Today's Worship: Acknowledging God.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Hosea 6:6,

 

"For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings."

 

The Lord tells Israel he wants their hearts. It is not their compliance to religious requirements the Lord is after here. It was the Lord himself that instituted sacrifice and burnt offerings in the tabernacle worship of the Israelites given through Moses. However, in the exercise of these things, somehow, Israel's acknowledgement of God was lost in them. God wants their hearts, he wants to be acknowledged by his people!

 

Sometimes I wonder what the view looks like from God's perspective as he looks upon us. We are told he is near, "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near." Philippians 4:4-5. Yet, often it seems, God is viewed as distant. At times the choices many make betray a lack of acknowledgement of God's existence, let alone any proximity to him whatsoever. I don't have to look beyond myself to find a lack of the acknowledgement of God from time to time! Far be it from me to look down my nose at the Israelites!

 

When we fail to acknowledge the presence of God it is no wonder we stray. God looks about himself and watches as folks scurry about their business, living their lives absent the presence of mind that God exists and that he is near. We all know how we would feel as a parent, as a spouse, as a friend, as a sibling if those we love and care about failed to acknowledge our very presence! In God's tremendous love for us, demonstrated in his sending of the Son of his love to die a miserable death for us, I have to wonder how it impacts his heart when we fail to acknowledge him.

 

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Today's Worship: The ways of the Lord bring enlightenment!

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Hosea 14:9,

 

"Who is wise? He will realize these things. Who is discerning? He will understand them. The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them."

 

This closing verse of the prophetic writing of Hosea seems to me to be such a fitting observation. The wise, the discerning, will realize and understand the ways of the Lord and walk in them, but the rebellious trip over the things of the Lord. How true these words were when originally given to the nation of Israel and how true they are right here in our own culture today. No more simple and straightforward account can be provided for the cultural divide we witness in our nation today.

 

I am reminded of what John had to say about this in his first letter. "Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him." 1 John 2:10-11.

 

People who are rebellious against God think they have the answers. Dismissing the gospel, they are wise in there own eyes. Often they have rejected the things of God for what they consider to be a loftier outlook, a better way. Little do they realize they are simply stumbling around in darkness and one day will pay the price for rejecting the things of God.

 

What I love about God is that he has shared his things with those who sincerely seek him. He allows us wisdom that comes from him, he provides discernment for those who desire his ways. Paul speaks of this, "We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned." 1 Corinthians 2:12-14.

 

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Today's Worship: Our Creator communicates!

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Hosea 12:10,

 

"I spoke to the prophets, gave them many visions and told parables through them."

 

As the Lord brings his indictment against Israel and tells of his pending judgment of the nation, he notes that he has communicated with his people. He has given them fair warning. Although it is in a somber context, it is nevertheless fascinating to note how our Creator has communicated to people.

 

God is a communicator. As we have been made in the image of our Creator we are communicators as well. A strong desire felt by many is the need to talk to God about concerns, about fears, about heartfelt thankfulness felt over some blessing, about sins committed with a need to confess.

 

God speaks to us as well. He has sent his prophets in the contexts of both specific circumstances, as with Hosea and the nation of Israel, as well as in a universal context, to all mankind, as in the gospels and the book of Revelation. The very idea of communication from our Creator is one that I find astonishing. To think that the One who created all that exists should speak to us - it is fascinating!

 

Peter tells us, "Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." 2 Peter 1:20-21. Over a period of 1,400 years, more than 40 prophets produced what we have in our sixty-six books of communication from our Creator.

 

What does he have to say to us? Is there anything in this life more fascinating than this?!

 

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Today's Worship: God's patience and judgment.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Hosea 13:9,

 

"You are destroyed, O Israel, because you are against me, against your helper."

 

The history of Israel places the condition of the human heart on display. As we read in Jeremiah 17:9, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" In the above verse Israel is accused of being against her "helper".

 

Such an astonishing thing to think of. People who have been brought to life, people whose very existence requires maintenance by God, the food they eat, the water they drink, the air they breathe, the environment that allows existence to continue, is all provided by the God they have turned their back on. It is not just Israel, it is all mankind!

