For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith,as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

Romans 1:16-17

For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith,as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” Romans 1:17

This morning, I continued my study of Romans.  Using my commentary - Exalting Jesus in Romans (eBook) - I moved on with a review of Romans 1:16-17. Here, Paul clearly states his view that the gospel is God and is the power of God.  It saves, provides the basis of faith for believers, and it reveals God's character and nature.  It also transforms lives and is the basis for sanctification so widely discussed in the book I just completed - John Piper's Reading the Bible Supernaturally: Seeing and Savoring God's Glory in Scripture.  My commentary refers to these two verses as the "nerve center" of Romans - as Paul goes on to declare regarding righteousness: 

• no one is righteous (1:18-3:20)
• by faith in Christ one is declared righteous (3:21-5:21)
• Christians are slaves to righteousness (6:1-8:39)
  
• and defend God's righteousness (9:1-11:36) 
  
• and provide practical advice on righteous living (12:1-15:13)  

Just as Paul writes that he is "not ashamed of the gospel", my commentary also urges us to be proud of our firm belief in the gospel and its core truths. We may be mocked and shamed, perhaps not physically as Paul and other early believers were (or perhaps not depending on where you are), regardless, we can stand firm.  We must not be ashamed and Jesus warned the disciples and us not be ashamed (see Mark 8:38).  We must see, as my commentary refers to Bird, that the gospel not only describes God's power but it IS God's power. Salvation is referred to as having "already" and "not yet" dimensions - we continue to be sanctified through the gospel through glorification when we are complete and see Jesus perfectly. We are saved "from" spiritual and physical death and "for" rebirth in Christ and eternity in Heaven.  

My commentary notes how Paul references Habakkuk 2:4 in v17, and how "Paul quotes from the Old Testament in Romans more than in all his other letters combined.  There are at least sixty-one direct quotations from fourteen different books...faith is the way in which one stands right before God.  The whole Bible teaches us this."

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer:  Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and how saves me from physical and spiritual death and for new and full life here on earth and for eternity in Heaven - thank You Jesus!  All incredible gifts and of course I am undeserving.  I worry and I have other sins.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.

Pages: 251-260 and Psalm 119

Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law. Psalm 119:18

This morning, I continued with John Piper's Reading the Bible Supernaturally: Seeing and Savoring the Glory of God in Scripture, continuing with Part 3 The Natural Act of Reading the Bible Supernaturally, chapter sixteen - The Indispensable Place of Prayer in Reading the Bible Supernaturally: Wakening Our Desire for the Word.  Here, Piper seeks to help us understand that the "ongoing miracle of divine teaching, in and through God's written word, is a gift in answer to prayer." Piper wants us to have both prayer and study - he uses Psalm 119 as he points out in this Psalm the the psalmist "prays five times that God would give him understanding:"

• Psalm 119:27
• Psalm 119:34
• Psalm 119:73
• Psalm 119:125
• Psalm 119:169
  

Building on the acronym shared in the previous chapter, Piper shares that prayer "grows out of the admission of our helplessness at the most fundamental level."  He offers us another acronym to help us pray prior to Bible reading: 

• I(ncline): incline our heart
  
• O(pen): open my eyes
  
• U(nite): teach me your ways so that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name
  
• S(atisfy): satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love

Piper urges us to consider prayer as crucial to our Bible reading as it "contains an absolute surrender of yourself to God."  He goes on to say that "[l]oss of interest in the word of God is loss of interest in God."  Piper himself writes how "hundreds of times I have hit a wall in my effort to understand a text.  Often I have had a sense of desperation because I must preach on this text in two days....[he] plead[s] with the Lord to lead [him] into the truth...."

Very good teaching indeed.

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God and Your Word IS sweet and more valuable than gold - thank You Jesus for giving me desire for You and Your Word.  Please sustain and intensify this desire for You and Your Word. Thank You for how You bless me and sanctify me with Your Word.  I am undeserving.  I worry and I am selfish.  Please forgive me for these and other sins.  Help me overcome and turn from such sin and towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

Pages: 224-240

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. Philippians 2:12-13

This afternoon, I continued with John Piper's Reading the Bible Supernaturally: Seeing and Savoring the Glory of God in Scripture, moving on to Part 3 The Natural Act of Reading the Bible Supernaturally, chapter fourteen - God Forbid That We Despise His Natural Gifts.  Here Piper seeks to unpack the paradox he refers to in the title of the chapter - his "aim...is to encourage a deep dependence on God and the fullest use of your natural powers in the supernatural act of reading the Bible."

