We read the words of the prophet Zechariah and our thoughts turn to Jesus Christ, our Saviour. In Him, we have God’s fulfilment of the promises given by God through the prophet Zechariah – “I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph … I will strengthen them in the Lord …” (Zechariah 10:6, 12).
Showing posts with label strength. Show all posts
Showing posts with label strength. Show all posts
Let Christ’s Love Give You Strength - To Keep On Serving Him.
So many instructions - Don’t get bogged down in details. Remember this: We do not live by an ethic of legalism. This is an ethic of redemption (Exodus 21:1-2). Forget the God of redemption, and you have nothing but a lot of rules and regulations. Become obsessed with rules and regulations, and there will be no room for the Redeemer and His redemption. ‘Earmarked’ for Jesus, we are to ‘serve Him for life’ (Exodus 21:6). No turning back! We are bound to Him by love - not law! What love He has for us! Exodus 21:30 speaks of ‘ransom’ and ‘redemption’: What great words of the Gospel (Mark 10:45; 1 Peter 1:18-19)! ‘Eye for eye...’ (Exodus 21:24) - This limits vengeance. Remember: Love is the answer - not vengeance (Leviticus 19:18)! Let Christ’s love give you strength - to keep on serving Him (Galatians 2:20; Philippians 1:6).
We Need To Listen Well If We Are To Hear The Voice Of The Lord In Today’s World.
2 Kings 19:1-37
‘Do not be afraid because of the words you have heard’(6). Who are you listening to - the world or the Lord? Sometimes, the voice of the world seems to be so loud - so loud that we can hardly hear the voice of the Lord at all. We need to listen well if we are to hear the voice of the Lord in today’s world. When we are discouraged, we need His Word of encouragement: ‘The zeal of the Lord will do this’(31). When you feel like saying, ‘I can’t’, remember this: ‘Our God is able’- ‘able to help those who are tempted’, ‘able to provide you with every blessing in abundance’, ‘able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think’(Daniel 3:17; Hebrews 2:18; 2 Corinthians 9:8; Ephesians 3:20). Don’t say ‘I can’t’. Say, ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthen me’(Philippians 4:13).
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com
‘Do not be afraid because of the words you have heard’(6). Who are you listening to - the world or the Lord? Sometimes, the voice of the world seems to be so loud - so loud that we can hardly hear the voice of the Lord at all. We need to listen well if we are to hear the voice of the Lord in today’s world. When we are discouraged, we need His Word of encouragement: ‘The zeal of the Lord will do this’(31). When you feel like saying, ‘I can’t’, remember this: ‘Our God is able’- ‘able to help those who are tempted’, ‘able to provide you with every blessing in abundance’, ‘able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think’(Daniel 3:17; Hebrews 2:18; 2 Corinthians 9:8; Ephesians 3:20). Don’t say ‘I can’t’. Say, ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthen me’(Philippians 4:13).
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com
Wisdom To Know God’s Will And Strength To Do God’s Will
2 Kings 14:17-15:22
Throughout life, we are faced with choices. Some of our choices are very important. Some are relatively unimportant. Everything can seem so complicated. Even the less important decisions appear to be very difficult. It’s very confusing. You wonder what to do. You don’t know which way to turn. In all of life’s decisions, there is no more important choice than this: What will I do - ‘evil in the eyes of the Lord’(14:24; 15:9,18) or ‘right in the eyes of the Lord? (15:3). You’re wondering what to do. You’re looking for guidance. Here’s a prayer you can pray: ‘Send your light and your truth. Let them guide me’(Psalm 43:3). Jesus is ‘the Light’ and ‘the Truth’(John 8:12; 14:6). Keep looking to Him, asking Him to be your Guide. He will give you wisdom to know God’s will and strength to do God’s will.
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com
Throughout life, we are faced with choices. Some of our choices are very important. Some are relatively unimportant. Everything can seem so complicated. Even the less important decisions appear to be very difficult. It’s very confusing. You wonder what to do. You don’t know which way to turn. In all of life’s decisions, there is no more important choice than this: What will I do - ‘evil in the eyes of the Lord’(14:24; 15:9,18) or ‘right in the eyes of the Lord? (15:3). You’re wondering what to do. You’re looking for guidance. Here’s a prayer you can pray: ‘Send your light and your truth. Let them guide me’(Psalm 43:3). Jesus is ‘the Light’ and ‘the Truth’(John 8:12; 14:6). Keep looking to Him, asking Him to be your Guide. He will give you wisdom to know God’s will and strength to do God’s will.
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com
Our Strength Is Not In Ourselves. It Is In The Lord.
