Effie Darlene Barba

We say that.  We want to hold fast to that and believe we can declare God’s joy to the world.  Yet, we go out into the world and how quickly our hearts turn from kindness to bitterness.  Someone cuts you off or speedily passes you despite the double yellow line, and anger boils up.  The phone rings another interruption while trying to finish work and annoyance floods your thoughts.  Joy flips into sorrow, laughter into tears.   I Know God is Almighty, then why does my heart flip flop from joy to despair?  What is missing?  Is it that truly deep within there is an area that doesn’t fully believe?  Dare we voice that thought out loud?

How often must I cry out like the father pleading for his son to be healed. He came to Jesus and said, “if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us!” But Jesus said to him, “If you can? All things are possible for the one who believes.” So the man cried out, “I DO BELIEVE; HELP MY UNBELIEF!”   How often when we come to God, we come with that thought, “if you can, will you please?”  Or perhaps, it is I do not feel my plea worthy of His attention?  Sometimes, I just look around and feel it is too late.  What good are my prayers if I cannot even fully control my own heart?  Yet, as we study the psalms and the prophets, we find we are in good company. 

King David—Psalms of Joy to Despair

Psalms 9 and 10, most scholars say are one psalm, yet begin so differently.

I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart;
I will tell of all Your wonders.
² I will rejoice and be jubilant in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.

³ When my enemies turn back,
They stumble and perish before You.
⁴ For You have maintained my just cause;
You have sat on the throne judging righteously.
⁵ You have rebuked the nations, You have eliminated the wicked;
You have wiped out their name forever and ever.
⁶ The enemy has come to an end in everlasting ruins,
And You have uprooted the cities;
The very memory of them has perished.

⁷ But the Lord sits as King forever;
He has established His throne for judgment,
⁸ And He will judge the world in righteousness;
He will execute judgment for the peoples fairly.
⁹ The Lord will also be a stronghold for the oppressed,
A stronghold in times of trouble;
¹⁰ And those who know Your name will put their trust in You,
For You, Lord, have not abandoned those who seek You. Psalm 9 (NASB)

Flip flop from Joy to Despair

If indeed these two psalms are actually one, look how quickly the tone changes.

Why do You stand far away, Lord?
Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble?
² In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the needy;
Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised.

³ For the wicked boasts of his soul’s desire,
And the greedy person curses and shows disrespect to the Lord.
⁴ The wicked, in his haughtiness, does not seek Him.
There is no God in all his schemes.

⁵ His ways succeed at all times;
Yet Your judgments are on high, out of his sight;
As for all his enemies, he snorts at them.
⁶ He says to himself, “I will not be moved;
Throughout the generations I will not be in adversity.”
⁷ His mouth is full of cursing, deceit, and oppression;
Under his tongue is harm and injustice.
⁸ He sits in the lurking places of the villages;
He kills the innocent in the secret places;
His eyes surreptitiously watch for the unfortunate.
⁹ He lurks in secret like a lion in his lair;
He lurks to catch the needy;
He catches the needy when he pulls him into his net.
¹⁰ Then he crushes the needy one, who cowers;
And unfortunate people fall by his mighty power.
¹¹ He says to himself, “God has forgotten;
He has hidden His face; He will never see it.” Psalm 10: 1-11 (NASB)

Then he turns back again to boldly pray.

Arise, Lord; God, lift up Your hand….
¹⁵ Break the arm of the wicked and the evildoer,
Seek out his wickedness until You find none.

The Lord is King forever and ever;
Nations have perished from His land.
¹⁷ Lord,  You have heard the desire of the humble;
You will strengthen their heart, You will make Your ear attentive
¹⁸ To vindicate the orphan and the oppressed,
So that mankind, which is of the earth, will no longer cause terror.  Psalm 10: 12,15-18 (NASB)

Psalm 42 and 43—Again, Joy to despair, then Joy

As the deer pants for the water brooks,
So my soul pants for You, God.
² My soul thirsts for God, for the living God;
When shall I come and appear before God?
³ My tears have been my food day and night,
While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
⁴ I remember these things and pour out my soul within me.
For I used to go over with the multitude and walk them to the house of God,
With a voice of joy and thanksgiving, a multitude celebrating a festival.

I did rejoice, where are you now?

⁵ Why are you in despair, my soul?
And why are you restless within me?
Wait for God, for I will again praise Him
For the help of His presence, my God.
⁶ My soul is in despair within me;
Therefore I remember You from the land of the Jordan
And the peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.

Remember, all that He has done!

⁷ Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls;
All Your breakers and Your waves have passed over me.
⁸ The Lord will send His goodness in the daytime;
And His song will be with me in the night,
A prayer to the God of my life.

Hold fast to the sounds of life, when your heart flips from joy to despair

⁹ I will say to God my rock, “Why have You forgotten me?
Why do I go about mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”
¹⁰ As a shattering of my bones, my adversaries taunt me,
While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
¹¹ Why are you in despair, my soul?
And why are you restless within me?
Wait for God, for I will again praise Him
For the help of His presence, my God.

Do not stop seeking Him through prayer and scripture.

³ Send out Your light and Your truth, they shall lead me;
They shall bring me to Your holy hill
And to Your dwelling places.
⁴ Then I will go to the altar of God,
To God my exceeding joy;
And I will praise You on the lyre, God, my God.

⁵ Why are you in despair, my soul?
And why are you restless within me?
Wait for God, for I will again praise Him
For the help of His presence, my God.  Psalm 43: 3-5 NASB

God Is Almighty, so why do I flip-flop from joy to despair?

