Devotional: Fear, Wisdom, & Understanding

Fear, Wisdom, & Understanding

By Marsha Iddings

Psalm 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.

The Treasury of David says, "To know God so as to walk aright before him is the greatest of all the applied sciences. Holy reverence of God leads us to praise him, and this is the point which the psalm drives at, for it is a wise act on the part of a creature towards his Creator. ...Practical godliness is the test of wisdom. Men may know and be very orthodox, they may talk and be very eloquent, they may speculate and be very profound; but the best proof of their intelligence must be found in their actually doing the will of the Lord."

The realization that God sees all and knows all should instill in us a carefulness in how we conduct our lives not only in our actions but also in our thought life. Hebrews 10:30-31 says, “For we know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," and again, "The Lord will judge his people. t is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” A healthy reverence and respect for God is the beginning of wisdom. It has been said that wisdom is knowing how one should conduct their life, but virtue is actually doing it. Those who actually live out the wisdom that they have show great understanding and bring glory and praise to God.

You are about to be tested and graded on this course of life. Here are the test sections:

A. On a scale of 1-10 rate yourself on your fear of the Lord. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom

B. On a scale of 1-10 how much wisdom to you have? the beginning of wisdom

C. On a scale of 1-10 how well do you apply the wisdom that you have? a good understanding have all they that do his commandments

D. On a scale of 1-10 does your life bring glory and praise to God? his praise endureth for ever.

How did you score? Do you have room for improvement? We all do. May our lives be a reflection of our Creator in wise living and praise to Him.

Light Afflictions

2 Corinthians. 4:13-18 M.Kelly
"Light Afflictions"

Paul compares our afflictions in this life to what awaits us in glory. In comparison, our afflictions are light in everyway.

Paul was stoned and left for dead. He was whipped 5 different times with 40 lashes. He knows what he is talking about when he talks about afflictions.

Faith looks to heavenly things not temporal things.

Paul writes to Christians. Only Christians can have afflictions that are light and momentary (in comparison to what we look forward in the future).

10 Lessons

1. We have unreal expectations.

a. We expect too much of this life

b. We do not esteem the glory that is to come with Christ high enough.

We often look to a world that can not satisfy for our satisfaction. These two mistakes help us along in a bad way to our disappointments and sorrows. They make us disillusioned and dissatisfied. They make us bitter. Our difficulties become increased with unreal expectations. We look for great things in a world of vanity. We expect a life of ease in a world of trouble. Job said that man is born for trouble as the sparks fly upward. To look for lasting happiness in something that is temporary is irrational. It causes us to lose heart.
Afflictions are a real part of the Christian experience. Be those who live in the real world.

John 16 in the world you have tribulation...be of good courage He has overcome the world.

2. Afflictions are light.
They point to a comparison. When we find ourselves in affliction we are to look to the comparison...v. 17. View your affliction from the perspective of eternity. When you see them in light of eternity then they seem light. They are light in and of themselves. They are grievous and painful if we skip the comparison. They are only seen as light when viewed in light of the glory that awaits us in Christ Jesus. View them in light of eternity. We view our afflictions from the view point of losing our comfort. We loose heart when we view them from the point of view of it messing with our comfort. What we often miss in our afflictions is this comparison. In this way only will they seem light. Compare them with the eternal weight of glory to come.

3. Our afflictions are not only light but they are also brief.
V. 17 says they are for a moment. Paul has the balance out. He is weighing glory with our afflictions. Our afflictions are brief compared to eternity. Acts 16 Paul and Silas in prison singing. He was adept at applying the truth of this comparison. Even if our afflictions last our entire life, our life is short, is it not? You are just a vapor that vanishes away. Life is short and you better view it in light of eternity. Many of our afflictions have passed quickly in comparison to the length of our life time. We need to be reminded over and over again of this Biblical perspective.

