Devotionals from my Bible app: Entrusted and Empowered (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Note before sharing the devotional: Right now, I believe God is putting me in a season of focusing on loving Him with my all, and secondarily loving others like I ought to love them. Disclosure: I fail miserably at both. But, that's the thing. As per today's key devotional verse: anyone who belongs to Christ is a new creation. That means, as a new creation I can love God with my all and love others like He wants me to!

Baby steps.

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. Deuteronomy 6:4-5, NKJV (also Matthew 22:37)

And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Matthew 22:39, NKJV

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17, NKJV

Entrusted and Empowered


Have you heard the good news? In 2 Corinthians 5:17, the apostle Paul writes to the church in Corinth: “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”


God created us and called us good, but we were born into a fallen world. A beautiful-yet-broken world. A stunning-yet-sinful world. A world where many would rather choose their own way instead of following and submitting to God. A world where others try to earn their own salvation, but fall painfully short.


By the sheer grace of God, He has made a way for sinners through His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus is the One who specializes in making all things new.


Paul goes on to say in his letter:

“And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him.”

2 Corinthians 5:18 NLT

To reconcile, by definition, means to “make peace” or to “restore a relationship.”


If you’ve known the love, grace, forgiveness, and redemption of God, who—through Christ—reconciled you back to Himself, then you have everything you need to help others receive the same gift.


God has empowered you with the ministry of reconciliation—of restoring others back to Him. This reconciliation can happen anywhere: in coffee shops, in corporate offices, in classrooms, and in kitchens. You can remind a child about the grace that’s available to them when they make a mistake. You can remind an adult that they cannot sin so much or so badly they cannot receive the mercy of God.


Wherever people need God, He stands ready to be used by you.


God has entrusted and empowered you to shine His light, show His love, and help others be restored back into His arms.

Prayer: God, thank You for being the God who restores and brings peace. You are steady. you are good. I ask for Your strength to love and serve those around me. Help me share the healing and hope I have in You with others. In Jesus' name, Amen.

2024 Gratitude Series: Prologue

Last year, I embarked on a multi-post gratitude series from Thanksgiving until Christmas (really, New Year’s Eve!) for multiple reasons:

• First, because it had been many, many, many years since I had last done this exercise, even after having returned to blogging. Gratitude is always a good thing to practice at any time of the year, but with it being Thanksgiving yet again, at the very least it’s good to take the big honkin’ obvious reminders that are placed in front of me as an opportunity to do this.
• Second, I had had a lot of life changes since the last time I had shared the list of things I’m grateful for (including finally having a wonderful woman in my life!), that I was long overdue in sharing them. This included not only my now-wife but also so many other people that God had put in my life, including most of all, Himself. And some of the people I shared my gratitude for having them in my life were people that I was finding it quite challenging to have relationships with. Which leads to my last point…
• Third, I was still in the midst of a long season of mental, emotional, and spiritual suffering. I hadn’t yet broken from it (that would come some months later), so I was still fighting to repeatedly try to find good things to hold on to, yes, including God, but also other smaller things that I could perceive with any of my five senses on a day-to-day basis. Believe it or not, gratitude helps keep one sane. But it is a fight.

So I’m at it again this year because, while the trials that marked my life a year ago have ended, I’m still struggling with their impacts. And while I could share my gratitudes regarding specific individuals again (and I will in a bit), I’m feeling prompted to share memories where I can name that God showed up and/or came through, etc., because in spite of what I believe to be many, many instances of this, my “prayers” in my worst moments have tended to reveal that I forget about these things just as quickly.

My choosing to write about it will not and cannot erase any future instance where I grumble and complain again. I don’t know how to change that part of myself. All I have is the Law which says it is sin. But what I hope to do is, by sharing these stories, open myself up to the Lord in other ways that might allow me to receive things from Him that somehow I’ve been resistant to do.

That will come in future posts in this set. Meanwhile, here is a list of who and what I’m grateful for:

1. Jesus (remember, I have to put Him first)
2. My love, who is now my wife
3. That my wife and I got married this year and it was a wonderful day for all who attended
4. Our apartment
5. My job
6. My wife’s job
7. My car
8. My wife’s car
9. Our church
10. Our pastor
11. My counselor, who I still see for individual sessions once a month (because I still need it)
12. My dad
13. That I am on good terms with my mom and stepdad
14. That my love and I are now on good terms with her parents
15. My best man Ty Rawlins (yes, continuing the pseudonym game) with whom we call, check in, and support one another weekly
16. My other friend that I also call most weeks and we support each other
17. A friend from college with whom we call roughly once a month (sometimes once every couple months) and we check in and support each other in a goals-oriented way
18. A couple of other college friends that I recently connected with over the last couple months after being out of touch for years, and having an opportunity to really catch up
19. A hope that next year my wife and I will be able to go to Minnesota to visit with the aforementioned college friends from the last couple bullet points, and I can introduce them to her and vice versa
20. Anytime my friend Caleb Redding (pseudonym) is in town. His most recent visit, which took place over a week in late-October, yielded a couple wonderful dinners out, one of which included a series of laughter-bursting pranks as well as a “new” connection that could bear fruit in both the personal-friendship and professional areas of life