Well, I am not done yet.  He continues to work in me transforming me every day.  As I get older and more fatigued, I feel at times, my progress transgresses backwards at times.  But this I know; He has promised to complete the work in me one day.  I do not know what I will be like, but I will look like Him.  That day, I will understand it all, as I lay down my sword at His feet and gaze up into His eyes with tears streaming down my face overwhelmed with joy. 

Until then, when my heart flip-flops from joy to despair let me read.

One who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
Will lodge in the shadow of the Almighty.
² I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
My God, in whom I trust!”
³ For it is He who rescues you from the net of the trapper
And from the deadly plague.
⁴ He will cover you with His pinions,
And under His wings you may take refuge;
His faithfulness is a shield and wall.

⁵ You will not be afraid of the terror by night,
Or of the arrow that flies by day;
⁶ Of the plague that stalks in darkness,
Or of the destruction that devastates at noon.
⁷ A thousand may fall at your side
And ten thousand at your right hand,
But it shall not approach you.
⁸ You will only look on with your eyes
And see the retaliation against the wicked.
⁹ For you have made the Lord, my refuge,
The Most High, your dwelling place.
¹⁰ No evil will happen to you,
Nor will any plague come near your tent.

¹¹ For He will give His angels orders concerning you,
To protect you in all your ways.
¹² On their hands they will lift you up,
So that you do not strike your foot against a stone.
¹³ You will walk upon the lion and cobra,
You will trample the young lion and the serpent.

And hear His voice say of me:

¹⁴ “Because he has loved Me, I will save him;
I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name.
¹⁵ He will call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
¹⁶ I will satisfy him with a long life,
And show him My salvation.

Psalm 91

Oh Lord that I might love you more Lord each and every day.

DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.

Therefore if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. Go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.

For Prayer or Comments

If you have a prayer request feel free to email me by clicking here

Furthermore, if you would like to share your story or thoughts, you can comment here

Previously

Where Can One Find Refuge When Nations Rage Against Almighty God?

The Lord God Almighty Roars Are You Ready to Meet the Lord?

DISCLOSURES

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2023Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Credits

New King James Version (NKJV)Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

New Living Translation (NLT)Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

English Standard Version (ESV)The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New American Standard Bible (NASB)New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

Photo licensed from AdobeStock

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[1] Rau, Hannah https://christianlife-waunakee.org/not-a-tame-lion/ accessed 7/1/2023

All around us and from every side, we watch as the nations rage against Almighty God.  They mount their armies to battle against the only one who can save them from their bondage to sin.  Yet, the battle rages on.  He with great and mighty patience waits.  His desire to await the appointed time when all who are His have been called safely into the fold.  And as they rage war against Him, they rage war against all who are His.  They rage against the King of Kings and Lord of Lords; but in doing so they rage against His bride, the church.  We sometimes fall into despair as it seems all is lost.  The battle is too hard, and we wish for a bigger army. 

There are moments we want to rage war using their evil tools against them.  But wait, God sees it all. God stands above it all and He laughs at their foolish plots against Him and His sheep. They appear like a rabid dog lurching forward only to find himself chained fast to an iron post. Each lunge casting them closer to their own death and destruction, while the cure is that thing they rage against.  And so the nations rage on, demanding their way and their will.

He who sits in the heavens shall laugh;
The Lord shall hold them in derision.
⁵ Then He shall speak to them in His wrath,
And distress them in His deep displeasure:
⁶ “Yet I have set My King
On My holy hill of Zion.” Psalm 2 (NKJV)

Jesus is the King set upon the holy hill of Zion.  His victory won through His death on the Cross.  Now He stands.  With one mighty breath He will disarm all the armies as the nations rage.

That Day, as The Nations Rage, Christ will Stand to Judge them All

“I will declare the decree:
The Lord has said to Me,
‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.
⁸ Ask of Me, and I will give You
The nations for Your inheritance,
And the ends of the earth for Your possession.
⁹ You shall break them with a rod of iron;
You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ ”

Psalm 2 (NKJV)

19 After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying,“Hallelujah! Salvation, glory, and power belong to our God, ² because His judgments are true and righteous; for He has judged the great prostitute who was corrupting the earth with her sexual immorality, and He has avenged the blood of His bond-servants on her.” ³ And a second time they said, “Hallelujah! Her smoke rises forever and ever.” ⁴ And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne, saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!”…. For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.  Revelations 19 (NASB)

He comes to bring judgement on all those who rage on.

¹¹ And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. ¹² His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many crowns; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. ¹³ He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. ¹⁴ And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. ¹⁵ From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. ¹⁶ And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written: “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”  Revelations 19 (NASB). 

The Nations Rage Against the Truth, Playing the Harlot

Both Amos and Hosea presented the truth to the nation of Israel.  They warned of the coming judgement.  Amos was called a conspirator against he King.  Hosea was asked to plead with the people and told them of God’s great love for them, though they were a harlot in their behavior toward Him.  They raged against His love, seeking other lovers as I did. 

There was a time I believed if God really loved me He would grant me my own desire, someone who would love me just as I am, fully and completely.  Little did I realize in truth He did just that by not letting me find that person on earth, or when I had, they were gone.  It was one day after I realized that Pete loved me that way that he took his life, and I was all alone.  Finally, my heart’s desire became reality and then like a vapor it was gone.  Sorrow followed me until one day, I read this in Hosea.