Piper starts by stating that "[w]ithout God's supernatural intervention, we would have no motivation to read the Scriptures in the hope of treasuring Christ above all things (1 Kings 8:58, Psalm 119:36)." It is God who grants us the heart and eyes to see His glory. The critical point here is found in Philippians 2:12-13 as Piper writes that we "work out" or effect our salvation because God is already at work in us through a saving relationship.  He continues that this salvation is the..."specific daily deliverance from the soul-destroying works of the flesh (1 Peter 2:11)-things like anger and self-pity and greed and lust." Proverbs 2:1-7 is also used to help us better understand how God works in us. "We do the [reading and] thinking-the rigorous effort to read with understanding; God creates the miracle of supernatural light in processes of our thought."

God gives us the will to read and see His glory and we do the act of reading - and ultimately the seeing and savoring of His glory...through which we are transformed day by day.

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God and I know You are at work in me and giving me the will to read and the eyes and heart to understand Your Word - thank You Jesus!  Amazing and I am truly grateful!  Yet I am undeserving.  My sin...of many kinds...continues.  Please forgive me.  Help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

Pages: 99-115

The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward. Psalms 19:7-11

This morning, I continued with John Piper's Reading the Bible Supernaturally: Seeing and Savoring the Glory of God in Scripture, covering chapter six - Reading to Savor His Excellence, Part 1. Here, Piper seeks to continue unpacking the fourth of six implications that flow from the ultimate goal of reading the Bible (as listed here);this implication is "that we should aim in all our seeing to savor his excellence above all things."  It is not enough to simply read the Bible to see God's glory, we must savor - of course Piper rightly states that "seeing precedes savoring." He further explains that "seeing the glory of God as we read the Bible should never be an end in itself.  We read in order to see in order to savor.  We seek insight in order to enjoy."  He then points out that this our savoring may include not just pleasant emotions, but also "painful emotions" that lead to savoring. Piper's writes that the process through which we savor God's glory through reading/seeing is a two-step process - the first of which is covered in this chapter.  And in this chapter specifically, "[s]criptures encourage us to pursue joy in God generally[.]"

Piper provides six arguments that scripture encourage us to pursue joy in God:

1. "we are commanded to be joyful in God" (Psalms 37:4, 32:11, 100:1-2, Philippians 4:4, 3:1, Matthew 5:12, 1 Thessalonians 5:16, etc.)
2.  "God threatens us with trouble if we don't pursue satisfaction in God" (Deuteronomy 28:47-48, 2 Corinthians 9:7, 1 Peter 5:2, Psalm 100:2)
3. "saving faith contains joy in God" (John 1:11-12, Matthew 13:44, John 6:35, etc.)
4. "evil is forsaking happiness in God" (Jeremiah 2:12-13, Romans 1:22-23)
5. "deny the self every comfort that would diminish joy in Christ" (Mark 8:34-36, Hebrews 11:25-26, etc.)
6. "love for people presses us on to pursue our joy in God" (1 Corinthians 13:3, Acts 20:35, 2 Corinthians 9:7)
7. "God is glorified in us when we are satisfied in Him" (Philippians 1:20-21)
   

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Heavenly Father, Jesus, Your glory is amazing and I see it in all things and I see it in my life - You are worthy of my praise and worship - white hot worship and praise to that.  You bless me immeasurably and Your mercies for me never cease.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such mercies and blessings.  I worry and I have other sins.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

Pages: 55-63

Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Romans 12:11

This morning, I continued with John Piper's Reading the Bible Supernaturally: Seeing and Savoring the Glory of God in Scripture, covering chapter two - Reading the Bible toward White-Hot Worship.

Here, Piper seeks to demonstrate the second of six implications that flow from the ultimate goal of reading the Bible (as listed in my previous post); this second implication is that "that the supremely authentic and intense worship of God's worth and beauty is the ultimate aim of all his work and word[.]"  Piper describes the six stages of redemptive history (predestination/Ephesians 1:5, 14, creation/Revelation 4:11, incarnation/Revelation 5:12, propitiation/Revelation 5:9, sanctification/Philippians 1:11, consummation/2 Thessalonians 1:10), demonstrating that, through scripture, worship is the goal of all God's acts. 

