Bible League: Living His Word The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart,And saves such as have a contrite spirit. Our God is a God who forgives people of their sins. When they come to the point where they are ready to confess their sins, God is ready to forgive them and cleanse them. The Apostle John says, "But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness" (I John 1:9). When we confess, He also saves us from our trouble. Indeed, when we were first saved He "rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins" (Colossians 1:13-14). In order to get to the point that starts the process, in order to get to the point of confession, however, people may have to go through some things. They may first have to come to the point where their hearts are broken. The brokenhearted of our verse for today are those who have gone through some trouble. They are those who have tried to make it on their own and have finally given up. Their hearts are broken because they have finally realized the sin and bankruptcy of everything they were trying to accomplish. God is close to such people. The omnipresent God who is close to everything in general comes even closer to the brokenhearted. He will not turn away from or reject a broken and repentant heart (Psalm 51:17). But God does more than just come close to such people. He also saves them. After their hearts have been broken, after their spirits have become contrite, God comes close to them, accepts them, and delivers them. He heals their broken hearts and He restores their contrite spirits. He lifts them up from their failures and gives them the strength to move forward again. God is more than willing to do this; He is more than willing to bless them: "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit" (Psalm 32:1-2). Today, consider the state you are in. Consider the state of your heart or spirit. If your heart is broken and if your spirit is contrite, then get ready. Get ready for your blessing. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingJeremiah 31, 32 Jeremiah 31 -- The Restoration of Israel; New Covenant NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Jeremiah 32 -- Jeremiah Imprisoned by Zedekiah, Buys Hanamel's Field, Prays NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Titus 2 Titus 2 -- Roles of the Old, Young, Servants NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example.Insight Paul challenged the Philippians to pursue Christlikeness by following Paul's own pattern or example. This did not mean, of course, that they should copy everything he did; he had just stated that he was not perfect. But as he focused his life on being like Christ, so should they. The Gospels may not yet have been in circulation, so Paul could not tell them to read the Bible to see what Christ was like. Therefore he urged them to imitate him. That Paul could tell people to follow his example is a testimony to his character. Challenge Can you do the same? What kind of follower would a new Christian become if he or she imitated you? Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Philemon 1:2 The church in thy house.Is there a Church in this house? Are parents, children, friends, servants, all members of it? or are some still unconverted? Let us pause here and let the question go round--Am I a member of the Church in this house? How would father's heart leap for joy, and mother's eyes fill with holy tears if from the eldest to the youngest all were saved! Let us pray for this great mercy until the Lord shall grant it to us. Probably it had been the dearest object of Philemon's desires to have all his household saved; but it was not at first granted him in its fulness. He had a wicked servant, Onesimus, who, having wronged him, ran away from his service. His master's prayers followed him, and at last, as God would have it, Onesimus was led to hear Paul preach; his heart was touched, and he returned to Philemon, not only to be a faithful servant, but a brother beloved, adding another member to the Church in Philemon's house. Is there an unconverted servant or child absent this morning? Make special supplication that such may, on their return to their home, gladden all hearts with good news of what grace has done! Is there one present? Let him partake in the same earnest entreaty. If there be such a Church in our house, let us order it well, and let all act as in the sight of God. Let us move in the common affairs of life with studied holiness, diligence, kindness, and integrity. More is expected of a Church than of an ordinary household; family worship must, in such a case, be more devout and hearty; internal love must be more warm and unbroken, and external conduct must be more sanctified and Christlike. We need not fear that the smallness of our number will put us out of the list of Churches, for the Holy Spirit has here enrolled a family-church in the inspired book of remembrance. As a Church let us now draw nigh to the great head of the one Church universal, and let us beseech him to give us grace to shine before men to the glory of his name. Daily Light on the Daily Path Proverbs 8:34 "Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at my doorposts.Psalm 123:2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, So our eyes look to the LORD our God, Until He is gracious to us. Exodus 29:42 "It shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the doorway of the tent of meeting before the LORD, where I will meet with you, to speak to you there. Exodus 20:24 'You shall make an altar of earth for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen; in every place where I cause My name to be remembered, I will come to you and bless you. Matthew 18:20 "For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst." John 4:23,24 "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. • "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." Ephesians 6:18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, 1 Thessalonians 5:17 pray without ceasing; New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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