From the first day that you set your heart to understand,
and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard.
Thus says the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” § The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—these, O God, You will not despise. § Though the Lord is on high, yet He regards the lowly; but the proud He knows from afar. § Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time. § God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore submit to God.
You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You. Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications. In the day of my trouble I will call upon You, for You will answer me.
Dan. 10:12; Isa. 57:15; Ps. 51:17; 138:6; 1 Peter 5:6; James 4:6–7; Ps. 86:5–7
Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Understand what the will of the Lord is.
It is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
This is the will of God, your sanctification. § That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. § Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth … Therefore lay aside all filthiness.
Be holy, for I am holy. § [ Jesus] said … , “For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.” § Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. § The world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
Matt. 6:10; Eph. 5:17; Matt. 18:14; 1 Thess. 4:3; 1 Peter 4:2;
James 1:18, 21; 1 Peter 1:16; Mark 3:34–35; Matt. 7:24–25; 1 John 2:17
When have you felt so totally helpless that your prayer was fathoms deeper than mere words-it was a desperate heart’s cry? Was it when some bad thing happened to someone you love? Was it when you experienced . . .
a physical illness?
a financial collapse?
a severed relationship?
a social rejection?
Did you think because something bad happened, it indicated Jesus doesn’t really know what’s going on? Or that maybe He knows, but He’s not pleased with you? Or that if He does know, He just doesn’t love you or your family enough to do anything about it? Are you interpreting His love by your circumstances instead of interpreting your circumstances by His love? When we are tempted to question whether or not God cares, we are reminded that, “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” God does care!
God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself,
not imputing their trespasses to them.
It pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself. § Mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed.
I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil. § “Come now, and let us reason together,” says the Lord, “though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” § Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity? § Now acquaint yourself with Him, and be at peace. § Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. § Lord, You will establish peace for us, for You have also done all our works in us.
2 Cor. 5:19; Col. 1:19–20; Ps. 85:10; Jer. 29:11; Isa. 1:18;
Mic. 7:18; Job 22:21; Phil. 2:12–13; Isa. 26:12
Your kingdom come.
In the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. § A stone … cut out without hands. § “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the Lord of hosts. § The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, “See here!” or “See there!” For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.
To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God …The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how … But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.
Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!”
Matt. 6:10; Dan. 2:44; 2:34; Zech. 4:6; Luke 17:20–21;
Mark 4:11, 26–27, 29; Matt. 24:44; Rev. 22:17
Oct 21, 2013
…Thanks be to God, who always leads us
in triumphal procession in Christ…2 Corinthians 2:14
Recently we posted this on facebook: “Fight the good fight of faith.” 1 Timothy 6:12 — Life is not about losing. Life is about overcoming.
Almost as soon as Philip came to the conclusion that it was humanly impossible to feed the crowd gathered on the hillside, “Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, ‘Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?'” (John 6:8-9, NIV). While Andrew seemed to agree with Philip about the impossibility of feeding so many, his approach to the need was more positive. Without even realizing it, his faith had found the key to the storehouse of God’s ample supply. When he offered Jesus a few loaves and fish, he was offering Jesus everything he had!
What do you have? Do you have a little bit of time?
a little bit of love?
a little bit of money?
a little bit of faith?
Don’t concentrate on what you lack, concentrate on what you have. Then give all of it to Jesus for His use.
