Today's Ruminating in the Word of God: Difficulties from God.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Amos 4:6,

 

"'I gave you empty stomachs in every city and lack of bread in every town, yet you have not returned to me,' declares the Lord."

 

It is often assumed that whatever comes into our lives that we may find hurtful or harmful is from the devil. God only brings us what we consider good and brings us happiness, Satan brings what we consider bad and brings us unhappiness. Of course, we reserve for ourselves the determination of what is good and what is bad for ourselves. We will decide that.

 

Look at what God brought his people in this passage: empty stomachs with a lack of bread; rain withheld, resulting in failed crops and thirst; gardens and vineyards struck with blight and mildew; locusts that devoured fig and olive trees; plagues; death by sword and being overrun by enemies. These things didn't come from Satan. They came from the Lord.

The Lord had his purpose in bringing such hardship to his people. They had turned from him, and in spite of all of these efforts of the Lord to gain their attention, they still failed to return to their God. It turns out these calamities brought by the Lord, as severe as they were, were only precursors to God's frightful judgment of Israel being slaughtered as a nation. The Lord gave them ample opportunity to respond to him, but they failed to fulfill their appointed place in his agenda of the redemption of the world.

 

I suspect the Israelites responded in that day the way folks respond today to the problems that come into our lives. With hearts of deceit that are guided by an indwelling sinful nature, we define these "problems", the difficulties we face as bad things that come from bad places. While that may be the case at times, as in Israel's day, the difficulties we face today may have their origin in God himself.

 

I am reminded of what the writer of Hebrews had to say about God bringing difficulties into our lives, "Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12:7-11.

 

As I face problems in my life, will I stop to consider that they might have their origin in God and that he has a purpose in them?

 

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 Ruminating in the Word of God: God speaks to us though his prophets!

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Amos 3:7,

 

"Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets."

 

After asking a series of questions that provoke the notion that there are things in this world that should be commonly understood, the Lord declares "Surely", the Lord reveals his plans to his people through prophets he has raised up.

 

It will always remain a startling fascination for me that our Creator, God Almighty, the One who has formed the galaxies, placing them in the vastness of unending space, the One who designed the molecular structure of all things - that One - he speaks to us through his own hand-selected prophets! Certainly this has to be one of the greatest of astonishments I have been impacted by!

 

I do note that the deceptive heart of man seeks its own and there are many who have claimed to speak for God. But the prophets that the Lord speaks to us through are "his servants". Not those who have thrust themselves forward, claiming to speak on God's behalf, but those whose will, whose volition had nothing in their becoming spokespersons of the Lord. Peter tells us, "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." 1 Peter 1:21.

 

Over the years it has become apparent to me the books of the Bible that have been most neglected by so many are the prophets in the Old Testament. Particularly those we call the "Minor Prophets", Hosea through Malachi. Yet, together with what we call the "Major Prophets", Isaiah through Daniel, so much of the heart of our God is on display. I am confident that all of the Scriptures have their purpose and play an important role in equipping us through teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness that we might all be prepared for use by God and to know him well.

 

In these Old Testament prophets, the intensity of God's love, as portrayed in Hosea and Isaiah, as examples, is on display. The passion of God's servant in Isaiah speaks to the selfless suffering our Lord has taken on himself in order to bring us into his family. The intensity of God's love and mercy is vividly on display. Likewise the horrific nature of the Lord's wrath is manifested as well in these books. The terrible "day of the Lord" is foretold in Joel and Amos, the shocking nature of God's judgments, his righteous indignation and the disposition of the wicked are all on display in such a dramatic fashion, it takes one's breath away, as in Ezekiel and Jeremiah. Much of what was foretold to happen is found in these books as well. Daniel, Isaiah, Zechariah, Malachi and many others have much in them that provide for the veracity of what was told, by events that have transpired in the meantime, as well as giving us confidence with what they tell us of days to come.

 

Surely, the sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to us and along with this revelation is so much about his own heart, his desires, his love, his righteousness and his judgment. These are books not to be overlooked!

 

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 Ruminating in the Word of God: Participation in the purposes of God.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Amos 2:4-5,

 

"For three sins of Judah, even for four, I will not turn back my wrath. Because they have rejected the law of the Lord and have not kept his decrees, because they have been led astray by false gods, the gods their ancestors followed, I will send fire upon Judah that will consume the fortresses of Jerusalem."

 

Judah had come to the place where they faced the frightful judgment of God. They had rejected his laws and given themselves over to worshipping the false "gods" of the world around them. Reminds me a lot of folks in our day.

