Surely you have granted him eternal blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence (Psalm 21:6 NIV).
This talks about the blessings given to the king whose desire God had granted. Surely this is the pattern in which God blesses all His children.
As you think about it; mercy shown to you, … Read the rest
… Read the restI make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that will
This is what the Lord says to his anointed, … whose right hand I take hold of … to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut: I will go before you … (Isaiah 45:1,2a NIV).
This is part of a famous prophecy about King Cyrus whom God used to rebuild the … Read the rest
You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as men rejoice when dividing the plunder (Isaiah 9:3 NIV).
Praise God that there is an enlargement that is destined for you. The restricting circumstances shall be removed. A great freedom of movement and increase will … Read the rest
“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty” (Isaiah 6:5 NIV).
“Woe to me!” What other response is possible? The awesome majesty of God’s holiness cannot inspire any … Read the rest
What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it? When I looked for good grapes, why did it only bad? (Isaiah 5:4 NIV).
Listen to this complaint. The issue is “what more” had to be done. That implies that much had already been done. The vineyard is none else … Read the rest
You gave abundant showers, O God; you refreshed your weary inheritance (Psalm 68:9 NIV).
When batteries run low, they need to be recharged. And when Christians are depleted of their spiritual strength, they need to be refreshed.
Long and intense spiritual battles can drain the strength of any Christian. It is then that he becomes … Read the rest
Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth (Proverbs 27:1 NIV).
There are things beyond man’s control. And they can act at any time. Those who boast about tomorrow either close their eyes to this fact or think that such things may happen to others but not … Read the rest
According to each day’s need (1 Kings 8:59z NIV).
There is much wisdom in this prayer . It asks God to hear the prayer of His people and answer it “according to each day’s need.”
Prayer therefore can be made for all kinds of needs; but the wisdom is to ask God to answer “according … Read the rest
When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by (Exodus 33:22 NIV).
There is a cleft in the rock where God can hide you in. It is specially reserved for those who desire to see God’s glory.
Though … Read the rest
Whoever is for the Lord, come to me (Exodus 32:26b NIV).
Going along with the crowd is always an easy option. But what if the crowd decides to forget the Lord and do as they please? What if this decision leads to sin? It is then that you should remember this rallying cry, “Whoever is … Read the rest
So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians … So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt (Exodus 3:8a, 10 NIV).
This chapter in the Bible shows us the divine initiative. It tells us that God is concerned about … Read the rest
Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the sons of Israel swear an oath. He had said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up with you from this place” (Exodus 13:19 NIV).
Focus on Joseph. He had become governor of the land … Read the rest
… Read the restI have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering … I have watched over you and have seen what has been done to you in Egypt. And I have promised to bring you up out
God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, `The LORD, the God of your fathers–the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob–has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation” (Exodus 3:15 NIV).
The name … Read the rest
God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: `I AM has sent me to you’ ” (Exodus 3:14 NIV).
This name of God is a personal name. It is like Peter, James or John. It is written in English like YHWH and is pronounced … Read the rest
When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses! And Moses said, “Here I am” (Exodus 3:4 NIV).
God called out to Moses only after He had seen that Moses had gone over to look at the burning bush. What would have happened … Read the rest
There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight–why the bush does not burn up” (Exodus 3:2 NIV).
This was God’s … Read the rest
Glancing this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand (Exodus 2:12 NIV).
This lesson from Moses’ life is of great importance to Christians today. It teaches us vital truths.
First of all, Moses did not inquire of God as to what to do. He acted … Read the rest
The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live. … So God was kind to the midwives … And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own (Exodus 1:17, 20a, 21 NIV).
Who is to be … Read the rest
And Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath and said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones from this place” (Genesis 50:25 NIV).
What a blessed thing is to leave this world by giving others a forward vision. Not only was this a positive vision, but … Read the rest
“I am God, the God of your father,” he said. “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. I will go down to Egypt with you” (Genesis 46:3,4a NIV).
God confirms His intentions through various means. Sometimes He uses progressive revelation to reveal to … Read the rest
But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So, it was not you who sent me here, but God (Genesis 45:7,8a NIV).
The best thing to note about the outworking of circumstances in your life is that God works … Read the rest
I cared for you in the desert, in the land of burning heat. When I fed them, they were satisfied; when they were satisfied, they became proud; then they forgot me (Hosea 13:5,6 NIV).
Moving farther away from God is a process. Ironically, it begins at the time you experience God’s care. That means, a … Read the rest
In the womb he grasped his brother’s heel; as a man he struggled with God. He struggled with the angel and overcame him; he wept and begged for his favor (Hosea 12:3,4 NIV).
Many people give excuses for their bad character traits. They say that they were born that way.
As we look at Jacob’s … Read the rest
If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared (Psalm 130:3, 4 NIV).
Forgiveness of sins is the bridge that God builds. It opens the way for you to get near God. There is no other way. So look to … Read the rest
“Here comes that dreamer!” they said to each other. “Come now, let’s kill him … Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams” (Genesis 37:19,20 NIV).
Are you a dreamer? Better still, are you a dreamer for God? Do you expect to do something big for God? Then they’ll call you a dreamer. And you’ll … Read the rest
The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip (Genesis 32:31 NIV).
The man who wrestled with God touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched. Therefore, after the encounter with God Jacob was limping. Yet that limp was an outward sign that … Read the rest
The man asked him, “What is your name?” “Jacob,” he answered. Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and men and have overcome” (Genesis 32:27, 28 NIV).
In Biblical times, a man’s name indicated his character. So the question, “What is your name?” … Read the rest
But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me” (Genesis 32:26b NIV).
How many people wrestle with God to have Him bless them? Very few. But here Jacob said: “I will not let you go unless . . . .” Holding on to God is very important if you would like … Read the rest
