The Biblical Path of Life

Author: mjross

  • Those Who Love God

    “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
    Romans 8:28

    Have you ever had something bad happen to you? According to Romans 8:28, if we are Christians (have Jesus in our hearts and lives), and are living according to God’s Word doing what God wants us to do with our lives, everything will work out for good – even if it seems like something bad at the time. There is a great picture of this lived out in the life of Elijah. Even when the king and queen wanted Elijah dead, God provided for him and took care of him.

    In Elijah’s day, the nation of Israel had already divided into two kingdoms, Israel and Judah. The kingdom of Israel never had a good king. The worst was King Ahab. God called Elijah to speak to wicked King Ahab. God sent Elijah to tell the king there would be no rain in the land; and there was a drought for over three years. God provided for Elijah during the drought. He sent Elijah to the brook Cherith where he had water. God sent ravens to bring him food. When the brook dried up, God sent him to Zarephath where a widow woman took care of him until the end of the drought. After over three years, God sent Elijah back to King Ahab with a great challenge. Elijah told him to have all of Israel to meet on top of Mount Carmel. He called for a decision from the people. Choose who the true God is. After Elijah’s great victory when fire fell from heaven and consumed his offering, the people declared, “The Lord, He is the God.” Because Elijah had all of the false prophets killed, Queen Jezebel, Ahab’s wicked wife, wanted him dead. Elijah ran for his life. We learn that God had not forgotten Elijah, for He showed Himself to Elijah in a still small voice. Elijah thought he was the last one who loved and served God. But God told him that there seven thousand others that had not served the false gods. Therefore, Elijah was not alone. However, more than this reassurance, he gave Elijah a helper – Elisha. Through all of this, we can learn that even though the nation as a whole had forsaken God and turned to idol worship, there were still those who had not forsaken God. Elijah was a great example of God providing for one who was willing to give his life wholly to serve God, obeying His every command. We should remember the encouragement God gave to Elijah when he was greatly discouraged – and even fearful for his life (see 1 Kings 17-20). Remember Romans 8:28: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Especially that all things will work together for good if one is living the life God would have them to live. It is important to trust that God will provide for our every need.

    During days where there are trying times and all seems to be going wrong, stop and look at your heart and life. Seek God to see if you are where you should be, doing what you should be doing. If you seek Him with all of your heart, you can find Him. “11. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. 12. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. 13. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. 14. And I will be found of you, saith the LORD …” (Jeremiah 29: 11-14a).  

    If we will obey God, God will provide for us and take care of us – no matter what.

    Are you living for God, trusting that He will work all things together for good?

  • God Made Me

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    “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”   John 1:3

    Have you ever stopped to think about God’s creation? Have you ever thought, “What is the greatest thing God created?” There are so many wonderful and beautiful things that God made. Picture the mountains, beautiful sunsets, the ocean, a full moon as it rises, and so many other amazing things in God’s creation. But have you ever considered that the greatest thing God created was you? There are a few things we can find in God’s Word that brings us to this conclusion. 

    Remember first that God created the world in six days. At the end of the first five days, God declared that it was good. Even on the sixth day after God created all of the animals and everything that creeps on the earth, God declared that it was good. But on that sixth day there was a special creation. “26. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them” (Genesis 1:26-27). God made man in His image; a man and a woman. After this, we find that God declared that his creation was “very good.”

    God created man perfect, without sin. He made man with the intent that they would be “holy and without blame” (see Ephesians 1:4). But more than that, God created man to have fellowship with Him. “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). He wanted to walk with us.

    As we read Genesis chapter three, we find that Adam and Eve disobeyed God when Eve was beguiled by Satan, bringing sin into the word which caused separation from God for all of mankind. This meant that man could no longer fellowship with God as before because of this separation (remembering that before this they had walked and talked with God in the garden). Even though man failed greatly, God promised One would come to bridge the gap between sinful man and God (see the first promise of this in Genesis 3:15) which would restore that fellowship. Although Adam and Eve did not know who that One was, they believed God’s Word.

    Throughout the Old Testament, there were many who watched for that One promised by God to come. Jesus, God’s only Son, came into the world for me (and you). He came so that I could have the opportunity to fellowship with God again – if only I would believe. “Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works” (Titus 2:14). When Jesus came, He came to destroy the work of Satan. “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8).

    God made each and every one of us. If one would take time to read Psalm 139:1-18, they could understand that even King David understood just how special each person created by God is. One of the most important things that each person should understand is that God created me. He made me a unique individual. And God created me to have fellowship with Him. God has a plan for me. But because of sin that separated man from God, each person must trust Jesus to reconcile them, restoring that relationship.