Hosea 2 (NASB)

Therefore, behold, I will obstruct her way with thorns,
And I will build a stone wall against her so that she cannot find her paths.
⁷ And she will pursue her lovers, but she will not reach them;
And she will seek them, but will not find them….

¹⁴ “Therefore, behold, I am going to persuade her,
Bring her into the wilderness,
And speak kindly to her.
¹⁵ Then I will give her her vineyards from there,
And the Valley of Achor as a door of hope.
And she will respond there as in the days of her youth,…
¹⁶ And it will come about on that day,” declares the Lord,
“That you will call Me my husband….
¹⁹ I will betroth you to Me forever;
Yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and in justice,
In favor and in compassion,
²⁰ And I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness.
Then you will know the Lord. 

Only God knew what would draw me closest to Him.  He knew my heart better than I ever could.  Now I know He gave me both and He gave me His best. 

The Nations Rage Against God Then and Now

Perhaps there really is nothing new under the sun as Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes.  From the first day that Adam sinned until now, humanity tries to run from God or rage against Him.  After all, when God walked int the garden that day, Adam tried to hide from God.  As though he could.  Did he not realize the God who created it all was the only one who could save him from his sin; yet, he ran to hide.  Then he tried to accuse God for his own sin.  Sounds like all of us.  But what now?  How do we fight against the evil as the nations rage against God all around us?  Our only hope is to preach the word. 

Paul so beautifully outlined this sermon in the Book of Acts that tells the story of the nation of Israel.

“Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen: ¹⁷ The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm He led them out from it. ¹⁸ For a period of about forty years He put up with them in the wilderness. ¹⁹ When He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He distributed their land as an inheritance—all of which took about 450 years. ²⁰ After these things He gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. ²¹ Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. ²² After He had removed him, He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, ‘I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who will do all My will.’ ²³ From the descendants of this man, according to promise, God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, ²⁴ after John had proclaimed, before His coming, a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. ²⁵ And while John was completing his course, he kept saying, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not He. But behold, one is coming after me, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’

²⁶ “Brothers, sons of Abraham’s family, and those among you who fear God, to us the message of this salvation has been sent. ²⁷ For those who live in Jerusalem, and their rulers, recognizing neither Him nor the declarations of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled these by condemning Him. ²⁸ And though they found no grounds for putting Him to death, they asked Pilate that He be executed. ²⁹ When they had carried out everything that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the cross and laid Him in a tomb. ³⁰ But God raised Him from the dead; ³¹ and for many days He appeared to those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, the very ones who are now His witnesses to the people. ³² And we preach to you the good news of the promise made to the fathers, ³³ that God has fulfilled this promise to those of us who are the descendants by raising Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm: ‘You are My Son; today I have fathered You.’ ³⁴ As for the fact that He raised Him from the dead, never again to return to decay, He has spoken in this way: ‘I will give you the holy and faithful mercies of David.’ ³⁵ Therefore, He also says in another Psalm: ‘You will not allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.’ ³⁶ For David, after he had served God’s purpose in his own generation, fell asleep, and was buried among his fathers and underwent decay; ³⁷ but He whom God raised did not undergo decay. ³⁸ Therefore let it be known to you, brothers, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, ³⁹ and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.

Acts 13 (NASB)

So, when nations rage against God, where is our refuge?

There remained always God’s hope for the remnant even when the nations rage against God.  That was true to Israel, Judah, Babylon, Ninevah, the Persians, and all nations on earth.  If only mankind would lay down its sword and bow before the King upon the Hill.  Let us do just that.

Now then, you kings, use insight;
Let yourselves be instructed, you judges of the earth.
¹¹ Serve the Lord with reverence
And rejoice with trembling.
¹² Kiss the Son, that He not be angry and you perish on the way,
For His wrath may be kindled quickly.
How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!

Psalm 2

So how do we wage this battle? 

We tell people about the King.  Much like when C.S.Lewis described Aslan in the Chronicles of Narnia. 

“Aslan is a lion- the Lion, the great Lion.” “Ooh” said Susan. “I’d thought he was a man. Is he quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion”…”Safe?” said Mr Beaver …”Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”

“But God’s ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8). He can’t be tamed or kept in a pocket. What we must trust in is His goodness. Elsewhere in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, when the children finally meet Aslan in person, Lewis says this: “People who have not been in Narnia sometimes think that a thing cannot be good and terrible at the same time.” But we know that God is both terrifying and good. He’s not a tame Lion. But He is good. The difficult thing about faith is having to trust that even though we can’t predict what He will do, and even though we may not understand or agree with it, He will always make the right choice—“The Lord is just! He is my rock! There is no evil in him!” (Psalm 92:15).”[1]

We find our refuge in Him.  He is all we need and our hope in this battle is to point others to Him.  If even one person lays down their sword and bows before His throne, we can rejoice that He has shared one tiny piece of Glory with us.  He does not need me to save a soul, oh but what a privilege if He chooses to use me or my story to bring someone to Him. 

DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.

Therefore if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. Go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.

For Prayer or Comments

If you have a prayer request feel free to email me by clicking here

Furthermore, if you would like to share your story or thoughts, you can comment here

Previously

The Lord God Almighty Roars Are You Ready to Meet the Lord?