 

When I was a new believer, passages like the one above brought me the impression that God was a kind of moral entity of the cosmos. Attending this perception was the understanding that we reap what we sow and so I viewed God as the one who required me to behave myself. I didn't really see much past that and I can say that it left little room for developing any kind of a meaningful understanding of him. I don't think it fostered my understanding of the things he wanted me to know about him and about his agenda for all of us. My assumption that it was all there was forced me to focus on my behavior alone. God wanted me to behave and any time, energy and effort I consumed in knowing God was spent on my purposing to behave but always at some point failing both him and myself, and then refocusing my purposing to behave myself. Round and round I went, doing well at times and then screwing it up all over again. I have to admit the process kept me sidelined from engaging in much that was meaningful for God's agenda, other than, of course, behaving myself.

 

To be sure, the concept of God as a moral entity is straight forward. God is consistent with himself and the way he is defines what is moral. For instance, God is honest. If we are dishonest, it is immoral, sinful, because it us ungodly. God's laws reflect his character and nature and John tells us, "Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness." 1 John 3:4.

 

Since that time as a new believer, I have learned that God is much more than simply a cosmic moral principle to whom payment is due when we transgress. God does have a finely tuned sense of justice and righteousness and he has made it clear that all sin will be paid for. But there is more. When I act in an ungodly way, I manifest or demonstrate that I have put some distance between myself and God. I have drawn away from him. This is abundantly clear in Judah's choices we read about in Amos. I have learned that God has an agenda in this life and that agenda is that he is populating his kingdom. The life we live here, what Solomon calls "life under the sun" is merely pre-life. It is a temporary stage from which our eternal disposition will be based upon. It is God's agenda that we embrace him in faith and join his kingdom.

 

Here is a part of Judah's problem with God. It wasn't just that they were simply misbehaving. Yes, it is true that they were sinful and richly deserved God's judgment, but as his chosen people, the people through whom the Lord intended to speak to the world through, the people through whom the Lord intended to bring his Son into the world through, they had placed themselves at odds with God's agenda of bringing redemption to the world. Their actions were no longer fulfilling God's intended purpose for them. As a result, God brought corrective action against Judah in order to pursue his agenda. God's judgment of them was due to their poor choices in placing themselves outside of his will, his purposes.

 

I cannot begin to assume I know all of God's purposes. As an example, Ephesians 3:10, "His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord." I don't begin to understand what that is all about. I can speculate, but I really don't know. Not knowing all that God is doing and how he may be carrying out what he does through us points to the importance of following his will. Well beyond simply behaving, there may be more going on that God is doing when he brings some correctives to my life.

 

I am reminded that God's purposes are much more broad and deeper than being merely a moral principle to which we are bound. He has his purposes and agendas. Some we know of and some I'm certain we know very little of. I can't assume that if I make choices at odds with God's desires, that it just effects me.

 

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 Ruminating in the Word of God: God responds.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Amos 2:6a,

 

"For three sins of Israel, even for four, I will not turn back my wrath."

 

As the Lord enumerates the sins and what the consequences will be for Israel and her neighbors, he uses a formula to express himself. Eight times he uses the above phrase inserting the specific nation he is addressing. Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, Edom, Ammon, Moab and finally, Judah and Israel.

 

In this phrase I notice the Lord informs these nations that he will not turn back his wrath. Where some have a mistaken notion that God is like an unthinking, unfeeling machine that operates according to his predefined will such that there never will be any change in what he might do, the Scriptures reveal him to be otherwise. Here is the great tragedy for Israel and her neighbors.

 

I am reminded of the passage where the Lord decided to wipe out all of Israel and replace her with Moses' offspring in her stead. When Moses came down from Mt. Sinai he found the nation of Israel engaged in the worship of a golden calf they had made. The Lord said, "'I have seen these people,' the Lord said to Moses, 'and they are a stiff-necked people. Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.'" Moses interceded for them and we are told, "Then the Lord relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened." Exodus 32:9-14.

 

Some will read into the text that since things unfolded that way, God intended to relent from the start. That isn't how I read it. It reads to me that God declared what he was going to do, Moses interceded and the Lord changed his mind based on what Moses had to say. It is simply astonishing! The very idea that God might be moved to do something he might not otherwise because of the actions or intercession of a man seems incredible. In the case of Moses and Israel in Exodus 32, the Lord turned from an initial decision he had made regarding Israel. The Lord reveals to us that at times he will respond to the choices we make or actions we take. In Jeremiah 18:7-10 , we read, "If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it."

