 119:97 ) will find it their joyful privilege and their solemn responsibility to speak His Word; “How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth” ( Psalm 119:103 ).

This part of Jeremiah’s prophecy is concerned with God’s judgment upon Babylon . God sets Himself against those who set themselves against Him. We live in times when “evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived” ( 2 Timothy 3:13 ). In such times, we must build upon “the Holy (God-breathed) Scriptures which are able to make us wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” and which will “thoroughly equip us for every good work” ( 2 Timothy 3:15-17 ). This Word of the Lord is “eternal”, and God’s “faithfulness continues through all generations” ( Psalm 119:89-90 ). To say that God’s Word is eternal does not mean that it is distant and remote from time. Rather, it is to emphasize that it is relevant. It is relevant to every generation. It is eternally relevant.

Jeremiah speaks of a time of judgment upon Babylon ( Jeremiah 50:1-3 ) and a time of blessing upon the people of Israel ( Jeremiah 50:4-5 ). If the blessing, and not the judgment, is to come in our own day, we must be faithful in the ministry of God’s Word ( 2 Timothy 2:15 ). Faithful ministry of God’s Word is “like cold water to a weary soul.” It is “good news from a distant land” ( Proverbs 25:25 ). It is the Good News sent down from heaven, the Living Water of the Holy Spirit.

What a transformation there is when “the Spirit is poured upon us from on high” ( Isaiah 32:14-15 ). The blessings which God pours upon us are well summed up in 2 Corinthians 13:14 - “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” How are these ongoing blessings communicated to us? - These blessings come to us through “true and reliable words” ( Proverbs 22:21 ). These blessings come to us from the God of perfect wisdom. His teaching is both present and personal - “I teach you today, even you” ( Proverbs 22:19 ).

“In repentance and rest is your salvation” ( Isaiah 30:15 ). Repentance is an ongoing part of our Christian experience - 2 Corinthians 12:21 emphasizes the need for continuing repentance. We have been saved. We continue to sin. We must seek, by God’s grace, to maintain our repentance. Rest is part of our redemption in Christ. To be “redeemed from the hand of the foe” ( Psalm 107:2 ) means the beginning of rest, the beginning of deliverance from the oppressor. This does not mean that the perfect state has been reached. Still, there is “wandering in desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle” ( Psalm 107:4 ). In Christ, we have entered into our rest. Still, however, there is restlessness - a God-given restlessness - as we continue to hunger and thirst ( Psalm 107:5 ) for “a city where they could settle” ( Psalm 107:7 ), a heavenly city that is permanent, and not merely transient.  In His faithful love, God assures us that...

Isaiah 28:29 contains a great description of God - “The Lord Almighty, wonderful in counsel and magnificent in wisdom.” Paul speaks, in 2 Corinthians 12:7 , of “surpassingly great revelations.”  Whenever God reveals an increased measure of His wonderful counsel and magnificent wisdom, He wants us to remain humble, resting only in His grace and power ( 2 Corinthians 12:9 ) and not in any supposed achievement or attainment of our own. He wants us always to say, from the heart, “Praise be to the Lord” ( Psalm 106:48 ).