God's Word on That

Tag: god

  • Our Creativity

    You are the offspring of the One who said: I AM WHO I AM and LET THERE BE LIGHT. Being created in God’s Image means we have the ability to speak, think, and be creative. Let us use these precious gifts wisely. 

    Let us be cautious. Our words could be helpful … or hurtful.

    Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit [sour or sweet] (Proverbs 18:21).

    See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defies the whole body and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell! … No one can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison (James 3:5-8).

    Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord.  Keep watch over the door of my lips.  Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil (Psalm 141:3).

    I will keep my tongue from evil and my lips from speaking deceit (Psalm 34:13).

    He who guards his mouth preserves his life (Proverbs 13:3).

    Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from trouble (Proverbs 21:23).

    I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin.  I will put a muzzle over my mouth as long as the wicked are before me (Psalm 39:1).

    Do not be quick with your mouth.  Do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before/against God.  God is in heaven and you are on earth.  So let your words be few (Ecclesiastes 5:2).

    He who has knowledge spares his words, and a man of understanding is of a calm spirit (Proverbs 17:27).

    Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue (Proverbs 17:28).

    Avoid godless chatter because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly (2 Timothy 2:16).

    Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing (Proverbs 12:18).

    Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad (Proverbs 12:25).

    A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver (Proverbs 25:11).

    The Lord has given me the tongue of the learned, that I may know how to speak a word in season to him who is wear… (Isaiah 50:4).

    Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed. Save me and I will be saved. For You are my praise! (Jeremiah 17:14).

    May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer (Psalm 19:14).

    Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers (Ephesians 4:29).

    Every word of God is pure! (Proverbs 30:5)

    Establish Your Word to Your servant, O Lord, who is devoted to fearing You (Psalm 119:38).

    I hide Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You (Psalm 119:11).

    If I speak, let me speak the very words of God.

    Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and is profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

    My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord. In the morning I will direct it to You, and I will look up (Psalm 5:3).

  • Faith Over Fear

    Jesus compelled Jairus to see the unseen (Luke 8:50). Don’t limit your possibilities to the visible. Don’t listen only for the audible. Don’t be controlled by the logical. Believe there is more to life than meets the eye!

    Let your faith be bigger than for just what you can see!

    In my anguish I cried to the Lord and He answered by setting me free! The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? (Psalm 118:5-6)

    When I cry out to You, then my enemies will turn back; this I know because God is for me (Psalm 56:9).

    I – I am the One who comforts you. Who are you that you should fear man who dies, or a son of man who is given up like grass? But you have forgotten the Lord, your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth. You are in constant dread all day long because of the fury of the oppressor, who has set himself to destroy. But where is the fury of the oppressor? (Isaiah 51:12-13)

    When I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God – whose Word I praise – in God I trust. I will not be afraid! What can mortal man do to me? (Psalm 56:3-4)

    If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31)

    The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1)

    Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear. Though war break out against me, even then will I be confident! (Psalm 27:3)

    Did I not say to you that if you would believe, you would see the glory of God? (John 11:40)

    For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith! (1 John 5:4)

    Faith awakes at the voice of truth, but responds to no other sound.

    So then faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ (Romans 10:17).

    For in the Gospel, a righteousness which God ascribes is revealed, both springing from faith and leading to faith [disclosed through the way of faith that arouses to more faith]. As it is written: “The man who through faith is just and upright shall live, and shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17).

    Now it is clear that no one is justified before God by the law, because “the righteous will live by faith” (Galatians 3:11).

    Look, his ego is inflated; he is without integrity [not upright]. But the righteous one will live by his faith (Habakkuk 2:4).

    “But My righteous one will live by faith; and if he draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.” But we are not of those who draw back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and obtain life (Hebrews 10:38-39).

    Indeed, our lives are guided by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).

    Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen; for by it our ancestors were approved. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen has been made from things that are not visible (Hebrews 11:1-3).

  • Why Do You Fear?

    Lord Jesus, I have nothing to fear knowing You are in control. There is no accident, injury or circumstance that can happen beyond Your sovereign will. Please guide me to realize just how great and powerful You really are!

    Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the Word, but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desires for other things come in and choke the Word, making it unfruitful (Mark 4:18-19).

    Jesus said to him, “If I can? Believe! All things are possible to him who believes” (Mark 9:23).

    Fear limits the joy you experience in your life.

    “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (Mark 4:40)

    Fear is faith working in reverse. Faith can never be found where fear is. Fear always cancels faith.

    “You of little faith! Why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31)

    “Don’t be afraid. Just believe!” (Mark 5:36; Luke 8:50)

    The Hebrew word for “fear” means to reverence or to honor God as God. We are not to fear anything or anyone but God alone.

    Wrinkles should merely indicate here the smiles have been.

