Isaiah 53:7
“He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.” Although there can be a cost to silence, there is also times when silence is the best answer. The difference is subtle, yet profound. Sometimes we are called to speak for our faith, and sometimes our silence shows our faith. The greatest Example of this is found in the Lord Jesus Christ. He was oppressed. He was afflicted. He was slaughtered. He was accused. He was questioned. He was reviled. He suffered. Yet through all of this…He remained silent. Matthew 26:63 “But Jesus held his peace…” Matthew 27:12-14 “And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly.” Luke 23:9 “Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing.” Throughout the latter chapters of each of the Gospel records there is less and less red letters printed on the pages of our Bibles. In His darkest hour, He chose to be silent as He trusted in His Father’s perfect will. Despite the pain, the suffering, the betrayal, the agony of what was taking place…He was silent. 1 Peter 2:21-23 “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:” He left us an example that we should follow His steps. When we experience pain and suffering, remember how He handled Himself. If He chose to be silent through all that He faced would we not be wise to also do the same? Silence can show Who your faith is in. Bible Reading: 2 Chronicles 9-10 | 1 Timothy 3
0 Comments
Matthew 21:27
“And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.” Jesus asked them a question. Instead of giving the answer, they chose to reason with themselves as to what would be the best answer. Matthew 21:25-26 “The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him? But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet.” If they answered one way, they knew He would rebuke them. If they answered the other way, they feared the people’s reaction. They could have spoken the truth, but they chose differently. “We cannot tell.” Though they uttered three words, they really said nothing at all. Their silence caused them to miss out on hearing from Jesus. “Neither tell I you…“ Consider how applicable this situation is to our lives today. When we are called to give an answer, do we speak the Truth or reason with ourselves as to what answer would be in our best interest? The chaotic situations arising in our world today are causing some to give an answer for our faith. The persecutions that we have heard for years would eventually come have begun to arrive. Will we stay silent? Will we speak words that really say nothing at all? Or will we choose to use such a time as this to speak the Truth? Sometimes, the cost of silence is far too great. Bible Reading: 2 Chronicles 7-8 | 1 Timothy 2 Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” One word appears twice in these verses that makes the difference in how we apply them to our walk with the Lord. Just three letters, but so much is found within the word…All. It is often joked that all simply means all. If the whole quantity or extent is not included, it simply is not all. A part is not all. Within these familiar verses, this word is linked to two different aspects of our lives with a possessive pronoun in between which makes them personal to us. “…with all thine heart…” Partial trust is not really trust at all. Where there is doubt, there is not trust. Do we trust Him completely? “In all thy ways…” Partial recognition will only lead to confusion. We cannot be directed by the Lord if we are doing the navigating. Are we yielding to Him completely? When we seek Him in everything, we will see Him do more than we could ever imagine. Psalm 37:4-5 “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.” He may send you on a journey you never planned to go on. Trust that He orders every situation and every step you take. Psalm 37:23 “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.” He may deliver something completely unexpected. Trust Him to provide what you need. Psalm 84:11 “For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.” He may cross your paths with someone just when He knows you both need it. Trust Him to give you who you need. Proverbs 17:17 “A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” With “all thine heart” and “In all thy ways”…trust Him completely today. Bible Reading: 2 Chronicles 5-6 | 1 Timothy 1 Joshua 14:11
“As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in.” Waiting can take a toll on us. Usually the longer we wait, the more agitated our flesh becomes. Caleb had waited 45 years to receive what he was promised, yet his strength remained. He was as strong at 85 as he was when he was 40. “As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me…” His strength never failed because he never trusted in his own strength. “…as my strength was then, even so is my strength now…” This was the result of Caleb wholly following the Lord, even through the wilderness. Perhaps his testimony of relying on the Lord’s strength encouraged those who came behind him. 2 Corinthians 12:8-9 “For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Caleb and Paul both realized that it was not their strength that enabled them, it was the Lord. They yielded themselves to His strength. It is in our times of weakness that the strength of the Lord is shown. Without Him, we can do nothing; yet through Him we can do all things. Allow Him to strengthen you today. Bible Reading: 2 Chronicles 3-4 | 2 Thessalonians 3 Joshua 14:8
“Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt: but I wholly followed the LORD my God.” Standing for Truth is rarely easy, but doing right is always the right thing to do. Often there are times in our lives when we must choose whether to follow the crowd or the Lord. This was the case when the spies came back with their report of the land of Canaan. When 10 of the spies chose to let their fearfulness fuel their perception, they brought up an evil report. Rather than a land flowing with milk and honey, they chose to focus on the people. They saw giants of great stature instead of what God had intended for them. Caleb and Joshua saw the exceeding good land the Lord wanted to give the children of Israel. They knew that the Lord could give them the victory. The majority tried to stone them because of their faith. But the Lord promised to intervene on their behalf and allow them to see the land He had reserved for them. Numbers 14:30 “Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.” Caleb was 40 years old when Moses sent the spies out, and now he was 85. He waited 45 years. His testimony throughout those years of waiting is that he wholly followed the Lord. The Lord gave him what was promised. Joshua 14:13-14 “And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh Hebron for an inheritance. Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite unto this day, because that he wholly followed the LORD God of Israel.” Throughout the many years of waiting, he was faithful to wholly follow the Lord. Can the same be said of us? The land of Canaan is a picture of the victorious life of God’s children. Most of the children of Israel who wandered in the wilderness for 40 years never stepped one foot in Canaan. They missed out on the victory of the Lord’s blessings. While we are now waiting there will be some around us who choose not to follow Him. Will we follow the majority and miss out on what He has in store? Or will we stay faithful to follow the Lord wherever He leads? Victory is found in Him, but we must be willing to follow Him in order to find it. Choose to wholly follow Him today…no matter how long you have to wait. Bible Reading: 2 Chronicles 1-2 | 2 Thessalonians 2 Proverbs 8:13