Piper then describes authentic and intense, or white-hot worship, writing that "there is a correlation between the measure of our intensity in worship and the degree to which we exhibit the value of the glory of God." We are encouraged to pursue not "lukewarm" relationships with Jesus, but instead ones that display "zeal" and "fervent" worship (Romans 12:11). Another dimension to this zeal and fervent worship is that it is authentic and undivided - there must be no competitors to God nor half-hearted affections. Piper points to the following scripture as evidence:

• Luke 10:27
• Deuteronomy 4:29, 10:12
• 1 Samuel 7:3
• Proverbs 3:5
• Zephaniah 3:14
• Psalms 9:1
  

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an incredible God who gives me inexpressible joy - thank You Jesus - in all things I see Your hand and Your ways and deeds are both perfect and full of love - for me and for all of Your children!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving for all the love and blessings You pour out for me.  I worry...please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy[.]

Pages: 37-53

Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy[.] 1 Peter 1:8

This afternoon, I continued with John Piper's Reading the Bible Supernaturally: Seeing and Savoring the Glory of God in Scripture, covering the Introduction to Part 1: The Ultimate Goal of Reading the Bible and chapter one - Reading the Bible toward God's Ultimate Goal. 

Piper starts by stating that "our ultimate goal in reading the Bible is that God's infinite worth and beauty would be exalted in the everlasting, white-hot worship of the blood-bought bride of Christ from every people, language, tribe, and nation."  Piper extends this by drawing out six implications "that flow from this," including:

1. "the infinite worth and beauty of God are the ultimate value and excellence of the universe;
2. that the supremely authentic and intense worship of God's worth and beauty is the ultimate aim of all his work and word;
3. that we should always read his word in order to see this supreme worth and beauty; 
4. that we should aim in all our seeing and savoring his excellence above all things; 
5. that we should aim to be transformed by this seeing and savoring into the likeness of his beauty, 
6. so that more and more people would be drawn into the worshiping family of God until the bride of Christ-across all centuries and cultures-is complete in number and beauty."

The remainder of chapter one focuses on how from "eternity[-past] to eternity[-future] - in predestination, creation, incarnation, propitiation, sanctification, and consummation-the Bible makes explicit that God's ultimate aim in all things is the revelation and exaltation of his glory."  In the next chapter, Piper explores and discusses implication #2.

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God and deserving of authentic and intense worship from me and all of Your children. You bless me every day with mercies that abound!  Thank You Jesus!  Yet I am not deserving.  I too often allow myself to be distracted by the things of this world - please forgive me!  Help me turn from and overcome such sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

This is why I speak to them in parables: Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.....I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people[.]

 Pages: 15-33, Matthew 13, Ephesians 1

 This is why I speak to them in parables: Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.....I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people[.] Matthew 13:13, Ephesians 1:18

Today, inspired by the challenge and reward from the reading of John Piper's Providence, I started another of his books:  Reading the Bible Supernaturally: Seeing and Savoring the Glory of God in Scripture.  I began with the Preface and Introduction. 

The premise of the book is that if we believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God, then it follows that "it has supernatural reading."  We are to not just read the Bible naturally (the very best of our natural reading Piper writes), using the error-prone human faculties that God gives us, but we are to read with an ability that is "beyond what is merely human."

Once again, as Piper does with Providence, he does with this book and he draws extensively on scripture. He writes that our natural seeing of God's glory is "not decisive in seeing the glory of God," and Piper uses both Matthew 13:13 and Ephesians 1:18 to demonstrate that God is at work in our understanding of His glory. For God to move in our hearts to more fully see His glory, "God [must] cut away the diamond-hard, idolatrous substitutes for the glory of God that are packed into...our heart." Here Piper points to:

• 2 Corinthians 4:6
• 2 Timothy 2:25
• Philippians 1:29
• Ephesians 2:5
• 1 Peter 1:23
• James 1:18
• Matthew 16:17
• Matthew 11:27
• Ephesians 1:18
• Luke 8:10        
  

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Heavenly Father, Jesus - You are an awesome God and You have given me the gift of faith and Your Word, and You daily reveal Your Word and Your Glory to me - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such gifts.  I sin...daily...anger, etc. Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength. Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

At the Lord’s command they encamped, and at the Lord’s command they set out. They obeyed the Lord’s order, in accordance with his command through Moses.