 

Here is the urgent need for us all to pray-- God tells us he may be moved to do something if we approach him that he may otherwise not. I am reminded of a fascinating parable the Lord told his disciples on prayer, Luke 18:1-8. "Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: 'In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, "Grant me justice against my adversary." For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, "Even though I don't fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!"' And the Lord said, 'Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?'"

 

Unfortunately for Judah and Israel, the Lord had decided because of their intransigence in wandering from him, he would not turn back his wrath. As we learn from history, this is exactly how things turned out. Had they repented, as did Nineveh: "When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.", Jonah 3:10, who knows what might have been different?

 

What this all reveals to me about God is that he is a real person, not a machine. He can be approached and he will respond if we humble ourselves before 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 Ruminating in the Word of God: God wants our hearts, not our religion.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Amos 4:4-5,

 

"'Go to Bethel and sin; go to Gilgal and sin yet more. Bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three years. Burn leavened bread as a thank offering and brag about your freewill offerings— boast about them, you Israelites, for this is what you love to do,' declares the Sovereign Lord."

 

After calling the self-indulgent women of Israel, "you cows of Bashan", the Lord observes their proclivity to sin and then engage in religious activity. In essence, he tells them to keep it up because he is now bringing his full wrath of judgment against them. They will be taken way with fishhooks and cast out as Israel is destroyed in his anger.

 

The Lord's disgust at the inconsistent religious practices of mankind is apparent throughout the Scriptures. In contrition following his upbraiding by Nathan who confronted him in his sin, David spoke these words, "You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." Psalm 51:16-17. It is our hearts the Lord desires, and hearts that pursue the pleasures of sin while attempting to mask it in religion incurs his anger.

 

As it is written in Isaiah, "The Lord says: 'These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.'" I am reminded the Lord is far more interested in my devotion to him Monday through Saturday than he is of my worship of him on Sunday. You see, it is that Monday through Saturday life I live that reveals the desires of my heart, no matter what I might do on Sunday. After all, if the Lord is not worthy of the desires of my heart Monday through Saturday, then any expression I might make on Sunday is empty. How could it possibly be otherwise?

 

"To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen." Jude 24-25. That "now" ought to be today! 

 

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 Ruminating in the Word of God: God reaches out to man; man spurns God.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Amos 2:12,

 

"You made the Nazirites drink wine and commanded the prophets not to prophesy."

 

As the Lord brings his indictment against Israel he points out that he had sent Israel prophets and raised up men to be specifically devoted to him, those who took the Nazirite vow, and were to be set aside for himself. But Israel made the Nazirites break their vows to the Lord and Israel commanded God's prophets to stop prophesying.

 

Why would anyone want to shut up a person the Lord sent with a message? Jesus answers this in his conversation with Nicodemus as recorded in John 3:19-20, "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed." The reality is that Israel had turned from God and as God reached out to her, she spurned him. Much like people of our day.

 

Why is it God reaches out to people? In the same conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus said, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." God loves us and sets about his agenda to populate his kingdom with all who will embrace him in faith. In John's first letter he says, "God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." 1 John 4:8-10.

 

Although the world rejects God just as Israel did, and refuses to listen to what he has to say, and even commands those who have a message from him to keep quiet, he continues to reach out to us. As I think of God's heart, it is an amazing thing. We deserve nothing but his judgment and yet, he reaches out to us in his love. What a heart our God has!

 

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 Ruminating in the Word of God: Amos - a real shepherd who really heard from God!

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Amos 1:1,

 

"The words of Amos, one of the shepherds of Tekoa—what he saw concerning Israel two years before the earthquake, when Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam son of Jehoash was king of Israel."

 

The introduction to this prophecy from Amos begins with some identifiers. The Lord gave Amos this prophecy during a time when two specific kings reigned: Uzziah, Judah's eleventh king, who ascended the throne in Judah at age sixteen.  One source lists his rule from 783-742 BC.. Jeroboam (the second King Jeroboam), listed by the "Jewish Virtual Library" as reigning in the northern kingdom of Israel from 790-750. He was the thirteenth king of divided Israel (if I am counting correctly).

 

What God gave Amos came two years before "the earthquake". An excellent article on this earthquake, a magnitude 8 earthquake event, occurring sometime around 750 BC. is found at http://www.icr.org/article/scientific-scriptural-impact-amos-earthquake/

 

This is real history, these are real people, and the Lord really did reveal to an actual shepherd named Amos things he had to say. We live in an age when the Bible is dismissed as so many fantasy stories. Nothing could be further from the truth. Within its pages are found God's interaction with mankind. He has some things he wants us to know. God speaks of himself, his agenda, his plans for mankind and what will take place in the future.