    Sadly, there are few people in the world today that truly understand their worth in God’s eyes. By remembering the importance of each person, and the great love God has for them in the sending of His only Son, Jesus, to bring them back to Him, we can once again understand the importance on our part to receive the great gift God has made available to us.

    What have you done with this realization?

    Originally posted at: http://lighthouse.pub/blog/2020/04/06/god-made-me/?src=n

  • Apply Your Heart unto Wisdom

    “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”
    Psalm 90:12

    Have you ever had an urgency to do something? What drove that urgency?

    For those who belong to the Lord, that urgency should come from Him. We should not act upon our own fears or uncertainties – but we often do. There should be a basis of a relationship with God that we know where He wants us to be, and that we are doing what we should be doing. Sometimes He will place something of importance in front of us that we need to take care of now. Most often, it is just the regular day by day as we follow Him as He leads. There are many things of this world that will affect that day to day consistency if we allow them. That is something of which we must be keenly aware.

    One can’t help but think back to the time right before Jesus was to be crucified. He gave his disciples some much needed final instruction. He knew that it would be different for them – for He would no longer be physically walking with them. They would need to know what was happening and what to do. One very interesting thing we can find is found in John 17. There was so much on Jesus’ mind. He knew the day for which he had come had finally arrived: the day that He would willingly lay down his perfect, sinless life to pay the penalty for all of sinful mankind – if only they would believe.

    He went to the garden to pray. He knew the day was at hand, and He knew there was one final thing He had to complete. At the beginning of His prayer, He recalled why God had sent Him into the world, and he acknowledged that He had completed the things God hand sent Him to do. But that only encompassed the first five verses. The rest of the chapter, through verse twenty-six, Jesus prayed for others. He prayed for His disciples that had walked and talked with Him, for they were about to face the world without Jesus’ physical presence to be with them. All together different than the previous three years had been! But He prayed that God would help them remember the Words that they had been taught, “For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me” (John 17:8). He had told them what they needed to know to continue. He understood that trouble would come, but that God would be with them, encourage them, and help them, “I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil” (John 17:15). The disciples still had work to do. They were to tell the world what Jesus had come to do, establishing the foundation of the church and its doctrines.

    But the one amazing thing that has always encouraged me is that Jesus knew that one day I would believe in Him, giving my life to Him. He knew that I, too, would need encouragement. “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word” (John 17:20). He knew that I must understand that He placed me here for a purpose, to fulfill His will for my life, and that I needed to act upon that – not what I want. Jesus was right where God wanted Him. He had done it all, with one final job to compete: He had to lay down His life and take it up again. I will never have such an important job to complete – no one ever will! But each person that belongs to Jesus has a job to fulfill. It is important to be wise enough to understand that. “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). Read what else He prayed – for each Believer: “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world” (John 17:24). One day I will be with Him in heaven, but until then, I need to be right were Jesus was – right in the midst of the plan God had for His life.

    Are you in the midst of the plan God has for your life?

  • Have You Been a Faithful Witness?

    “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him”
    Colossians 1:16

    In Colossians 1:16 we read that God created everything, and it was created for Him. It is important to understand that God created us for a purpose. God created man to have a relationship with Him. After He created Adam and Eve, God walked with them in the garden until they disobeyed His Word, and sin entered into the world.

    After understanding that God created us to have a relationship with Him, we look at the Bible from beginning to end. Firstly, we will take a bird’s eye view over all of history to see that God dealt with man in different ways through the ages. The Bible is laid out in certain timeframes, also called “dispensations.” A dispensation is basically a means by which God deals with mankind throughout the ages because of sin and employing God’s divine government. Each of the dispensations may be regarded as a new test of the natural man, and each ends in judgment, marking man’s utter failure in every dispensation. God dealt with His creation in different ways at different times. God created the world as perfect, but when man sinned, he brought the judgment of death into the world. Throughout the ages, God gave individuals many opportunities to have a relationship with Him, but each time they failed. They had to understand that the only way this relationship could ever be restored would be by the atoning death of His Son, Jesus. It is with this understanding that we look at the scriptures as a whole.