Speaking of the aforementioned “new” connection: I caught up with a guy I kinda knew at my old church, but he was really more of a friend-of-a-friend. That is, until he asked me at that one dinner if I still wrote music, to which my wife immediately responded, “ohhh yeah! He sure does!” Since then, we met up for coffee to lay the groundwork for a friendship as well as a business connection, and next steps look promising. Back to the list of gratitudes:

1. My church band which allowed me to play and praise/worship God with them when my 2^nd job let me go at the end of last year
2. My off-and-on again band, Ring Shout (now going by the title “Sons of Ring Shout”) continuing to rehearse on average once a month since Mark the Drummer passed away last February
3. The once-a-month music sessions with Songs by Heart at a nursing home not far from home
4. God giving me new compositions, pieces, and songs to write

I’m sure there are many more, but those are all the big ones I can think of that happened in the last year. One of the last ones I’ll mention is that God took me through a successful reading through the Bible (chronologically) from Genesis to Revelation. I had attempted to do so in 2022 but got waylaid about 2 months in and failed to keep up the program. With God’s help I not only finished it this time around but finished it about a month-and-a-half early, in mid-November. Every time I read through Scripture I always pick up new things. What I have found kind of disappointing is how unfamiliar I was with much of the New Testament, even though I’ve read it all the way through before. Some of Paul’s lesser-known letters that still made it into the Canons of Scripture addressed very specific situations that would still apply to other situations today.

That said, I need to begin another read-through soon. There’s really no prize for successfully managing to read through the Bible from end-to-end except just that. The real prize is going back to the Word over and over again to learn more about Jesus Christ and grow deeper in relationship with Him. He is the prize.

I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14, NKJV

Sermons from Good News: Being thankful is wise.

Church 11/23/2024

Offertory scripture:

Psalm 28:7

The Lord is my strength and my shield;
My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped;
Therefore my heart greatly rejoices,
And with my song I will praise Him.

Sermon message:

Thesis: Being thankful is wise.

James 1:5

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

God gives wisdom in His word.

The wisdom of God is peaceable and long suffering. “Wisdom” that encourages criticality is earthly, sensual, and devilish.

Psalm 92:1

It is good to give thanks to the Lord,

And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;

Galatians 6:7

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.

There are two ways to look at life.

A negative way or a positive way.

Galatians 6:7-8

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.

Your attitude will set your altitude.

Your attitude will set your life.

Your attitude will set your harvest.

Consider the cases of Paul and Silas:

Acts 16:22-25

Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.

They still sang praises to God even while in prison.

Choose today who you will serve.

Joshua 24:15

And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Devotionals from my Bible app: The Name of the Lord (Proverbs 18:10)

The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe. Proverbs 18:10, NKJV

Note before sharing the devotional: in the video that accompanied this particular devotional, the speaker shared a story about how he had gotten into a horrible accident as a child that left his body severely damaged. His parents’ response was to reach out to all of their fellow believer friends to pray and call upon the name of Jesus to heal him. The speaker continued, saying that within twenty minutes his body was made whole and was bouncing off the walls shortly after. As a child, he of course didn’t understand fully the significance of what had happened, but as an adult it has taught him a very important lesson about the power that lives in God’s name, and about trusting in that power.

For the first two full years that I was in intensive counseling, I also was privileged to have had a church friend who gave free craniosacral treatments. (She was in training at the time and got her degree in it, opening up her practice during that time as well.) Between those two things, along with a few other things (namely reading through the whole Bible and getting saved), I experienced a two-year stretch where I didn’t feel fear or anxiety even once, after a lifetime of suffering from it chronically. I even experienced partial, temporary healing in my hearing (I have hearing loss and wear hearing aids).

I think that because I’ve been accustomed to stress, anxiety, and brokenness in certain areas of my life, it has made it difficult for me to call on Jesus’s name (and to invite others to come alongside as well) to ask for healing and complete freedom. There is indeed power in His name, but more often than not I have not used it to heal or rectify things in my life that are amiss or array. And that leads to another area that we often have to address first: forgiving what is past and believing that, no matter what has happened, God’s way was and is best, even when His way leads us through more challenge.

At my church it is regularly preached: “God wants you blessed.” Knowing my church’s leadership, I believe that it comes from a good place and with good desires. But I do believe this type of emphasis can accidentally mislead one’s trust in the Lord by not leaving room for times when God’s sovereignty and His way is the true lesson. Paul had a “thorn in the flesh” that, despite his asking God three times to remove it, the Lord’s response was “no. My grace is sufficient for you.” (2 Corinthians 12:7-9) A 20th-century example concerns a powerful woman of God, who, at age 17 dove off a cliff into the water to join her friends. However, she had misread the depth of the water and crash-landed into some jagged rocks that were much closer to the surface than she could perceive. This collision left her paralyzed from the shoulders down. As a believer in the powerful name of Jesus, she believed for complete healing and for the ability to move her arms and legs. To this day, almost 60 years later, she has still not regained said ability. She still believes God is good and is able to do anything, and she continues to be a vessel and a voice for the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. But she was never healed from this particular injury.

