Bible League: Living His Word So you should look for the LORD before it is too late. You should call to him now, while he is near.God comes near to us by revealing Himself to us, but in order for this revelation to be effective there is something we must do. We must look for the Lord. Hebrews 11:6 says that we should "sincerely try to find Him." Jeremiah 29:13 quotes the Lord as saying "when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me." It is our sin that has alienated us from God and it is necessary, therefore, that we turn from our sin and look for God. We should turn from looking anywhere and everywhere else and look for Him. Our verse for today tells us that we should turn to God and look for Him before it is too late. The most obvious example of this is that we must turn to God before we die. Death ends all opportunity to turn back to God. We must also turn to God before Jesus returns. The Second Coming also ends all opportunity to turn back to God. Further, we must turn to God before time passes us by. Hebrews 3:7-8 tells us that there are times of opportunity to turn back to God. If we miss them, we may be too late. Our verse for today also tells us that we should call to God while He is near. There are times when God comes closer to us than normal. These are the times when God reaches out to us and reveals Himself to us with more urgency. Instead of just letting us continue on our way apart from Him, He comes close and calls out to us. Isaiah 65:1 says there are times when God cries out "Here I am, here I am." When we hear His voice, we should turn to Him, look for Him, and call out to Him. We should not harden our hearts and ignore Him. Amos 5:6 tells us that if we will seek the Lord we will live. God commands us to look for Him because He wants to be found by us and bless us. It pays to look for the Lord. James 4:8 promises that if we come near to God He will come near to us. Let us draw near to God and live. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingJudges 3, 4, 5 Judges 3 -- Israel's idolatry and Servitude; Deliverance by Othniel, Ehud and Shamgar NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Judges 4 -- Deborah and Barak Deliver the People from the Canaanites NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Judges 5 -- The Song of Deborah and Barak NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Luke 7:31-50 Luke 7 -- Jesus Heals a Centurion's Servant, Raises a Widow's Son, answer John's messengers; Mary Anoints Jesus NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion But I know the LORD will help those they persecute;he will give justice to the poor. Insight To whom can the poor turn when they are persecuted? They lack the money to get professional help; they may be unable to defend themselves. But there is always someone on their side—the Lord will stand by them and ultimately bring about justice. Challenge This should be a comfort for us all. No matter what our situation may be, the Lord is with us. But this truth should also call us to responsibility. As God's people, we are required to defend the rights of the powerless. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Isaiah 53:5 With his stripes we are healed.Pilate delivered our Lord to the lictors to be scourged. The Roman scourge was a most dreadful instrument of torture. It was made of the sinews of oxen, and sharp bones were inter-twisted every here and there among the sinews; so that every time the lash came down these pieces of bone inflicted fearful laceration, and tore off the flesh from the bone. The Saviour was, no doubt, bound to the column, and thus beaten. He had been beaten before; but this of the Roman lictors was probably the most severe of his flagellations. My soul, stand here and weep over his poor stricken body. Believer in Jesus, can you gaze upon him without tears, as he stands before you the mirror of agonizing love? He is at once fair as the lily for innocence, and red as the rose with the crimson of his own blood. As we feel the sure and blessed healing which his stripes have wrought in us, does not our heart melt at once with love and grief? If ever we have loved our Lord Jesus, surely we must feel that affection glowing now within our bosoms. "See how the patient Jesus stands, Insulted in his lowest case! Sinners have bound the Almighty's hands, And spit in their Creator's face. With thorns his temples gor'd and gash'd Send streams of blood from every part; His back's with knotted scourges lash'd. But sharper scourges tear his heart." We would fain go to our chambers and weep; but since our business calls us away, we will first pray our Beloved to print the image of his bleeding self upon the tablets of our hearts all the day, and at nightfall we will return to commune with him, and sorrow that our sin should have cost him so dear. Daily Light on the Daily Path Philippians 4:19 And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.Matthew 6:33 "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Romans 8:32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? 1 Corinthians 3:21-23 So then let no one boast in men. For all things belong to you, • whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come; all things belong to you, • and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God. 2 Corinthians 6:10 as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing yet possessing all things. Psalm 23:1 A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. Psalm 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly. 1 Timothy 6:17 Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. 2 Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; 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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