Bible League: Living His Word The LORD has taken away your judgments, He has cast out your enemy. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; You shall see disaster no more.— Zephaniah 3:15 NKJV Judgement does not last forever. Discipline is not meant to be a way of life. There are limits. There are limits to the Lord's judgment and to His discipline. He uses them as necessary, but His real goal is to dwell in peace with His people. "He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever" (Psalm 103:9). The reason why is that He is "merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy" (Psalm 103:8). Contrary to what you might have thought, "He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities" (Psalm 103:10). That's how you can know that the bad times are coming to an end. That's how you can know that the grip of your enemy will be lifted. "Behold, all those who were incensed against you shall be ashamed and disgraced; they shall be as nothing, and those who strive with you shall perish" (Isaiah 41:11). You thought you had been cast away, you thought it was going to last forever, but now you can see the end of the hardships and injustice. Instead of the fear and dismay of the past, the Lord is going to help you and uphold you with His righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10). Further, the Lord is no longer going to stand far off from you. Just as He came close again to Israel, just as He dwelt again in their midst, He is going to dwell in your midst as well. Once again, it will be a shepherd and sheep situation. Once again, He will make you lie down in green pastures and lead you beside still waters. You will be free from want. He will restore your soul and He will cause you to walk in the ways of righteousness (Psalm 23:1-3). Many will see what the Lord has done for you, and they will put their trust in Him (Psalm 40:3). This disaster will be a thing of the past. You will not have to worry about it anymore, you will stand strong in confidence and assurance. And the Lord Himself will rejoice over you with gladness and with singing (Zephaniah 3:17). Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingProverbs 3, 4 Proverbs 3 -- Don't forget my teaching; but let your heart keep my commandments: NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Proverbs 4 -- Listen, sons, to a father's instruction NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading 1 Corinthians 13 1 Corinthians 13 -- The Greatest of these is Love NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord's Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved. Insight A healthy Christian community attracts people to Christ. The Jerusalem church's zeal for worship and brotherly love was contagious. A healthy, loving church will grow in numbers. Challenge What are you doing to make your church the kind of place that will attract others to Christ? Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Psalm 11:5 The Lord trieth the righteous.All events are under the control of Providence; consequently all the trials of our outward life are traceable at once to the great First Cause. Out of the golden gate of God's ordinance the armies of trial march forth in array, clad in their iron armour, and armed with weapons of war. All providences are doors to trial. Even our mercies, like roses, have their thorns. Men may be drowned in seas of prosperity as well as in rivers of affliction. Our mountains are not too high, and our valleys are not too low for temptations: trials lurk on all roads. Everywhere, above and beneath, we are beset and surrounded with dangers. Yet no shower falls unpermitted from the threatening cloud; every drop has its order ere it hastens to the earth. The trials which come from God are sent to prove and strengthen our graces, and so at once to illustrate the power of divine grace, to test the genuineness of our virtues, and to add to their energy. Our Lord in his infinite wisdom and superabundant love, sets so high a value upon his people's faith that he will not screen them from those trials by which faith is strengthened. You would never have possessed the precious faith which now supports you if the trial of your faith had not been like unto fire. You are a tree that never would have rooted so well if the wind had not rocked you to and fro, and made you take firm hold upon the precious truths of the covenant grace. Worldly ease is a great foe to faith; it loosens the joints of holy valour, and snaps the sinews of sacred courage. The balloon never rises until the cords are cut; affliction doth this sharp service for believing souls. While the wheat sleeps comfortably in the husk it is useless to man, it must be threshed out of its resting place before its value can be known. Thus it is well that Jehovah trieth the righteous, for it causeth them to grow rich towards God. Daily Light on the Daily Path Genesis 3:4,5 The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die! • "For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."2 Corinthians 11:3 But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. Ephesians 6:10,11,13-17 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. • Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. • Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. • Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, • and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; • in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. • And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 2 Corinthians 2:11 so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. 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