4. We must look to spiritual benefits in our afflictions rather than the lose of outward comforts.
Momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight in glory. It produces endurance, hope, patience etc. We must be those who view afflictions as the vehicle that makes us grow in our spiritual life. We are often our own worse enemies in our afflictions because we don't view them properly. We get bitter because we expected things to be smoother. We expected to be in a different place by now. What does this tell us about how in control we are of our lives? God is in control. What is God showing us about ourselves, his promises, our place in this world, our pride, control issues etc. When afflictions come get busy and look for what God is showing you. You must look in His Word, the Bible, the truth for the answers. We point the finger at the Children of Israel for their complaining and dullness. We are ten times duller than they because we have their example and completed Scripture besides!

5. We are dying.
v. 16 Our outward man is decaying and our inner man is being renewed day by day. "Day by day" applies to both the outer and the inner man. Our culture worships beauty and youth but it is decaying. Our world markets beauty as if it is the most important thing. We all age at the same rate as everyone else...minute by minute, day by day, year by year. We see it in the mirror. We feel it in our bodies. We realize it in our memories that are failing. Our decaying doesn't end there. It is to point us to what matters...the truth of God's word and the judgment that awaits all men. All people's business is eternal business. Where will you spend eternity? Are you busy about what will have an eternal effect? The Psalmist says Teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. We need to live with our dying day in view. Not to be morbid but that we might be living for the day to come...eternity.

6. Growing in godliness is a daily reality.
Our inner man is being renewed day by day. Growth in godliness takes day by day growth. When dealing with hope, there is no hope in anything but God and eternity. The Christian walk is a daily walk....a daily growth. If you knew you would die today at 7pm you would suddenly have new perspective and live differently.

7. God's work is a constant work.
Momentary light affliction is producing. It is a continual action. Day by day is also a continual action. The Christian is being sanctified day by day. It is a constant work of God. Phil 2 it is God that is at work in you. When you don't feel His presence it is God at work showing you how much you need Him. The work of God is to cause us to live according to our own coming death. God is at work in you as if you are the only one in the universe. That is because he is eternal, immutable. He is everywhere as if that is the only place he is. He works in your life as if that is the only thing He has to do. In him we live and move and have our existence. If we are continually weighing our troubles against the eternal weight of glory, will that not give you something to be joyful about?

8. A great means to our inward growth (day by day) is not looking at the things of this world.
The eyes are a gateway to much covetousness. We are to look through the eyes of faith at the things that are not seen. The only thing that will last is the word of God. Global warming is true....the world will burn up in the end. Everything is temporary. One day it will all be meaningless. None of this stuff will comfort you on your death bed.

9. Only the Christian can live in reality.
Only the Christian can view their afflictions as momentary. Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Only those adopted by God will receive the incomparable riches in glory. We are heirs of God. Only Christians can apply the comparison

10. What a blessing it is to know the meaning of our afflictions.
God has given us the meaning of our afflictions. We don't live in a world of chance. God is in control. He (Jesus) whom God loved the most suffered the most. God allows afflictions as a means to growth.

Devotional: All Powerful God

All Powerful God

By Marsha Iddings

Deuteronomy 32:39 ¶ 'Now see that I, even I, am He, And there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; Nor is there any who can deliver from My hand.

This is a powerful verse. God is telling us several things about Himself here that many would rather ignore.

1. He is the only God, there are no others.

We see this in several other passages of scripture.

Isaiah 45:5 ¶ I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:

Isaiah 44:8 Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.

God is quite clear about the fact that He is the only God. No others exist except in the imaginations of humans. Some even like to think they are gods or that they can become gods. I think of Shirly Mclain in "Out On a Limb" proclaiming, "I am god! I am god!" But God says, "there is no God beside me." He will not share His glory. Isaiah 42:8 I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.

2. God kills.

Did you ever wonder why the Bible says, "Thou shalt not kill" while it says that God kills? The answer is simple. He is the maker. He can do whatever he wants with His creation. Consider Romans 9:20-21, Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

While this verse doesn't explicitly say that God kills, it implies His complete power over His creation to do what He wants with it. If God chooses to take life it is in His power to do so. He is sovereign over all to do as He pleases. We are not and God has commanded us to not kill another unless He has expressly commmanded it in His word.

3. God makes alive.

Many times in Scripture we see God raising people from the dead. He raised up Jesus Christ from the dead so that ultimately those who are in Christ can also be raised up from the dead. Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

This should bring great comfort to us. After we die, God will raise us up again to live with Him in heaven.