    For God is not the author of confusion but of peace (1 Corinthians 14:33).

    In as much then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death – that is, the devil – and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage (Hebrews 2:14-15).

    To rescue us from the hand of our enemies and to enable us to serve Him without fear (Luke 1:74).

    For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption! (Romans 8:15).

    For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love, and of a sound mind/judgment (2 Timothy 1:7).

  • Our Calling

    Do you feel inadequate because of age, education or talent? God will not lead you where He cannot help you! But God does not lead you where He does not need you!

    God has called us each individually. Let us shine for Him in gratitude.

    Everyone who is called by My name whom I have created for My glory, I have formed him. Yes, I have made him (Isaiah 43:7).

    Now, we are ambassadors for Christ! (2 Corinthians 5:20)

    God not only expects me to do His will, but He is in me to do it! (Oswald Chambers)

    For the battle is the Lord’s (1 Samuel 17:47).

    I realize that whatever God does will last forever. Nothing can be added to it, and nothing can be taken away from it. God does this so that people will fear Him (Ecclesiastes 3:14).

    He died for all people so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for the Man who died and was brought back to life for them (2 Corinthians 5:15).

    Listen to Christ rather than the voices of men. Jesus says you can’t please men and still be a servant of God. Those who listen and follow Christ will be received into heaven by the pierced hands of the One who knows the freedom of giving up what you cannot own in order to receive what no one can take away.

    The [note with its regulations, decrees, and demands] He set aside and cleared it completely out of our way by nailing it to [His] Cross. [God] disarmed the principalities and powers that were ranged against us and made a bold display and public example of them, in triumphing over them in Him [Christ Jesus], and in it [the Cross] (Colossians 2:14-15).

    God’s favor has been given to each of us. It was measured out to us by Christ who gave it (Ephesians 4:7).

    To Him the gatekeeper opens the gate, and the sheep hear His voice, and He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out. And when He puts forth His own sheep, He goes before them, and the sheep follow Him, for they know His voice (John 10:3-4).

    Cattle are driven, sheep are led. God did not and does not drive His people. Rather, He leads the way Himself and enables His followers to come after Him.

    For God is not the author of confusion but of peace (1 Corinthians 14:33).

    The Healer knows our hurts; He voluntarily became one of us. Why? So that when you hurt you will go to Him – your Father and Physician – and let Him heal you.

    Remember, God has perfect timing.

    I know that my Redeemer lives! And that in the end He will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my [new] flesh will see Him. I myself will see Him with my own eyes – I, and not another [for me]. How my heart yearns within me!!! (Job 19:25-27)

    No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loves us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels nor demons, nor the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God… (Romans 8:37-39)

    For in Him we live and move and have our being. As some of your own poets have said: “We are His offspring” (Acts 17:28).

    Your life is entwined with the God who gave you birth.  Frail dust, remember you are splendor!

    God transformed you into a new creation.  Live like it!

  • The Good That Can Be Done

    For the rest of the time we must still examine thoroughly (1) the duties of the place in which we currently are; (2) the real good that can be done here; and (3) the tools God gives for our success here. (Fenelon)

    Opportunities surround us. We must keep ourselves uplifted, available, and ready for use.

    The Holy Spirit has assigned opportunities for service to each believer. Look for the lost. Watch for needs. Opportunities are plentiful.

    Don’t look for ‘purpose’ in each day.  God will direct those who are in need to you.  And He will also give you the words to help them.  Just be concerned about keeping yourself humble and out of trouble each day.

    Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything – by prayer and petition with thanksgiving – present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7).

    Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own (Matthew 6:34).

    Today has enough pleasures in itself without dreaming about tomorrow.

    The saint is hilarious when crushed with difficulties because the thing is so ludicrously impossible to anyone but God.

    Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9).

    And, lo, I am with you always…  (Matthew 28:20).

    Pride usually begins with perceived accomplishment, and takes root when we forget where success comes from.

    Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.  The spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak (Matthew 26:41).

    You shall not be terrified of them; for the Lord your God, the Great and Awesome God, is among you (Deuteronomy 7:21).

    Do not be afraid of sudden terror, nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes; for the Lord will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being caught (Proverbs 3:25-26).

    In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have [already] overcome the world (John 16:33).

    But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in the time of trouble (Psalm 37:39).

    For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You (2 Chronicles 20:12).

    Some trust in chariots, some in horses; but we trust in the name of the Lord our God (Psalm 20:7).

    Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith? (Mark 4:40).

    Fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and in truth (Joshua 24:14).

    The Lord is (1) good, (2) a refuge in times of trouble; (3) He cares for those who trust in Him (Nahum 1:7).

    I know that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love; a God who relents from sending calamity (Jonah 4:2).

