today's meditation (Jonah 1) Praying for Help

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Jonah 1:1-17) The word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, the great city, and cry out against it, because their wickedness has come up before Me.” 3 But Jonah got up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. So he went down to Joppa, found a ship that was going to Tarshish, paid the fare, and boarded it to go with them to Tarshish away from the presence of the Lord.

4 However, the Lord hurled a great wind on the sea and there was a great storm on the sea, so that the ship was about to break up. 5 Then the sailors became afraid and every man cried out to his god, and they hurled the cargo which was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone below into the stern of the ship, had lain down, and fallen sound asleep. 6 So the captain approached him and said, “How is it that you are sleeping? Get up, call on your god! Perhaps your god will be concerned about us so that we will not perish.”

7 And each man said to his mate, “Come, let’s cast lots so that we may find out on whose account this catastrophe has struck us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. 8 Then they said to him, “Tell us, now! On whose account has this catastrophe struck us? What is your occupation, and where do you come from? What is your country, and from what people are you?” 9 So he said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord God of heaven who made the sea and the dry land.”

10 Then the men became extremely afraid, and they said to him, “How could you do this?” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them. 11 So they said to him, “What should we do to you so that the sea will become calm for us?”—for the sea was becoming increasingly stormy. 12 And he said to them, “Pick me up and hurl me into the sea. Then the sea will become calm for you, because I know that on account of me this great storm has come upon you.” 13 However, the men rowed desperately to return to land, but they could not, because the sea was becoming even stormier against them. 14 Then they cried out to the Lord and said, “We earnestly pray, O Lord, do not let us perish on account of this man’s life, and do not put innocent blood on us; for You, Lord, have done as You pleased.”

15 So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea stopped its raging. 16 Then the men became extremely afraid of the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.

17 And the Lord designated a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish for three days and three nights.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Jonah's feeble attempt to run away from God by leaving Israel could be likened to when disgruntled Christians stop going to church.  And because of Jonah's disobedience, besides being swallowed by a great fish, the men on the boat were also made to suffer.  When a Christian stops going to church, not only will they suffer consequences, but it will impact those around them.  It will impact one's testimony to unbelievers who are observing.  It can shake the faith of weaker Christians.  And it can be discouraging even for the mature Christians.

While it is important to consider those around us, we are all just responsible for our own relationship and walk with God.  Interestingly, part of our walk with God involves our testimony and interaction with those around us - but - it all starts with our relationship with God! We've got to know, there isn't any place we can go to hide from the Lord!  He knows and sees everything.  And as Creator, and as our loving and perfect heavenly Father, He is sovereign and wants to help us in every aspect of our lives.

Whatever God asks of us, we are not to do it in our own strength.  We will tire out, mess up, and become discouraged, because what God asks of us is impossible... unless we look to Him to do it for us.  For everything and anything, instead of running away from God, we can run to God and ask Him to do things for us in His strength, wisdom and love.  Even loving others as we should!  I have prayed this prayer many times, "Lord, help me to love - be my love - please, love these people for me!"  I have even prayed this, "Lord, I do believe, help my unbelief!"  

To pray in God's will, it is important to know what His will is.  We can easily figure that out by reading and studying His word.  And then, when we ask the Lord to do things for us that He asks of us to do - He will answer and does answer these prayers!  He is our Help!  And He is faithful!

today's meditation (Dan.11) Being Encouraged

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Daniel 11:1-45) “In the first year of Darius the Mede, I arose to be of assistance and a protection for him. 2 And now I will tell you the truth. Behold, three more kings are going to arise in Persia. Then a fourth will gain far more riches than all of them; as soon as he becomes strong through his riches, he will stir up the entire empire against the realm of Greece. 3 And a mighty king will arise, and he will rule with great authority and do as he pleases. 4 But as soon as he has arisen, his kingdom will be broken up and parceled out toward the four points of the compass, though not to his own descendants, nor according to his authority which he wielded, because his sovereignty will be removed and given to others besides them.

5 “Then the king of the South will grow strong, along with one of his princes who will gain ascendancy over him and rule; his domain will be a great realm indeed. 6 And after some years they will form an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the South will come to the king of the North to reach an agreement. But she will not keep her position of power, nor will he remain with his power, but she will be given up, along with those who brought her in and the one who fathered her as well as he who supported her in those times. 7 But one of the descendants of her line will arise in his place, and he will come against their army and enter the fortress of the king of the North, and he will deal with them and prevail. 8 And he will also take into captivity to Egypt their gods with their cast metal images and their precious vessels of silver and gold, and he on his part will refrain from attacking the king of the North for some years. 9 Then the latter will enter the realm of the king of the South, but will return to his own land.

10 “And his sons will mobilize and assemble a multitude of great forces; and one of them will keep on coming and overflow and pass through, so that he may again wage war up to his fortress. 11 And the king of the South will be enraged and go out and fight with the king of the North. Then the latter will raise a great multitude, but that multitude will be handed over to the former. 12 When the multitude is carried away, his heart will be haughty, and he will cause tens of thousands to fall; yet he will not prevail. 13 For the king of the North will again raise a greater multitude than the former, and after an interval of some years he will press on with a great army and much equipment.