There are many other such examples. Regardless, God is still good, and He is still on the throne. But His ways are still higher than ours (than mine, even). I still wrestle with trials and tribulations that occur in my life. But the lesson that I still need to learn is that yes, He can and will deliver me from things that don’t align with His will and His plans for my life, but that He also will allow and/or keep hard things in my life if it will help conform me to His will and His image that would not occur otherwise.

I still think back to when I spent three years living with the two difficult housemates that I’ve periodically referenced on this blog. I still wrestle with understanding why circumstances arranged themselves in such a way that it was as if I had “no choice” but to move in in the first place, and then heard nothing from the Lord each time I asked either: “why am I still living here?” or: “how much longer do You want me living here?” or: “when can I move out of here?” or even: “can I please move back to where I was living before I moved here?” And so on.

The answers have slowly been trickling in, first about six months ago, and then another answer more recently. The answer that came first was when my now-wife confirmed that if I hadn’t been living with her and the other housemates, she wouldn’t have had another pair of eyes and ears to corroborate her experiences with them, and to verify that she was in fact not imagining things when she was trying to make sense of different experiences and interactions with them, herself. It was powerful to hear her say that, but after we had married and then moved out to our own place, I still found myself wrestling with the experiences in the aftermath as well. It was as if, somehow, what she had revealed was not enough to calm me down and give me peace.

Then, much more recently, a second answer came to me, in the form of something a friend I caught up with recently had shared with me. For privacy reasons, I will not share the difficulty that he went through, but in hearing his story, it was a convicting reminder of how living with my now-wife and the other housemates was in fact a vehicle for safeguarding my walk with God in yet another area that was being highlighted as a spiritual “danger zone.” This was yet another answer, also in the vein of God’s ways being higher than mine, because as difficult as this time was, it also accomplished far more than perhaps any other type of refinement, for both my now-wife and me.

As I write, I’m currently having what I believe to be a mild episode of a health challenge (in the same general area as what I’ve experienced quite a few times before). I still choose to claim Isaiah 53:5 (“…and by His stripes we are healed”) as my statement of faith regarding God’s ability and desire to heal anything and everything in me, but also acknowledging that He is sovereign and that His ways are higher than mine.

To close this note, what has encouraged me is this verse from Revelation about how immediately healing will be in heaven:

In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse, Revelation 22:2-3A, NKJV

The Name of the Lord 

Have you ever thought about the meaning of your name? The meaning of a name is more important in some cultures than others. In Scripture, the meaning of a name can tell you a lot about a specific person or the character of that person.

Similarly, the name of the Lord is not just a common name. The Lord’s name is meant to carry the identity, character, and actions of God. That is why Scripture tells us to call upon the name of the Lord as a means of help and comfort.

God’s name tells us who He is. He is God, the Creator and Ruler of everything on the earth. He is the one who is above everything else in all the earth. That means He is more powerful and more wise than anyone else too.

God’s name also tells us about His character. We learn in Scripture that God is faithful, merciful, loving, and strong—His presence is a place of protection for those who follow Him.

The name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. Proverbs 18:10 NIV 

God’s name also tells us about His actions. He rescues and saves His children. He fights for the weak and He provides for the needy.

All of these good traits are wrapped up in the name of the Lord. When we call upon His name, we are trusting and believing that God is who He says He is.

What other attributes of God’s character come to mind when you think about Him? Take a moment to thank Him for who He is and all that He has done for you.

Prayer: God, I am so grateful that You know everything I’m going through. Your name is a strong tower. You alone are my source of strength. I am calling on Your name. Thank You that with You, I am safe. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Sermons from Good News: Let’s pray for each other.

In just under a week, our church is moving to a new location. For the last four years, we've been meeting in a sort of makeshift office area in a, well, office building behind another church building. And if I'm understanding my church's history correctly, this is just the tip of the iceberg. We've been gathering as a church for a very long time, passing our 30th anniversary as a church just a few years ago, but have always rented out space to gather and praise God, and every so often have had to move to another location. I started dating my love right before COVID shut everything down, so I only really had a couple chances to visit my now-church (I was still attending my previous one) in their previous setup before everything changed.

The next part of this story is a testament as to how good God has been to this church. In 2019, one of my pastor's friends (who also was a pastor), passed away. Prior to his passing he promised us his church building, as he had not really had anyone appointed to take over his church. That part of the story is sad, as that church essentially folded (from what I heard) and its congregants had to go find another church. But the joy of it is that our church gets to inhabit that space and spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ in that location.

Attaining this property and getting it ready for our use did not come without bumps and bruises, though. For a few years there was a lien on the property that our leadership needed to push through. Once that issue was settled, we actually got to debut the space for a few short services around the holidays (this would have been a couple years ago by this point). Then, the renovations began. Forecasting how long those would take was anyone's guess. At the beginning of this month, the renovated space passed its final inspections. Although there are still a few small things to be done, we've reached the point of finally having a "forever home," which is going to be a great blessing.