DISCLOSURES

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2023Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Credits

New King James Version (NKJV)Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

New Living Translation (NLT)Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

English Standard Version (ESV)The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New American Standard Bible (NASB)New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

Photo licensed from AdobeStock

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[1] Rau, Hannah https://christianlife-waunakee.org/not-a-tame-lion/ accessed 7/1/2023

    Amos, a shepherd, and sycamore tree farmer from Tekoa, was called by God in visions to be the prophet to the Northern tribes of Israel.  Not an easy task if one considers the people of Israel had split from Judah.  Also, Amos was a simple farmer with no major credentials.  Certainly, his credentials were sufficient in that God called him; but those to whom he was sent did not realize that and chose not to believe.  Indeed, we see in Amos 7:10-13 that Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent word to Jeroboam II reporting Amos as a conspiracist against the King.  Yet Amos stood strong and told them that the Lord God Almighty Roars from heaven with one question, “Are you ready to meet the Lord?”

Time was running out.  Judgement already determined and on its way.  Therefore Amos and Hosea are the final call to the people.  God had sent droughts, famines, prophets, and miracles, all in an attempt to awaken the people.  He had displayed His power and His might on top of Mount Carmel when he defeated the priests of Baal with the prayerful acts of one prophet, Elijah.  No one listened for long.  A few would worship Him briefly then return to their idolatrous living.  He had most recently sent prosperity to the Northern Kingdom.  Perhaps, if all was well, the people would follow God.  Peace had even ensued, most likely due to the revival in Nineveh after Jonah had gone there.  But alas, the people honored God with phony worship that bore no heartfelt sincerity.  And the wealthy oppressed the poor relentlessly. 

Let us be reminded that Amos is as relevant today as his message was then.

The Lord God Almighty Roars—He is the Lion of Judah

We read in Revelation that only the Lion of Judah is worthy to open the seals of judgement.  Yet, it is the deed to earth wrapped inside those seven seals.  That is how deeds were in Roman times, they were sealed with seven seals.  As it is here, the deed is to the earth—where Jesus Christ promises, and covenant is to reign in Majesty one day over all of the earth.  The final promise to Israel is yet to be fulfilled.

I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals. ² And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to break its seals?” ³ And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it. ⁴ Then I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. ⁵ And one of the elders *said to me, “Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to be able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”  Revelation 5: (NASB)

Whom of us do not weep as we look around us?  Do you not cry looking for the one who can bring judgement against the evils surrounding us?

The Lion is the Lamb

⁶ And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slaughtered, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. ⁷ And He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. ⁸ When He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. ⁹ And they *sang a new song, saying,

“Worthy are You to take the scroll and to break its seals; for You were slaughtered, and You purchased people for God with Your blood from every tribe, language, people, and nation.

¹⁰ You have made them into a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign upon the earth.”

Think of this:  The Lord God Almighty Roars in His judgement against all evil; yet, willingly humbled Himself as a lamb for slaughter to pay the just price each one of us deserved to pay.  Thereby, He is able to open the seven seals of judgement yet to be poured out against the world.  As shown in Revelations 6 and 7, each seal unleashes a new demonstration of God’s judgement on the earth yet to come during the tribulation period.    Only Jesus can unseal the final destiny of this world and His redeemed. 

 The Importance of Prayer

At one point, as God reveals to Amos a severe invasion of Locust leading to devastating starvation and then of severe draught with fire to destroy all the fields.  Each of these are followed by Amos’ prayer.

⁵ Then I said,

“Lord God, please stop!
How can Jacob stand?
For he is small.”
⁶ The Lord relented of this.
“This too shall not be,” said the Lord God.  Amos 6 (NASB)

There are those moments as I look around at all that is happening in the world.  My response at times is, “God is Sovereign, so let it be.  Who am I to change or transform anything.”   I look in despair and long for His return, saying little in response.  Yet, God’s word says,

The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. ¹⁷ Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. ¹⁸ And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.  James 5 (NKJV)

My understanding that God is Sovereign, knowing all that will happen does not negate my responsibility to pray for our nation, the world and the people around me. Throughout Scripture we are called to pray, to repent, and to plead for revival.  Do I have to understand why God commands such if He is omniscient?  No, it is not mine to fully understand, but it is my duty to obey.  Perhaps it is as C.S.Lewis wrote:

“I pray because I can’t help myself.  (And) I pray because I’m helpless.  (Ultimately) I pray because the need flows out of me all the time, waking and sleeping.  It doesn’t change God.  It changes me.”[1]

C.S.Lewis

The Lord God Almighty Roars Judgement Will Come

Only after Amos had prayed to save them, did he come to understand why judgement must come. 

⁸ And the Lord said to me, “What do you see, Amos?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said,

“Behold I am about to put a plumb line
In the midst of My people Israel.
I will not spare them any longer.
⁹ The high places of Isaac will become deserted,
And the sanctuaries of Israel will be in ruins.
Then I will rise up against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.” Amos 7: (NASB)

They had been weighed, measured, and found wanting.  Time was running out; but God would save His remnant.  If judgement did not occur there would be none left as evil overtook and overran everything.  Sometimes it feels that way now.  So hard to know what is true anymore.  That is why, I must cling to His word and plead He open my eyes to truth every day.   

The Lord God Almighty Roars:  Judgement is at Hand

9 I saw the Lord standing by the altar, and He said:

“Strike the doorposts, that the thresholds may shake,
And break them on the heads of them all.
I will slay the last of them with the sword.
He who flees from them shall not get away,
And he who escapes from them shall not be delivered.

² “Though they dig into hell,
From there My hand shall take them;
Though they climb up to heaven,
From there I will bring them down;
³ And though they hide themselves on top of Carmel,
From there I will search and take them;
Though they hide from My sight at the bottom of the sea,
From there I will command the serpent, and it shall bite them;
⁴ Though they go into captivity before their enemies,
From there I will command the sword,
And it shall slay them.
I will set My eyes on them for harm and not for good.”