 

Those who would brush off the Bible as irrelevant and without import or meaning for our day do so to their own harm.

 

I find it fascinating the Lord at times couched what he had to say with information that authenticates what he has to say.

 

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 Ruminating in the Word of God: Why God chose Israel - something we should all know.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Amos 3:2,

 

"You only have I chosen of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your sins."

 

It seems there is some confusion in folks minds as to why God hand-picked Israel as his chosen people. God chose for himself a people out of an agenda he has pursued.

 

When God created mankind, he wished to have for himself those he would share eternity with. Not desiring robots, he created them with a will of their own to exercise and freedom to chose and embrace him as their God. He was after a loftier relationship than simply Creator/created, Master/slave, King/subjects. God made mankind out of a desire to embrace his creation in love. He desires for himself all who will chose him for themselves, those who will embrace him in faith.

 

John tells us God is love, 1 John 4:8. When mankind rejected God in Eden and developed a sinful nature, God responded by making provision for all who would turn back to him. Consequently, we read in 1 John 4:10 that God sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for sins that he might redeem all who will embrace him in faith. This is God's agenda: an agenda of redemption.

 

God determined he would pursue this agenda by engaging some of mankind to unfold his great program of redemption to all mankind. As God looked upon mankind, he found in Abraham the faith he desires from all of us. In Genesis 15:5 we read, "Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness." Paul later tells us that it was because of Abraham and the other patriarchs (who were likewise men of faith), that he chose Israel. In Romans 11:28-29 we read, "... as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable."

 

What was it God wanted to do through Israel in carrying out his program of redemption? In Romans 9:4-5 we read, "Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised!" God wanted a people through whom he would bring his Son into the world to offer as a sacrifice to satisfy his own divine justice. He also desired to communicate to the world through prophets he raised among this people. Both through verbal communication as well as through Israel's life-experiences as captured in the Scriptures, we read of God and his agenda.

 

Israel is the chosen nation of all the families of the earth God pursued his program of redemption through. As the Lord tells us that his purposes will never be thwarted, Isaiah 55:11, when Israel wandered from its usefulness for the Lord's agenda, he brought what was needed to keep his program of redemption on track. This is one reason Israel has always been set apart for scrutiny from God, "You only have I chosen of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your sins."

 

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 Ruminating in the Word of God:

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Amos 4:13,

 

"He who forms the mountains, creates the wind, and reveals his thoughts to man, he who turns dawn to darkness, and treads the high places of the earth— the Lord God Almighty is his name."

 

After cataloging the ways in which he had sought Israel's attention and not gotten it, the Lord now introduces himself. In chapter 4 the Lord speaks of the Israelite women as "cows" in the ways they have acted. He then tells the Israelites he had given them "empty stomachs", verse 6, withheld rain from them, ruining their harvest and driving their thirst, vs 7-9, struck their crops with blight, mildew and locusts, verse 9, sent plagues and the sword among them, verse 10, and had them overrun by their enemies, verse 11. At the end of enumerating each one of these attention-getters, the Lord declares, "yet, you have not returned to me".

 

As the Lord introduces himself, he tells them they best "prepare to meet your God, O Israel." A frightful position they have placed themselves in! The Lord tells them that he is the Creator. He is the One who formed the mountains, he is the One who reveals his thoughts to man, he is the One who turns dawn to darkness and he is the One who treads the "high places of the earth". His name? The Lord God Almighty!

 

The Lord wants his people to know him and desires their awareness of him. He knows that mankind has a deceptive and deceitful heart that strays and wanders from him. As he brings his kingdom into existence and establishes it for mankind to populate, he will take whatever steps he needs to pursue that agenda.

 

If I find it astonishing that Israel would stray from her God, I only need to look at myself and ask at the end of the day, how much of it did I give to the Lord? How big of a part of it did I share with him? How did I participate in his agenda today?

 

The Lord knows mankind all too well. He knows of our proclivity to wander and engage in all those things that have nothing to do with his purposes, his agenda for us. I am certain the Lord is engaged in our lives, as he was with the nation of Israel, to gain our attention, to draw us close to him, to engage us in his purposes, to come to know him in a way he wants us to.

 

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 Ruminating in the Word of God: God's sovereignty best not be forgotten!

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Amos 2:6-8,

 

"For three sins of Israel, even for four, I will not turn back my wrath. They sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals. They trample on the heads of the poor as upon the dust of the ground and deny justice to the oppressed. Father and son use the same girl and so profane my holy name. They lie down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge. In the house of their god they drink wine taken as fines."