Numbers 9

At the Lord’s command they encamped, and at the Lord’s command they set out. They obeyed the Lord’s order, in accordance with his command through Moses. v23

Moses, Aaron, and the Israelites often did "just as God commanded".

The question is - how can we do just as God commands us?

The place to start is with study of the Bible where we renew our minds and enable ourselves to understand and do God's will:

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2

But we can't just know God's word - we must be doers of the word:

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. James 1:22

To enable us to be doers of the word we must live life together - in fellowship with other believers.

How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! Psalm 133:1

 

He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:10-11

 

One of the keys in achieving spiritual maturity togetherness: 

 

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Ephesians 4:14-16

 

And of course:

As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God, full of love, compassion, patience, etc.  Thank You Jesus...I am not worth such love.  I am often not a doer of the Word.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome my in action.  Help me turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind, and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work. For I am with you,’ declares the Lord Almighty. ‘This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.’

Haggai 2

Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work. For I am with you,’ declares the Lord Almighty. ‘This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.’ v4-5

God made a covenant with Abraham (see Genesis 12) and this covenant rested on obedience to the law.  When God sent Jesus to walk the earth, Jesus gave us a new covenant:

In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. Luke 22:20  

He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 2 Corinthians 3:6

We should be thankful that this new covenant is based on grace and not on deeds.  Yes we will be judged according to what we have done but our faith and trust in God is primary (Matthew 22:37-40).

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God and I know that You will never leave me.  Your Word and Your Spirit remain with me at all times and I desire to draw near to me and You will draw near to me when I draw near to You.  Thank You for Your love and that You will never leave me.  I am not worth such love and attention.  Please forgive me for sloth and my selfishness.  Help me overcome such sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me serve You, my family, the church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you. Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and to insight, “You are my relative.” They will keep you from the adulterous woman, from the wayward woman with her seductive words.

Proverbs 7

My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you. Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.  Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and to insight, “You are my relative.” They will keep you from the adulterous woman, from the wayward woman with her seductive words. v1-5

Although this Proverb speaks specifically about the danger of lust, these scriptures speak just as much to the lure of all sin, how easily we are ensnared, and how God's protects us.

But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. 

2 Thessalonians 3:3

 

See also this post. 

My Prayer: Lord, You are great and You are the Great Protector.  I have felt Your hand in my life as protection from sin - which is greater than any other harm that can come to me.  Thank You Jesus for Your protection.  I am not worth such mercy, grace, and compassion.  I worry, and I have other sin in my life.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith. Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach, and Dustin...and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

Because I love your commands more than gold, more than pure gold, and because I consider all your precepts right, I hate every wrong path.

Psalm 119

Because I love your commands more than gold, more than pure gold, and because I consider all your precepts right, I hate every wrong path. v127-128

God protects us from sin just as He did with Jesus in the wilderness.

Your statutes are wonderful;
    therefore I obey them.
The unfolding of your words gives light;
    it gives understanding to the simple.
I open my mouth and pant,
    longing for your commands.
Turn to me and have mercy on me,
    as you always do to those who love your name.
Direct my footsteps according to your word;
    let no sin rule over me. v129-133

Rick Warren reminds us that everyone needs light, both physical and spiritual.  Jesus is that light.  

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are the light of my life...You direct my footsteps, give me understanding, and so much more...thank You for being my God!  I can do no good things without You.  I am desperate for You.  I need You for forgiveness as my worry persists.  Please forgive me.  Help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin...and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.

Psalm 119

The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold. v72

This is not the only place in the Bible where God's word is referred to as valuable and the implication is that we should be using the Bible to invest in our lives. 

And the words of the Lord are flawless, like silver purified in a crucible, like gold refined seven times. Psalm 12:6

 

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 

 

The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. Hebrews 1:3

 

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God and I love You!  You and Your Word ARE more valuable that silver and gold - many times so!  I know that without You and Your Word and can do no good thing and all good and perfect gifts come from above, from You.  I am blessed with gifts from You beyond what I deserve.  Thank You Jesus.  Yet I need Your forgiveness because I continue to worry.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin...and serve You.