I wasn't around at my previous church when they underwent a similar process almost twenty years ago. They had been meeting in the auditorium at the local high school for however long. Their pastors searched for places that they could gather, and they even had a location where the process of moving their church there seemed to be proceeding along, only for it to be denied at the 11th hour. Another long and exhausting search later, they ended up moving to a former (not "abandoned") warehouse building which had more space than they could dream of, plus a larger parking lot than they ever could have imagined. I began attending a few years later, and from the time I first started going until the time I left, they managed to fill up the space as new ministry needs arose.

He does come through! Lord God, I believe; help my unbelief!

Church 11/20/2024

*Note: Our pastor used almost exclusively the New Living Translation in his Bible citations for this message and made a point about it. He often led with the NLT of the mentioned verse and then would go back to the King James Version. Since the New King James Version is my current preferred translation, I will use it for all citations following the NLT (except for a couple passages where he went straight to the KJV). Personally, I find this way of quoting from Scripture intriguing, as it can allow for an immediate greater understanding of what God is saying in that verse.

Sermon message:


Thesis: Let’s pray for each other.


Point #1: God cares about you.


1 Peter 5:7

NLT: Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 

 

NKJV: casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

God knows all about you.


1 Thessalonians 5:23

NLT: Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.

NKJV: Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

He cares about all parts of you.


Point#2: We can be vessels of God.


God wants this.


James 5:16

NLT: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. 

 

NKJV: Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

Pray for each other so that you may be healed.


Those who have Jesus’s righteousness, their prayers are powerful.


James 5:17

NLT: Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! 

 

NKJV: Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.

Elijah is the example used as a righteous man whose prayers were powerful and were answered.


The point is you don’t have to be perfect. Elijah was a fallible human like we are. But he trusted God with all his heart. That’s the point.


Description of Elijah’s prayers:
1 Kings 18:36-38

NKJV: And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.”

Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench.

But lest we think Elijah must’ve been a perfect man of God:
1 Kings 19:1-4

NKJV: And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had executed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.” And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.

But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!”

Elijah was afraid and discouraged.


Point #3: Our righteousness is of God.


It’s not of our own doing.


James 5:16

NLT: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. 

 

NKJV: Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

Romans 5:1

NLT: Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. 

 

NKJV: Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Romans 3:22

NLT: We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. 

 

NKJV: even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference;

2 Corinthians 5:21

NLT: For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. 

 

NKJV: For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Point #4: Vessels need vessels.


Paul prayed for others but also asked them to pray for him also.


Romans 15:30

NLT: Dear brothers and sisters, I urge you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to join in my struggle by praying to God for me. Do this because of your love for me, given to you by the Holy Spirit. 

 

NKJV: Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me,

2 Corinthians 1:11

NLT: And you are helping us by praying for us. Then many people will give thanks because God has graciously answered so many prayers for our safety.

NKJV: you also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the gift granted to us through many. 

Ephesians 6:18-19

NLT: Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike. 

 

NKJV: praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— 19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel,

Philippians 1:19

NLT: For I know that as you pray for me and the Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me, this will lead to my deliverance.

NKJV: For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,

Colossians 4:2-4

NLT: Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains. Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should.

NKJV: Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.

2 Thessalonians 3:1

NLT: Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we ask you to pray for us. Pray that the Lord’s message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes, just as when it came to you.

NKJV: Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you,

1 Thessalonians 5:25

NLT: Dear brothers and sisters, pray for us.

NKJV: Brethren, pray for us.

Note after the sermon message: After the service, we prayed as a church for a couple people. A man who used to partner with our church in the past passed away suddenly over the previous week, and two of our church members (a husband and wife) were regular ministry partners with him and his wife. It was a sweet time of corporate prayer and getting to participate in it.

Let God Be Your Strength When You Feel Weak And Fall Apart | Morning Prayer

 Every now and then, I like to post a prayer that I hear on YouTube. This one was (and is) powerful for many reasons, but the reason that stands out is that I’ve been a lot weaker spiritually than before. Just like the narrator from “Grace Oasis” (the channel upon which I found this prayer), I’ve found myself in certain types of storms that really weakened me in ways that I didn’t think I could have been weakened. The lines that got me are as follows:

This journey has taught me something profound, that not every hardship, not every storm, is here to break us. Sometimes the difficulties we face are actually blessings in disguise, shaping us, molding us, and preparing us for a greater purpose. Yes, some situations hurt deeply, but in the end, those trials can become steppingstones to something beautiful, something far greater than we could have imagined.

One key area that I still wrestle with is why I ever moved to the house in which I lived from three years ago until this past summer, and my chief gripe about the experience was that I could directly point to my immense weakening to the storms that I faced specifically during this time period. But, gradually, things have been revealed that line up with the above quotation taken from the prayer below. One such item came when I recently caught up with a friend I hadn’t spoken to in a few years. He went through a particular difficulty that, despite his best efforts and understanding, still happened. His situation spoke to me because I still wrestle with temptation in a certain area myself, and it was only during my time in the aforementioned house with the aforementioned housemates that forced me to really make a hard turn in this area. I certainly became strengthened in this one area. Another area in which this situation proved to be a blessing was for someone else, where my enduring what I endured provided opportunity for me to speak truth about what I saw that they might never have otherwise noticed.

