Bible League: Living His Word The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect. the counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations.— Psalm 33:10-11 NKJV The nations of the earth make their plans. Most do so with no regard whatsoever for the Lord and His plans. That's why the psalmist asks, "Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His Anointed" (Psalm 2:1-2). Why, indeed? Why do the nations rage against one another and even against the Lord of all nations? They do so out of pride. For example, in defiance of the Lord's plan for people to fill the earth (Genesis 1:28), the pride of Shinar led them to say, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth" (Genesis 11:4). The pride of Babylon was so great that Isaiah used the pride of Lucifer to describe it: "For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High'" (Isaiah 14:13-14). It's because of the pride of nations like these that the Lord does what the psalmist says He does in our verses for today. He "brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples to no effect." The Lord God resists the proud (James 4:6). He resists them because they try to take His place. Instead of submitting to His plans and purposes, they come up with their own. They rage against the Lord, and they rage against one another because their pride will not countenance a competitor. The Lord allowed their plans a measure of success, and they drew the prideful and foolish conclusion that they were in control of history itself. Neither of those nations exists anymore; they existed only to fulfill the plans of God. In contrast to the counsel of nations, our verses say "The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations." In the final analysis, then, only the Lord's plans will succeed. Only the Lord's plans will stand the test of time. Wise nations, nations that want to survive, will acknowledge this reality and submit to the Lord. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingIsaiah 56, 57, 58 Isaiah 56 -- Keep justice, and do righteousness; for my salvation is near to come NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Isaiah 57 -- The blessed death of the righteous; Leaders Rebuked; Comfort for the Contrite NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Isaiah 58 -- True Fasting; Keeping the Sabbath NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading 1 Thessalonians 3 1 Thessalonians 3 -- Encouragement from Timothy's Report NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion Oh, my dear children! I feel as if I'm going through labor pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives.Insight Paul led many people to Christ and helped them mature spiritually. Perhaps one reason for his success as a spiritual father was the deep concern he felt for his spiritual children; he compared his pain over their faithlessness to the pain of childbirth. Challenge We should have the same intense care for those to whom we are spiritual parents. When you lead people to Christ, remember to stand by them to help them grow. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Exodus 34:20 But the firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb: and if thou redeem him not, then shalt thou break his neck.Every firstborn creature must be the Lord's, but since the ass was unclean, it could not be presented in sacrifice. What then? Should it be allowed to go free from the universal law? By no means. God admits of no exceptions. The ass is his due, but he will not accept it; he will not abate the claim, but yet he cannot be pleased with the victim. No way of escape remained but redemption--the creature must be saved by the substitution of a lamb in its place; or if not redeemed, it must die. My soul, here is a lesson for thee. That unclean animal is thyself; thou art justly the property of the Lord who made thee and preserves thee, but thou art so sinful that God will not, cannot, accept thee; and it has come to this, the Lamb of God must stand in thy stead, or thou must die eternally. Let all the world know of thy gratitude to that spotless Lamb who has already bled for thee, and so redeemed thee from the fatal curse of the law. Must it not sometimes have been a question with the Israelite which should die, the ass or the lamb? Would not the good man pause to estimate and compare? Assuredly there was no comparison between the value of the soul of man and the life of the Lord Jesus, and yet the Lamb dies, and man the ass is spared. My soul, admire the boundless love of God to thee and others of the human race. Worms are bought with the blood of the Son of the Highest! Dust and ashes redeemed with a price far above silver and gold! What a doom had been mine had not plenteous redemption been found! The breaking of the neck of the ass was but a momentary penalty, but who shall measure the wrath to come to which no limit can be imagined? Inestimably dear is the glorious Lamb who has redeemed us from such a doom. Daily Light on the Daily Path Matthew 6:12 'And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.Matthew 18:21,22 Then Peter came and said to Him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" • Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. Matthew 18:32-35 "Then summoning him, his lord said to him, 'You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. • 'Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?' • "And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. • "My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart." Ephesians 4:32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Colossians 2:13,14 When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, • having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Colossians 3:13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. 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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