 

As the Lord brings his indictment against the nation of Israel, as well as her neighbors, he makes clear he has his own expectations of how life should be lived. The Lord uses no focus groups, he uses no polls to find prevailing opinions and he isn't checking in with me either. Life is to be lived according to his purposes and desires or there will be consequences to pay. The consequences for Israel, Judah and the surround nations will be severe.

 

Notions of the sovereignty of God are things that are often left to the dusty environs of bookshelves and the debates of theologians. All good systematic theologies will craft statements that define an understanding of God's sovereign position in all of life. Often, unfortunately, these are left there as an academic exercise, as we go off to live our lives the way we see fit. 

 

What strikes me this morning is that God's sovereignty is not an academic exercise or fuel for an ecclesiastical quibble. It is a reality that needs to be lived out in our lives. When we confess "Jesus is Lord", as in Romans 10:9, it best mean we live that out in our personal lives as well as how we influence all around us.

 

Woe to the man that subordinates God's sovereign will for his own preferences in life. The nations of Israel's day did and found what the writer of Hebrews had to say as true: "It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Hebrews 10:31.

 

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 Ruminating in the Word of God: God does the impermissible.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Amos 4:8-12,

 

"'Many times I struck your gardens and vineyards, I struck them with blight and mildew. Locusts devoured your fig and olive trees, yet you have not returned to me,' declares the Lord. 'I sent plagues among you as I did to Egypt. I killed your young men with the sword, along with your captured horses. I filled your nostrils with the stench of your camps, yet you have not returned to me,' declares the Lord. 'I overthrew some of you as I overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. You were like a burning stick snatched from the fire, yet you have not returned to me,' declares the Lord. 'Therefore this is what I will do to you, Israel, and because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel.'"

 

Taboo! What the Lord here has declared is unreservedly taboo in our society today! Banned, barred, forbidden, prohibited, proscribed, impermissible, verboten! We will simply not allow in our culture and society today any notion that moral choices result in God's action against us! To borrow an example from our recent past: any suggestion whatsoever that a plague like AIDS might be an action of God against our embrace of homosexuality is met with the greatest of hostility in our day. Is it? I don't know - he didn't tell me. Do you know for certain it isn't?

 

What is certain to me is the disregard and outright rejection of both those within and without the church of what God has revealed of himself in the pages of Scripture. He does care about the affairs of mankind on planet earth. He does interact with the nations of the earth. He does bless one nation and bring ruin upon another based on choices they make. As we read in Jeremiah 18:7-10 , "If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it."

 

In these chapters of Amos, Israel is told, "prepare to meet your God, O Israel." A frightful turn of events for this nation that had turned from her God. The surrounding nations of Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, Edom, Ammon and Moab all faced the judgment of God as well for their treatment of Israel. A sobering reality to contemplate as we make our choices as a nation relative to foreign affairs in the Middle East.

 

Nowhere throughout the pages of Scripture is there any hint that the inauguration of the New Covenant, the coming of Jesus Christ to earth, his sacrificial death, resurrection and ascension into heaven have altered in any way God's involvement with the nations of the earth. On the contrary, a close examination of the teachings of Jesus Christ reveals God's continued involvement and activity among the nations of planet earth.

 

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 Ruminating in the Word of God: God proclaims his judgment!

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Amos 3:7,

 

"Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets."

 

The Lord is a communicator. 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. Here in Amos he says he tells the people through his prophets what he is going to do. Certainly there are a number of folks who are not going to want to hear what the Lord has to say. The people of Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, Edom, Ammon, Moab, Judah and Israel (the northern kingdom) are going to hear a message of judgment from the Lord.

 

The Lord declares the judgment he is going to send on these peoples for their sins. Even his chosen people will be punished. He says, "You only have I chosen of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your sins." Amos 3:2.

 

I am reminded the Lord has spoken to his prophets of another, later time of judgment. In Revelation 20:11-15, the apostle John tells us, " Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."

 

As the folks in Amos' day, this is a message the world today does not want to hear. Today we hear we are to be tolerant of all faiths/beliefs/religions. We are told to be accepting and inclusive and ignore what Jesus Christ had to say, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6.

 

We are told we need to embrace the differences in lifestyles of others, accepting homosexuality as a legitimate activity although the Lord says, "Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable." Leviticus 18:22. And, "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders..." 1 Corinthians 6:9.

