Bible League: Living His Word Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.Our verses for today form a benediction by the author of Hebrews upon the people to whom it is addressed. The benediction appeals to God as the "God of peace" and the one who "brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep." In the New Testament generally, the word translated as "peace" refers to an overall blessedness and happiness in life. God, as the author of salvation, is the God of peace because He has reconciled people unto Himself and unto one another, thereby creating a state of peace, blessedness, and happiness. He effectuated this state, of course, through the birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ, who is the "great Shepherd" that leads His sheep beside the still waters of peace in life. The benediction pronounces two blessings upon the people "through Jesus Christ." That is, through the one who dwells in them and makes possible thereby the realization of the benediction. First, the benediction pronounces that they would be "equipped with everything good for doing his will." Doing God's will is not something that comes naturally to people. We must be equipped to do the will of God. Through the indwelling of Jesus Christ and the Spirit of God we are granted the gifts necessary to accomplish what God wants us to accomplish in life. Apart from Christ and the gifts of the Spirit, we can do no good thing (John 15:5). Second, the benediction pronounces that God would "work in us what is pleasing to him." The thought here seems to move beyond the gifts of the Spirit to the fruit of the Spirit. It is one thing to accomplish great things by one's gifts, but it is another altogether to accomplish them with the fruit of love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, etc. in operation. Accomplishments apart from these qualities are rather hollow. May God equip you today and every day with everything good for doing His will, and may He work in you what is pleasing to Him. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingNehemiah 12, 13 Nehemiah 12 -- Priests and Levites Who Returned; Dedication of the Wall NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Nehemiah 13 -- Foreigners Excluded; Tobiah Expelled; Tithes and Sabbath Restored NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Acts 4:23-37 Acts 4 -- Peter and John Arrested and Released; Believers Share All NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion The greatest among you must be a servant. But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. Insight Jesus challenged society's norms. To him, greatness comes from serving—giving of yourself to help God and others. Service keeps us aware of others' needs, and it stops us from focusing only on ourselves. Jesus came as a servant. Challenge What kind of greatness do you seek? Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Amos 9:9 For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth.Every sifting comes by divine command and permission. Satan must ask leave before he can lay a finger upon Job. Nay, more, in some sense our siftings are directly the work of heaven, for the text says, "I will sift the house of Israel." Satan, like a drudge, may hold the sieve, hoping to destroy the corn; but the overruling hand of the Master is accomplishing the purity of the grain by the very process which the enemy intended to be destructive. Precious, but much sifted corn of the Lord's floor, be comforted by the blessed fact that the Lord directeth both flail and sieve to his own glory, and to thine eternal profit. The Lord Jesus will surely use the fan which is in his hand, and will divide the precious from the vile. All are not Israel that are of Israel; the heap on the barn floor is not clean provender, and hence the winnowing process must be performed. In the sieve true weight alone has power. Husks and chaff being devoid of substance must fly before the wind, and only solid corn will remain. Observe the complete safety of the Lord's wheat; even the least grain has a promise of preservation. God himself sifts, and therefore it is stern and terrible work; he sifts them in all places, "among all nations;" he sifts them in the most effectual manner, "like as corn is sifted in a sieve;" and yet for all this, not the smallest, lightest, or most shrivelled grain, is permitted to fall to the ground. Every individual believer is precious in the sight of the Lord, a shepherd would not lose one sheep, nor a jeweller one diamond, nor a mother one child, nor a man one limb of his body, nor will the Lord lose one of his redeemed people. However little we may be, if we are the Lord's, we may rejoice that we are preserved in Christ Jesus. Daily Light on the Daily Path Exodus 2:9 Then Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this child away and nurse him for me and I will give you your wages." So the woman took the child and nursed him.Matthew 20:4 and to those he said, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.' And so they went. Mark 9:41 "For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because of your name as followers of Christ, truly I say to you, he will not lose his reward. Proverbs 11:25 The generous man will be prosperous, And he who waters will himself be watered. Hebrews 6:10 For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints. 1 Corinthians 3:8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. Matthew 25:37,38,40,34 "Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? • 'And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? • "The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.' • "Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 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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