I do believe that I am currently in a season of gradually rebuilding – of course, God is doing the said rebuilding! But I’m also aware that at any point, future challenges will arise, and I’m certain they will be challenges that I never expected to face and will not know how to solve it on my own strength. (…yay…?) But, the point to be driven home is that God is bigger than any type of challenge, and for me to stand in that faith.

Morning Prayer from Grace Oasis:

Before we pray, I’d like to share a short message from the Bible, and then we’ll pray together.

Sometimes, life surprises us in a way we never expected. We step into each day with hopes and dreams, believing things will go smoothly, that our plans will work out just as we envisioned. But then, unexpectedly, we find ourselves in a different place. Instead of a smooth road, we encounter rough patches. Instead of support and companionship, we find ourselves alone. We look around searching for someone, anyone, to help lighten the burden, yet all we see are our own troubles staring back at us. It feels like the world has gone silent, leaving us to wrestle with our fears and struggles alone. This feeling is something I know all too well. I’ve experienced countless battles, facing one challenge after another. Life has brought me to a place where I’ve had to fight, not just in one part of my life, but in many: within my family, in my health, and even in the deepest parts of my mind. Yet here I am, still standing. And I want you to know there is hope. I am here today not because I am strong on my own, but because Jesus Christ has been my strength. Through every trial, He has been the one Who has carried me, renewing me with a strength that isn’t my own. His joy fills my heart even in the darkest moments, and it’s His joy that has kept me going when I wanted to give up. I am here because I serve a God Who is bigger than any of my struggles, Who is more powerful than any force that tries to pull me down. This journey has taught me something profound, that not every hardship, not every storm, is here to break us. Sometimes the difficulties we face are actually blessings in disguise, shaping us, molding us, and preparing us for a greater purpose. Yes, some situations hurt deeply, but in the end, those trials can become steppingstones to something beautiful, something far greater than we could have imagined. 

The Apostle Paul speaks to this in Philippians 3:12-14. “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me His own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own, but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” 

Paul’s words remind us that perfection isn’t the goal, but growth is. We’re called to keep moving forward, to keep striving toward what lies ahead, and to leave behind the things that once held us back. God has a purpose for each one of us, and it is our calling to press on, to keep pushing forward, even when the road is hard, and the weight feels heavy. May the Holy Spirit touch your heart at this very moment. May He open your ears to hear His voice, and your eyes to see His truth. Let us come together in prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father,

Your love and kindness are beyond words. You are not only granting me strength over the enemy, but also promising that nothing in this world can harm me under Your care. You have wrapped me in Your promises, Lord, covering me with the truth of Your word. Right now, with the authority that You have blessed me with, I declare freedom from every curse that has ever been spoken against me. I call on the power of Jesus’s name to break every negative word, every harmful intent, and every spirit of darkness has tried to disturb my life and my purpose. I cast out anything from the enemy that tries to distract me away from Your divine call on my life. With You by my side, who can stand against me? You, Lord, who commands countless angels are my protector and my strength. You are the Lord of hosts, the God Who has never been defeated, the creator of all things. I trust that all power, both in heaven and on earth, belongs to You and You alone. 

Lord Jesus, how can I thank You enough for Your perfect sacrifice? Because of Your love, I am now able to stand with boldness and courage in my faith. It is by Your blood that I am protected and cleansed, and I declare today that the kingdom of darkness has no power over me. In the name of Jesus, I cancel every plan of the enemy, and I declare that the devil has no hold on my life. By the authority of Jesus Christ, I speak against the enemy and proclaim that he is a defeated foe. He will not succeed. He will not prevail, because Jesus has already won. Jesus Christ has overcome death, hell, and the grave, and in His victory I am free. My Lord, You have put the devil to shame, stripped him of any power over me, and given me freedom through Your love. Not only for myself, Lord, but also for my family. I declare protection and victory over us all. Because of You, we are shielded and covered, resting in the shelter of Your presence. It is only because Jesus rose from the dead that I am walking in victory today. His resurrection is my victory. His triumph is my strength, and it is by His power that I am an overcomer. It is because of Your grace, Your love, and Your mercy, Lord, that I am victorious. I worship You, Jesus, and I lift up Your name above all others. I magnify You, Lord, because You are greater than anything I face. You are my King, my Redeemer, my Savior. I look to You in every moment, trusting that You are with me. 

This battle, Lord, is not mine, but it belongs to You, and You have already won. I will call on Your name, Lord, in every season of my life. When my heart is full of joy, I will call on Your name. And when I feel weighed down by sorrow, I will cry out to the Great I AM. I trust in You to rescue me from every trouble and to hold me close today. I bless Your holy name, Lord, and I give You all the glory. For I know that You hear my prayers, and that You answer me with love and grace. In the powerful name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Sermons from Good News: What can stop God's blessings

Church 11/16/2024

Offertory scripture:

Be thankful in all seasons.

Acts 16:25

But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.

Sermon message:


Thesis: What can stop God’s blessings (in life)


Examples:

Genesis 1 & 2 vs 3 (the below verses from this section of scripture are my addition; our pastor was simply referencing the story arc from these chapters to make his point)

Genesis 1:31

Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Genesis 3:22-24

Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”— therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.

