- araratchurch
- Mar 1, 2024
- 4 min read
“The Lord preserves the simple; I was brought low, and He saved me.“
Psalms 116:6 NKJV
You are probably aware of the “Proverbs 31” woman. What you may not realize is that all of chapter 31 of Proverbs is the advice given to King Lemuel by his mother. [We don’t really know who this “King Lemuel” was. Some say it was actually Solomon. Others say it was Hezekiah. But whoever he was, he had a very wise mother.]
Before the description of the “virtuous woman,” his mother offers some other very important advice:
“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.“
Proverbs 31:8-9 NLT
Not only was this good advice for one who would be a good king, it is actually what God requires of all those in positions of power.
You see, God is Himself One Who makes a practice of lifting up the lowly, mightily using the discounted, and advancing the marginalized.
“A father of the fatherless and a judge and protector of the widows is God in His holy habitation. God places the solitary in families and gives the desolate a home in which to dwell; He leads the prisoners out to prosperity; but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.“
Psalm 68:5-6 AMPC
“He raises the poor out of the dust, And lifts the needy out of the ash heap, That He may seat him with princes— With the princes of His people.“
Psalms 113:7-8 NKJV
Indeed, the Lord strengthens the weak and helps them soar above their adversity.
“O Jacob, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles? O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights? Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.“
Isaiah 40:27-31 NLT
The apostle Paul pointed out that God makes a habit of mightily using those who are despised by their peers.
“For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.””
I Corinthians 1:26-31 NKJV
Now, we all know what it feels like to find ourselves out of options. We know how it feels to try to find comfort “between a rock and a hard place.” Oh how wonderful it is to know that when we get to the end of ourselves, the Lord is ready and willing to help. As a matter of fact, the Lord will not help those who are not yet aware of their own poverty.
“In the same way, you who are younger must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.“
1 Peter 5:5-7 NLT
Sadly, some people must face a crisis that robs all their resources, exhausts all their options, and leaves them desolate, before they will humble themselves before the Lord.
But, whether you are humbled by your circumstances, or you willingly humble yourself, the Lord will respond to your cry for help.
In our opening scripture we see the psalmist has been brought low by circumstances. But when he called to the Lord for relief, the Lord heard and answered.
In part of my spiritual journey I found myself with no one to rescue me. But, the Lord strengthened me to be able to overcome hell’s minions without the intervention of anybody else, except for Him.
Child of God, if you have found yourself at the end of your rope, please know that the Lord will help you! It’s Who He is. He is the Hope at the end of your rope!
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
- araratchurch
- Feb 29, 2024
- 4 min read
“Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; Yes, our God is merciful.“
Psalms 116:5 NKJV
King David had displeased the Lord by numbering the people of Israel and Judah.
When Joab brought David the results of the nine-month long census project, David was stricken with condemnation and sought the Lord for forgiveness.
In answer to David’s plea, the Lord sent the prophet Gad, David’s seer, to offer David three punishments.
“‘So Gad came to David and told him; and he said to him, “Shall seven years of famine come to you in your land? Or shall you flee three months before your enemies, while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days’ plague in your land? Now consider and see what answer I should take back to Him who sent me.” And David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Please let us fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man.””
2 Samuel 24: 13-15 NKJV
David, given the three choices presented him, chose to fall into the hand of the Lord, leaving the punishment to be decided and executed by God.
You see, David knew what Adam and Eve did not know at the point of their sin. Rather than running to the Lord with their failure, they tried to hide from the Lord.
“Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.“
Genesis 3:7-8 NKJV
Indeed, David had learned that his Shepherd would send goodness and mercy behind him everywhere he went.
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.“
Psalms 23:6 NKJV
As well, David knew that as one who feared the Lord, he had access to an endless supply of mercy. He also knew that the Lord doesn’t bring our confessed sins back up to us.
“The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;“
Psalms 103:8-11 NKJV
In one of my favorite scriptures, Jeremiah describes the mercy of God this way:
“Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!” The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him.“
Lamentations 3:22-25 NKJV
Paul, in his letter to Titus, shared that the great mercy of God had brought the hope of eternal life through Jesus Christ.
“But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.“
Titus 3:4-7 NKJV
Yes, through Christ we can confidently ask for God’s grace, being assured that He will help us!
“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.“
Hebrews 4:15-16 NKJV
As dramatic and difficult was my illness, and the spiritual journey experienced through it, I know that it was all a function of God‘s mercy. First of all, the Lord saved my physical life at the beginning of the illness onset. As well, the Lord saved me from having to continue operating under this previously unrecognized area of His displeasure Satan was using as a weapon against me!
In our opening scripture we see that the psalmist, after having been delivered from death, extols the great mercy of God.
Friend, whether you have never sought the mercy of God through repentance, or whether you have failed in your Christian walk of righteousness, don’t hide like Adam and Eve did. Rather, run quickly, run boldly, to the throne of grace to access God’s great mercy! Do it today!
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
- araratchurch
- Feb 28, 2024
- 3 min read
“The pains of death surrounded me, And the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me; I found trouble and sorrow. Then I called upon the name of the Lord: “O Lord, I implore You, deliver my soul!”“
Psalms 116:3-4 NKJV
Probably the loneliest place to be, is in the place of facing death. Now, whereas we all know that this body, unless the Lord returns first, must be laid down, facing the possibility of imminent death, is quite another issue.
Indeed, there are people who had everything they desired, everything they wanted, so much wealth that we can’t begin to imagine, yet they could not save themselves from death.
Death is a result of original sin. It takes the high and mighty as well as the low and powerless.
But there is One Who can deliver us, even from death.
In terms of physical death, there is no way to know how many times we have narrowly escaped death. As well, we all probably know of actual situations that should have resulted in our death had it not been for the intervention of God’s unseen Hand.
As I have shared with you, the spiritual journey came just after such another clear intervention by the Lord, preventing my death.
You see, the only one who can deliver you from death is the Lord.
“Our God is the God of salvation; And to God the Lord belong escapes from death.“
Psalms 68:20 NKJV
As the Lord reminded His people, there is no other Savior.
“Yet I am the Lord your God Ever since the land of Egypt, And you shall know no God but Me; For there is no savior besides Me.“
Hosea 13:4 NKJV
The wonderful thing about our Savior is that He not only can, and has saved us from physical death, He has made a way for us to overcome spiritual death. Indeed, He holds the keys of death and hell!
“I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.“
Revelation 1:18 NKJV
Yes, someday we will be given a new immortal body. Death will no longer be a fact of life for us.
The apostle Paul gave these comforting words:
“Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?”“
I Corinthians 15:51-55 NKJV
And, when the judgment of God is finished, Death and Hades will be cast into eternal destruction!
“And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”
Revelation 20:12-15 NKJV
In our opening scripture we see that the psalmist, facing death, cried out to the Lord to deliver him. And, He did deliver him.
Child of God, I don’t know what you may be facing right now. You may be facing a bad diagnosis. You may be facing a level of stress that makes you feel like you can’t go on. You may be struggling with the death of a loved one, or death in general, but let me tell you this: Our Savior has overcome death. Death is not the boss of Him, and death is not the boss of you.
Thank God, through Jesus Christ, we need no longer fear death. We can have the confidence of David, who, when facing death, trusted his Shepherd to deliver him.
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.“
Psalms 23:4 NKJV
Child of God, the Lord can deliver you from the threat of physical death! But best of all, He has delivered you from the second death! Trust Him today! He is with you!
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!