⁵ The Lord God of hosts,
He who touches the earth and it melts,
And all who dwell there mourn;
All of it shall swell like the River,
And subside like the River of Egypt.
⁶ He who builds His layers in the sky,
And has founded His strata in the earth;
Who calls for the waters of the sea,
And pours them out on the face of the earth—
The Lord is His name. Amos 9 (NKJV)

But As the Lord God Almighty Roars, Hope Remains Eternal

How sad it would be if judgement is the end of the story for Israel or for us. After all that is what we deserve. 

“Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are on the sinful kingdom,
And I will destroy it from the face of the earth;
Yet I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob,”
Says the Lord.

⁹ “For surely I will command,
And will sift the house of Israel among all nations,
As grain is sifted in a sieve;
Yet not the smallest grain shall fall to the ground.
¹⁰ All the sinners of My people shall die by the sword,
Who say, ‘The calamity shall not overtake nor confront us.’ Amos 9 (NKJV)

Furthermore, One Day, the Biggest Revival Ever will Come

¹¹ “On that day I will raise up
The tabernacle of David, which has fallen down,
And repair its damages;
I will raise up its ruins,
And rebuild it as in the days of old;
¹² That they may possess the remnant of Edom,
And all the Gentiles who are called by My name,”
Says the Lord who does this thing.

¹³ “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord,
“When the plowman shall overtake the reaper,
And the treader of grapes him who sows seed;
The mountains shall drip with sweet wine,
And all the hills shall flow with it.
¹⁴ I will bring back the captives of My people Israel;
They shall build the waste cities and inhabit them;
Also, they shall plant vineyards and drink wine from them;
They shall also make gardens and eat fruit from them.
¹⁵ I will plant them in their land,
And no longer shall they be pulled up
From the land I have given them,”
Says the Lord your God.  Amos 9 (NKJV)

For all the days until then, let us pray for revival.  A revival in which the plowman overtakes the reaper and the treader of grapes him who sows seed, let the mountains drip with sweet wine and all the hills flow with it.  Until then let us be inspired by some of the revivals in our own history and not lose heart.  Revival transformed hearts that transformed America as well. 

A History to Remember as the Lord God Almighty Roars

I do not know what day or hour Jesus will return, but until that day we are called to proclaim the truth of the Gospel to the nations.

Three major revivals are particularly noted in US history.  One was the Great Awakening that began with Johnathan Edwards began in December 1734 through 1943 spreading like wildfire.  But after it died down, people returned to drawing away from God until the second great awakening which came in 1800 at which time only about 1 in 15 of Americans belonged to an evangelical church.  Then James McGready began frontier camp meetings and revivals began to spread across America.  Along with these revivals came many moral and philanthropic reforms, including addressing the problems of alcoholism, the emancipation of women, and the founding of numerous colleges, seminaries, and missions. 

As is the nature of humanity, the people again in the next generation began to walk away from God.  Then a businessman named Jeremiah Lanphier began a noonday prayer meeting in New York which led eventually to a worldwide revival.  In the US alone there were an estimated 1 million new coverts added to the church rolls and another 1,000,000 so called church who then came to personally know Christ as Savior. This began in 1857 during the great Bank Panic of 1857 and lasted through 1858.  Shortly after this revival.  It was then in 1861 that the Civil War broke out as the nation fought to free the slaves.   

If we want to change the direction of this nation, we must get serious about prayer for revival.  Then we must be ready to go where God says go and do what God says do. 

More lessons in Amos can be found at:

Every Heart Must Prepare to Meet the Lord God Almighty! Why? How?

The Lord Roars!  Let Righteousness Pour Down Like a Mighty River.  Then?

Where is our Hope and Joy? It is in Jesus Christ Our Lord.

When the World Seems So Dark

In the Dark of the Night

My heart filled with fright.

My one hope of light

Is Jesus

In a World filled with Lies

With Evil’s disguise

Truth is our prize.

In Jesus

When you feel all alone

When Sadness has grown

Come Bow at the Throne

Of Jesus

 He is the light, the truth, the way.

The One who yearns to save you today.

He died on the cross, then rose from the grave.

Only He has the strength and the power to save.

He is our Hope when all hope is gone.

From the darkest of night, He brings a new dawn.

Jesus, our Savior, the King of all Kings

All honor and Glory to Him my heart sings

So, let us all rise His Praise to impart.

To Him whose love will never depart

When the world seems so dark, we can’t see our way.

He is the light to guide us each day.

So, in the dark of the night

When my heart fills with fright

I’ll trust in the Light.

Of Jesus

So, I’ll fall on my knees.

Pour forth all my pleas.

Until all my heart sees

Is Jesus

Effie Darlene Barba

---

[1] https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/1005539-i-pray-because-i-can-t-help-myself-i-pray-because

DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.

Therefore if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. Go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.

For Prayer or Comments

If you have a prayer request feel free to email me by clicking here

Furthermore, if you would like to share your story or thoughts, you can comment here

Previously

What Really Is the Ultimate Command of Wisdom from God to the World?

