truth – Page 3 – Instructions To A Young Life

A Life that Is Not Deceived

The nature of deception is that we do not realized that we are deceived, that is, until later after we have experienced the pain and despair of being deceived. How many times have we said to ourselves, “I was so deceived, I thought…” or “I trusted this person and they deceived me”. The Bible says that women are more easily deceived.

I Timothy 2:13 For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.

Women often are very trusting of people. This is a wonderful quality unless she trusts the wrong person. There is something within a female that wants to trust. However, the Lord has given us some help, a lot of help, so that we will not be deceived. Deception is the same thing as a lie but it is in a different form. It is a lie with a lot of appeal. One of the things that will help us to not be deceived is to know the truth. A woman who knows the truth will have a much greater safeguard within her to identify the empty deceptions in life that promise so much.

Genesis 3:1-3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’”

The Lord did not say anything about touching the fruit so Eve added to God’s Word. The Lord gives us grace to keep His Word exactly as He has told us. We are not to add to it or take from it.

Deuteronomy 4:2 You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.

Seek the Lord with all of your heart and put God’s Word in your heart so that you will not be tempted to sin but will do exactly as He has commanded you to do.

Psalm 119:10,11 With all my heart I have sought You;
Do not let me wander from Your commandments.
Your word I have treasured in my heart,
That I may not sin against You.

The next safeguard that the Lord has given to you is that a female is always to be under her God given authority. If Eve had gone to Adam and asked him what to do then she would not have been deceived. Adam was not deceived but Eve was. Eve thought she knew better and looked at the fruit. It seemed good to her.

Genesis 3:6,7 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings.

One of the first consequences of sin is that you are now vulnerable. They were naked. Not only were their bodies were naked but their souls were made bare. They were also ashamed. We become not only fearful when we sin but we become vulnerable and ashamed.

Genesis 3:23 therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden,

Sin has a horrible cost to it. Sin brings rejection, defeat, shame, dishonor and death. Death to our spirit, death to our soul and ultimately death to our body. This very sad and destructive path begins with deception, then disobedience and then death.

James 1:14-16 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.

The word “lust” in the Greek literally means desire. A lust is a desire that is outside of the will of God. We are tempted when we are carried away by our own desires. We we give in to our desire, rather than trust the Lord, then we sin. When sin is accomplished it brings forth death.

James 1:16,17 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.

The Lord is good and He wants to give you your heart’s desire but He wants you to trust Him and wait on Him to give them to you. Tell the Lord what is on your heart. Cast your burdens on Him for He cares for you. He loves you and longs to be gracious to you.

Matthew 7:11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!

A Life Understanding God’s Word

God’s Word is God’s revelation to us of who He is. He has given it to us as a gift so that we might know Him and obey Him.

“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.” Deuteronomy 29:29

The Lord reveals Himself to us through His Word. We are to observe and obey it exactly as He has spoken.

God’s Word is profitable in every area of our lives.

“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;” II Timothy 3:16

We all have blind sports and need God’s Word to correct us in every area. Spending time in God’s Word is the most profitable thing we can do.

God’s Word is the truth and is what the Lord has given to us to help us and to save us from ourselves and the lies of the evil one.

“You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44

The only way that we can identify a lie is if we know the truth. If we don’t know the truth and we act on our understanding then we are doing the desire of the devil.

Jesus Christ is God’s Word. The only way we can know God is through Jesus Christ and His Word.

“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14

We all worship a god, whether it is a god that we have made up in our mind or what we think god is like. However, there is only one true God and that is Jesus Christ.

God’s Word is equal with His name.

“For You have magnified Your word together with Your name.” Psalm 138:2b

We are to honor God’s Word as we are to honor His name. His Word is holy.

God’s Words are His thoughts and His ways. The only way that we can know His thoughts and His ways is if we know His Word.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. Isaiah 55:8.

We are to replace our thoughts with His thoughts and our ways with His ways.

