20061231

the Lord isn't confused

Job 10

v15

If I be wicked, woe unto me;
and [if] I be righteous, [yet] will I not lift up my head.
[I am] full of confusion;
therefore see thou mine affliction;
We shouldn't contend with and reprove the almighty God like Job did.

In the end of the story, the wicked won't get away with his wickedness, and the righteous won't go unrewarded.

Even if our situation doesn't seem like it, the Lord sees our affliction.

20061230

The Lord is wise in heart

Job 9

v8-10

Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea.
Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south.
Which doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number.
The Lord is "wise in heart, and mighty in strength".

Praise the Lord.

20061229

God is a just judge

Job 8

v3

Doth God pervert judgment?
or doth the Almighty pervert justice?

Some situations are hard for us.

We're tempted to think that God's unfair.

That's what the story of Job was like.

In situations like that, we should remember Job. Remember the end of Job's story, if you know it. If we think God isn't just right now, that's because we don't know the end of the story yet.

Remember that the Lord is just, and don't think He's unfair.

20061228

refrain your mouth

Job 7

v11

Therefore I will not refrain my mouth;
I will speak in the anguish of my spirit;
I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
We should refrain our mouths from trying to contend with and reprove the Almighty God.

We shouldn't complain that way.

20061227

right words are forcible

Job 6

v25

How forcible are right words!
but what doth your arguing reprove?
Use right words instead of arguing that doesn't prove anything.

20061226

be patient in hard times

Job 5

v17

Behold, happy [is] the man whom God correcteth:
therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty:
When we have a hard time, we should remember the Lord's mercy and Love to us. He will be very kind and merciful to us.

We should trust the Lord and be patient.

20061225

Job is a picture of Jesus

Job 4

v7

Remember, I pray thee, who [ever] perished, being innocent?
or where were the righteous cut off?
If you tell the truth, you know you have done bad things.
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Romans 3:23

Job's friend was talking to Job like the bad things happened to Job because Job had sinned. Actually, Job's friend was wrong. that wasn't the reason those bad things happened to Job.

Job was a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. Did Jesus ever sin? No, He has always been perfectly innocent and righteous. But remember the cross. Jesus is the One who died for all of the sins we have all done.

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8

Why don't you accept the best gift, today?
Receive everlasting life, the gift of God.

For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 6:23

Here's how to be saved.


20061224

pour out your heart to the Lord

Job 3

v25

For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me,
and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.
When you feel bad, pour out your complaint to the Lord, and "show" Him your trouble.

20061223

don't sin with your lips

Job 2

v10

But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.
Notice the part that says, "In all this did not Job sin with his lips."

In the worst possible situation, we should be like Job was in this verse.

We still shouldn't speak any evil.

20061222

Job worshiped

Job 1

v20

Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,
When terrible things happened happened to Job, he worshiped the Lord.

We should worship the Lord even when bad things happen, not just at happy times.

20061221

seeking the wealth of his people

Esther 10

v3

For Mordecai the Jew [was] next unto king Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews, and accepted of the multitude of his brethren, seeking the wealth of his people, and speaking peace to all his seed.
Mordecai was "seeking the wealth of his people".

We should try to do things that are good for others.

20061220

ask and it will be given to you

Esther 9

v22

As the days wherein the Jews rested from their enemies, and the month which was turned unto them from sorrow to joy, and from mourning into a good day: that they should make them days of feasting and joy, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor.
The Lord turned something terrible around to something great.

Praying and seeking the Lord is worth it.

20061219

speak yet again before the king

Esther 8

v3

And Esther spake yet again before the king,
and fell down at his feet,
and besought him with tears
to put away the mischief of Haman the Agagite,
and his device that he had devised against the Jews.
Esther spake yet again before the king. That was even though she had been bold before, and done what was right, and besought the king.

After we've already prayed to the Lord, we should also do it "yet again". We should keep praying.

20061218

if it please the king

Esther 7

v3

Then Esther the queen answered and said, If I have found favour in thy sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request:
When Esther was asking the king to save their lives, she said, "...if it please the king..."

We should pray that way, and seek for what would please the Lord.

20061217

don't assume things you don't know

Esther 6

v6

So Haman came in. And the king said unto him,
What shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour?
Now Haman thought in his heart, To whom would the king delight to do honour more than to myself?
The king wanted to honor Mordecai, but Haman wanted to kill Mordecai.

When the king asked Haman about how to honor somebody, Haman didn't know it was Mordecai.

Haman was presumptuous, and gave an answer before he heard the whole matter out. Haman just thought the king wanted to honor him.

Have you ever said something before you knew the whole story behind what you were talking about? For example, have you ever thought, "They must be planning a surprise present for my birthday." Isn't it embarrassing and disappointing when you find out you were wrong?
He that answereth a matter before he heareth [it], it [is] folly and shame unto him.
Proverbs 18:13

20061216

you reap what you sow

Esther 5

v14

Then said Zeresh his wife and all his friends unto him, Let a gallows be made of fifty cubits high, and to morrow speak thou unto the king that Mordecai may be hanged thereon: then go thou in merrily with the king unto the banquet. And the thing pleased Haman; and he caused the gallows to be made.
Don't try to do something evil to someone else. You might just end up doing it to yourself.