    The seven dispensations allow us to see how God worked among the people throughout the years. What began as a face-to-face relationship with God (remember Adam and Eve in the garden) quickly turned to a sinful people unable to approach God. But God, through His grace and mercy, promised to make available to man the opportunity to once again have a relationship with Him. We learn how man fell and was punished, and then how all of mankind was only evil continually, so that God destroyed all but one family. God then gave the governing responsibilities to mankind, and they blew it again, causing God to confuse their language. When God selected a family, they ended up in bondage and needed God to deliver them from Pharaoh. Yet when God laid the Promised Land out in front of them, they were afraid to go. Once they entered the land, they forsook God and needed judges to deliver them from the judgment God sent.

    They then believed they needed a king “like the nations around” to rule them, once again rejecting God and His plan. This kingdom ended with the people in captivity because they did not heed the prophets God sent to warn them. When God allowed them to return to their land, there was great sadness, for they were not the great nation God had intended for them to be. When God sent His Son, Jesus, the fulfillment of the promise was given, if only one would believe. Jesus did many works to reveal God to the people and then laid down His life for our sins. He restored that broken relationship that nothing else through the centuries could do. When Jesus rose from the grave, He sent His disciples to tell the world, allowing His apostles to do mighty works to help establish the church.

    Although the time of the mighty works has passed, today God still uses His people to witness to a lost and dying world. A faithful witness will tell them that the only way to have a relationship with God is through the redemptive work of His Son, Jesus.  

    Have you been a faithful witness?

    First published at: http://lighthouse.pub/blog/2020/03/06/have-you-been-a-faithful-witness/?src=n

  • Our Help in a Time of Need

    “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
    Psalm 46:1

    Have you ever found yourself in a place where you did not know what to do, or even where to go? What did you do about it? Did you cry, did you grumble and complain, or stress about the situation? Or did you take your problem to God in prayer? How often we forget that our first response should be to take our requests to God!

    As Christians, we have the privilege to approach the throne of God with our requests. “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” (Philippians 4:6). This should be our immediate reaction when we need to receive an answer from God. We also must remember that He will answer us in His timing – not ours. Have you ever asked God a question, yet did not wait for Him to answer? How often do we miss God’s plan for our lives when we are too impatient to wait upon Him?

    Recently, I have been a part of a group of people who were seeking God and His plan for us. We had committed to stand by the truths found in God’s Word. However, we needed clear direction. We prayed. We searched for answers. We waited. We continued in the path we believed He had for us to travel. Many other people disagreed with the decisions that we had made. Relationships were lost. New ones have been made. We set a date that we needed an answer from the Lord, or we could not continue. The date came, and God answered our prayer on that day, above and beyond our hopes and expectations! We had put into practice what we had learned: “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6)

    Through all of the turmoil during those days, and the negative words spoken against us for standing for the truths found in God’s Word, we understood more about the truths of God’s Word. “2. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3. Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. 4.  There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. 5. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. 6. The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. 7. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge” (Psalm 46:2-7). We experienced that, truly: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). We recognized that God is with us.

    We witnessed first hand what it is to do the following: “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10)

    Another encouraging word… “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).

    “Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.” (Psalm 31:24).

    Will you wait upon God?

  • Faith Comes by Hearing

    “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”
    Isaiah 55:11

    God called many prophets in the Old Testament to go forth and declare His Word to people. They mostly went, no matter what happened to them. We all remember one particular prophet who chose to disobey God. He chose to go the opposite direction God wanted him to go. The way he wanted to go. Remember him? Jonah, forever known as the prophet who was swallowed by a whale. Why did that happen to him? Because he chose to do what he wanted, instead of obeying God. But only after he was in the belly of that great fish for three days and three nights, praying, was he willing to go deliver the Word of the Lord to the people of Nineveh. Even with his begrudgingly behavior, thousands of people repented before God, and God spared the people and the city.

    Have you ever considered any of the other prophets God sent forth? Remember Isaiah. God asked who He could send, who would go tell the people. Isaiah said, “Here am I; send me.” God told him to go and tell the people, but Isaiah was warned that the people would hear him, but would not listen to him. They would not understand what he was telling them. They would not take any of the counsel of God’s Word that he gave to them. It might sound good for somebody else, but not them. They would not get it. Isaiah had God’s Word, yet the people would not receive it. When Isaiah asked God how long he would have to tell this people who wouldn’t really listen to anything he said, God told him to continue to tell the people until there was no one left to tell.

    Do you think that would have been a hard thing to do? Isaiah was given more prophecies concerning Jesus, the Messiah that was to come, than any other prophet. He was instrumental in helping the people understand that salvation is of the Lord – not of anything man can do. Isaiah’s name even signifies this, for his name means “Salvation is of the Lord.” Nevertheless, tradition declares that King Manasseh had him sawn in two.