When we subvert His way in our lives then we get angry. Only a fool gets angry with God.

“The foolishness of man subverts His way and his heart rages against the Lord.” Proverbs 19:3

When we are angry we need to examine our own life.

God’s Word is power.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” Romans 1:16

If we want more power in our lives then we need to saturate our minds and hearts with the Word of God.

God’s Word is His language.

“The Lord is near to all who call on Him, To all who call on Him in truth.” Psalm 145:18

Just as when we are in a foreign country and we hear our language we are glad, so the Lord draws near to the one who calls upon Him through His Word.

God’s Word is the food for our spirit and soul.

“But He answered and said, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes out of the mouth of God.’”Matthew 4:4

If we are to thrive spiritually and also in our mind, will and emotions then we need to feed on the Word of God. If we are depressed or discouraged or anxious then we need to hear from the Lord through His Word.

God’s Word cleanses us.

” You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.” John 15:3

When we sin we especially need to get into God’s Word so that our soul and spirit will be cleansed from the garbage of sin.

God’s Word is the truth and sets us free.

” and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32.

If we are struggling with bad thoughts or bad habits then we need to saturate ourselves with God’s Word until we experience the freedom that the work of Jesus Christ on the cross did for us. Also, God’s Word is the only thing that can set you free from your fears.

We are not to tweak it or change it neither are we to judge it. God’s Word is to change us and judge us.

“For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, even penetrating as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12

It is not our role in life to make judgements on what is right and wrong or fair and unfair. God’s Word is the standard for right and wrong. Nor can we judge anyone else’s heart or even our own hearts but God’s Word can.

God’s Word sets us apart.

“Sanctify them in the truth, Thy Word is truth” John 17:17

It is God’s Word that makes us holy and makes us usable to Him.

God’s Word restores us.

“The Law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul” Psalm 19:7a

Our souls need to daily be restored and especially if we have been hurt, then we need restoring.

God’s Word is what produces in us a fear of God.

“Establish Thy Word to Thy servant as that which produces reverence for Thee” Psalm 119:38

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. We all need wisdom.

God’s Word is what counsels us and also gives us the correct counsel to give to others.

“Your testimonies also are my delight; my counselors. Psalm 119:24

“There is no wisdom and no understanding and no counsel against the Lord.” the Lord says elsewhere in His Word. The only true counsel is God’s Word which is seen in His ways and in His Word.

When we love God’s Word, the Lord gives us great peace and keeps us from stumbling.

“Those who love Thy Law have great peace and nothing causes them to stumble”. Psalm 119:165

The Word of God warns us about trouble so that we may avoid it.

“Moreover, by them Your servant is warned; In keeping them there is great reward.” Psalm 19:11

If you find yourself in trouble then you need to go to God’s Word to see where you did not keep His ways so that you will not repeat the same mistakes over and over again.

God’s Word will bring us much joy and delight.

“Your words were found and I ate them, And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; For I have been called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts.” Jeremiah 15:16

If you struggle with getting in God’s Word then your biggest need is to get into His Word. The more you are in it and it is in you then the greater will be your desire for His Word.

God’s Word is what allows us to live in His love if you obey His Word.

“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” John 15:10

If you ever struggle with God’s love then look for His commandments and do them.

The Word of God is pure and purifies our hearts so that we might see the Lord and receive insight and enlightenment.

Psalm 19:8b “The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.”

Our greatest need is to see the Lord. Our hearts are deceitful and will give us a twisted view of God, thereby causing us to sin by not trusting Him.

The Word of God keeps us from sin.

“Your word I have treasured in my heart,
That I may not sin against You.” Psalm 119:11

Sin destroys us. If we will put God’s Word in our hearts then we will sin less.

God’s Word is what gives us a desire to do His will, if we put it in our hearts.

“I delight to do Thy will, Thy Law is within my heart.” Psalm

The Word of God is what gives us a word for the weary.