1 Kings 20:1-43
Sometimes we say, ‘I can’t’, when we mean, ‘I won’t’! We are ‘busy here and there’- too busy for God, for doing His will, for obeying His Word. Is this a case of ‘I can’t’? No! It is ‘I won’t’. We choose. We decide how we will use our time. God looks at our life. He sees what is most important to us and He says, ‘You yourself have decided it’. He sees that our choices have been self-centred rather than Christ-centred. He says, ‘So shall your judgment be’(40). Can we change? Yes! God says, ‘Come, strengthen yourself, and consider well what you have to do’(12). There is a decision to be made. We must be obedient to God’s Word: ‘Be strong in the Lord’ (Ephesians 6:10). Our strength is not in ourselves. It is in the Lord. Wait on the Lord and renew your strength (Isaiah 40:31). ‘Strengthen yourself’- in the Lord.
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com
Sometimes we say, ‘I can’t’, when we mean, ‘I won’t’! We are ‘busy here and there’- too busy for God, for doing His will, for obeying His Word. Is this a case of ‘I can’t’? No! It is ‘I won’t’. We choose. We decide how we will use our time. God looks at our life. He sees what is most important to us and He says, ‘You yourself have decided it’. He sees that our choices have been self-centred rather than Christ-centred. He says, ‘So shall your judgment be’(40). Can we change? Yes! God says, ‘Come, strengthen yourself, and consider well what you have to do’(12). There is a decision to be made. We must be obedient to God’s Word: ‘Be strong in the Lord’ (Ephesians 6:10). Our strength is not in ourselves. It is in the Lord. Wait on the Lord and renew your strength (Isaiah 40:31). ‘Strengthen yourself’- in the Lord.
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com
Our True Strength Does Not Come From Ourselves. It Comes From The Lord.
Judges 6:11-7:14
‘We are weak but He is strong’(Church Hymnary, 418). In himself, Gideon was weak (15). In the Lord, he was ‘a mighty warrior’. Gideon was full of questions. God said to him, ‘Go... I will be with you’(6:12-16). Our true strength does not come from ourselves. It comes from the Lord - ‘Our help is in the Name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth’(Psalm 124:8). Gideon’s true strength came from ‘the Spirit of the Lord’(34). We must always remember Jesus’ words, ‘Without Me you can do nothing’(John 15:5). Consider Gideon’s weakness. Consider your own weakness. Rejoice in God’s power. Never say, ‘My own hand delivered me’. Our testimony must always be this: ‘...God has given...’(7:2,14). ‘It is the gift of God...lest any man should boast’(Ephesians 2:8-9).
Judges 7:15-8:35
‘For the Lord and for Gideon’(7:18). Notice who comes first. It is not Gideon. It is the Lord! ‘The men of Israel’ attached too much importance to Gideon - ‘Rule over us... you have delivered us’. Gideon gave all the glory to God - ‘I will not rule over you... the Lord will rule over you’(8:22-23). What happens when people make too much of the man and not enough of the Lord? - As soon as the man is taken away from them, they forget the Lord (33-34). It seems like they were just waiting to turn away from the Lord. The moment Gideon was no longer there to keep an eye on them, they were back to their old ways again (33)! We must never let the servant of the Lord become more important than the Lord. When God’s servant has become a distant memory, we must keep on ‘remembering the Lord our God’(34).
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com
‘We are weak but He is strong’(Church Hymnary, 418). In himself, Gideon was weak (15). In the Lord, he was ‘a mighty warrior’. Gideon was full of questions. God said to him, ‘Go... I will be with you’(6:12-16). Our true strength does not come from ourselves. It comes from the Lord - ‘Our help is in the Name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth’(Psalm 124:8). Gideon’s true strength came from ‘the Spirit of the Lord’(34). We must always remember Jesus’ words, ‘Without Me you can do nothing’(John 15:5). Consider Gideon’s weakness. Consider your own weakness. Rejoice in God’s power. Never say, ‘My own hand delivered me’. Our testimony must always be this: ‘...God has given...’(7:2,14). ‘It is the gift of God...lest any man should boast’(Ephesians 2:8-9).
Judges 7:15-8:35
‘For the Lord and for Gideon’(7:18). Notice who comes first. It is not Gideon. It is the Lord! ‘The men of Israel’ attached too much importance to Gideon - ‘Rule over us... you have delivered us’. Gideon gave all the glory to God - ‘I will not rule over you... the Lord will rule over you’(8:22-23). What happens when people make too much of the man and not enough of the Lord? - As soon as the man is taken away from them, they forget the Lord (33-34). It seems like they were just waiting to turn away from the Lord. The moment Gideon was no longer there to keep an eye on them, they were back to their old ways again (33)! We must never let the servant of the Lord become more important than the Lord. When God’s servant has become a distant memory, we must keep on ‘remembering the Lord our God’(34).
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com
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