 

We are told we need to respect the rights of women to take the lives of their unborn babies, when the Scriptures clearly teach us the unborn are individuals possessing intellect, emotion and spiritual gifts as John the Baptist demonstrated when he first came into contact with Jesus Christ, both still unborn in their mothers wombs: "When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: 'Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy." Luke 1:41-44.

 

As in Amos' day, the nations of the world exist in animosity toward the things of God. And, just as in Amos' day, the Lord has spoken of his judgment to come for the sins of the world - sins just as grievous as in the days of God's judgments in the Old Testament.

 

Today I thank him he has made it possible for us to escape his judgment by embracing his Son, Jesus Christ in faith! Where we clearly deserve his punishment, he has laid it on his Son in our stead out of an unfathomable love, mercy and kindness toward us all.

 

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 Ruminating in the Word of God: Difficulties: God's handiwork.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Joel 2:27,

 

"Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the Lord your God, and that there is no other; never again will my people be shamed."

 

Joel begins with a call to Israel to wake up: a devastating judgment of locusts from the Lord lays them waste. They had wandered from him and he calls them back to himself, "return to me with all your heart", Joel 2:12. In the midst of this prophecy of judgment is another message, the Lord assures his people of a time when he will again bless his people. This blessing takes place when Israel comes to its senses, knowing that the Lord is in Israel and recognizes he is the Lord their God.

 

We find in the pages of Scripture the Lord at times brings difficulties into the lives of his people. Often, the purpose is corrective in order to get his straying people back on track with his agenda as in Joel. Other times it might be to prepare his people for challenges that lie ahead, as with Paul in 2 Corinthians 1:9. Sometimes, as in the case of Job, the cause is kept from those who are his to fulfill a purpose no one at the time could possibly know.

 

One thing is certain, the Lord brings difficulties and challenges into the lives of those he loves. In Revelation 3:19 the Lord says, "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline." The writer of Hebrews tells us, " Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons... but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12:7-11.

 

We are certain that all the Lord brings into the lives of those who are his has a design and intention that is good for us, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son..." Romans 8:28-29.

 

Even in the midst of our greatest difficulties, when it seems the Lord is as far away from us as he possibly can be, it just may be the time when he is closest to us, working within us his perfection, working through us to achieve his agenda and throughout all, to bring his very best into our lives.

 

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 Ruminating in the Word of God: God's great desire to forgive.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Joel 3:21,

 

"Their bloodguilt, which I have not pardoned, I will pardon."

 

High on God's agenda is his desire and willingness to forgive mankind of their sins. When Moses asked the Lord to reveal himself to him, the Lord said, "The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin." Exodus 34:6-7.

 

In that passage he made clear it would not, however, be at the expense of his finely-tuned sense of justice. He went on to tell Moses, "Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished..." How does he do this? In God's economy, payment for sin is "fungible", a substitute payment may be made. He sent his Son, Jesus Christ to pay the penalty for our sins on our behalf. When Jesus died on the cross he made payment for all the sins of all mankind for all time. What unlocks this payment to be credited to our account with God is faith. When we place our faith in God, he credits us with a right standing with him.

 

In speaking of Abraham, Paul said, "Yet he [Abraham] did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why 'it was credited to him as righteousness.' The words 'was credited to him' were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness— for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification." Romans 4:20-25.

 

Why would God provide payment for our sins? Why would he pardon, forgive? I like the way John answers this question. He says, "God is love." 1 John 4:8. In the following two verses he explains how God has manifested this great love of his for us, "This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins."

 

We often think of life after death as "the after-life". While an understandable phrase it is a very misleading one. Life after death is eternal. Life after death, for those who are God's children, will be fullness of life, lived in the very presence of our Creator. It will be life lived to the fullest, life with ultimate purpose and fulfillment. It will be life that God has designed us for.

 

Life here, "under the sun" (as Solomon put it), is transitional. It is temporary. Compared to eternity it is just a "blip". It is often lived in trouble, hardship and despair. It is experience in an environment of sin and futility. What this life is, in the eternal scheme of things, is simply, and only, the nursery from which God is populating his kingdom. It is God's desire that we be fruitful and multiply. From this, he seeks to harvest for himself sons and daughters, all those who will have him, those who will embrace him in faith. This is why he has cloaked himself as far as he has - that faith may be provided opportunity.

 

No, life after death is not "the after-life". Life after death is real life, genuine life, life that God has for us. Rather, this life should be construed as "pre-life" or "before-life".

 

God has made provision for the forgiveness of sin, that he may pardon us. He has done this out of his great love for us as he seeks to populate his kingdom, a kingdom he populates with all who will embrace him in faith.

