"Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another." (Walter Elliott, The Spiritual Life)
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"He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the sons of Israel" (NASB).
Israel knew of His acts, but Moses knew His ways. The Scriptures say that Moses knew God intimately, as a person would know someone face to face. God "made known His ways to Moses." The word "ways" in Hebrew is "darak" which means "a course of action" or a "mode of action." In other words, Moses had the privilege of having God show him what He was going to do. In this New Covenant that we enjoy, we can have an intimate relationship with God as well. God draws near to those who draw near to Him. Nearness in fellowship with God isn't something just a few mystics enjoy, it's a relationship that God offers to those who will separate themselves to Him and make following His will their priority. We can't expect intimacy with God if we're not walking in harmony with what God has revealed to us. Of course our salvation isn't based on our intimacy with God, but the degree that we enjoy His fellowship or His friendship is. The words of the song "Draw Me Close" express well this desire: Draw me close to you Never let me go I lay it all down again To hear you say that I'm your friend You are my desire No one else will do Cause nothing else can take your place To feel the warmth of your embrace Help me find the way Bring me back to you You're all I want You're all I've ever needed You're all I want Help me know you are near (Commentary Mark Martin and song by Michael W Smith) For the wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23);
Satan pays his servants. You get your wages. Serve him well, give him your best, you will be rewarded. The wages of sin is death. You can't escape them if you continue in sin. But in contrast to the wages, the gift of God (Rom 6:23) Not the wages of God, because we can't earn eternal life. It's by grace. the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom 6:23). So we have the extreme contrast. The wages of sin, the life after the flesh, it ends in death. The gift of God, the life after the Spirit, ends in eternal life. Every man is in one of two categories: either a servant of sin, or a servant of God. Using my body as an instrument of sin or yielding my body as an instrument for God to use for His glory.
Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
'Come unto me.' To Jesus himself we must come, by a personal trust. Not to doctrine, ordinance, nor ministry are we to come first; but to the personal Saviour." (Spurgeon)
Psalm 23
The Lord, the Psalmist’s Shepherd. A Psalm of David. 23 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. 3 He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. God assures his people that he will again take them into covenant relation to himself. When brought very low, and difficulties appear, it is good to remember that it has been so with the church formerly. But it is hard under present frowns to take comfort from former smiles; yet it is the happiness of those who, through grace, are interested in the love of God, that it is an everlasting love, from everlasting in the counsels, to everlasting in the continuance. Those whom God loves with this love, he will draw to himself, by the influences of his Spirit upon their souls. When praising God for what he has done, we must call upon him for the favours his church needs and expects. When the Lord calls, we must not plead that we cannot come; for he that calls us, will help us, will strengthen us.
(Commentary Matthew Henry) The call to hope usually has in mind our ultimate reward with Jesus. Paul says we serve God rejoicing in hope, not rejoicing in results. This shows how we are commanded to do all these things with an eye towards heaven. This how we fulfill the command for hope, patience and steadfast character described here.
(Commentary David Guzik) 1 Tim 6: 11-12 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. So it all comes down to what is the center of your life. If money, the desire for money, the desire for gain is at the center of your life, then you're going to be a miserable person. If God is at the center of your life, you're going to be rich, your life is going to be blessed, your life is going to be full. So put God at the center of your life, put righteousness at the center of your life, godliness at the center of your life, that you might really be a rich person. Enjoy the true riches, the eternal riches. (Commentary Chuck Smith) |
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July 2017
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