For everlasting life:
John 3:16

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Mark 16:15-16

And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

1 Timothy 2:4

who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Point #1: Our pride can stop God’s blessings.


Ephesians 2:8

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

Luke 18:10-14

“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

1 Peter 5:6

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,

Story of Naaman who had leprosy—he had to humble himself to bathe in the dirty Jordan river to get clean.


Point #2: A wavering faith can stop God’s blessings.

Psalm 78:9

The children of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows,

Turned back in the day of battle.

Psalm 78:41

Yes, again and again they tempted God,

And limited the Holy One of Israel.

Numbers 14:28

Say to them, ‘As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you:

Matthew 13:58
Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.


James 1:5-8

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Galatians 6:9

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

Point #3: Our words can stop God’s blessings.


Matthew 13:55-56

Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?”

Numbers 14:28

Say to them, ‘As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you:

Romans 10:9-10

that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Proverbs 6:2

You are snared by the words of your mouth;

You are taken by the words of your mouth.

Proverbs 18:20

A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth;

From the produce of his lips he shall be filled.

Proverbs 12:13-14A

The wicked is ensnared by the transgression of his lips,

But the righteous will come through trouble.

A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth,

James 3:3-4

Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires.

What can bring God’s blessings into your life?

• Humility and love
• Unwavering faith
• Words of faith

Mark 5:28

For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”

Mark 5:34

And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”

Sermons from Good News: It's time to pray

Church 11/13/2024


Sermon message:

Thesis: It’s time to pray.

It’s always time to pray.

1 Timothy 2:1-3

Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,

Point #1: Christians should be people of prayer.

Just like cars need gasoline.

Jude 1:20

But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,

Building yourself up = charging yourself up / strengthening yourself

Prayer is power.

Matthew 26:41

Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

You’ll be tempted to, but don’t let yourself fall into temptation. To accomplish this, charge yourself up in the Lord. Pray.


Point #2: Our prayers should be marked by concern for others as well as ourselves.


1 Timothy 2:1

Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men,

Mark 6:12

So they went out and preached that people should repent.

Point #3: Prayer consists of various parts.


1 Timothy 2:1

Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men,

First: Supplications: formal requests


Hebrews 4:16

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

We can come boldly to the throne of grace, but we must also be humble.


1 Corinthians 15:9-10

For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

Second: Intercessions: when you pray for someone else.


Matthew 7:3-5

And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

Do your own work first and get your triggers/issues out of the way first before dealing with the other person’s issues.


And third: Giving of thanks: thanking God refocuses on God over the issue.

Thanking God also build your faith.


1 Samuel 30:4,6

Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep.

Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.

David gave God thanks.


Acts 4:24

So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them,

Point #4: all should be prayed for — which includes leaders.


1 Timothy 2:1-2

Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.

Point #5: This type of prayer is acceptable to God.


1 Timothy 2:3-4

For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

1 Timothy 2:8-9

I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting; in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing,

Some pertinent thoughts - November 2024 edition

 

Although it is now a week-and-a-half since the election took place in our country, I’ve been noticing a trend – called the 4B movement – that has galvanized a portion of our population. After watching participants of this movement cry, scream, shave their heads, refuse to date and refuse to engage in sexual intercourse… and then watching others who do not share their opinions, well, opine on the  matter, it confirms more and more to me that I made two right choices 4 ½ years ago: 1. To begin dating my now-wife (as opposed to anyone else that I might’ve had opportunity), and 2. To switch my vote to conservative as well (I previously voted third-party).

After the last four years of the debacle of the Joe Biden presidency (inflation, cost of living, the economy in general, illegal immigration, crime, violent crime, funding an unnecessary war in Ukraine, and yet turning our backs on a necessary issue in the Middle East, not to mention even more innocent blood shed (numbering in the thousands upon thousands) at the hands of those who created a “remedy” to fix a “world-wide problem” at the outset of the term), and more and more Americans realizing the truth of said presidency and said administration, I was left to wonder at the dawn of this latest election cycle a year ago: on what platform was the Democratic party going to run to bid for the next presidential election cycle?

Mind you, this is the party that went so far as to censor people who spoke out against them cheating in the 2020 election which they thought would outright deny Donald Trump a second term (they only delayed it), and instead usher in a period of outright disaster on practically as many fronts as they could. So what could they possibly have the gall to try to convince the American people that we should elect them instead of Trump, should he run again (and he did)?

Answer: abortion.

That is what the Dems have left to run on: not just the shedding of innocent blood, but also defending the shedding of innocent blood, and on attacking and villainizing anyone who disagrees (even politely).

This is what all those “4B movement” women are going onto TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, etc., crying angry tears about; they think Trump is going to take away all their rights upon becoming president, but in fact he isn’t going to do anything with the abortionist agenda. He’s going to clean up the government, improve foreign relations, deport as many illegal immigrants as possible (note: people may not be “illegal,” but they still commit crimes, and that is illegal), and get the economy back on track, all of which we need.

However, I have a message for the conservatives: do not gloat.

Do not gloat.

By all means, be happy about the election results. Heck, be ecstatic. I am. I even wrote two musical compositions in the few days following Trump’s election straight off that elation.