 

How can such a state of affairs exist? How could those who have been created by God and are entirely dependant on him for continued existence, from moment to moment, turn against the him? Truly, the comment found in Jeremiah 17:9 is substantiated by this reality.

 

In spite of this rejection of our Creator, he reaches out to us! His patience is an amazing thing, driven by his love for us. Israel had found the limit of God's patience and reached the point of his corrective judgment. But for mankind as a whole, he remains patient, for now, till the time comes for his judgment of all mankind. I am reminded of 2 Peter 3:9, "He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." Also, Romans 2:4, "Do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?"

 

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Today's Worship: Every reason to turn to God!

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him in Hosea 12:6,

"You must return to your God; maintain love and justice, and wait for
your God always."

In his charge against Judah, the Lord tells them that they must return
to their God, having turned from him. They are to maintain love and
justice, and to "wait for your God always."

Why should they? Why should we? Why should we turn to our God, serve
him and wait on him always? Why should that choice be made?

In Judah's case the Lord had chosen Abraham's descendants for his own.
He brought the nation of Israel out of bondage in Egypt and cared for
the nation in its infancy. In chapter 11 the Lord speaks of his love
of Israel and likens himself to a loving parent who brings the child
of his love and affection to stand on its own two feet, leading them
with "cords of human kindness, with ties of love". As a loving parent
he speaks of bending down to feed this child in his care for Israel.
Additionally he exclaims he is "the Lord God Almighty, the Lord is his
name of renown!" As such he has the power to determine Israel's
future. Israel's fortunes lay in his hands! He can bless them and he
can destroy them!

The Lord has redeemed Israel, he has been demonstrative in is love
toward the Israelites and he controls their destiny. What further
reason could Israel possibly need to heed God's call to turn to him?
He is God Almighty, he is the Creator of all!

Similarly, today, God has provided redemption for us, he has
manifested his boundless love toward us by sending his Son to die a
horrible death on a cross to pay for our sin! He has invited us to his
table in the resurrection! Our future, our destiny lays in his hands!
What further reason could we possibly need to heed God's call to us?

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd
love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Today's Worship: Only the true God is to be acknowledged!

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him in Hosea 13:4,

"I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt. You shall
acknowledge no God but me, no Savior except me."

God tells the Israelites he will not tolerate the worship of any
other. His people are not to acknowledge any God but him. He is the
only Savior and they are not to entertain any other.

In a world full of religions and "isms", a world lost and in search of
"truth" and answers for the perplexing issues of life, mankind has a
lot to choose from. There is a smorgasbord of cults and movements,
self-appointed spiritualists and those who would redefine God in their
own image. The various religions of the world offer options to suit
every predisposition and preference. God's people are to reject them
all.

In an age where we are told to have open minds and accept the
differences of others, truth has a way of becoming obscured. With
clarity and precision, the Lord tells his people to turn from all the
noise and clatter of any other who claims to have another way. The
Lord says there is no God but him, "no Savior except me." When Jesus
Christ was here during his earthly ministry, he told his followers, "I
am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father
except through me." John 14:6.

I don't have to explore the theology of other religions. I don't need
to take classes from the multitude of "isms and schisms" so prevalent
today. I don't need to go on a spiritual sojourn or quest to find
"truth". I don't need to discover myself or anyone else. What I need
to know is my God who has revealed himself in the pages of Scripture.
I need to know the One who has invited me, through the gospel, to a
place at his table in the resurrection. I need to know him, who sent
his Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty formy sin, making a way for
me. He is the only Savior! He is the only one who can free us from sin
and death!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd
love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Today's Worship: God is not a man and doesn't act like one.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him in Hosea 11:9b,

"For I am God, and not man— the Holy One among you."

As the Lord considers his judgment of Israel for abandoning him, he
reminds them that he is God, not a man and not like a man. He is the
"Holy One among you". His response to Israel's infidelity will reflect
him, his nature, not what a man might do.