14 “Now in those times many will rise up against the king of the South; the violent ones among your people will also raise themselves up to fulfill the vision, but they will fall down. 15 Then the king of the North will come, pile up an assault ramp, and capture a well-fortified city; and the forces of the South will not stand their ground, not even their choicest troops, for there will be no strength to make a stand. 16 But he who comes against him will do as he pleases, and no one will be able to withstand him; he will also stay for a time in the Beautiful Land, with destruction in his hand. 17 And he will set his mind on coming with the power of his entire kingdom, bringing with him a proposal of peace which he will put into effect; he will also give him the daughter of women to ruin it. But she will not take a stand for him or be on his side. 18 Then he will turn his face to the coastlands and capture many. But a commander will put a stop to his taunting against him; moreover, he will repay him for his taunting. 19 So he will turn his face toward the fortresses of his own land, but he will stumble and fall and not be found.

20 “Then in his place one will arise who will allow an oppressor to pass through the Jewel of his kingdom; yet within a few days he will be broken, though not in anger nor in battle. 21 And in his place a despicable person will arise, on whom the majesty of kingship has not been conferred; but he will come in a time of tranquility and seize the kingdom by intrigue. 22 And the overflowing forces will be flooded away from him and smashed, and also the prince of the covenant. 23 After an alliance is made with him he will practice deception, and he will go up and gain power with a small force of people. 24 In a time of tranquility he will enter the richest parts of the realm, and he will accomplish what his fathers did not, nor his ancestors; he will distribute plunder, spoils, and possessions among them, and he will devise his schemes against strongholds, but only for a time. 25 And he will stir up his strength and courage against the king of the South with a large army; so the king of the South will mobilize an extremely large and mighty army for war; but he will not stand, because schemes will be devised against him. 26 Those who eat his choice food will destroy him, and his army will overflow, but many will fall down slain. 27 As for both kings, their hearts will be intent on evil, and they will speak lies to each other at the same table; but it will not succeed, because the end is still to come at the appointed time. 28 Then he will return to his land with much plunder; but his heart will be set against the holy covenant, and he will take action and then return to his own land.

29 “At the appointed time he will return and come into the South, but this last time it will not turn out the way it did before. 30 For ships of Kittim will come against him; therefore he will withdraw in fear and will return and curse the holy covenant and take action; so he will come back and pay attention to those who abandon the holy covenant. 31 Forces from him will arise, desecrate the sanctuary fortress, and do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the abomination of desolation. 32 And by smooth words he will turn to godlessness those who act wickedly toward the covenant, but the people who know their God will be strong and take action. 33 And those who have insight among the people will give understanding to the many; yet they will fall by sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder for many days. 34 Now when they fall they will be granted a little help, and many will join with them in hypocrisy. 35 And some of those who have insight will fall, to refine, purge, and cleanse them until the end time; because it is still to come at the appointed time.

36 “Then the king will do as he pleases, and he will exalt himself and boast against every god and will speak dreadful things against the God of gods; and he will be successful until the indignation is finished, because that which is determined will be done. 37 And he will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the desire of women, nor will he show regard for any other god; for he will boast against them all. 38 But instead he will honor a god of fortresses, a god whom his fathers did not know; he will honor him with gold, silver, precious stones, and treasures. 39 And he will take action against the strongest of fortresses with the help of a foreign god; he will give great honor to those who acknowledge him and will make them rulers over the many, and will parcel out land for a price.

40 “And at the end time the king of the South will wage war with him, and the king of the North will storm against him with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he will enter countries, overflow them, and pass through. 41 He will also enter the Beautiful Land, and many countries will fall; but these will be rescued out of his hand: Edom, Moab, and the foremost of the sons of Ammon. 42 Then he will reach out with his hand against other countries, and the land of Egypt will not escape. 43 But he will gain control over the hidden treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; and Libyans and Ethiopians will follow at his heels. 44 But rumors from the East and from the North will terrify him, and he will go out with great wrath to eliminate and annihilate many. 45 And he will pitch the tents of his royal pavilion between the seas and the beautiful Holy Mountain; yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Christians have been martyred over the course of history.  And from verse 34, I would say that God gives those believers extra strength and help in those extreme moments of distress.  This can be a testimony to many in order to help them see their need to be saved, as well as to be an encouragement to other believers that God will see us through anything.  When we go through tests and trials, this is an opportunity to see how God will work in our lives and in the lives around us.  

How can we say, "God is always there for us" if we never go through anything?  Now, we certainly do not need evil in our lives in order to see and know God's majesty, but some people choose to learn the hard way.  This is why all believers will be caught up to heaven just before the Tribulation begins.  