DISCLOSURES

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2023Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Credits

New King James Version (NKJV)Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

New Living Translation (NLT)Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

English Standard Version (ESV)The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New American Standard Bible (NASB)New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

Photo licensed from AdobeStock

What is loving-kindness?  It is defined as the goodness, mercy, affection, loyalty, compassion, and tenderness of one to another.  It refers to the covenant commitment of God to mankind.  As such, if we truly understand all that we observe. Then in light of His Loving-kindness toward us; then we will be filled with hope and steadfast joy.  Not a frivolous joy; but rather a steadfast joy that does not get torn apart by the storms of life. 

All that we observe of this life, we can choose to understand through prisms of glass. Sometimes ones that dim our view of God.  Or we can see them through the prism of God’s Sovereignty in this Universe.  We either believe or we do not believe that all God does is because of His loving-kindness toward us.  Either “ALL things work together for our good” as indicated in Romans 8:28 or not.  So, how do we gain wisdom to observe life through understanding the loving-kindness of God. I do suggest there are 4 important areas we must explore to gain this kind of wisdom.

One is to look at history, both ours and that of the world.  Second, we must observe the core aspects of human nature.  Thirdly, we must individually look at the price God was willing to pay for our salvation. Fourthly, we must never lose sight of His Majesty, Power, and Righteousness as the Supreme Creator and Ruler of Everything. 

The books of the Kings demonstrate once more how a living God acts in the affairs of men and nations.   His righteousness, even in judgement, never thwarts His plan of salvation.  The loving-kindness of God displayed throughout the pages of history.

A Look at History to Understand the Loving-kindness of God

Every part of the history of mankind, needs to be viewed from the aspect of eternity. 

11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart. Yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.   Ecclesiastes 3: (NIV).

Every step from the beginning of time, God displayed His Glory, His Righteousness, and His justice.  He promised there would be a Savior and that all who trusted Him would be saved.  That promise marched forward throughout all of History.  It was not thwarted by the evil days surrounding the flood. Nor by any of the evil acts that men and women perpetrated on this earth.  Instead, a beacon of hope marched onward as God chose a people to carry forth His plan. 

They, like every other person on earth, were filled with sinful hearts and desires. Hence, they sought after other gods to worship. Thereby forsaking the One True God.  Yet, He did not forsake them.  His promise to the nation of Israel remained then and still remains true until every promise is fulfilled.  So, as we review the books of I and II Kings, remember this.  The loving-kindness of God never fails to accomplish all that He has planned. 

Prophets Sent as Display of the Loving-kindness of God

In spite of their rebellious hearts, God He sent prophets to warn them. He told them of the coming judgement. As I Kings ended, we saw Elijah stand up against 400 Baal prophets. He dramatically displayed the victory of God.  Droughts came, famine and illness presented at times. Yet, through it all the grace of God was displayed to all who trusted Him. By faith they were saved.  God’s loving kindness shone forth to the Gentile widow of Zarephath. Displayed by the miraculous preservation of food. And then in the resurrection of her son. Then after His magnificent display of God’s power on the Mountain, Elijah prayed seven times for rain. It rained.   God’s Sovereignty over the weather proven true.  Equally true then, in Jesus’ day, and now.

Elijah went to heaven on a fiery chariot. He did not die. The chariot descended from the clouds for him. What a beautiful picture of the rapture to come for us.  Then Elisha began to prophecy to Israel after him.  Although a bit less fiery than Elijah, his was a ministry of miraculous healing. His mission: helping the poor and downtrodden.  He also called upon God to resurrect a child from the dead.  I do think we need to study this deeper in our own quest to use the history to help us observe and understand the loving kindness of God.

The Shunammite Woman

⁸ Now a day came when Elisha went over to Shunem, where there was a prominent woman, and she urged him to eat food. And so it was, as often as he passed by, that he turned in there to eat food. ⁹ And she said to her husband, “Behold now, I am aware that this is a holy man of God passing by us repeatedly. ¹⁰ Please, let’s make a little walled upper room, and let’s set up a bed for him there, and a table, a chair, and a lampstand; then it shall be, when he comes to us, that he can turn in there.”

Asking and wanting nothing in return, she provided for God’s prophet; although she was barren, she did not ask for a son.  Yet, she felt overwhelming joy for her son. Born miraculously, a gift from God as foretold by Elisha.   Then one day while in the fields with his father, the boy developed a headache. He went home and died in his mother’s arms.  She laid him in the upper room on his bed and set out to speak to the man of God.  Her faith so great she told everyone on her way, that all was well. All will be ok.   Undeterred, she hastened her journey to fall down in great sorrow at the feet of Elisha. 

JESUS IS THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE

Elisha accompanied her to her house. Her son resurrected miraculously by God lived once more.  Jesus is the resurrection life. We can go on in life with the same boldness of faith this woman had. Why? Because we know Jesus has the power to not only resurrect our dead bodies one day.  But He also has the power to resurrect our spirit from death to life in Him, here and now—to all who call on Him for salvation.

The Core Nature of Humanity

One thing that is clear to us throughout scripture is the nature of humanity.  Always bent on evil, striving for power, might and pleasure; the core nature of man, woman, and child is filled with sin.  Humanistic society has always believed that humanity can evolve into a perfect utopia if provided with the right environment to do so.  Unfortunately, we have watched that hope disappear generation after generation.   Today’s society is proof of that.  Bitterness, anger, power, greed, and self-preservation regardless of the devastation and cost to the rest of the people.

The same is recorded throughout I and II Kings.  God sent prophets and miracles; yet the people turned to worship false gods of their own making. Why?  Because the hearts of men and women are evil.    

²³ But this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you will be My people; and you shall walk entirely in the way which I command you, so that it may go well for you.’ ²⁴ Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked by their own advice and in the stubbornness of their evil hearts, and they went backward and not forward. ²⁵ Since the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have sent you all My servants the prophets, sending them daily, again and again. ²⁶ Yet they did not listen to Me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck; they did more evil than their fathers.  Jeremiah 7 (NASB).

Therefore,

¹² Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. ¹³ But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Hebrews 3:12 (NKJV)

After considering history both of the human race and our own life, we can observe and begin to understand the loving-kindness of the Lord.  This is magnified if we truly consider the depth of depravity that is within our own heart, revealing the depth of grace given by God toward us. 

The Price of Calvary—God Steadfast Loving-kindness on Display

What magnificence of grace, that God’s only son came to earth to live the perfect life I could not live that He might pay the price that I justly deserved, bearing on the cross all the wrath of God against sin.

¹⁹ Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. ²⁰ Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

²¹ But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; ²² Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:²³ For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

²⁴ Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: ²⁵ Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; ²⁶ To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.  Romans 3 (NKJV).

Fourth Point in Wisely Observing and Understanding the Loving-kindness of God.

In addition to reviewing history, understanding the core nature of man being evil, and the price Jesus paid for our salvation, we must also remember the Majesty and Sovereign power of God.  He with one breath created all the galaxies, the stars, the moon, and this little planet called earth.  His majesty, power and glory are beyond our wildest imagination.  Yet, He has created man in His image, that He might have a people on whom He may spend eternity showering with His love. 

We may not understand all the intricacies of how all of this plays into that final story; but, we can trust that He does know.  How do the storms in my life work together with everything else to one day help me understand the depth of His loving-kindness toward me? I do not know; but neither do I need to know.  The only thing I can do is see the tiny glimpses of His glory and love in the little things that happen each day.  One day I will see Him face to face and then I will know.  Until then, I pray He give me the wisdom to observe and understand at least in part the loving-kindness of God in all that comes my way. 

 23Those who go down to the sea in ships,
Who do business on great waters;
²⁴ They have seen the works of the Lord,
And His wonders in the deep.
²⁵ For He spoke and raised a stormy wind,
Which lifted the waves of the sea.
²⁶ They rose up to the heavens, they went down to the depths;
Their soul melted away in their misery.
²⁷ They reeled and staggered like a drunken person,
And were at their wits’ end.
²⁸ Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
And He brought them out of their distresses.
²⁹ He caused the storm to be still,
So that the waves of the sea were hushed.
³⁰ Then they were glad because they were quiet,
So He guided them to their desired harbor.
³¹ They shall give thanks to the Lord for His mercy,
And for His wonders to the sons of mankind!
³² They shall also exalt Him in the congregation of the people,
And praise Him at the seat of the elders…⁴³ Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the Lord (Psalm 107  NKJV).

O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. ² Let the redeemed of the Lord say so (Psalm 107:1-2 NKJV)

PSALM 107

DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.

Therefore if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. Go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.

For Prayer or Comments

If you have a prayer request feel free to email me by clicking here

Furthermore, if you would like to share your story or thoughts, you can comment here

Previously

What Really Is the Ultimate Command of Wisdom from God to the World?

DISCLOSURES

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2023Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Credits

New King James Version (NKJV)Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

New Living Translation (NLT)Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

English Standard Version (ESV)The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New American Standard Bible (NASB)New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

Photo licensed from AdobeStock

God blessed King Solomon with wisdom to judge his people rightly.  Additionally, God orchestrated a time of peace within the kingdom and with all the surrounding nations.  The nation of Israel was exalted and highly favored for their cultural, architectural, literary, and musical advancements.  King Solomon, blessed with bountiful riches and wisdom, was honored by the kings and queens of his day.   Having everything, one might think, King Solomon would without fail worship God perfectly.  At least. We want to believe that, because we want to believe that if God would give us everything we think we desire, then we would bow before Him always, obeying His every Command.  But that is not the case with human nature.  Sometimes the more we have, the more we think we deserve. 

King Solomon built the temple and assembled the people, just as a preacher would.  He prayed for them, acknowledging the weakness of the people, fearing they would sin against God.  Deep within, perhaps he knew that he also could sin too easily.  Overwhelmed by the grace of God he dedicated the temple with great humility and instruction.  He wrote over 3000 proverbs to guide the people toward righteousness and over 1000 worship songs of praise to God.

Yet, as the years passed, content with all he had; he slipped away from seeing God’s absolute righteousness. And when one forgets God’s absolute righteousness and His wrath against sin, the wonder of grace slips away.   What is then left behind is an empty vapor or whisper of truth. 

² “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher;
“Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”  Ecclesiastes 1 (NKJV)

Vanity is translated from the Hebrew word הָֽבֶל׃ hā·ḇel  meaning futile, a fleeting breath, like a vapor here and then gone.

A Stark Contrast of Two Men—Solomon and Jeremiah-the Command of God

I Kings 11 (NKJV)

But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites— ² from the nations of whom the Lord had said to the children of Israel, “You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you.  Surely, they will turn away your hearts after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love. ³ And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart. 

⁴ For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David. ⁵ For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. ⁶ Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not fully follow the Lord, as did his father David. ⁷ Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, on the hill that is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the people of Ammon. ⁸ And he did likewise for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.

⁹ So the Lord became angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned from the Lord God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, ¹⁰ and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not keep what the Lord had commanded. 

¹¹ Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, “Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant. ¹² Nevertheless I will not do it in your days, for the sake of your father David; I will tear it out of the hand of your son. ¹³ However I will not tear away the whole kingdom; I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of My servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen.”

The Response of Solomon to the Command of God

Solomon became restless, as we find in the book of Ecclesiastes.  This book is an autobiography of how he strayed away from the very truth that had made him great.  His journey led him into deep despair as he chased after the wind in this world.  He found that there was no peace or joy to be found in the pleasures of this world apart from God’s presence in them.  By breaching the command of God, he no longer felt the joy of God’s presence in life.  With God, we may enjoy all the beauties and pleasures of this world.  Yet, when we seek them apart from God, they are empty and futile—vanity of vanity, a vapor that quickly disappears leaving only sadness behind. 

This is the book of Ecclesiastes.  The teacher wants us to know the truths of true wisdom, comes from a proper view of God as supreme righteousness.  It is seeing God through our brokenness and realizing that He is Majesty and Righteousness.  It is learning as had David.

Psalm 8 (NKJV)

O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who have set Your glory above the heavens!

² Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants
You have ^[b]ordained strength,
Because of Your enemies,
That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.

³ When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,
⁴ What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit^[c] him?
⁵ For You have made him a little lower than ^[d]the angels,
And You have crowned him with glory and honor.

⁶ You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet,
⁷ All sheep and oxen—
Even the beasts of the field,
⁸ The birds of the air,
And the fish of the sea
That pass through the paths of the seas.

⁹ O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth!

A Command of God to Jeremiah

God called Jeremiah to speak his word to the people, when He did this is what God said to Jeremiah.

⁵ “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
And before you were born I consecrated you;
I have appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”….

7“Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’
Because everywhere I send you, you shall go,
And all that I command you, you shall speak.
⁸ Do not be afraid of them,
For I am with you to save you,” declares the Lord.

⁹ Then the Lord stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me,

“Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.
¹⁰ See, I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms,
To root out and to tear down,
Destroy and to overthrow,
To build and to plant.” Jeremiah 1 (NASB)

A Command that Seems too Hard to Follow

God told him no one would listen.  And even his family turned their backs on him for the message God gave him.

²⁷ “Therefore you shall speak all these words to them, but they will not obey you. You shall also call to them, but they will not answer you.  Jeremiah 7: (NKJV)

Furthermore, Jeremiah was forbidden to marry or to have children.  He was jailed, beaten, and very poor.  His was a message of judgement.  God’s wrath would be poured out upon the nation because they had forsaken the command of God to seek after other idols.  Yet, despite his seeing only despair around him, Jeremiah preached God’s word to the people.  And then what were his words?

I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of His wrath.
² He has led me and made me walk
In darkness and not in light.
³ Surely He has turned His hand against me
Time and time again throughout the day.

¹⁹ Remember my affliction and roaming,
The wormwood and the ^[g]gall.
²⁰ My soul still remembers
And ^[h]sinks within me.
²¹ This I recall to my mind,
Therefore I have hope.

²² Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
²³ They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
²⁴ “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“Therefore I hope in Him!”

²⁵ The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,
To the soul who seeks Him.
²⁶ It is good that one should hope and wait quietly
For the salvation of the Lord.

³⁹ Why should a living man complain,
A man for the punishment of his sins?

⁴⁰ Let us search out and examine our ways,
And turn back to the Lord;
⁴¹ Let us lift our hearts and hands
To God in heaven.  Lamentations 3 (NKJV)

And so it was that Jeremiah saw God’s goodness amid all the sorrows that surrounded him. He understood that God’s grace far exceeded what anyone deserves. Why should a living man every complain, knowing what our sin truly deserves is God’s wrath? When we keep a right view of God’s righteousness, then we keep a truer view of grace.

In A World of Futility, Let Us Seek to Follow the Command of God

¹³ The conclusion, when everything has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. ¹⁴ For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.  Ecclesiastes 12: (NKJV)

Concluding Thoughts

We sometimes think that we know what would make us happy but do we.  Many want to preach a gospel that has no brokenness, a feel-good prosperity gospel that does not really address our sin.  We whitewash it all with God’s mercy and grace.  Oh, yes were it not for His mercy and grace, I would have no hope.  It is that if I forget His goodness despite my sin.  I wish I could forget the brokenness of my life, forget the sins of my past.  But to do so would cause me not to see the magnificence of His grace that has carried me thus far. 

So, this is what Solomon meant by these words:    “¹¹ The words of the wise are like goads, and masters of these collections are like driven nails; they are given by one Shepherd.”  One Shepherd who truly bore the nails of wrath from God that I deserved.  The words remind me of my own failures, but also of His magnificent grace toward me.  His mercies are new every morning.  And one day, He will return to set every justice right and I shall ride beside Him on that day, not because of my own righteousness, but His.  That is what Solomon had learned in the end of His days.  God’s spirit never departed from Him, even during the dark days in which his own life led him to utter despair.   

Jesus is Coming Again to Righteously Judge–Never Forget

¹¹ Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. ¹² His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He ^[a]had a name written that no one knew except Himself. ¹³ He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 

¹⁴ And the armies in heaven, clothed in ^[b]fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. ¹⁵ Now out of His mouth goes a ^[c]sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. ¹⁶ And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:

KING OF KINGS AND
LORD OF LORDS.

Are you ready for His return?

DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.

Therefore if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. Go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.

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Previously

How To Absolutely Know Joy in Life by Choosing Wisdom from God

DISCLOSURES

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2023Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Credits

New King James Version (NKJV)Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

New Living Translation (NLT)Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

English Standard Version (ESV)The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New American Standard Bible (NASB)New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

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