Bible verses to build your life on
Jesus said: "… whoever hears these teachings of Mine, and does them, I
will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock…"
~ Matthew 7:24
This
what rebellious people say to God and His response. We live in rebellious
world, culture, and country, and this so to the point of what they say and
God's Warning to them (and us):
"And note it on a scroll..., Forever and ever: That this
is a rebellious people, Lying children, Children who will not hear the law of
the LORD; Who say to the seers, 'Do not see', And to the prophets, 'Do not
prophesy to us right things; Speak to us smooth things, prophesy deceits. Get
out of the way, Turn aside from the path, Cause the Holy One of Israel To cease
from before us.' Therefore thus says the Holy One of Israel: 'Because you
despise this word, And trust in oppression and perversity, And rely on them...'" (Isaiah 30:8-13)
God
continues with this clear admonition: "Return to Him... For in that day every man shall throw away
his idols of silver and his idols of gold--sin, which your own hands have made
for yourselves." (Isaiah 31:7-8)
These
themes of calling to repentance are not just Old Testament teaching, the New
Testament (and Jesus' teachings) are full of these calls! But, I will have to
get to that later...
Back
to my focus for this note:
There
are 2 ways God's fear comes on a nation -
1) When hard times come, everyone
cries out to God, no matter how they've treated Him before - they cry out to
Him. Remember the saying: 'there is no atheist in a foxhole.' Example: 9-11-01.
Everyone was spooked by this event (false flag by big money people) and
Americans flocked to churches all across this country!... for a few weeks that
is. Then they disappeared again, going back to their preferred rebellious
life-styles. Did they change? No, most did not. They just, as it were, reached
up to see if God was still on their top shelf, so they could use Him when they
'needed' Him. May I add that that's not truly loving God. When we ignore Him
and push Him and His Word out of most of our life, and only call on Him when we
'need' Him (or see we need Him), it just shows our selfishness in using Him,
not wanting to please Him. If you see yourself there for the first time, get it
right! Ask Him to teach you how to become a genuine disciple of Christ and not
a fake one... He loves and answers those prayers! Then, grow in submission to
His Word (which includes reading it more yourself.) His Word is powerful - we
need to study it and let it adjust our thinking and life-style!
2) The other way God's fear comes
on a nation is when righteous men and women who study His Word and in righteous
indignation go after evildoers, and God's fear comes on the rest. We see this
pattern throughout the Bible, and one easy example is the book of Judges.
The
pattern went like this:
1) Everyone did what was right in
their own eyes - rebelling against God, acting pridefully, selfishly and
self-centered.
2) God would arrange a trouble on
them that He arranged to turn their hearts back to Him and wanting to please
Him again.
3) The people going through that
trouble would turn back to God and cry out for deliverance from their pains and
miseries.
4) God would raise up a
deliverer/judge who not only would rescue them from the oppression, pain, etc,
but he/she would also remind the people of God's Word and truth and how they
needed to obey it.
5) Then the people would obey God
and His Word, and there was peace for as long as the people followed and
listened to the voice and message of the Lord through His prophets and judges.
6) But then the judge would die
and everyone would mourn his passing.
(Repeat)
1) And the people would go back
to everyone doing what was right in their own eyes.
2) God would arrange trouble...
And
so the cycle continued. Go ahead - read it for yourself! It's very good
instruction for all of us, not only to not do what is right in our own eyes,
but also not to just follow a man or woman who follows God, but to follow,
heed, and obey God's voice, God's Word and God's message to us, and it's also a
real-life example of how we shouldn't reject God's gracious
rebuke/trouble/consequences, not should we get discouraged and give up, but how
we should submit to it and obey. Remember Galatians 6:7-9? It's one of my most
dear passages because I have needed to hear it so many times, and it has
encouraged/challenged me many times: "Do not be deceived, God is not [cannot be,
will not be] 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. [choices are sowing - which are we
choosing? Sowing to the flesh is doing what we selfishly want to do; Sowing to
the Spirit is studying His Word, making it more a part of our lives, and
growing in daily obedience to it - that is sowing. Reaping is the consequences
we receive for our actions - good or bad.] And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due
season we shall reap if we do not lose heart."
So,
which are we choosing: to do what is right in your own eyes, what's sinfully
and selfishly pleasurable to you and me, or are we daily growing in sowing to
the Holy Spirit and righteousness?
Another
question: what is your response to this verse -
"So
I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap
before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no
one."
Does
your heart grieve over that verse? I hope and pray it does.
3
more verse for you, and I'll leave you with these thoughts for now:
"Because the
sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the
children of man is fully set to do evil." (Ecclesiastes 8:11)
"Drive out a
scoffer, and strife will go out, and quarreling and abuse will cease."
(Proverbs 22:10)
"The Angel of
the Lord [God Himself] encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them."
(Psalm 34:7)
Please
Steven.h3@gmail.com if any of these
thoughts caught your attention and you want to understand it better, or even if
you need prayer! I won't embarrass you, because the reality is that we all need
prayer and I will gladly pray for you as often as God brings you to my mind!
Please do the same for me - not only that God uses me, but also that He keeps
teaching and training me, because I need it too. ~ Thanks! ~ a
servant/life-slave of Jesus, SH
My Heavenly Father and Master,
I pray that you let Your words resound in our minds, that we would meditate on
them, and that we would submit to them - make them a part of every area of our
life. That we may be blameless and pure children of You. Teach us to learn to
double-check ourselves daily to make sure we are growing closer to You, and
further and more dead to our rebellious selfish ways. Thank You for all of the
goodness You show us, the blessings and trials. Keep teaching us. Keep training
us to be Your humble servants and ambassadors - calling everyone we can to join
us in learning of You, and following and obeying You! ~ your servant/life-slave,
SH, Amen