Psalm 86:11-13 Teach me Your way, Lord, and I will live by Your truth. Give me an undivided mind to fear Your name. 12 I will praise You with all my heart, Lord my God, and will honor Your name forever. 13 For Your faithful love for me is great, and You deliver my life from the depths of Sheol.
Moses asked God to teach him HIS ways that he might know God and find favor with HIM. We see this repeated in the Psalms, the request for God to teach us HIS ways.
Ex 33:13 Now if I have indeed found favor in Your sight, please teach me Your ways, and I will know You and find favor in Your sight. Now consider that this nation is Your people.”
Ps 25:4 Make Your ways known to me, Lord; teach me Your paths.
Ps 27:11 Because of my adversaries, show me Your way, Lord, and lead me on a level path.
What a beautiful prayer...Lord God teach me YOUR way, give me and undivided mind to fear YOUR name...THEN I will praise YOU with ALL MY HEART and honor YOUR name forever. Father in heaven let that be true of me, let that be true of us!
As we continue in Joshua we see the Israelites continue to receive the promise land by faith. They cannot sit back and do nothing, it is not handed to them on a silver platter...they must move in and take it by faith. The same is true for you and I. The victory is won, it was a decisive victory for King Jesus! We know that when HE comes again simply HIS appearance will vanquish any foe. None may stand in HIS presence...only those twice born, new creatures in Christ, who have been given a new nature, the redeemed image bearers of God.
OK, Jesus won a decisive victory and the cross! Man's lower court ruled and convicted Jesus to death, God's highest court overruled and displayed HIS power in the resurrection. This is why Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit was able to proclaim with confidence in 1 Co 15:55-58 "O Death, where is your victory? O Death, where is your sting? 56 Now the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! 58 Therefore, my dear brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
Mark, that is awesome, but what does this have to do with living the victorious Christian life, what does this have to do with walking by faith? EVERYTHING! Paul explains in Romans 6:4 Therefore we were buried with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in a new way of life. The righteous man shall live by faith Gal. 3:11.
I am running short on time, but I wanted to get a running start in Luke with today's reading. There have been several things over the past few days that have pierced my heart. I do not want to be a spiritual leper!
In Luke 16:31 we are indirectly told what a treasure we have in the Word of God. The creator of the universe took on human flesh, the Word became flesh and the Word has left us with HIS Word as a light and a guide...we must treasure HIS Word...they are life to us, bread, healing.
Luke 16:31 “But he told him, ‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be persuaded if someone rises from the dead. ’ ”
Lk 17:10 In the same way, when you have done all that you were commanded, you should say, ‘We are good-for-nothing slaves; we’ve only done our duty.’ ”
Lk 17:33 Whoever tries to make his life secure will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.
Lk 18:13-14 “But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even raise his eyes to heaven but kept striking his chest and saying, ‘God, turn Your wrath from me —a sinner! ’ 14 I tell you, this one went down to his house justified rather than the other; because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Lk 18:17 I assure you: Whoever does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”
Lk 18:27 He replied, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.”
Lk 18:31-34 The Third Prediction of His Death
31 Then He took the Twelve aside and told them, “Listen! We are going up to Jerusalem. Everything that is written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished. 32 For He will be handed over to the Gentiles, and He will be mocked, insulted, spit on; 33 and after they flog Him, they will kill Him, and He will rise on the third day.” 34 They understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.
Lk 18:41-43 “What do you want Me to do for you?” “Lord,” he said, “I want to see!” 42 “Receive your sight!” Jesus told him. “Your faith has healed you.” 43 Instantly he could see, and he began to follow Him, glorifying God. All the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.
Can you see what HE is doing here? Can you see it? Luke 18:17...HE does not tell us that they are not allowed to enter, it's if they don't welcome it like a little child that they will never enter it. The reason they won't enter is pride, they don't see it as a treasure, they are blind to HIM, HIS ways and the fact that HE is our treasure...they have fallen in love with this world...it is insane, they have fallen in love with the gifts, not the gift giver!
Can you see? HIS disciples can't see! This is the 3rd time HE has told them what must happen and the scripture is clear...IT WAS HIDDEN FROM THEM!
DO YOU THINK IT IS AN ACCIDENT THAT THE NEXT STORY IS ABOUT A BLIND GUY OUTSIDE JERICHO?
DO YOU WANT A WORD FROM THE WORD...CRY FOR IT BY FAITH, LONG FOR HIM AND NOT HIS GIFTS, LOOK UNTO JESUS THE AUTHOR AND FINISHER OF OUR FAITH. WRESTLE WITH GOD LIKE JACOB...I WILL NOT LET YOU GO UNLESS YOU BLESS ME!
Father in heaven make it so!
love,
m