Bible League: Living His Word I would have lost heart, unless I had believedThat I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living. It was Jesus himself who said that '"In the world you will have tribulation"' (John 16:33) and it was the Apostle Paul himself who said that "all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution" (II Timothy 3:12). We should not be surprised, then, if we encounter these things in life. Nevertheless, we should not ask God for tribulations and we should not believe God for persecutions. Instead, we should ask and believe for good. We should believe that good is going to happen. In the words of our verse for today, we should believe that we will "see the goodness of the Lord." The Lord has made many promises in the Bible that good of various kinds will come to those who love Him. We should ask and believe the Lord for the fulfillment of these promises. We should have faith and hope in the goodness of the Lord. Indeed, David tells us that he would have lost heart if he had not believed that he would see the goodness of the Lord. Even further, David tells us that he would have lost heart if he had not believed that he would see the goodness of the Lord "in the land of the living." David did not believe the Lord for good only in the next life, but for good in this life. He did not lose heart and give in to fear and dread about tribulations and persecutions because he placed his faith in the God who can come through with good things. Although we live in a world full of trials, troubles, and tribulations, we should look to the Lord in faith for victory despite the evil. Although Jesus told us that in the world we would have tribulations, He also told us to '"be of good cheer, I have overcome the world"' (John 16:33). In Christ we are overcomers and we should put our faith to work by expecting to overcome. Today, then, do not lose heart and give up. Instead, expect to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Expect to see good things come from the Lord. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingPsalm 44, 45, 46 Psalm 44 -- We have heard with our ears, God; our fathers have told us NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Psalm 45 -- My heart overflows with a noble theme NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Psalm 46 -- God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Acts 25 Acts 25 -- The Trial Before Festus, King Agrippa NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won't he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders.”Insight We may be able to understand a God who would forgive sinners who come to him for mercy. But a God who tenderly searches for sinners and then joyfully forgives them must possess an extraordinary love! This is the kind of love that prompted Jesus to come to earth to search for lost people and save them. This is the kind of extraordinary love that God has for you. Challenge If you feel far from God, don't despair. He is seaching for you. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Genesis 39:12 He left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.In contending with certain sins there remains no mode of victory but by flight. The ancient naturalists wrote much of basilisks, whose eyes fascinated their victims and rendered them easy victims; so the mere gaze of wickedness puts us in solemn danger. He who would be safe from acts of evil must haste away from occasions of it. A covenant must be made with our eyes not even to look upon the cause of temptation, for such sins only need a spark to begin with, and a blaze follows in an instant. Who would wantonly enter the leper's prison and sleep amid its horrible corruption? He only who desires to be leprous himself would thus court contagion. If the mariner knew how to avoid a storm, he would do anything rather than run the risk of weathering it. Cautious pilots have no desire to try how near the quicksand they can sail, or how often they may touch a rock without springing a leak; their aim is to keep as nearly as possible in the midst of a safe channel. This day I may be exposed to great peril, let me have the serpent's wisdom to keep out of it and avoid it. The wings of a dove may be of more use to me today than the jaws of a lion. It is true I may be an apparent loser by declining evil company, but I had better leave my cloak than lose my character; it is not needful that I should be rich, but it is imperative upon me to be pure. No ties of friendship, no chains of beauty, no flashings of talent, no shafts of ridicule must turn me from the wise resolve to flee from sin. The devil I am to resist and he will flee from me, but the lusts of the flesh, I must flee, or they will surely overcome me. O God of holiness preserve thy Josephs, that Madam Bubble bewitch them not with her vile suggestions. May the horrible trinity of the world, the flesh, and the devil, never overcome us! Daily Light on the Daily Path 1 John 3:14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death.John 5:24 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. 1 John 5:12 He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. 2 Corinthians 1:21,22 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, • who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 1 John 3:19,21 We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him • Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 1 John 5:19 We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. Ephesians 2:1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, Ephesians 2:5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), Colossians 1:13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 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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