“The Lord God has given Me the tongue of disciples, That I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple.” Isaiah 50:4.

The Lord wants to give us a good word to give to others. The Bible says that the lips of the righteous feed many. It is God’s Word that sustains us.

The Word of God gives us success.

“This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.” Joshua 1:8

If you ever feel like a failure then learn to meditate on God’s Word and do it daily.

God’s Word keeps us from experiencing much sorrow if we will obey it.

“He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” John 3:36

God’s wrath is poured out on ungodliness and unrighteousness. When we don’t obey God’s commandments then we will experience the pain and sorrow that comes from God’s wrath.on the particular activities that are abominable to Him. The Lord came to give us life and life abundantly. However, if we don’t obey Him and the Words He has given us then we won’t see the life.

God’s Word is what gives us the faith to believe Him.

“So faith from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”Romans 10:17

If you ever feel like your faith is small then get into God’s Word and you will see your faith becoming greater. Great faith comes from believing God’s Word. “Just speak the Word” the centurion said to Jesus.

In God’s Word we find eternal life. Eternal life is knowing Jesus Christ. When we come into a relationship with Jesus Christ we begin the eternal life that He gives us.

“Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life.” John 6:68

A Life of Who We Are and What We Do

Often we as humans get things backwards. We think that who we are comes from what we do. The Lord seems to place a greater emphasis on who we are first and then on what we do. Jesus spent thirty years becoming who He was before He spent about three years doing what He did.

“And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” Luke 2:52.

Jesus had to learn obedience.

“Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.” Hebrews 5:8.

Jesus lived thirty years on earth unrecognized and unknown seeking to be pleasing to the Father.

When Jesus came to earth as a human, He emptied Himself and laid aside all of His God powers.

“who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Philippians 2:6-8

He lived in submission to the Father and it was the Father’s work that was done through Him. It was the Father’s power that did the miracles and it was the Father who raised Jesus from the dead. Jesus trusted the Father completely and lived by faith in what the Father had promised Him.

“that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;” Romans 10:9

Jesus did nothing on His own initiative. He did not do His own will but only the will of the Father.

“I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.” John 5:30.

Jesus had to learn the Father’s will and Jesus was taught by the Father.

“So Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me.” John 8:42.

Jesus was a disciple just as He as taught us to be a disciple. Jesus had to learn the Word of God in the Old Testament Scriptures. We must first learn to listen to the Lord’s Words before we speak the Lord’s Words.

Jesus was well pleasing to the Father before He did anything. His worth was in who He was in the Father’s eyes and not in what He did.

“and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.” Matthew 3:17

Jesus told His disciples that their joy must be in their relationship with God and that their names are recorded in heaven and not in what they do or how fruitful their ministry was.

Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.” Luke 10:20

Jesus chose His disciples first to be with Him and then to preach. Jesus chooses us to be with Him first before we do anything for Him. This needs to be the pattern of our lives. There is an old saying that has much truth in it. “Before we talk to men about God, we must first talk to God about men.”

“And He appointed twelve, so that they would be with Him and that He could send them out to preach,” Mark 3:14

Jesus praised Mary for choosing the good part, that is, for choosing to be with Him rather than serving Him.

“but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:42

The first of the apostles who was martyred was James. James was one of the three that was with Jesus in His most intimate times. Peter, James and John were the three closest to Jesus. We know some of what Peter and John did after the resurrection and we are familiar with the books that John and Peter wrote, however, nothing is spoken of what James did. In our minds we might think that it would have been a better choice to choose one of the lesser known apostles rather than James who was a main leader. However, if the Lord chose James just to be with Him, is there anything greater?

Also, it does not seem that the Lord is concerned with the length of our ministry and work for Him as He is with our availability. In the story of the servants going out to work for the day, the landowner gave the same pay to the one who only had worked one hour as he did to those who worked the full day. However, the one who worked only one hour had been waiting and hoping all day that he would be given some work to do.