    Many other people declared the truths of God’s Word. One cannot help but think of Peter as he told of Jesus, and many thousands of people give their hearts and lives to Jesus. Paul gave his life telling people about Jesus, and establishing churches to teach the apostles doctrine. He also spent much time in prison. Stephen preached the Gospel message of Jesus, and he was stoned to death. However, these men were faithful to the end.

    Today should be no different. Each Christian is called to go and tell the Gospel message of Jesus. To tell the difference that God’s Word has made in that Christian’s life. No one may hear. No one may understand. They might believe that it is good for someone else, not for them. They might not receive it. Nevertheless, we are called to go and tell – even when people don’t want to hear about Jesus. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). People must hear before they can believe. “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?”  (Romans 10:14). The word preacher here means “to herald (as a public crier), especially divine truth (the Gospel); preach, proclaim, publish.” This means anyone can declare or “cry out” the Gospel message. “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11). We are just required to declare God’s Word to people. God will take care of the rest.

    However, no one will know the Gospel message of Jesus if we do not tell it. Have you told anyone about what Jesus has done for you?

  • Be Strong

    “…Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”
    Joshua 1:9

    Have you ever been asked to do something that you felt completely unqualified and inadequate to do? Was it someone you respect or admire that asked you to do the job? How did you feel? Were you terrified? So many questions run through your mind when you are called to do a particularly special job.

    Think back for a moment to Moses in the Bible. There is much recorded about His life and the many things He did for God and the Israelites. He was extremely faithful! He led the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt after the Ten Plagues. He led the people to the foot of Mt. Sinai, where God wanted to speak to His people. However, because the people were so afraid to hear from God, Moses went up the mountain to receive the Law from God. Moses led the people through the wilderness for forty years. If you remember, the people complained most of the time! Yet Moses remained faithful!

    At the end of his life, when he knew he was about to die, God told him to appoint a new leader. Have you ever thought of how incredibly intimidating it would be to follow the leadership position of Moses?! Nevertheless, God chose Joshua to lead His people.

    After Moses died and Joshua prepared to lead God’s people into the land of promise, God spoke words of instruction to him. But more than that, He spoke encouraging words to Joshua: “8. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. 9. Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest” (Joshua 1:8-9). As long as Joshua would heed God’s Word, he would be prosperous and have good success. He would need to follow those instructions if he were to lead God’s people! But the best part of these verses: “Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” I can’t imagine any more encouraging words from God, Himself! It would be amazing to know that God would be with him wherever he went! There was no reason to fear.

    But wait! I have instructions from God, and even encouraging words of my own that He has promised me (and each person God calls to serve Him) because He called me to love and serve Him. “5. Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. 6. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.” (Hebrews 13:6-6). I am to walk according to God’s Word, content with what God has for me in my life. I am to do the jobs He has for me to do — for He promises that He will never leave me, nor forsake me. How amazing is that! I can count on God to be my helper, never afraid of what man may do to me. Such comforting words, knowing that He will help me do whatever it is that He has for me to do.

    Do you walk in God’s Ways?

    Do you realize God will help you with whatever it is that He has for you to do?

  • Ponder thy Path

    “Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. 27. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.”
    (Proverbs 4:26-27)

    Solomon was a very wise man. When King Solomon asked God to give him an understanding heart to judge God’s people, God gave him great wisdom. “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.” (1 Kings 3:12). Notice that God said there was no one wiser before or after King Solomon. He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs were a thousand and five (see 1 Kings 4:32). Although King Solomon did many foolish things in his kingdom, he recorded many wise words that are relevant even today.

    The book of Proverbs tells us some of wise words from King Solomon. Note that this book is for anyone who wants to know wisdom and instruction that Solomon learned from God (Proverbs 1:2). The introduction to this book is amazing! (See Proverbs 1:1-6.) It very plainly tells of its importance. However, it also tells the response from God to those who reject these words of wisdom. When the rejection of God’s Word is played out in one’s life and calamity comes, God will not be there to help (see Proverbs 1:20-27). Worse yet, God said, “Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me” (Proverbs 1:28). What a truly scary thought! Compare this to another Proverb recorded. “I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me” (Proverbs 8:17). Can you see the difference?