“The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.” Only when we fear the Lord do we begin to have wisdom. Psalm 111:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.” Part of the process of truly fearing the Lord is to hate what the Lord hates. Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” We cannot be friends with the world while also considering ourselves to be friends with Him. God demands that His children disregard what displeases Him. Evil abounds in the world around us, and therefore we must avoid everything that is contrary to the Truth. We must hate evil, pride, arrogance, every evil way, and those who speak not the Truth. Within the pages of the Word of God we find instructions for how God would have us to live amongst this evil. Psalm 119:104 “Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.” When it seems that there is nowhere to turn due to the increase of evil around us, it is easy to become disheartened and discouraged. Where can we go? What can we do? Resist the temptation to panic and isolate yourself, and begin to cling to the Word of God to speak peace to your soul. Psalm 119:128 “Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way.” Strive today to hate what God hates. Bible Reading: 1 Chronicles 27-29 | 2 Thessalonians 1 Proverbs 3:1
“My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:” We cannot forget what we do not know. The more we know of God’s Word the more of His Word we will want to know. The importance of knowing the Word cannot be overstated; however, more than knowing, we must apply the Truth of God’s Word to our hearts. “…but let thine heart…” What we allow in our hearts determines our words and our actions. Luke 6:45 “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.” What is your heart saying today? Proverbs 3:3-4 “Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.” Engrave the Wisdom of the Word upon your heart and life today. Read the Word. Recite the Word. Remember the Word. 2 Peter 3:15 “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:” What answer will you give? Our hearts speak louder than we realize sometimes. Bible Reading: 1 Chronicles 25-26 | 1 Thessalonians 5 Philippians 2:15
“That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;” Our crooked and perverse nation is in distress. People are looking for hope, seeking answers in all the wrong places. Darkness seems to be prevailing; yet, we are still here. That means there is still work for us to do. There is still time to “shine as lights” for others to see. Proverbs 4:17-19 “For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence. But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.” In the middle of the darkness, “the path of the just” can light the way; because this is not just any shining light. John 8:12 “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” John 12:46 “I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.” We have the Light of Christ within us, and it is up to us to shine so that others may see the glorious Light of the Gospel. 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” People all around us are walking in darkness. Their minds are blinded by the devil through disbelief. Only the Light of the Gospel can open their spiritual eyes. Philippians 2:15-16 “That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.” May the Word of Life shine out of our hearts…for it is His Word that makes the difference. Matthew 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Shine the Light today. Our nation needs Him more than ever before. Bible Reading: 1 Chronicles 23-24 | 1 Thessalonians 4 1 Kings 3:11
“And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment;” God must hear requests for long life, riches, honour, or revenge all the time. How much must it grieve His heart for us to ask for any or all of those things rather than asking for wisdom to serve Him? Solomon could have asked for anything, yet he asked for wisdom. He not only received it, but through God’s grace he was also given so much more. 1 Kings 3:12-14 “Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days. And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.” What might the Lord also give us if we will simply ask for the right thing in the first place? Because he asked for wisdom, God not only granted Solomon’s request, but He also bestowed so much more in addition to his plea. What a picture of the grace of God! He always gives us so much more than we could ever deserve. If we will simply ask for wisdom, as Solomon did, we too may receive temporal blessings in addition to that which has eternal value. What have we missed because we simply asked for the wrong thing? Bible Reading: 1 Chronicles 21-22 | 1 Thessalonians 3 1 Kings 3:12
“Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.” Solomon asking for wisdom, knowledge and understanding did not surprise the LORD God one bit. He knows what we need before we even ask. Matthew 6:8 “Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.” Solomon’s wisdom was displayed in his asking for it in the first place. He was wise enough to ask for more wisdom! God had given him the opportunity, and Solomon had faith that God would provide his request. Because of his faith, God entrusted him with a distinct ability unlike anyone else. God has a unique plan for each of our lives. He has entrusted us with the privilege to serve Him, and He knows exactly what we need. We must have enough faith to ask Him to give us the wisdom He knows we need in order to accomplish His will in us. 1 Kings 4:29-30 “And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore. And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.” God allows situations to come into our lives to allow our faith in Him to grow. The more faith we have in Him, the more He can use us in ways we never dreamed. 1 Kings 4:34 “And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom.” What has God entrusted you with? Examine your faith in Him today. Bible Reading: 1 Chronicles 19-20 | 1 Thessalonians 2 |
Archives
January 2021
Philippians 4:17Copyright © 2020
Delight Thyself Design Ministries, Inc. All rights reserved. |