Monthly Archives: September 2011
Psalm 139:17
How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them!
There are many passages that tell us that God’s thoughts are not like our thoughts. When we recognize this we are challenged to match our logic to the Scripture. Many times our “common sense” doesn’t line up, so we need to seek after the wisdom of God in the Bible. The Psalmist reminds us that we don’t get God’s thoughts intuitively – we need to constantly be in the Scripture so that our mind is renewed by the washing of the water of the word.
James 1:9-10
Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. But the rich should take pride in their humiliation-since they will pass away like a wild flower.
There are no class systems in the Kingdom of heaven, for the gospel brings down the elite and brings up the poor. It seems that God uses those of humble means to teach those with wealth. When people think that they are too busy to get involved with the Kingdom of God, learn from the poor, for the poor have a greater freedom to serve the Lord than those encumbered with the responsibilities that wealth brings. This is the greatness of the gospel – it empowers the humble and humbles the empowered.
Hebrews 2:18
Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
The mystery of Jesus is great – He is fully God and fully man. His Divinity has the power to deliver us, His humanity brings Him to our side when we need His help. Because Jesus experienced the same suffering that we do when we face temptation, He is aware of the anxiety and fear that we face. Therefore run to Jesus when you are tempted – for He has the power and the compassion to help.
John 8:12
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Following Jesus is more than a prayer – it is a way to see everything around us, for Jesus identifies Himself as the way to perceive our world and the world to come. There is life that comes out of His light, and that life leads us away from activities that we want to hide, and compels us to live in such a way that God uses us to bring His light to others.
Union Grove Baptist Church 