I am reminded this morning that although man is made in God's image
and that there is much about us that reflect God and his creativity,
mankind is not at all divine, not God. Where various religions and
theologies have led many astray in falsehood, mankind is not God and
never will be. It is an important point because we shouldn't assume
God's response would be like a man's response. Man will never be
anything but man. We won't become angels in the afterlife and we are
certainly not in any kind of a refinement where we will become a god
in any sense of the word. We are humans. Sinful humans at that. For
those of us who have embraced Jesus Christ in faith, what we will be
in the resurrection are redeemed men and women. Forgiven and loved by
God, but nevertheless we are now, and forever will be, human.

God makes a point here in Hosea, as he brings his indictment against
the nation of Israel, that his judgment and his actions will not be
after the nature of what a man may do. He is not a man. God is this
way - man is that way. There is a difference. I am reminded of Isaiah
55:8-9, "'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways
my ways,' declares the Lord. 'As the heavens are higher than the
earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your
thoughts.'"

I am quite certain I stand in large company when I express my great
relief that God is who he is, as he is, and that his actions, contrary
to how a man might act, reflect his own nature. I can't begin to
consider how tragic existence would be if God responded to anything
they way I might.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd
love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Today's Worship: God's passion for is people.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him in Hosea 11:8,

"How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How
can I treat you like Admah? How can I make you like Zeboiim? My heart
is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused."

In this chapter the Lord considers how he had given so much of himself
to Israel, the things he had done for the nation, "I loved him, and
out of Egypt I called my son." Verse 1. "It was I who taught Ephraim
to walk, taking them by the arms..." verse 3. "I led them with cords
of human kindness, with ties of love; I lifted the yoke from their
neck and bent down to feed them." Verse 4. Here he expresses his
tender love and kindness to his people. The heart of the Lord is
clearly on display as he reveals himself as a loving parent whose
heart is overflowing for the child of his love and affection.

He also recounts how Israel responded to his loving kindness, "But the
more I called Israel, the further they went from me. They sacrificed
to the Baals and they burned incense to images." Verse 2. "My people
are determined to turn from me." Verse 7. The indictment couldn't be
any clearer. The justness of the Lord's judgment of Israel could not
be questioned.

In the midst of this is the startling revelation of God's heart and
his affections for his people. I suspect most, and I include myself
among these, fail to have adequate appreciation for the fullness of
the love of our matchless Lord, his tremendous love for his people.
Within the revelation of himself in his prophesies, the Lord provides
us a picture of what he is really like. Far from the aloof, stoic god
of expectations so many see him as, the Lord portrays himself with
love in his heart and a passion for his people. Here is One with
feelings, One whose heart can be broken, whose heart desires the best
for his people, whose heart finds happiness and satisfaction in
blessing and caring for his own. Here is One who transcends the bounds
of the theology of most, whose heart can change and whose heart
responds to his people, whose heart can be aroused!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd
love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Today's Worship: Nothing can stop the Lord.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him in Hosea 8:14,

"Israel has forgotten his Maker and built palaces; Judah has fortified
many towns. But I will send fire upon their cities that will consume
their fortresses."

As the Lord observes the actions of wayward Israel he points to the
palaces and fortified towns they had built. As a nation, Israel lived
in a dangerous neighborhood, with Egypt to the south and Assyria to
the north. Both were causes of great concern and Israel did her best,
while abandoning the Lord, to protect themselves with fortresses and
fortified towns.

What they failed to see was the danger they had placed themselves in
when they strayed from the Lord. Now that Israel had broken her
covenant with God, he will visit his judgment upon her. For the Lord,
fortresses, fortified towns and palaces will be no match for his
judgment. As a massive freight train headed their way, the Lord's
judgment will be unstoppable and no amount of protection will provide
any help for them whatsoever.

I am reminded of Proverbs 21:30, "There is no wisdom, no insight, no
plan that can succeed against the Lord." Also, Isaiah 55:10-11, "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."