 

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 Ruminating in the Word of God: Our unbridled God!

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Joel 3:9-11,

 

"Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare for war! Rouse the warriors! Let all the fighting men draw near and attack. Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weakling say, 'I am strong!' Come quickly, all you nations from every side, and assemble there. Bring down your warriors, O Lord!"

 

Here is a call for the Lord to bring his warriors. What is the Lord's response? The following verses tell us,  "'Let the nations be roused; let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit to judge all the nations on every side. Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, trample the grapes, for the winepress is full and the vats overflow— so great is their wickedness!' Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. The sun and moon will be darkened, and the stars no longer shine. The Lord will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem; the earth and the sky will tremble." Joel 3:12-16.

 

Some have a misguided notion of what the Lord is like. Notions they hold to their own peril and the peril of those who may listen to them. They imagine the Lord as a kind and benevolent fatherly figure of temperate thoughts, feelings and emotions whose greatest and highest goal is to see that all of life here on planet earth lives in a peaceful and well-balanced harmony. He might appear to us as having a soft and pleasant disposition, showing up in pastels with strains of Peter, Paul and Mary harmonizing to "If I had a hammer" wafting softly in the background.

 

We call the Bible God's "revelation". We refer to it in that term because within its pages we find the Lord revealing himself: what he is like, what he does and has done, what his intentions are. Even, astonishingly enough, what he thinks and feels! What he has revealed of himself is a far cry from the caricature of the God of pastels I describe above. What do we read in Joel? "The Lord will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem, the earth and the sky will tremble." as the Lord brings down his warriors in a devastating judgment of the world.

 

Yes, the Lord blesses the peacemakers, those who subordinate their own desires in deference to others. And, yes, the angels did proclaim "peace on earth" at the arrival of Jesus Christ, God's Son to planet earth. But the "peace on earth" proclaimed by the angels was a peace that would be experienced by those who would embrace Jesus Christ in faith and experienced by them with their God on the day of judgment. Jesus' observation of the blessed estate of those who are peacemakers in his sermon on the mount speaks to the changed condition of those who embrace him in faith and shouldn't be viewed as a comment on God's priorities. Their blessedness isn't due to them promoting a misguided notion that God eschews conflict with sin and sinners but that they manifest the Holy Spirit within them expressing his presence in their lives.

 

The Scriptures would have us perceive God, not in pastels, but in bright and vivid bold colors. Far from temperate thoughts, feelings and emotions, God loves with a love that would see his Son die a horrific and miserable death to pay for the sins of the world. This is unbridled passion! His anger is furious and frightful. His judgment is horrific. His love is breathtaking and overwhelming.  

 

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 Ruminating in the Word of God: The Lord's judgment comes!

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Joel 3:12,

 

"Let the nations be roused; let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit 
to judge all the nations on every side."

 

In Joel's prophecy, the Lord speaks of a harvesting of the nations. Specifically, he speaks of judgment against nations for their treatment of his chosen people Israel. He says of the Valley of Jehoshaphat, "There I will enter into judgment against them concerning my inheritance, my people Israel, for they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land. They cast lots for my people and traded boys for prostitutes; they sold girls for wine that they might drink."

 

This speaks to me of a judgment the Scriptures foretell of the nations of the earth, a judgment that brings to an end the current age. As in Joel's prophecy, the judgment is seen as a harvesting of the nations of the earth. In Joel 3:13-16 we read, "'Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, trample the grapes, for the winepress is full and the vats overflow— so great is their wickedness!' Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. The sun and moon will be darkened, and the stars no longer shine. The Lord will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem; the earth and the sky will tremble. But the Lord will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the people of Israel."

 

This reminds me of the judgment we read of concerning Jesus Christ in the last days, also seen as a harvesting of the earth, "I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. 'He will rule them with an iron scepter.' He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS." Revelation 19:11-16.

 

We read of the Lord on his throne in Matthew 25:31-41, "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world' ... Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.'"

 

This being the case of things, prudence and wisdom dictate we avail ourselves of all possible means to find ourselves on the right side of the Lord's judgment. Woe to the man who ignores the reality of the Lord's judgment headed our way! Herein is measured our fear of the Lord. As we read in Proverbs 1:29-33, "Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the Lord, since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke, they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes. For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm."

 

Today I thank God that I have escaped the Lord's judgment because he has credited my account with his payment for sin he made on that cross!

 

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 Ruminating in the Word of God: Life's dependance on God (the rest of the story...)

(Sorry for the fragment I accidentally sent.)