4. God wounds.

God wounds us for our good.

Hebrews 12:5-8, 11 My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.... Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

Be patient in the pruning, keeping your eye on the peaceable fruit of righteousness that God is forming in your life.

5. God heals.

Jeremiah 3:22 Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the LORD our God.

Jeremiah 17:14 Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise.

Hosea 6:1 ¶ Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.

When you find yourself in affliction of some sort, find comfort in the fact that it won't last forever. God will heal the wounds he makes as we submit to His pruning and sanctifying work in our lives.

6. No one can deliver from of the hand of God.

If we read further down in Deuteronmy we see that the context of this verse deals with judgment. Deuteronomy 32:41 If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me.

This is a warning to those who reject God that their day is coming and there will be no escape from His hand on that day. These are sobering words. Only those who cease from trying to work their way to heaven and lay hold on God's mercy will escape His judgment. "He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit" Titus 3:5

I hope and pray that you will find some truth in this verse to encourage you in the coming week.

Devotional: A Nation Void of Counsel

A Nation Void of Counsel

By Marsha Iddings

Deuteronomy 32:28-29 For they are a nation void of counsel, neither is there any understanding in them. O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!

This is a serious indictment against a nation, church, or an individual. Our nation is on a course to destruction. Many who are in power don't want the counsel of God's Word and are bent on destroying the foundations of this great nation. They are void of counsel and understanding.

Consider what God has to say about them:

2 Peter 3:5-7 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

We see in our public schools how creation has been thrown out and evolution has been brought in. This is nothing new. The verse above speaks of the fact that people want to exclude God from the origins of our world. There is nothing new under sun as Ecclesiastes 1:9 says. "... there is no new thing under the sun."

The thing that is scary though is the fact that while they willingly ignore the word of God, it is that very word of God that is keeping this earth and the ungodly men in it preserved for the fire of God's judgment if they don't repent and turn toward him. This is what Deuteronomy 32:29 speaks of when it says, "...O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!

Leaders are removing the Ten Commandments from public places so that people will not read them and know them. In Hosea's day, God said, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children." There is an effort to remove the knowledge of God and His word from our nation and the words of God in Hosea apply just as well to us as it did to Israel.

God says, "Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver." (Psalm 50:22)

"The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God." (Psalm 9:17)

As a nation we need to turn our hearts toward God before it is too late. God also says, "Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance." (Psalm 33:12) There is time to turn and repent and make the Lord our God and save ourselves from destruction. The question is, will we do it? It starts with you and me.

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Devotional: Children in Whom is No Faith

Children in Whom is No Faith

By Marsha Iddings

Deuteronomy 32:20 And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith.

God calls the Israelites "children in whom is no faith". What prompted this statement? Let's take a look and see.

We see much complaining and grumbling in the wilderness. (Exodus 17:1-4) They were not trusting God's Providence in their lives, nor were they content with His provision. (Numbers 11:6) They questioned His wisdom and His word. (Deuteronomy 1:27) They began to think that they could do a better job on their own and disobeyed God numerous times, even setting up an idol in His place. (Exodus 32:1)

So we see why they were called children in whom is no faith. It all starts with being discontented with our circumstances, and spirals downward to complaining, then thinking we can do better than what God is and then we move on to idolatry.

Idolatry is anything that we set up as more important than obeying God.

1 Samuel 15:22-23 says, "And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king."

According to 1 Samuel 15:22-23, when we put our service and outward forms of worship to God above our obedience to His word, it is idolatry in God's eyes. We can be the most religious person around and still reject God's word. How do we do this? We reject God's word when we do not acknowledge Him in all our ways. We reject God's word when we put the teaching of church leaders above what the Bible teaches. We reject the word of God when we engage in man centered worship (appealing to man's wants instead of what glorifies God). We reject the word of God when we put other things or people above God. There are many other ways we might be religious yet still reject God's word but time and space limit me. Can you be called a child in whom is no faith? I pray that we would all seek to be children of faith, ones who obey and hold the word of God, the Bible in highest esteem and obey it.