Habakkuk 2

Then the Lord replied: "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay."

Saturday, October 10, 2020

Steadfast Love is Desired

 Proverbs 19:1-3 ESV

 

“Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity

    than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool.

Desire without knowledge is not good,

    and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way.

When a man's folly brings his way to ruin,

    his heart rages against the Lord.”

 

It is better to be poor in the eyes of this world and to walk with integrity (honesty, uprightness), than to be someone admired and praised by the world but who is crooked (immoral, perverse), and not just in speech, and therefore is foolish (senseless).

 

So, even though you or I may be “nobody” in the eyes of the world, and even in the eyes of the worldly church, and we may be those who have been cast aside, forsaken and forgotten, if we trust in Jesus to be our Lord and Savior, then we are precious in his sight.

 

Those who choose “the path of least resistance” choose the broad way (the easy way) which many travel rather than choose the narrow way (the hard way) which few find. But the easy way leads to destruction, while the hard way leads to eternal life with God (Matt 7:13-14).

 

But, even though the crooked and the perverse choose the easy way, which is the way of sin, not the way of righteousness and holiness, when the path they have chosen backfires on them, often God is the one they will blame.

 

Proverbs 19:8-11 ESV

 

“Whoever gets sense loves his own soul;

    he who keeps understanding will discover good.

A false witness will not go unpunished,

    and he who breathes out lies will perish.

Good sense makes one slow to anger,

    and it is his glory to overlook an offense.”

 

I must say a hearty “Amen!” to that first line here. That is so true! And that is why it is important that we “get sense” and that we don’t remain “senseless” going our own way, doing what is evil in God’s sight. For to remain senseless is to hate one’s own soul.

 

From a spiritual aspect, thus, to “get sense” is to adhere to the commandments of God to believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, to leave our paths of sin behind us, to surrender our lives to Christ as our Lord, and to walk in his ways and in his truth (Rom 6:1-23; Eph 4:17-24).

 

And the reason that that translates to us loving our own souls is that is what is required of God for us to have salvation from sin and eternal life with God. It is not earning our salvation by good works, but it is what it means to believe in Jesus (Lu 9:23-26; Rom 8:1-17; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6).

 

But there are many people today spreading lies and giving a false witness for Jesus Christ for they are teaching a faith in Jesus absent of repentance, obedience, and submission to Christ as Lord of our lives. And they are leading many to hell while promising them heaven.

 

Proverbs 19:15-17 ESV

 

“Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep,

    and an idle person will suffer hunger.

Whoever keeps the commandment keeps his life;

    he who despises his ways will die.

Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord,

    and he will repay him for his deed.”

 

There are many people today calling themselves Christians and followers of Jesus Christ but who are apathetic and unconcerned about their walks of faith in holiness and righteousness. They are lazy gluttons concerned only with their own self-pleasure and not with pleasing God.

 

But, if we want to have eternal life with God, we must be those who are obeying our Lord’s commandments, not in absolute perfection, but as a matter of life course. We must be those who are walking according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh (Rom 8:1-17; 1 Jn 2:3-6).

 

For, if we walk according to the flesh (in wickedness, sin, in darkness), we are going to die in our sins because we refused to die to our sins and thus be saved (Lu 9:23-26; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; 1 Jn 1:5-9; Gal 5:16-24).

 

And as we are walking according to the Spirit and no longer according to our flesh, our lives should begin to display the fruit of the Spirit, which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal 5:22-25).

 

Proverbs 19:22-24 ESV

 

“What is desired in a man is steadfast love,

    and a poor man is better than a liar.

The fear of the Lord leads to life,

    and whoever has it rests satisfied;

    he will not be visited by harm.

The sluggard buries his hand in the dish

    and will not even bring it back to his mouth.”

 

Yes! Steadfast love is much to be desired. Amen! We need to be people of God who love God and who love others as we love ourselves. And to love God is to obey him, and to love our neighbors is to do them no harm but to do them good.

 

It is better to be poor than to be a liar. Amen! I hate lies! God detests lies, too. It is pointless to lie to God for he already knows the truth, for he knows our thoughts even before we think them. And it is hurtful to lie to other people, and love does no harm to others.

 

But if we walk in the fear of the Lord we will honor our Lord by our surrender to him, by our obedience to his commands, by leaving our sinful lifestyles behind us, and by truly making him our Lord and master, doing what he says to do. And we will be at peace.

 

The sad reality, though, is that not many who call themselves Christians, at least here in America, are walking in the fear of the Lord, but they are liars, deceivers, adulterers, idolaters, slanderers and the like who in their pride are continuing in their sin without any regard for our Lord’s commands.

 

Thus, our nation is on a massive spiritual and moral decline, and thus we need to be in prayer for our nation and for its people to repent of their sins and to turn their hearts to the Lord Jesus in humility and in surrender to his will for their lives, for time is running out.

 

For Our Nation  

 

An Original Work / September 11, 2012

 

Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.

Jesus Christ is gently calling

You to follow Him in all ways.

Trust Him with your life today.

Make Him your Lord and your Savior.

Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.

He will forgive you of your sin;

Cleanse your heart, made new within.

 

Men betraying: Our trust fraying.

On our knees to God we’re praying,

Seeking God to give us answers

That are only found in Him.

God is sovereign over all things.

Nothing from His mind escaping.

He has all things under His command,

And will work all for good.

 

Jesus Christ is gently calling

You to follow Him in all ways.

 

Men deceiving: we’re believing

In our Lord, and interceding

For our nation and its people

To obey their God today.

He is our hope for our future.

For our wounds He offers suture.

He is all we need for this life.

Trust Him with your life today.

 

https://vimeo.com/379406352

No comments: