Tag: Abraham

God Delight Ends with Blessing

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When we obey God, He delights in us. Joshua reminded rebellious Israel that the land God was bringing them to was because of his delight in them. Number 4:8 “ If the Lord delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey.” If they would just persist in following God and trusting in Him, they would receive what He had promised. Likewise in Deuteronomy 30:9 Moses reiterates this, “The Lord your God will make you abundantly prosperous in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your cattle and in the fruit of your ground. For the Lord will again take delight in prospering you, as he took delight in your fathers,” God wants to bless us with His best, but what is the cost? 1 Samuel 15:22 nails the answer, “Do you think all God wants are sacrifices—    empty rituals just for show? He wants you to listen to him! Plain listening is the thing,  not staging a lavish religious production. Not doing what God tells you.” The Message translation makes it clear that God wants obedience over any show of allegiance or pretense. The ESV and NIV use the word delight in this verse, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,  as in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.”

What delights the Lord God enough that He would shower them and us with blessings? God desires obedience. Those that follow Him will be blessed. God made this promise to Abraham when He called him to follow him in Genesis 12:2-3 “And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Abraham obeyed God and went where God directed. The promise was that all of the earth- all of us would be blessed through him. We see this fulfilled in Christ. Galatians 3:14 “so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.” Ephesians 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,” We see through Abraham that obedience lead to blessings in his life and then into ours. Christ is the ultimate blessing and through Him we can be a blessing to others as we walk in obedience.

Through today’s scriptures we see that obedience (listening and doing what God desires) brings blessing and blessings are a way God shows His delight in us. How are you doing with your obedience to Him? Do you search the scriptures for the way He desires that you live? Do you pray and ask the Holy Spirit’s guidance in your daily life? Proverbs 10:22 says “The blessing of the Lord makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.” You will know when you are blessed by God as His blessings make us rich- body, soul and mind and there is no sorrow or regret with the blessing.

Linda

Who Told You?

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Who told you about Jesus and the salvation He offered? Was it your parents, grandparents, a friend or neighbor? Or maybe you were reading God’s Word and knew in your heart that what God said was true and believed. Scripture tells us that believing comes from hearing Romans 10:17 “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.’ Our promise today comes from Genesis 12:3b.

…”and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

Promise: All believers are blessed by Abraham’s faith that led to Christ.

Paul gives us additional information about the blessing to Abraham in Galatians 3:7-9. “Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. 8 Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” 9 So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.” Abraham was considered by God to be a man of faith as he answered God’s call and followed him to a new land. God considered Abraham’s faith and counted it to him as righteousness. Genesis 15:6 “Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.” Just as Abraham received righteousness through his faith in God so we too receive our righteousness though faith in Christ.

Knowing that we have to hear or see God’s truth to bring us to faith in Jesus, who do you have to thank for telling you about Jesus? Christianity is just one generation away from extinction as you cannot get to heaven on someone else’s faith. You need your own faith in Christ. Abraham was faithful to pass on his legacy of faith to his sons and daughters. Who do you need to tell about Jesus today so that the gospel message can live on?

What do we know from this verse: God has a plan of salvation for all believers, God intends for us to pass it on to the next generation until Christ returns, Abraham’s faith had an effect on all believers.

Lenten Reflections: What is my legacy of faith? Whom have I told? Who do I need to tell about Jesus?

Think about God’s precious blessing though Christ. Pray for those who brought you to faith and for those who do not yet know Him.

Linda

Related verses: Galatians 3:7-9, Romans 1:16-17, Titus 2:11, Matthew 28:19-20, Matthew 24:14.

Do You Hear Yourselves? What Are You Thinking?

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Acts Chapters 6 and 7 focuses on the story of Stephen, a prominent leader in the Jerusalem church. Scripture describes him as “full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people.“ The opposition arose against Stephen from within and from foreign influences and they decided to bring him up on charges of wanting to destroy the Temple and change the customs of Moses. In Chapter 7, Stephen gives his eloquent response to their charges. Actually, it is one of my favorites as Stephen gives a short concise review of the Israelites journey with God. He goes from Abraham, to Isaac and Jacob, to the selling of Joseph into slavery, Pharoah’s treatment of Joseph and God’s favor upon the family of Joseph. Later, he includes the 400 years in captivity in Egypt, Moses’ killing of an Egyptian and fleeing to Midian, God appearing the Moses in the Burning Bush and commissioning him to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt. He tells about the 40 years in the wilderness, conquest of Canaan, David as king then Solomon and his building of the temple. In Acts 7: 51-53 Stephen turns to the leaders and accuses them of persecuting the prophets and rejecting and killing the Righteous One. “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. 52 Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, 53 you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.” It was a valid complaint as they were calling themselves righteous and holy because they kept the ‘law’ but were actually hypocrites. Stephen’s forthright accusations were too much for the leaders and they called for him to be stoned.

As Stephen was being stoned, scripture gives us a glimpse of this scene, 54-56 “ Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. 55 But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

Scripture also records the presence of the Saul, later to be Paul the Apostle. Stephen’s words undoubtedly had an effect upon Saul. “7:59-8:1 “And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep. 8 And Saul approved of his execution.”

Why does this story of the stoning of Stephen have such an effect on me? The accusations were false and he was innocent. No one likes to see the innocent punished. Stephen was learned and delivered his impassioned plea with eloquence and logical reasoning and yet he was rejected. One must always be aware and cautious of not responding to a ‘mobs’ mentality’ or just going along with the crowd. Jesus calls us to think and be wise and discerning. We are to test false teacher against the Word of God. We can never know how much of an impact Stephen’s testimony and death had upon Saul. I’m sure he remembered Stephen’s word and the look upon his face as he look upon God in heaven.

I encourage you to read these chapters again for yourself. Stephen’s words speak to us today.

Linda