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard.And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the market place;and to those he said, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ And so they went.Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did the same thing.And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing around; and he *said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day long?’They *said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’“When evening came, the owner of the vineyard *said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last group to the first.’When those hired about the eleventh hour came, each one received a denarius.When those hired first came, they thought that they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius.When they received it, they grumbled at the landowner,saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day.’ Matthew 20:1-12

The work we do in the Lord’s name is important as He says that we are His workmanship prepared for good works that He has prepared beforehand. He wants us to walk in the good works that He has already created for us. He says if we are to serve Him then we are to follow Him and He will lead us into those works.

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10

When we do His work in His timing and in His way then He receives the glory and we share in the joy. These works must be done after He has done His work in us, for we are His workmanship. When we live according to His ways and seek Him first then we are protected from our biggest enemy of all and that is our pride. It is our pride that makes us want to be somebody because of what we do. The Lord calls this wickedness when we worship the work of our hands, whether it is something in the world or it can even be in ministry.

“I will pronounce My judgments on them concerning all their wickedness, whereby they have forsaken Me and have offered sacrifices to other gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands.” Jeremiah 1:16

We must worship the Lord and the Lord alone. We must receive our worth from Him and from Him alone. We must be with Him first and then do what He has called us to do.

“For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’” Matthew 4″10b

A Life to Whom the Lord Looks

If we only understood the greatness of God then we would never doubt His knowledge, wisdom or ways. The Lord is so great that He is unsearchable in the depths of who He is and His greatness.

Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised, And His greatness is unsearchable. Psalm 145:3 and He says it again in Romans 11:33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! The Lord does “great and unsearchable things, without number”. Job 5:9.

The Lord is so great that He placed a tent for the sun, otherwise, there would be no need for the sun. He outshines the sun. The sun actually makes a circuit around the throne of God. So, all of creation revolves around the Lord.

The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.
Day to day pours forth speech,
And night to night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words;
Their voice is not heard.
Their line has gone out through all the earth,
And their utterances to the end of the world.
In them He has placed a tent for the sun,
Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.
Its rising is from one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat. Psalm 19:1-6

All of time and history revolves around the Lord as time and history is either B.C. (Before Christ) or A.D. (In the year of our Lord). Geography is centered around Jesus Christ as the the east is wherever is east of Mount Zion and the west is what is west of Mount Zion.

Mount Zion is where the Lord will return when He splits the tent curtain that He has placed over the sun and comes again, as He promised that He would come again for His people. There will be no need for the sun as Jesus Christ is brighter than the light of the sun.

However, it is His love that we long for. If only we knew His love more and felt His love more then we would know that not only can He do all things but that He will do all things that we need. We know that “He has established His throne in the heavens and He does what He pleases” but…would it please Him to do the longings of our soul? Will He come to us now? Not only does He want us to rest in His power and wisdom but He wants us to rest in His love and faithfulness.

“For My hand made all these things, Thus all these things came into being,” declares the Lord. “But to this one I will look, To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word. Isaiah 66:2

“The Lord longs to be gracious to us and He waits on high to have compassion on us” the Lord says in His Word. The Lord delights in loving His children but He wants us to love Him, to long for Him. He wants us to trust Him and to wait on Him. He wants us to worship Him and He alone. He wants to be our salvation and He alone is worthy of all of the glory and honor. He wants us to rest in Him.

The king is not saved by a mighty army;
A warrior is not delivered by great strength.
A horse is a false hope for victory;
Nor does it deliver anyone by its great strength. Psalm 33:16-17

We will not be saved by a team of doctors or by the brilliance of man. Science is a false hope for healing nor does it save anyone from the horrific destruction of disease. Money can buy nothing that the Lord does not give us. Knowledge can not take our fears away or give us health. There is no healing apart from the Lord and there is no salvation apart from the Lord. All that we have comes from Him. We must be like Job, “the Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord”. The Lord alone holds the keys to life and to death.

