Comforting the Weary
4 The Sovereign Lord(M) has given me an instructed tongue,(N)
to know the word that sustains the weary.(O)
He wakens me morning by morning,(P)
wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.(Q)
5 The Sovereign Lord(R) has opened my ears,(S)
and I have not been rebellious;(T)
I have not drawn back.
6 I offered my back to those who beat(U) me,
my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard;(V)
I did not hide my face
from mocking and spitting.(W)
7 Because the Sovereign Lord(X) helps(Y) me,
I will not be disgraced.
Therefore have I set my face like flint,(Z)
and I know I will not be put to shame.(AA)
I love the book of Isaiah, particularly the middle section where God tells Isaiah to give hope to the exiles because their time in Babylon is almost over. But, the Israelites can not see hope, and Isaiah probably thinks his words are in vain. Yet, he is encouraged by knowing that his words come from the living God, and therefore he does not turn aside but “sets his face like flint.”
Are you Isaiah or are you the exiles? Are you the persevering servant who speaks God’s words regardless of the circumstance, or do you identify with the exiles who had been under bondage for so long they had given up?
Regardless of which group you are in, know that God does love you and He is always available to hear and answer your prayers. When you determine to seek after holiness, part of that process is in reading the Scripture, and the more you read the more you will understand how it relates to your life today. Just as God wanted to offer hope to those whose hope was gone, He wants to offer hope to each of us today. Accept it, believe it, and live it, setting your face like flint toward the glory of God and what He wants to do in your life, and turning your back upon the bondage of the past.
Praise Around the Throne
Rev 7:9-17
Read 9-12
A Multitude from the Tribulation
9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; 10 and they cry out with a loud voice, saying,
“Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” 11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying,
“Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”
One of the best quotes I ever heard about praise came from Leon Trombley. “It is easier to hold a tempest in a teacup than a heartful of silent praise.” That is so true. And in this scene from the book of the Revelation, we witness the heavenly choir bursting out in praise to our Lord an Savior, silent no more.
We hear the phrase “Praise and Worship” so often that we tend to think of it as one activity. But praise is that activity that leads up to worship. It is the act of letting us show God how much we love HIm, how much we recognize just who He is. Worship, on the other hand, is when we bow before His throne in awe. Praise is often accompanied by instruments, worship often takes place during a heavy silence. Praise is normally sung, while worship can be unspoken.
Have you ever attended church where the services were in a foreign language? It is amazing, isn’t it, that although you may not understand the words, the meaning of the words is easily discernible.
I think of the setting in these verses, and wonder if the praise expressed here will be similar to Pentecost, when each person spoke in his own language, or if there will be something like a heavenly language which every tongue will speak and every ear will understand.
While we will not clearly understand these events as described in Revelation 7 until the veil is removed from our eyes and our understanding, we can know clearly and succinctly that praise and worship are natural events in heaven, and therefore they should be natural events here.
Praise Him, all you children of the earth, for He is good and His mercy endures forever. Amen
Whatever is commendable, think on these things
Phil 4:8 Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you. 10 I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned for me, but had no opportunity to show it. 11 Not that I am referring to being in need; for I have learned to be content with whatever I have. 12 I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
What a wealth of information and indeed encouragement is contained in these few verses. Have you noticed that when we think on or dwell on the negative, then it is as though we are operating under a cloud of gloom? We read criticism into things that are said to us, we expect bad things to occur, and we do not give others or ourselves a chance to succeed. Yet, when keep our mind fixed on the things of God, even though our circumstances may not be any different, we develop an ability to react to our circumstances as Christ would.
Contentment is one of those states of being that can bring with it a true peace, and it is only in Christ that we find both contentment and peace. Yet, too often we seek for these these elsewhere, only to be disappointed.
If you are living a life that is lacking contentment, turn to the Holy Scriptures for comfort and guidance and you will begin to experience life out from under a cloud of gloom and instead will dwell in the light of His love.
The importance of preparation
Today’s scripture is 1 Chronicles 22:1-5
1 Chronicles 22:1-5
22 Then David said, “The house of the Lord God(A) is to be here, and also the altar of burnt offering for Israel.”
Preparations for the Temple
2 So David gave orders to assemble the aliens(B) living in Israel, and from among them he appointed stonecutters(C) to prepare dressed stone for building the house of God. 3 He provided a large amount of iron to make nails for the doors of the gateways and for the fittings, and more bronze than could be weighed.(D) 4 He also provided more cedar logs(E) than could be counted, for the Sidonians and Tyrians had brought large numbers of them to David.
5 David said, “My son Solomon is young(F) and inexperienced, and the house to be built for the Lord should be of great magnificence and fame and splendor(G) in the sight of all the nations. Therefore I will make preparations for it.” So David made extensive preparations before his death.
The context of today’s scripture is that David has been told by God that he cannot build the temple for the Lord because he has spilled too much blood. Because David feels that Solomon is too young to make adequate preparations for the building of the temple, David himself begins to gather all of the materials needed to build a temple of splendor for the Lord.
David gathered bronze and cedar logs and had stonecutters prepare large stones for the building of the temple. He provided such large quantities of these materials that it is speculated he had acquired many of them as spoils of the wars he had fought. All of this was done in David’s old age and just prior to his death.
Have you ever felt God was calling you to do something, and in your eagerness to please God you rushed in without proper preparation? Failure to prepare is more common that one might think, particularly in kingdom pursuits. Why? Perhaps one reason is that some people believe if it is God’s will and God’s plan, then God will provide. However, such an approach often produces shoddy results, which most certainly is not part of God’s plan.
Having faith that God will provide and therefore failing to make preparations for what God has set before you is like walking a tightrope. You might begin with confidence, carefully placing one foot in front of the other, but before too long the distance seems to have lengthened and your balance becomes unsteady.
I teach adult Bible studies and although there have been occasions when I had to teach without adequate preparation, when I know I am to teach I spend hours in the Word and in planning and preparing the lesson. I believe both the class and my God deserve the time I devote to this endeavor.
Has God called you into service? Whether your job is greeting on Sunday morning or helping folks find a parking place, or teaching, preparation is vital to the success of what God has called you to do. If you are greeting, do not be so concerned about what you will wear that you fail to get to church on time, and thus your spirit is in turmoil and your greeting is less than cheerful. If you are helping people park, make sure you do it with a smile on your face and a willing spirit. If you are teaching, ask God to give you new and fresh insights into His word.
Col. 3:23 tells us that whatever we do, do it with all of our heart as if working for the Lord. May you today and every day prepare and work with one goal in mind–pleasing the Lord. God bless you as you seek to accomplish His will.
Beginning Again
It has been quite some time since I posted on “Seeking Holiness.” So, what happened? Did I stop seeking after holiness? Not at all. I simply stopped writing about it. But, after reading some of my old posts it seemed a good idea to begin again.
There is something about reflecting upon and then writing about Scripture that infuses my spirit with the desire to go farther and deeper in my relationship with God. So, beginning now I will resume my online journaling of my Bible reading and prayer. Join me, won’t you, as we seek after holiness with our whole hearts.
Seeking Holiness 