The Lord will always have his own way, without fail.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd
love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Today's Worship: The Lord desires the hearts of his people!

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him in Hosea 10:12,

"Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love,
and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord,
until he comes and showers righteousness on you."

In the midst of proclaiming his judgment, the Lord cries out to Israel
to seek him, that he might bless them, showering them with
righteousness. In verse after verse of indictment, the Lord identifies
in many ways how far his people's hearts have strayed from him.
However, the Lord makes clear his judgment does not mean Israel's
opportunities are over. They can still turn to him, they can still
seek him.

How shoud he be sought? Shall Israel turn to the temple worship and to
the priests the Lord instituted in Israel through Moses? Will religion
do? Will this suffice? Instructive, here for me, is what the Lord has
to say, as opposed to my own "good ideas", what it is I think I should
do to pursue him. In the book of Hosea, the Lord makes clear he is not
interested in religiosity. What the Lord seeks from his people is not
focused on the religious exercises of the people, those external
things people still do today attempting to invoke his approval. The
Lord makes clear he wants our hearts. Oblations of worship, litergies,
ecclesiastical motifs will not suffice for what the Lord wants. He
wants us! He wants our hearts!

"There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment of God in the
land." "Israel has forgotten his Maker...". "They do not cry out to me
from their hearts but wail upon their beds." "Woe to them, because
they have strayed from me!" "...he does not return to the Lord his
God or search for him." These are all statements from the Lord in this
book of Hosea clearly indicating his desire is for the hearts of his
people. As for religious exercises, the Lord says, "I desire mercy,
not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings."
and "They offer sacrifices given to me and they eat the meat, but the
Lord is not pleased with them." and "What will you do on the day of
your appointed feasts, on the festival days of the Lord?" As for the
trappings of priesthood and religious heirarchy the Lord says, "The
more the priests increased, the more they sinned against me; they
exchanged their Glory for something disgraceful."

This morning I am reminded the Lord is a real person who desires my
heart. He is not a moral principle to pursue. He is not something to
round out an otherwise full and healthy lifestyle. He does not exist
to insure my goals, my agendas are met in this life. His proclaimed
love for us all demands reciprocation from our hearts. The outward
trappings of a religious life will simply not do! He wants our hearts!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd
love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Today's Worship: Living in the presence of the Lord.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him in Hosea 6:2,

"After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore
us, that we may live in his presence."

In his prophecy, Hosea speaks of returning to the Lord with a
resulting restoration. The restoration is seen as necessary that "we
may live in his presence."

From the perspective of this life, living in the presence of the Lord
is difficult to grasp. We live in a world that is estranged from God,
alienated from him, a world in which his very presence must be
accepted by faith as his presence is veiled from us.

Moses wanted to see God, and he was told he would never survive it.
After having just a glimpse of him he was so altered that family,
friends and associates fled from him afterward, Exodus 34:29-31. When
found in the presence of the Lord, the writer of Hebrews quotes Moses
as saying, "The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, 'I am
trembling with fear.'" Hebrews 12:21. When Isaiah had an encounter
with God, he was horrified. In Isaiah 6:5 we read, "'Woe to me!' I
cried. 'I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among
a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord
Almighty.'"

Just what would living in his presence be like? While such a statement
could be construed as simply meaning living life under the acceptance
of God, living in a context of peace with him, the Scriptures foretell
a time when we will ultimately live in his presence in a very literal
way. In Revelation 21:3-4, we read of a time when, "Now the dwelling
of God is with men, and he will live 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."

Through Jesus Christ we can approach the Lord in this life and look
forward to a time when we live in his very presence. The writer of
Hebrews tells us, "Let us then approach the throne of grace with
confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in
our time of need."

I find this all fascinating to contemplate...

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd
love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Today's Worship: Our Lord holds open the door for us!

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him in Hosea 6:1,

"Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces but he will
heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds."

As the Lord tells of the reaction of the Israelites to his judgment of
them, he foretells they will again "earnestly seek me", Hosea 5:15. In
6:1 he portrays how the Israelites will return to him, saying, "Come,
let us return to the Lord."