However, the Lord cares for us. He knows our needs. He wants us to ask and He wants to answer and He wants to give.

Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,
On those who hope for His lovingkindness,
To deliver their soul from death
And to keep them alive in famine.
Our soul waits for the Lord;
He is our help and our shield.
For our heart rejoices in Him,
Because we trust in His holy name.
Let Your lovingkindness, O Lord, be upon us,
According as we have hoped in You. Psalm 33:18-22

But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. Psalm 13:5

A Life seeing the Heart of the Lord

Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them. The scribes and the Pharisees *brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court,they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?” They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court. Straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.” John 8:2-11

We all know this story. Most people remember this story as there is something within us that remembers the sins of others. Also, this story shows how we ask the wrong questions. Many times I have heard this story and the speculation of “what did Jesus write on the ground?” Maybe we should ask “why did Jesus write on the ground?”. I believe that Jesus wrote on the ground to take their eyes off of the woman. She was caught in adultery so there was a great possibility that she was not clothed properly. Jesus did not want to look at the woman and He saw her heart that she felt shamed in not only for what she had done but also for how she was not dressed appropriately. Jesus knew that everyone would be wanting to know what He was writing. What a beautiful picture of grace. He did not “disgrace” her but showed her love and grace. The Bible says that Joseph, being a righteous man, did not want to disgrace Mary when he thought that she had been unfaithful to Him. Love and righteousness does not disgrace. His grace for the “woman caught in adultery” gave time for someone to give her something (maybe a blanket) to cover herself up.

Jesus was full was “grace and truth”. It is not enough to just be full of grace but we must be full of truth as well. Jesus did not overlook her sin and neither did He overlook the sins of the men who brought her to Him. The next question is “what did He write on the ground?” By this time, the crowd had gotten larger. We don’t know how many were there but people seem to always be curious when a crowd gathers, even though one of the things that the Lord hates is “feet that run rapidly to evil”. Maybe not everyone could read what Jesus was writing on the ground so there is a good chance that He read it to them. “He who is without sin among you, let him first to throw a stone at her.” If He read it to them then they all would know what He was writing. The older we get the more sin we know we have committed and so beginning with the older ones, they all walked away. They began by judging her and Jesus, in His gracious way, allowed them to end by judging themselves. Judgment involves condemnation. Jesus also saw that she was filled with fear. These men wanted her killed. Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?”. At that moment, this woman’s life was changed. How do we know? She addressed Jesus as Lord. She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.” Not only did He take away her shame but He took away her fears.

This is a beautiful picture of salvation. When Jesus becomes our Lord then He also becomes our Savior. Our sin is taken away and we are to “sin no more”. The Lord also takes away our fears when He takes our condemnation.

“Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1.

Jesus Christ is the only One who can take our condemnation for He took the judgment that we deserved. He is the only One who can set us free from our sin and give us life.

“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.” Romans 8:2.

Jesus was “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” John 1. The sin in all of us is that we want to be our own lord. It is not until Jesus takes away our sin, can we be saved from our sins. “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21. Once Jesus takes away our sin then we become “one of His people” and He sets us free and saves us from our sins. Everyone’s sins look different. This woman’s sin was adultery but we are all guilty of many sins.

This story because it is a picture of me. Jesus forgave my sin and He saved me from my sins. How can we not love and trust Him with all of our heart, soul and mind? There is none like Him.

A Life seeing the Heart of the Lord

“Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1.

Jesus Christ is the only One who can take our condemnation for He took the judgment that we deserved. He is the only One who can set us free from our sin and give us life.

“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.” Romans 8:2.

This story because it is a picture of me. Jesus forgave my sin and He saved me from my sins. How can we not love and trust Him with all of our heart, soul and mind? There is none like Him.

A Life that Knows It’s Greatest Need

The greatest need of every human is to have the correct view of God. Everything that we do in life is a response to our view of God. The enemy only has one weapon and that is the lie. He uses the same schemes in every generation and in the church and in the world of nonbelievers. If he can distort or twist the correct view of God then he has won the battle because then our actions will be perverted or twisted and destruction will result.