But remember also this:

“It is God who gives us the victory, and not we ourselves.”

And:

“It is God who appoints us our leaders.”

Here is what I mean; let’s look at passages from the Bible that directly back this up:

for the Lord your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’ Deuteronomy 20:4, NKJV

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57, NKJV

Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 1 Timothy 2:1-2, NKJV

OK – considering I’ve recently vented about taking Bible passages out of context, I’m aware of the risk of the doing the same here. So, let’s unpack the context a little bit for each of the passages mentioned above:

In the entire book of Deuteronomy, Moses, in his last days, is giving the Israelites final instructions as they anticipate going into the Promised Land, a land that eluded the previous generation (including Moses) because of their unbelief and disobedience. By the 20^th chapter, Moses is passing along practical instructions of faith regarding going to battle against their enemies, which they are going to have to do in order to actually take the Promised Land. A key military strategy piece for the Israelites’ battle directly involves God, and Moses drives home the point that while they have a part to play, it is God and God alone who does the heavy lifting and delivers the victory. Later, in the book of Joshua, God gave Joshua (who in turn instructed the rest of the Israelites) very specific (and admittedly peculiar) instructions on how to conquer the city of Jericho. There, the Israelites still had a job to do – it was a seven-day temp assignment for this particular project – but God was still the project manager who delivered the blow.

In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, he was addressing a church in the midst of a very worldly culture (some pastors have likened the city of Corinth to the state of California, even from 20, 30 years ago). Let’s use Los Angeles as a modern comparison: a glitzy, cosmopolitan city where people of power and of influence, particularly in the arts and entertainment spheres, congregate to exert their influence while also participating in their craft and their alternate ideologies. The church is supposed to stand out. They weren’t, and in some respects, they were acting even more worldly than their nonbelieving neighbors! After many chapters in this first known letter (there is rumored to have been yet another letter Paul had written to this church prior to this one, but it has been lost to time), Paul finally addresses yet another key lie that had been circulating in the Corinthian church: the non-existence of the resurrection of the dead. He tackles this head-on in the 15^th chapter of this book, explaining that without the resurrection of the body (and specifically that of Christ’s body) our faith would be in vain, and that there would be no hope for eternal life. But because Jesus is who the Bible says He is, He did indeed rise up from the dead, and we can too if we believe in and receive Him as our Savior, Lord, and King. The significance that we as believers also need to take away from this is that if we are in Christ (by doing the above), then in Him we have victory, especially victory over death, but also victory over other challenges, trials and tribulations. But the key part of this significance is that it is – and always has been – GOD who gives us this victory, and not we ourselves. Sure, we have a part to play, but it is God and God alone who delivers us to victory. And that must also therefore mean that in times of defeat (like in 2020, regardless of how or why it came about), God is still in control.

And finally, in Paul’s letter to Timothy, the first of two and what was probably Paul’s second-to-last letter ever written that made it into Scripture as canon, he is offering encouragement and important reminders to his protégé regarding the church that he was stewarding. These encouragements included holding fast to the correct and true doctrine of the Gospel and the life of a Jesus-believer and follower and not let anyone sway church members to stray from the truth, and enduring in the fight (the spiritual fight) to keep all believers in the said true faith. Paul specifically identified two individuals that he knew had been causing harm to the church and instructed Timothy to be on guard with them, and to instruct his church to do the same. One main way Timothy and the church he is leading can remain strong in the Lord is through prayer, by praying for everyone, presumably including the two mentioned troublemakers, but also for all leaders in authority (including, presumably, Emperor Nero). It is from this context – using prayer to stay strong in tribulations – that we have our commandment to pray for those in power over us. Four years ago, for conservatives that was for Biden and his administration. Now, for liberals it’s for Trump (yes, yet again). [Note that I did not mention that conservatives should pray for Trump and liberals for Biden. I omit it because I presume that it is easy for anyone to pray for the leaders that they like or voted for!] Above all, God is ruler of the universe. I happen to live in a blue state, so my governor is a Democrat. No matter – I’m supposed to pray for him. I don’t know what party my current mayor is (I moved this past summer), but I’m still supposed to pray for them and for the entire city council. And so on.

But no matter who is in earthly power, God is still at the top. And because He is at the top, it is He alone who delivers victory for whom He pleases. I say this because there is something else that is very important to address: specifically, for those saying that it was the American people who came through.

Do not put your trust in the American people.

After all, the American people, just like the people of every other nation, are sinners. We fall short of God’s holy standard.

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19-21, NKJV

[For context, the passage of the Fruits of the Spirit immediately follows the above. But the point is to show what the works of the flesh are, because we all have flesh, with many of us being of the flesh and not of the Spirit.]

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Romans 3:23, NKJV

[I think the above is self-explanatory. No need for further context.]

The bottom line is, if we put our trust in ourselves or the American people or whoever, what we really putting our trust in is flesh, that is, adulterers, fornicators, idolaters, sorcerers, haters, contenders, selfish people, murderers, drunkards, and the like (some terms I omitted because I’m not sure the correct noun-identifying form of the above-mentioned adjectives. Anyone who puts their trust in the American people are putting their trust in everything I just now mentioned. That’s terrible; you will undoubtedly be let down at some point, and let down big-time. I know what it’s like to be let down, big-time. The pain and disappointment and the crushing that comes with that – that’s no way to live! (I say this not as someone who has “gotten it” – I’m still learning painful lessons directly from this.)

