Bible League: Living His Word May God be gracious to us and bless usand make his face shine on us-- so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. Although God's chosen people may have thought otherwise on occasion, although they may have thought that a relationship to God was their exclusive privilege, God has always wanted the knowledge of Him and His ways to be spread over the whole earth and among all nations. Whenever He narrowed His redemptive focus because of sin, as when He narrowed His focus to Israel and later to Judah, His purpose was to retrench for a renewed effort toward His goal, not to permanently exclude the rest of humanity. We know that God wanted to use His people as a springboard to all nations from passages like Jeremiah 33:8-9: "'I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me. Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it.''' The redemptive cleansing of Judah and Jerusalem, in other words, was a means to achieve God's universal concern. As can be seen from the passage in Jeremiah and from our verse for today, the way that God figured to achieve His purpose was by being gracious to His people, by blessing them abundantly, and by making His face to shine upon them. When the nations would see everything God had done for them they would turn to Him and give Him praise and honor. They would be lured into a relationship with Him by the shining example His people would provide. God's method to reach the nations hasn't changed. He still uses His people to lure the nations. He is still gracious to us, He still blesses us abundantly, and He still makes His face to shine upon us. He makes us so attractive that the nations can't help but notice. They will desire what we have. After all, if there were no benefit to being the people of God, then there would be no incentive to join us. Arise and shine, then, with the reflected glory of God's face. For the "nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn" (Isaiah 60:1-3). Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingZechariah 1, 2, 3 Zechariah 1 -- The Word of the Lord to Zechariah: The Vision of the Horses; Angel's Prayer; Four Horns and Four Craftsmen NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Zechariah 2 -- The Angel with a Measuring Line; God Redeems Zion; the Promise of God's Presence NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Zechariah 3 -- Joshua, the High Priest, Receiving Clean Garments; I will bring forth my servant, the Branch NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Revelation 17 Revelation 17 -- The Woman on the Beast; Babylon is doomed; Victory for the Lamb NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. They will say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.”Insight “In the last days'' scoffers will say that Jesus is never coming back, but Peter refutes their argument by explaining God's mastery over time. The “last days'' is the time between Christ's first and second comings; thus, we—like Peter—live in the last days. Challenge We must do the work to which God has called us and believe that he will return as he promised. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Matthew 28:20 Lo, I am with you alway.The Lord Jesus is in the midst of his church; he walketh among the golden candlesticks; his promise is, "Lo, I am with you alway." He is as surely with us now as he was with the disciples at the lake, when they saw coals of fire, and fish laid thereon and bread. Not carnally, but still in real truth, Jesus is with us. And a blessed truth it is, for where Jesus is, love becomes inflamed. Of all the things in the world that can set the heart burning, there is nothing like the presence of Jesus! A glimpse of him so overcomes us, that we are ready to say, "Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me." Even the smell of the aloes, and the myrrh, and the cassia, which drop from his perfumed garments, causes the sick and the faint to grow strong. Let there be but a moment's leaning of the head upon that gracious bosom, and a reception of his divine love into our poor cold hearts, and we are cold no longer, but glow like seraphs, equal to every labor, and capable of every suffering. If we know that Jesus is with us, every power will be developed, and every grace will be strengthened, and we shall cast ourselves into the Lord's service with heart, and soul, and strength; therefore is the presence of Christ to be desired above all things. His presence will be most realized by those who are most like him. If you desire to see Christ, you must grow in conformity to him. Bring yourself, by the power of the Spirit, into union with Christ's desires, and motives, and plans of action, and you are likely to be favored with his company. Remember his presence may be had. His promise is as true as ever. He delights to be with us. If he doth not come, it is because we hinder him by our indifference. He will reveal himself to our earnest prayers, and graciously suffer himself to be detained by our entreaties, and by our tears, for these are the golden chains which bind Jesus to his people. Daily Light on the Daily Path Hebrews 7:25 Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. Acts 4:12 "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved." John 10:27,28 "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; • and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. Philippians 1:6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. Genesis 18:14 "Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son." Jude 1:24,25 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, • to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. 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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