Life can be difficult especially during the storms of life. This is a time when the destroyer would love to get a foothold in your mind. It is important to have the right view of God before the storms come.

For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. Romans 1:25

The enemy seeks to rob Christians of peace and joy through his lies. He seeks to kill our joy, steal our peace and destroy our effectiveness. He does this through lies. He also seeks to put doubts in our minds as he did with Eve. “Did God really say?” says the enemy of our soul. The Lord says that it is “through His precious and magnificent promises that we escape the corruption that is in the world through lusts.” The word “lust” in the Greek is the same word as “desire”. A “desire” becomes a lust when it is a desire outside of the will of God. It usually is something that is good within the will of God, such as sexual intimacy, eating, etc. For this reason, it is crucial that we continually surrender our “desires” to the Lord and say as Jesus said, “Thy will be done”.

“But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” James 1:14-17

This is the context of “every good and perfect gift”. However, before this the Lord talks about how blessed is the man who perseveres under trial.

Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. James 1:12

Your greatest struggles will come in the trials and storms of life because we want them to stop and we long for peaceful circumstances. So, the Lord is telling us to persevere and if we do not get carried away by what we want then He will give us His good and perfect gift (which is His will, which there is nothing we can add to it and nothing that we can take from it to make it better). However, even before He tells us to persevere in the trial He tells us to glory in our high position in Christ and not to glory in our circumstances even when they are good.

“but the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position”. James 1

And even before that He gives us instruction what to do in the midst of trials and that is to ask Him for wisdom. His precious and magnificent promise is that He will give “to all men generously”. (even when we mess up He will still give it when we ask, that is what it means by “without reproach”).

But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. James 1:5-8

However, the Lord also gives us the condition in which we must ask. We must ask in faith, without any doubting, “for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind, being a double minded man” This brings us to heart of the matter. What is a “double minded” man. He is one who does not have a pure heart ( Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. James 4:8) and the Lord says. “blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God”. A double minded man is saying to himself, “Should I do this?” or “Should I do that?”. He is still leaning on his own understanding.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
It will be healing to your body. Proverbs 3:5-8

Not only when we trust in the Lord with all of our heart will we know His will but it will also be healing to our body.

A Life that has Gladness

Everyone longs for the same things in life, no matter what the circumstances they are experiencing or their stage in life. All of us want to have peace, quietness and confidence and feel glad about life. Gladness is different from joy. Gladness comes from loving righteousness and helps to sustain us when we are weary and we feel all alone. Gladness is what characterized our Lord. Jesus had more gladness than any man on earth when He walked among men.

“You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness above Your companions.” Hebrews 1:9

This verse was written about our Lord.

Gladness is loving righteousness and we do what we love. When we have done “it” right, whatever it is that you needed to do, whether it is paying your bills or raising children or loving your spouse then we have gladness. Doing life right is righteousness. The Lord Jesus gave us His righteousness but also wants us to live according to His righteousness by faith. He also gave us His commandments so that we would know how to live righteously.

“If only you had paid attention to My commandments! Then your well-being would have been like a river, And your righteousness like the waves of the sea.” Isaiah 48:18.

When we do what is right then not only will we have gladness but we will have peace, quietness and confidence.

“And the work of righteousness will be peace, And the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever.” Isaiah 32:17

Not only did gladness and righteousness characterize our Lord but the Lord mentions three men who could deliver themselves by their righteousness.

“even though these three men, Noah, Daniel and Job were in its midst, by their righteousness they could deliver themselves,” declares the Lord God. Ezekiel 14

Why did the Lord mention these three men and not some of the other godly men of the Old Testament? I don’t know but maybe it is because these three men were all alone and their journey was long. They did not become weary and lose heart. They had a peace, a quietness and a confidence in the Lord. They loved righteousness and the the righteous shall live by faith. They lived by faith and were found to be pleasing to the Lord.