God is still sovereign and there is hope.  Always!  There aren't any evil actions or intentions within God's will!  But as He has given everyone a free will, He allows evil to exist and work, allowing them only so much leeway in order to help bring about His will.  When a jeweler shows anyone a diamond, they place it on a black background because this is when the majestic qualities of the diamond are most obvious.  God knows what He is doing, and one day He will put an end to all sin and suffering.  Our faith can be very encouraged by that.

today's meditation (Is.58) Finding Delight in God's Nearness

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Isaiah 58:1-12) 

1   “Cry loudly, do not hold back;
    Raise your voice like a trumpet,
    And declare to My people their wrongdoing,
    And to the house of Jacob their sins.

2   Yet they seek Me day by day and delight to know My ways,
    As a nation that has done righteousness 
    And has not forsaken the ordinance of their God.
    They ask Me for just decisions,
    They delight in the nearness of God.
3   ‘Why have we fasted and You do not see?
    Why have we humbled ourselves and You do not notice?’
    Behold, on the day of your fast you find your desire,
    And oppress all your workers.
4   Behold, you fast for contention and strife, and to strike with a wicked fist.
    You do not fast like you have done today to make your voice heard on high!
5   Is it a fast like this that I choose, a day for a person to humble himself?
    Is it for bowing one’s head like a reed 
    And for spreading out sackcloth and ashes as a bed?
    Will you call this a fast, even an acceptable day to the Lord?
6   Is this not the fast that I choose:
    To release the bonds of wickedness,
    To undo the ropes of the yoke,
    And to let the oppressed go free,
    And break every yoke?
7   Is it not to break your bread with the hungry 
    And bring the homeless poor into the house;
    When you see the naked, to cover him;
    And not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
8   Then your light will break out like the dawn,
    And your recovery will spring up quickly;
    And your righteousness will go before you;
    The glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
9   Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;
    You will cry for help, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’
    If you remove the yoke from your midst,
    The pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness,
10 And if you offer yourself to the hungry 
    And satisfy the need of the afflicted,
    Then your light will rise in darkness,
    And your gloom will become like midday.
11 And the Lord will continually guide you,
    And satisfy your desire in scorched places,
    And give strength to your bones;
    And you will be like a watered garden,
    And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.
12 Those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins;
    You will raise up the age-old foundations;
    And you will be called the repairer of the breach,
     The restorer of the streets in which to dwell.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

We are born with a sinful nature, so our flesh is sinful, selfish, greedy and full of pride, therefore we come into this world separated from God.  The only way we can be reconciled to Him is to accept His forgiveness and salvation.  Because of His work on the cross, He paid the price for all sin in order to make this possible.

Once we are saved, we will still struggle with sin, so we need God's grace and guidance.  Because sin impedes prayer and inhibits our relationship with God, we need to confess our sins and continually seek Him and His word.  When we fast, pray and look for answers, if our heart's desire is what the Lord desires, then He will answer us and give us direction.  

Our salvation is just like how God promised the Israelites their land, seed and blessings.  It all belongs to the nation of Israel, but when they stray from God, they are not able to enjoy these things.  It is when Israel as a nation turns their hearts to the Lord and puts their faith and belief in Him that this will all be fulfilled.  And from prophecy, we know this will happen during the Tribulation and Millennium.

In the same way, when we become Christians, we are saved and become children of God.  We cannot lose our salvation, no matter what we do or don't do, because of God's grace.  But when we stray from God, we will not be able to enjoy the blessings we would otherwise have with Him.  It is to our benefit that we continue to humble ourselves and put away sinful desires.  As we earnestly seek the Lord, we will find delight in the nearness of Him!

today's meditation (Ps.119:73-80) Having No Regrets

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Psalm 119:73-80) 

73 Your hands made me and fashioned me;
     Give me understanding, so that I may learn Your commandments.
74 May those who fear You see me and be glad,
     Because I wait for Your word.
75 I know, Lord, that Your judgments are righteous,
     And that You have afflicted me in faithfulness.
76 May Your favor comfort me,
     According to Your word to Your servant.
77 May Your compassion come to me so that I may live,
     For Your Law is my delight.
78 May the arrogant be put to shame, because they lead me astray with a lie;
     But I shall meditate on Your precepts.
79 May those who fear You turn to me,
     And those who know Your testimonies.
80 May my heart be blameless in Your statutes,
     So that I will not be ashamed.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

David asks God for insight!  Since God created us, He knows exactly what we need and what we should be doing in order to live a righteous life.  And since He created all of us, He knows exactly what we need to be doing in order to get along with others.  This includes knowing what to do when we face our enemies or those who might cause us trouble.

As well, God knows exactly what we should be doing in order to get along with other believers.  As brothers and sisters in Christ, we should love and appreciate each other!  As brothers and sisters in Christ, we should encourage, help and pray for each other.  We should enjoy getting together to worship and praise God.  Our faith and trust should never deviate from God by placing that on ourselves or others.

Each one of us needs to remain focused on God and living in His will... trusting that what He says will work.  From past experiences, I know that when I have done it the world's way, or my way, I find myself in further trouble.  And even though God's way sometimes doesn't "feel" right or doesn't quite make sense - I've got to say - I have never had regrets after doing something in God's will!   God's way always works!