    The extreme goodness of Christianity lies in the fact that it does not seek a supernatural remedy for suffering, but a supernatural use for it. (Simone Weil)

  • Let Us Return To Our Creator

    What is your concept of God? Do you see Him as a timeless, infinite, all-powerful, unchanging, glorious being? Or do you tend to minimize His greatness, preferring to think of Him as one who may be treated as a magic genie to handle your requests, or can be manipulated or mandated to do what you want Him to do? Such a view of God is utterly pagan!

    Our God is an awesome and powerful God. Let us fear Him only.

    Does the Lord take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, to pay attention [is better] than the fat of rams (1 Samuel 15:22).

    Humble yourselves before the Lord (James 4:10).

    “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom. Let not the mighty man boast in his might. Nor let the rich man boast in his riches. But let him who boasts boast in this: that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord exercising loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the Lord. (Jeremiah 9:23-24)

    When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me — until I entered the sanctuary of God. Then I understood.. (Psalm 73:16-17).

    [Please] Do not bring Your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before You (Psalm 143:2).

    These things [events in God’s Word] happened to make them an example for others. These things were written down as a warning for us who are living in the closing days of history. So, people who think they are standing firmly should be careful that they don’t fall! (1 Corinthians 10:11-12).

    So rend your heart and not your garment; return to the Lord your God for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness; and He relents from doing harm (Joel 2:13).

    For I desire mercy and not [guilt] sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings (Hosea 6:6).

    Stop bringing useless sacrifices! (Isaiah 1:13)

    But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream (Amos 5:24).

    Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh and strength to your bones (Proverbs 3:7-8).

    “Come, let us discuss this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will be like wool” (Isaiah 1:18).

    God’s forgiveness is uniquely infinite! He suffers graciously from a very bad memory.

  • Reasons To Strive For Good

    For it is time [now] for judgment to begin with the family of God. And if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the Gospel of God? (1 Peter 4:17)

    Let us examine ourselves carefully. Let us not spend time judging others by appearance.

    You then, why do you judge your brother, or why do you look down on your brother? We will all stand before God’s judgment seat. For it is written: “As surely as I live,” says the Lord, “every knee will bow before Me. Every tongue will confess to God.” So then, each of us will give an account of himself before God (Romans 14:10-12).

    For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done… (2 Corinthians 5:10).

    Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged. For with what judgment you use, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you (Matthew 7:1-2).

    Do not judge and you will not be judged. Do not condemn and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and it will be given to you – a good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over will be poured out into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you (Luke 6:37-38).

    For if we would judge ourselves we would not be judged (1 Corinthians 11:31).

    Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time. Wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God (1 Corinthians 4:5).

    That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow – of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth – and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:10-11).

    Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away (Hebrews 2:1).

    Be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves (James 1:22).

    Establish Your Word to Your servant, who is devoted to fearing You (Psalm 119:38).

    For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. It penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges thoughts and attitudes of the heart (Hebrews 4:12).

  • Lessons From Job – Part 3

    God’s questions to Job are not intended to teach, but to stun.  They are not to enlighten, but to awaken.  They are not to stir the mind, but to bend the knee.

    Where then does wisdom come from? Where does understanding dwell? It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing… (Job 28:20-21)

    What is wisdom for us humans? It is not finding all the answers but is an ongoing process of asking the right questions. There will always be a new situation that causes us to ask a new question. This gives us a new view of life.

    God understands the way to it and He alone knows where it dwells (Job 28:23).

    The solution to Job’s [and all our] problems cannot be found in human wisdom. Only divine wisdom can help make sense of suffering

    There are questions at the jagged edge of faith. They are the queries that cannot be reached, that agitate us, and perhaps make us uncomfortable with our religious certainties. “How can I relate to God when nothing makes sense anymore?” “Where can I find God when the world looks so cold and lonely?” “How can I believe in God when there doesn’t appear to be any future for me?”

    Since ancient times wise men have thought they could discover anything if they sufficiently contemplate the world around them through the eyes of philosophy. But we are vulnerable to life experiences which will make us question our answers, and force us to ask unanswerable questions. To acknowledge this limitation opens us to life in a new way.

    The fear of the Lord – that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding (Job 28:28).

    Thus true wisdom for us humans always begins with a proper attitude: fear of the Lord.

    Allow the answers to come from God. His answers are not given in trite, simplistic phrases. Rather, they bypass the mind. His Spirit touches our spirit. Our hearts discover the Presence of the Almighty One, and this produces an unexplainable calm!

    [Taken in part from “Basic Bible Commentary” on “Job” commentary on Job chapter 28.]