A Life that Does Not Lose Heart

When the storm was raging and the disciples were struggling they woke Jesus.

And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!” Matthew 8:25

Jesus, however, did not reprove them for being afraid but He reproved them for not coming to Him sooner.

He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” Matthew 8:26a

The Greek word is not “afraid” but it is the word for “timid”. This word is only used four times in the New Testament. (Twice for this storm, once in Timothy, “He has not given us a spirit of timidity” and once in Revelation at judgment for the unbelievers who didn’t come to Him). He was saying to the disciples, “why didn’t you come to Me sooner”.

God’s truths are like diamonds. They have many facets. We often look at a truth from one or a few of the facets. However, the Lord wants us to hold the truth in our hands like a diamond and examine it closely and to cherish it. He wants us to know all of the facets of the truth and to love the truth, to meditate on the truth, to think the truth, to live the truth and to share the truth. Faith is one of the great truths in the Christian life.

One of the facets of faith is simply “coming to Jesus”. Nearly every time He did a miracle, He said, “your faith has made you well”. What He was saying was that “you, coming to Me is what saved you”. When we pray we are coming to Him in prayer.

The prayer of the upright is His delight. Prov. 15:8b.

One of the facets of grace is “the invitation to come to Him”.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;” Eph2:8

We usually only think of this verse in reference to eternal salvation. But we need salvation every moment of every day. Our salvation today comes through coming to Him because His grace invites us to come to the throne of grace to find help and mercy in our time of need. “He is a present help in time of need”. He will help you every step of the way. Just keep coming to Him.

“There is none like the God of Jeshurun,
Who rides the heavens to your help,
And through the skies in His majesty.
“The eternal God is a dwelling place,
And underneath are the everlasting arms; Deuteronomy 33:26,27a

“So Israel dwells in security,
The fountain of Jacob secluded,
In a land of grain and new wine;
His heavens also drop down dew.
“Blessed are you, O Israel;
Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord,
Who is the shield of your help
And the sword of your majesty! Deuteronomy 33:28,29a

A Life that Understands God’s Will

God’s will is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2

there is nothing to add to it and nothing to take from it, for God has so worked that men should fear Him.” Ecc.3:14

God’s will is good. That means that it is the highest form and expression of love. God’s will is acceptable. That means that His will is holy and acceptable to Him. God’s will is perfect. That means that there is nothing that we can add to it to make it better and there is nothing that we can take from it to make it better.

The Lord is all powerful, He is all knowing, He is understanding and wisdom and His love is perfect. It was possible according to God’s power to “remove the cup of suffering” from Jesus. So when Jesus prayed, “Father, if possible…”. Jesus knew that it was possible according to the power of the Father to remove it. However, It would not have been loving, “for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son”. When Jesus prayed, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me”. He knew that His God and Father had not forsaken Him because He had promised to raise Him up. Jesus laid aside all of His God powers when He became a man but He knew God’s Word and His promises and knew that He could trust His God and Father even when His desires and feelings were different. He walked by faith and trusted God in the darkness.

Take away the dross from the silver, And there comes out a vessel for the smith; Proverbs 25:4.

When the dross is taken out of the silver, the silver has been put through the fire to purify it. When it goes through and comes out of the fire, it is not a vessel but it is a liquid. The silver can not see what it will become in the hands of the silversmith. It is a liquid and has felt the heat. However, the Lord, who chooses what to do with the silver sees the vessel and what He wants to do with it. The Lord tells us to be “vessels for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master”. The Lord has a plan for his children. He says of the godly, that they will still bear fruit even in old age. The Lord sees the vessel that He is making. As you go through the fire, remember that He is loving and all powerful and all knowing. He understands what needs to be done. The vessel He is making is for all eternity. His faithfulness is a shield and a bulwark. You will see His lovingkindness and His faithfulness as you continue to stay under His wings.