"...all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city will fall down flat..." Joshua 6:5
In this story it is not the marching around the walls of Jericho that bring them down. It is not the "shout of faith" that brings down the walls. The walls come down because of the might and power of the living God. However, if the people had not shouted with a great shout, the walls of the city would not have fallen. It is an act of obedience. It is the exercise of faith in the promise of God.
God had not said, "I will give you the city", but "I have given you the city." Faith is always built on God's Word. His promises are certain. But most of them are conditioned upon the exercise of our faith. So true is this that the writer of Hebrews recorded this incident this way, "By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days."
What promises are important to your life today? What is going on that leads you to the Word of God and calls on you to exercise faith and thus to shout in victory? God cannot lie, and He loves you with a never failing love. His promises are certain. All of the inheritance of the Christian life is ours through Jesus Christ. Ephesians 1:3 says that He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Talk is Cheap
"This people honors me with their lips but their heart is far from me." (Matt. 15:8)
The incident that prompted these Words from Jesus was a concern by the Pharisees about men's tradition as opposed to God's desires. The disciples had not performed the ritualistic hand cleaning before eating. Jesus quotes the prophet Isaiah in this comment. He goes on to say, "in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men."
Stop for a moment and think about the reality of our worship. How often do we associate it with a place and a style of a service. In fact, too often we confuse the priorities of God. We substitute a worship service for worship in service. (Roman 12:1-2). How much of what we do is the traditions of men as opposed to what God desires.
When Saul acted very presumptuously to offer a sacrifice to God without a priest, the prophet delivered the message of God that obedience was more important than sacrifice. How often are we guilty of giving lip service to God instead of true worship? Isn't our ultimate act of worship found in obeying? I think so.
The incident that prompted these Words from Jesus was a concern by the Pharisees about men's tradition as opposed to God's desires. The disciples had not performed the ritualistic hand cleaning before eating. Jesus quotes the prophet Isaiah in this comment. He goes on to say, "in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men."
Stop for a moment and think about the reality of our worship. How often do we associate it with a place and a style of a service. In fact, too often we confuse the priorities of God. We substitute a worship service for worship in service. (Roman 12:1-2). How much of what we do is the traditions of men as opposed to what God desires.
When Saul acted very presumptuously to offer a sacrifice to God without a priest, the prophet delivered the message of God that obedience was more important than sacrifice. How often are we guilty of giving lip service to God instead of true worship? Isn't our ultimate act of worship found in obeying? I think so.
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