  • Lessons From Job – Part 2

    “Faith does not comprehend the divine plan. Yet faith knows God reigns in the visible and invisible world. Though he does not understand, the man of faith can trust.” Yes, part of our human experience means accepting that everything about God cannot be understood or explained. This does not mean we look at horrific events and blindly call them “God’s will.” It does mean that we acknowledge God’s ways are beyond our comprehension. Even without a clear understanding of God, we can learn to trust Him. (Andrew Blackwood)

    Trust God to lead you through your dark times. He sees the whole picture.

    The intense dialogue between Job and his friends not only reflects Job’s inner turmoil, but also reveals his chief desire – an explanation for his suffering. When God breaks His silence and speaks to Job “out of the storm,” He does not answer one of Job’s questions. He doesn’t even concern Himself with Job’s heartfelt cry of “Why?”

    To the casual observer this response from God seems uncaring. But if we look closely at God’s communication with Job, we find that when God speaks out of the storm, His intent is to calm that storm. In order to do so, God must go beyond Job’s questions to the core issue that forms the basis of his inquiry: trust.

    God could give Job an explanation for his suffering, but Job, being human, would be incapable of really “getting it.” Understanding why will not bring Job’s children back to life, or restore his financial security, or erase the pain from his heart or the nightmares in his head.

    And so, instead of giving answers, God gives Job peace by reminding him that God is in control.

    Trusting God equips us with the proper perspective from which to view disappointment. Like Job, I too know the pain of burying a child. I too know what it is like to be angry at God. I too have “shaken my fist” at God. I too know the pain that gives rise to the bitter cry, “Why?” And I too have found that trusting God is more important and valuable than understanding how God works. Trusting in God’s promises and provision has enabled my wife and me to rise up from the ashes of tragedy and look forward to each new day with anticipation and joy.

    In the darkness of disappointment, we can still find the path to God. Job and others like him have blazed that trail to prove that it can be done. And the first step is trust. “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him!” (Job 13:15)

    [Taken in part from “Night Vision“, an article on “Finding God’s light in the darkness of disappointment” by Rusty Tugman]

  • Lessons From Job – Part 1

    In 1858 the Illinois legislature, using an obscure statute, sent Stephen A. Douglas to the United States Senate instead of Abraham Lincoln, even though Lincoln had won the popular vote. When a sympathetic friend asked Lincoln how he felt, he said, “Like the boy who stubbed his toe: I am too big to cry and too badly hurt to laugh.” When faced with disappointment, many of us find ourselves in the same position as Abraham Lincoln – unsure of our response. Do we laugh? Do we cry? Or do we simply give up?

    Searching for God through the darkness.

    C. S. Lewis was once asked the question that eventually appears on every believer’s radar screen, “Why do the righteous suffer?” His reply was, “Why not? They are the only ones who can take it.” From a Christian perspective, dealing with disappointment is a good news/bad news story. The bad news is that a relationship with God does not exclude us from discouragement, tragedy, heartache, pain, or suffering. The good news is that a relationship with God equips us to handle disappointment in positive and constructive ways. Yet, in the midst of distress, many of us wonder if, as C. S. Lewis suggested, we can really take it.

    This is precisely why the inspired Word of God includes the story of Job, God’s faithful servant who gained the dubious honor of being the world’s foremost expert on human suffering. In his honest no-holds-barred tug-of-war between faith and suffering, Job teaches us the value of working through our difficulties instead of being dominated by them. His experience accurately reflects the observation of Helen Keller who said, “Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.”

    Those of us who have read the book of Job know that, despite his candid laments toward God, Job remains faithful and God rewards him by giving Job twice as much as he had before. Because we know the ending, many of us fail to grasp the full impact of Job’s experience. In the midst of his immense emotional and physical anguish, Job does not know how things in his life are going to turn out. He does not know that he will have more sons and daughters and grandchildren. All he knows is the incomprehensible pain of burying all ten of his children. Job does not know that he will be twice as rich as he was before. All he knows it the paralyzing anxiety of financial ruin. Job does not know that his reputation will grow and that his faith will inspire a multitude of generations. All he knows are the callous accusations of his friends who say that his suffering must be the result of some hideous secret sin. Job does not know that his relationship with God will be stronger and deeper and more satisfying than ever before. All he knows is that God seems to be absent and uncaring.

    We don’t have God’s eternal perspective in which to view our life’s story. Consequently, all many of us are able to see at this moment in time is a marriage that’s failing, a family divided, a bank statement that exposes debt, an addiction that seems unconquerable, an illness that appears incurable… It has been said that “those who know the path of God can find it in the dark.” Even though Job could not see too far ahead, he did indeed find the path to God through the darkness of disappointment. Along the way, he imparted a valuable lesson to fellow travelers like you and me.

    Job learned that trusting God is more important than understanding God.

    [Taken from “Night Vision“, an article on “Finding God’s light in the darkness of disappointment” by Rusty Tugman]