Instead, put your trust in God.

Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance. Psalm 42:5, NKJV

Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God. Psalm 42:11, NKJV

Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God. Psalm 43:5, NKJV

And because it is God who appoints all leaders, including some of the worst ones in history, including folks like Nazi Germany’s Adolf Hitler, the USSR’s Josef Stalin, and even Roman Emperor Nero (infamous for brutally persecuting and murdering Christians), during whose reign Paul was writing his letters, particularly to Timothy, we are required to pray for them. That means, if 1^st-century believers and followers of Jesus Christ were required to pray for Emperor Nero even as he took away their freedoms and their lives (as well as that of their family members and close friends), then people who voted conservative in 2020 (and who claim to be Christian) were required to pray for Joe Biden and his administration, and people who voted liberal in 2024 (and who claim to be Christian) are required to pray for Trump now. The Word of God trumps all. Period.

So to wrap up this post by summarizing the main points:

1. The Democratic party’s only real platform is abortion (and even then, it’s debatable as a real political platform). Plain and simple, abortion means murdering an innocent child, because life begins at conception, not at birth. Don’t support it, don’t vote for it, and have nothing to do with such persons who scream, shave their heads, call you names, and in at least one case threaten to murder you if you’re a white male and they see you, all because they didn’t get their way. Let them choose to remove themselves from the gene pool by choosing not to date, marry, or engage in sexual intercourse with you. It’s what they should’ve been doing all these fifty-plus years anyway since before Roe v Wade was first made into law.
2. Vote Republican – no, they’re not a perfect party and they’re not going to claim to be. But at least they want to give every American citizen the opportunity to pursue life, freedom, and their own happiness. If your happiness happens to involve rejecting God, changing your gender, and isolating yourself from everyone else, fine, do it. But don’t force your ideology on anyone else. You might think that’s what we Bible-believing Christians do, but that’s actually not true. We do reserve the right to exercise our First Amendment rights by speaking the Bible and by praying, but the same Bible also tells us to “shake the dust off our feet” if you choose to not receive our message. We get it. Not everyone will want to hear about God or about Jesus. Just don’t get in the way of us sharing the message with others.
3. If you are conservative, don’t gloat. That’s being prideful and haughty, and I believe God will judge it, just like He will one day judge everything that we say and do. I still agree that the 2020 election was stolen, but to be honest, I have to wonder if God allowed it – plus the ensuing presidency and the utter disaster that it was – in order to humble us. I praise God that we get to have Trump back in office, but we need to learn our lesson and realize that God is the one and only reason that our country was ever great to begin with, regardless of whether we are or ever were a “Christian nation” (I don’t even know where I stand anymore on that topic). Any country that puts God first can be a great country; this is a truth reserved not only for the United States of America.
4. Finally, put your trust in God and not in humanity. Compared to God we’re scum. But those of us who believe, we realize it’s not because of anything we do but instead of what Jesus Christ did for us – and for you, by the way – by dying on a cross for our sins to pave the way for us to receive eternal life and relationship with God. Further, this same Jesus rose again from the dead, defeating death. Again, He did this to pave the way for us to receive eternal life and relationship with God.

Devotionals from my Bible app: True Humility and Wisdom (Proverbs 22:4)

Note before sharing the devotional: 

Speaking of rewards, here's another verse:

By humility and the fear of the Lord
Are riches and honor and life.

Proverbs 22:4, NKJV

As a reminder (this is as much for myself as anyone else):

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Hebrews 11:6, NKJV

True Humility and Wisdom


God granted King Solomon, the great King of Israel, wisdom beyond measure. From this, King Solomon penned much of the book of Proverbs, providing insight and knowledge regarding right living before God.


Solomon begins the book of Proverbs with this statement:

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
Proverbs 1:7 ESV


He repeats this truth in our Verse of the Day:


“The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life.”
Proverbs 22:4 ESV


King Solomon had more riches than we can imagine. He was honored among the nations and had a full and prosperous life. We might not be kings, but the truth of this statement is timeless.


Hundreds of years later, Paul wrote a prayer for the Christians in his letter to the Ephesians that can provide context for Proverbs 22:4.


“…the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe … ”
Ephesians 1:17-19 ESV


His prayer teaches us that by coming to God and His Word with humility, God will give us spiritual wisdom and knowledge. And because of our faith in Him, God honors us and gives us riches that only come with belonging in Christ Jesus. He blesses us because of His great love.


It is through humility and a holy fear of God that we receive His promises of riches, honor, and life. Some of those promises will come to pass on earth, but all of them will be fulfilled when Jesus returns one day. And as we see the fulfillment of God’s promises, our response will be to give God the glory.

Prayer: Jesus, You have shown me what true humility looks like for my sake. Today, as I interact with other people, help me to consider others before myself. And help me to do this not from a place of insecurity--but because I know who I am and I love who You are. Amen.