On display here is one of the many wonderful things of our God: he
allows sinners to approach him as they look for his forgiveness. He
allows those who have strayed from him to return. Mercy and
forgiveness, restoration and blessing are wonderful things that mark
our awe-inspiring and intriguing God. Where we do not deserve these
things, they are the very things that mark the wonderful heart of our
Lord.

Although we know there is a limit to how long the Lord will keep the
door open, he has nevertheless revealed that he may be sought and he
may be entreated for forgiveness and restoration. As we are told at
the end of our Bibles, "The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!' And let
him who hears say, 'Come!' Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and
whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life."
Revelation 22:17.

How wonderful our Lord holds open the door for us! May we all enter in
while it remains open!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd
love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Today's Worship: God's terrible judgment!

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him in Hosea 8:14,

"Israel has forgotten his Maker and built palaces; Judah has fortified
many towns. But I will send fire upon their cities that will consume
their fortresses."

Abandoning your Creator is an act of insanity, and that is just what
Israel had done. It mattered not what Israel and Judah had
accomplished, how well-fortified they built up their cities, the
self-destructive choice to leave God behind proved to be their
undoing. "Israel has forgotten his Maker..." In Hosea 7:10 we read,
"Israel's arrogance testifies against him, but despite all this he
does not return to the Lord his God or search for him." Perhaps the
most shocking indictment against Israel is found in 2:13, "...she
burned incense to the Baals; she decked herself with rings and
jewelry, and went after her lovers, but me she forgot..."

What a horrific direction for people to go! And, yet, that is the same
direction so many take today! As it was for Israel, so it will be for
those of today, forsaking God will be any one's certain undoing.

I am reminded that our God is holy and righteous. It is to our own
peril that we fall into his hands, as his judgment is a terrible
thing. The writer of Hebrews tells us, "It is a dreadful thing to fall
into the hands of the living God." Hebrews 10:31. We are told that all
who do not embrace Jesus Christ in faith will be excluded from his
kingdom and will face God's certain judgment, "If any one's name was
not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of
fire." In chapter 21 this lake of fire is described as a fiery lake of
burning sulfur, a horrific eternity for all who would forget their
maker!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd
love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Today's Worship: God's love is fulfilled by means of his justice!

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him in Hosea 7:13,

"Woe to them, because they have strayed from me! Destruction to them,
because they have rebelled against me! I long to redeem them but they
speak lies against me."

As the Lord finds Israel ripe for judgment, he expresses his desire to
redeem her. Those that have treated their Creator with contempt, the
very ones who were brought out of their low estate in Egypt by him and
settled in a land of blessing by him, these are the ones who treated
the Lord shamefully but are the very ones that the Lord longs to
redeem! As the Lord had Hosea marry an adulterous prostitute to act
out Israel's infidelity toward him, he expresses himself as a man who
longs for the one he loves. In this all, Israel portrays the estate of
all mankind.

The Lord, in fact, will find the fulfillment of his heart's desire as
he sends his Son, Jesus Christ to pay for the sins of the world, for
the sins of all the people who have ever lived, as he loves us all.
Our God has a big heart and longs for us all. In that all have sinned,
all need redemption to provide an opportunity to gain a place in his
family, something he strongly desires for us all. Unfortunately, not
all will avail themselves of this opportunity because the atonement
for sins his Son paid will only be credited to us if we embrace him in
faith. We all have our own choice to make.

What strikes me this morning is the interplay of the two chief
characteristics of our God: our God is righteous and just, he is also
loving and merciful. When it comes to the question of whether or not
"the end justifies the means", the Lord demonstrates for us that the
end, the fulfillment of his heart's desire to bring us into his
family, never compromises his righteousness and justice. The means he
employs to bring the end he desires fulfills his righteous nature. He
sacrificed his Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty that we might
have eternal life with him.

I have never seen in Scripture the Lord employ any means that were
inconsistent with his righteous and holy character to gain an end he
pursued.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd
love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com