 

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Joel 1:19-20,

 

"To you, O Lord, I call, for fire has devoured the open pastures and flames have burned up all the trees of the field. Even the wild animals pant for you; the streams of water have dried up and fire has devoured the open pastures."

 

In the midst of the devastating judgment in Joel's prophecy we see both man and beast looking to the Lord in their desperation to cling to life. While relief from desperation can come from the source of that desperation, a broader truth is painted here: all life clings to its existence only through the Lord providing its opportunity to do so. We see the origin and source of all life found in the Lord in the opening chapters of Genesis. We also read of the maintenance and sustenance of all of life in Paul's writings about the Son of God, Colossians 1:15-17 as well as the writer of Hebrews, Hebrews 1:3.

 

In Psalm 65:9-13 we read, "You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it. You drench its furrows and level its ridges; you soften it with showers and bless its crops. You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance. The grasslands of the desert overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness. The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain; they shout for joy and sing." Likewise we read in Psalm 147:7-9, "Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; make music to our God on the harp. He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills. He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call."

 

All of life owes its existence to God. All of life is maintained and continues to exist from moment to moment by the Lord's direct involvement and intervention. Every breath we take is, in a very real way, an extension of God's grace. Were it not for the Lord continuing our existence and providing for that existence we would surely cease to exist in an instant. This state of things points to the horrific blunder of those who fail to acknowledge God's existence!

 

For all of us who have embraced him in faith, we recognize our utter and complete dependence upon the Lord. All we need for life comes from him and is ultimately supplied by him. The wonder of it all is that he has made a commitment to us to provide for our existence for all eternity.

 

It is his promise 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 Ruminating in the Word of God:

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Joel 1:19-20,

 

"To you, O Lord, I call, for fire has devoured the open pastures and flames have burned up all the trees of the field. Even the wild animals pant for you; the streams of water have dried up and fire has devoured the open pastures."

 

In the midst of the devastating judgment we see both man and beast looking to the Lord in their desperation to cling to life. While relief from desperation can come from the source of the desperation, a broader truth is painted here: all life clings to its existence only through the Lord providing its opportunity to do so.

 

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 Ruminating in the Word of God: God's promises are certain!

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Joel 1:6-7,

 

"A nation has invaded my land, powerful and without number; it has the teeth of a lion, the fangs of a lioness. It has laid waste my vines and ruined my fig trees."

 

As the Lord announced the nature of the judgment he had visited upon Israel, he refers to the damage that will be sustained on the land and produce as upon his own: "my land", "my vines", "my fig trees". The Lord so closely identifies himself with his chosen people that damage done to them is damage done to his own.

 

Most of us are aware that Israel is God's chosen people. As his chosen people they had numerous advantages. Paul enumerates some in Romans 9:4-5, "Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised!"

 

What seems to escape many folks is why Israel is God's chosen people. Paul makes clear what brought this about in his letter to the church in Rome. He tells us, "As far as the gospel is concerned, they [Israel] are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable." Romans 11:28-29. So, what was it about the patriarchs that brought God's choice of them? In Romans 4:3 we read, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." The faith of Abraham brought God's choice of him. Because of Abraham's faith, God chose him and his offspring to be his own people.

 

Paul also tells us it is not the natural children who are God's children, those who will receive his promises. Not simply those who are the physical descendants of Abraham, but those who emulate the faith of Abraham. "For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham's children. On the contrary, 'It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.' In other words, it is not the natural children who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring." Romans 9:6-8. Paul makes clear it is the faith of Abraham that brings God's promises he made to Abraham. When Gentiles embrace God with the faith Abraham manifested in him, they are regarded as children of Abraham.

 

Nonetheless, Paul makes clear Israel has not lost its status as his chosen nation. You will recall the passage in Romans 11:28-29, "As far as the gospel is concerned, they [Israel] are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable." In one sense, due to their rejection of the gospel, they are considered enemies of God. Yet, and here is the truth that says so much about God, the nation of Israel is still loved on account of Abraham and the patriarchs! Why? Because God's gifts and his call (his invitation) are irrevocable!

 

What this tells me is that once I have secured God's promises, they will never be taken from me. He doesn't give and then take away what he has promised. Yes, he can provide things and then withdraw them. As Job said, "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away", but when the Lord gives his promise, it is as good as done. He never turns on his promises! The very nature of Abraham's faith was that he was able to see this in God, "Yet he [Abraham] did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why 'it was credited to him as righteousness.'" Romans 4:20-22.

 

How certain are the promises of God!

 

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