He summons the heavens above, and the earth, that he may judge his people....

Psalm 50

He summons the heavens above, and the earth, that he may judge his people:  “Gather to me this consecrated people, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”  And the heavens proclaim his righteousness, for he is a God of justice. v4-6

God is a righteous judge both able and worthy.  Able because He is God and worthy because He knows everything about us, and because He is patient, compassionate, and merciful with us.  His plans and will for our lives are perfect as are His deeds.  He is jealous for us.  Why would we want another judge?

God also does not want us to be slave to sin so "He sent His one and only son" (John 3:16).  When we are set free from sin we are also set free to be who God intends for us.  He provides His Word (Romans 12:2), the Holy Spirit (John 16:13), and the Church all to sharpen (Proverbs 27:17) and grow us into who He intends for us.  God is great and we thank Him for being the judge who is able to not only call us to account but to call us to who we are made to be.

My Prayer: Lord You are a great God and apart from You I am nothing.  Thank You for how You have blessed me day after day.  Forgive me for my worry and help me overcome such sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Help me grow in my faith.  Please heal and cure Lisa of her cancer and the side effects from chemo and radiation.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin...and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward. But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults. v11-12

Psalm 19

By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward. But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults. v11-12

David asks a critical question here - "But who can discern their own errors?".  Yes, our Christian brothers and sisters can help us (see Proverbs 27:17, Matthew 18:15), but only God knows all aspects of all our sin, including our heart which is of course the key source of our sin.  It is ONLY through daily time with God and His word will He reveal to us our own sin and His message for us.

Come near to God and he will come near to you. James 4:8

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13

But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. Isaiah 59:2

...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. Romans 3:23-24

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, what an incredible God You are!  You are so full of love, patience, mercy, compassion, gentleness, joy, patience, etc.  Thank You!  I am not deserving of such a God.  I fail to dispense these fruits to others as You have to me.  Please forgive me Jesus!  Help me overcome such sin and turn towards You Jesus.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure Lisa of her cancer and the side effects from chemo and radiation.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin, and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message today and every day.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Satan is as deadly as Cancer
Ephesians 6

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. v12

There is certainly no doubt that evil is real, on the "prowl", powerful, and very deceptive - we must protect ourselves.  The devotion today devotes little focus on how.  Yet the verses before and after verse 12 speak directly to how we can protect ourselves and Romans 12 and other verses get more specific in this regard.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. Ephesians 6:10-11

...

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

 

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:13-18

...
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2

 ...

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

We MUST be in the word, stay rooted to Him, etc. - see also Deuteronomy 6, John 15.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You alone are my protector, in all things and all circumstances.  Thank You for You protect me daily...I know You are slow to anger and abounding in love...Thank You!  I am not worth such protection and love yet You are full of mercy anyway.  I often fail to be the man You intend for me - I should be sharing the Good News about You all the time yet I don't - please forgive me.  Help me turn from such sin and towards You.  Help me be more bold.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo and radiation.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin...and serve You!  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.

Revelation 22

I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll. v18-19

The Bible is God's word and indeed God Himself - perfect in all ways.  John is relaying the message from Jesus that we must be careful to quote or use the Bible partially, or to add to the Bible.  This message is elsewhere (with study credit to John McArthur*)
- *Deuteronomy 4:2 > Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you.
- *Deuteronomy 12:32 > See that you do all I command you; do not add to it or take away from it.
- *Proverbs 30:5-6 > Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.  Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.
- *Jeremiah 26:2 > This is what the Lord says: Stand in the courtyard of the Lord’s house and speak to all the people of the towns of Judah who come to worship in the house of the Lord. Tell them everything I command you; do not omit a word.

See also Luke 1:37, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, James 2:10

We must study the Word and focus on knowing ALL of it...this is God's desire.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God and Your Word is perfect as it reveals Your Character and I love studying Your Word and spending time with You.  You are my God and my guide...my Lord and Savior.  Thank You for being so patient with me and so full of mercy and compassion.  Please forgive me for my laziness in not being the man You intend for me...at work, at home, as a father, etc.  Help me overcome such sloth and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Help my desire for You grow and grow.  Please heal and cure Lisa of her cancer.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.