    Why would God respond in such a way? Continue reading, “29. For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: 30. They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. 31. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices” (Proverbs 1:29-31). Now do you see whose fault it is? Trouble that comes into one’s life for hating God’s knowledge and His counsel is always the fault of the one who chooses to disregard God’s Word. We should never choose our path in life over what God wants for our life. Chapter 1 ends with an encouraging word to help one understand this. “But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil” (Proverbs 1:33). What comforting words! Hearing from and listening to God is most important. After we learn to do that, we know what to do and where to go, and we will dwell safely. This is what one must consider as we read another Proverb King Solomon recorded for our instruction. “Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. 27. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil” (Proverbs 4:26-27). Walk straight in the path God has placed before you, not turning to the right nor to the left.

    Jesus later told the people, “Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:14). Only God’s Word can lead you to life. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life (see John 14:6).

    Have you pondered the path of your feet?

    Where is that path leading you?

  • The Word of Our God

    “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.” Isaiah 40:8

     The Bible is the Word of God. It has been preserved for us to read, but very few people read and understand what the Bible has to say to us today. 

    According to most statistics, young people are growing up and leaving the church and faith in God by the droves. The main reason can be found in the lack of knowledge and understanding of what one believes about God and why. There is a mighty gulf between the level of spiritual training in children, youth, and even adults, and the knowledge one needs to live in today’s world.  

    Growing up in a Christian home is no guarantee that one understands the Bible or how to live a Christian life. Being saved as a young child, I learned many Bible “stories,” but it wasn’t until later that I began to understand how all of these stories fit together. My parents had a book of pictures revealing a timeline throughout Bible history. It helped me begin to understand how all of those “stories” were connected together. It also helped me begin to see that Jesus was planned from the beginning of time to redeem mankind because of sin. I wanted to know and understand the Bible, so I began to study.  

    The most important thing about studying the Bible should be to learn the basics of the Biblical interpretation and how it should be applied to our lives. A good Bible study needs to be more than a compilation of “stories” we have always heard. The word “story” even brings to the hearers’ mind that they are make-believe. Many people don’t really understand that the Bible is not just a compilation of popular Bible “stories” or favorite Bible passages. The Bible is not full of “stories” but real events in real people’s lives. Children, as well as adults, need to understand that each of these events all fit together as part of a bigger picture – much like pieces of a puzzle. Not only do these events interlock, but they have a purpose: to reveal Jesus and why He came.  

    All people, especially children, are capable of learning so much more. The Biblical Path of Life is one such study meant to simplify the understanding of the reader and making the Bible relevant to a Christian’s life — young or old — by comparing Scripture to Scripture. The most important thing one can understand is just how important their Bible is. One needs to learn how to take care of their Bible and become familiar with it. Everyone should understand the importance of reading God’s Word! Even beginning readers should be encouraged to read their Bible. At first, even the youngest readers will be hesitant to read. But with a little encouragement and help, they can become excited about reading their Bible. Each week they can become a little more proficient at reading, and that fact will encourage them greatly. No one is too young (or old) to begin to love the Word of God or to learn the principles found within God’s Word!  

    The Bible means nothing to us if we do not apply the principles within to our lives to become more like Christ. In order to understand how to live a Christian life pleasing to God in the world today, we must first know what His Word says. 

    Have you taken time to read your Bible today? 

    Also published at http://lighthouse.pub/blog/2020/01/31/the-word-of-our-god/?src=n

  • The Eyes of the Lord

    God sees all and knows all. He knows the thoughts of the heart. He hears the words spoken in secret. There is nothing hidden from God. This should be great words of encouragement to choose to do good. To choose to do right. To turn from evil. If we would remember and understand that God is ever present, ever watching – not to catch us doing something bad or wrong.  He wants to find someone in whom He can show Himself strong (see 2 Chronicles 16:9a where it says, “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.”).Who wouldn’t want God to show Himself strong in their life? But in the rest of that verse, we find that God had wanted to do this for King Asa, but because he had relied upon the king of Syria instead of the Lord his God, he lost the battle. Not only that, but God told him, “Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars” (2 Chronicles 16:9b). How awful would it be to choose an earthly king to help you instead of God? But imagine having God, Himself, tell you that you had done foolishly! And that you would have wars from then on in your kingdom!

    Now relate that to the average Christian’s life. Most Christians do not take into account that “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3). They might occasionally remember that they are to choose to do good and not evil. But they don’t take into consideration that God wants Christians to choose to do good so that he can show Himself mighty in their life.

    But we must remember something else very important. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10). God already knows all and sees all, but one day we will stand before Him and give an accounting of all that we have done in this life “whether it be good or bad.”

    Knowing these things, what do you choose?

    Will you choose good allowing God to show Himself mighty in your life?