20061215

go in unto the king

Esther 4

v8

Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given at Shushan to destroy them,
to shew [it] unto Esther, and to declare [it] unto her, and to
charge her that she should go in unto the king,
to make supplication unto him,
and to make request before him for her people
.

The way we can come to the Lord, the King, is by praying in Jesus' name.

We have been charged to "make supplication unto" Him.

We have an opportunity "to make request before him".

We should be bold to "go in unto the king."

20061214

pray for dying people

Esther 3

v13

And the letters were sent by posts into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, [even] upon the thirteenth [day] of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and [to take] the spoil of them for a prey.
We have spiritual enemies, and people are sick, and appointed to die, and be killed.

Fortunately, we have special access to the Lord, the King. Even though He's such a great king, we are His bride. We must be bold to come to Him by prayer.

We should pray for sick and dying people, and the people involved with abortion.

20061213

see how each other are doing

Esther 2

v11

And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women's house, to know how Esther did, and what should become of her.
We should be good friends like this. We should be diligent to see how each other are doing.

20061212

don't refuse to come to the Lord

Esther 1

v12

But the queen Vashti refused to come at the king's commandment by [his] chamberlains: therefore was the king very wroth, and his anger burned in him.
The Lord is the King of Kings.
We, His people, are His bride.

We can come to the Lord by

  • listening to His Word,
  • believing Him, and,
  • praying to talk to Him.

I'm not sure that everything the king in this story did, was right.
There is one thing I do know.
When the Lord commands us to "come to Him", we shouldn't refuse.
If we do, we miss out on more than we know.

20061210

praise the Lord with great joy

Nehemiah 12

v46

For in the days of David and Asaph of old
[there were] chief of the singers,
and songs of praise and thanksgiving unto God.
There were many people giving thanks. They praised the Lord. It was commanded.

It was with gladness. God made them rejoice with great joy.

It was with singing and musical instruments. Part of v42 says, "...the singers sang loud...". The sound was heard far away.

There were many of them. They were in all kinds of places.

We should rejoice when we praise the Lord.

20061209

sing praises to the Lord

Nehemiah 11

v23

For [it was] the king's commandment concerning them, that a certain portion should be for the singers, due for every day.
Being a singer was actually a really important job. We need to work on singing praises to the Lord. We should consider how important it is.

  • We should get ready to praise Him.
  • We should sing loudly with our whole hearts.
  • We should think about what we're singing, and mean it.
  • We should Love to praise Him, and be glad to do it.
  • We should even praise Him when we don't feel like it.
I need to work on singing praises to the Lord.
Please pray for me, to praise the Lord better.

20061208

don't forsake God's house

Nehemiah 10

v39

For the children of Israel
and the children of Levi
shall bring the offering
of the corn, of the new wine, and the oil,
unto the chambers, where [are] the vessels of the sanctuary,
and the priests that minister, and the porters, and the singers:
and we will not forsake the house of our God.
(I added the styles.)

Our Lord's house is His people. We shouldn't forget about the Lord's people. We should be willing to

  • sometimes be separated from other people in certain ways
  • cleave to our brethren
  • set apart certain parts of our time
  • give a certain part of our money
  • serve
  • give a certain part of our stuff
  • give the first and best of what we have

Be sure to not forsake the house of our God.

20061207

pray for help when in trouble

Nehemiah 9

v9

And didst see the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and heardest their cry by the Red sea;
Many times we've done evil sins.
We've had enemies who've vexed us and had dominion over us.
When we've been in trouble, we've returned and cried to the Lord.

The Lord has heard us from heaven.
The Lord has had manifold mercies.
He has saved us and delivered us.

We should pray for help when we're in trouble.

20061206

They Read Distinctly

Nehemiah 8

v8

So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly,
and gave the sense,
and caused [them] to understand the reading.
We should preach the Word distinctly. We shouldn't just get the things said, but we should give people the real sense of the Word.

When we tell people about the Lord, besides just telling it, we should also help them understand.

20061205

Be Faithful and Fear God

Nehemiah 7

v2

That I gave my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the ruler of the palace, charge over Jerusalem: for he [was] a faithful man, and feared God above many.
The faithful man feared God more than many other people feared God. We should fear "God above many".

If we want to be in charge, we should Be Faithful and Fear God.

20061204

Strengthen My Hands

Nehemiah 6

v9

For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. Now therefore, [O God], strengthen my hands.

The Work

We know to do the work of the Lord. We need to Love others, preach the gospel, and build up the Lord's people. With everything we do, even our own business, we should do it for the Lord.

They All Made Us Afraid

Some trouble we have can be from spiritual enemies. They're just trying to discourage us from getting our work done.

Strengthen My Hands

We just need to ask the Lord for strength to do what's right.

20061203

All I've Done For This People

Nehemiah 5

v19

Think upon me, my God, for good, [according] to all that I have done for this people.
We should do a lot of good things for the Lord's people. Take opportunities to Love one another.

20061202

Have a Mind to Work

Nehemiah 4

v6

So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.
We should be like the Lord's people who built the wall. We should have a mind to work.

20061201

Work Earnestly For the Lord

Nehemiah 3

v20

After him Baruch the son of Zabbai earnestly repaired the other piece, from the turning [of the wall] unto the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest.
This chapter talks about many people repairing parts of the city for the Lord. Mr. Baruch stands out, because this chapter says he "earnestly repaired".

We should be serious about our work to serve the Lord.

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