Posts Tagged ‘Inspiration’


Under Gods Command 

Jeremiah 1:5-8 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”  “Ah, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am only a child.” But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ You must go to everyone I send you and say whatever I command you.  Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord. 

 God knows us, as he knew Jeremiah, long before we were born or even conceived.  He thought about you and planned for you.  When you feel discouraged or inadequate, remember that God has always thought of us as valuable and that he has a purpose in mind for us.  If God gives us a specific task, accept it cheerfully and do it with diligence.  If God has not given us a specific call or assignment, then seek to fulfill the mission common to all believers to love, obey, and serve God until his guidance becomes more clear.

 Often we struggle with new challenges because we lack self-confidence, feeling that they have inadequate ability, training, or experience.  Jeremiah thought he was “only a child” to young and inexperienced to be God’s spokesman to the world.  But God promised to be with him.  We should not allow feelings of inadequacy to keep us from obeying God’s call.  He will always be with us.  When you find yourself avoiding something you know you should do, be careful not to use lack of self-confidence as an excuse.  If God gives you a job to do, he will provide all you need to do it.

 God does not keep us from encountering life’s storms, but he will see us through them.  In fact, God walks through these storms with us and recues us.


Under Gods Command

Genesis 30:22-24 Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and opened her womb.  She became pregnant and gave birth to a son and said, “God has taken away my disgrace.”  She named him Joseph, and said “May the Lord add to me another son.”

Eventually God answered Rachel’s prayers and gave her a child of her own.  In the meantime, however, she had given her maidservant to Jacob.  Trusting God when nothing seems to happen is difficult.  But it is harder still to live with the consequences of taking matters into our own hands.  Resist the temptation to think God has forgotten you.  Have patience and courage to wait for God to act.


Under Gods Command

Proverbs 15:14 – The discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly.

What we feed our minds is just as important as what we feed our bodies.  The kinds of books we read, the people we talk with, the music we listen to, and the films we watch are all part of our mental diet.  Be discerning because what you feed your mind influences your total health and well-being.  Thus, a strong desire to discover knowledge is a mark of wisdom.


Part 4 Conclusion : Sin has a way of catching up with you. 

Genesis 30:22-25:  So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast.  But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah and gave her to Jacob and Jacob lay with her, and Laban gave his servant girl Zilpah to his daughter as her maidservant.  When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn’t I? Why have you deceived me?

 Jacob was enraged when he learned that Laban had tricked him.  The deceiver of Esau was now deceived himself.  How natural it is for us to become upset at an injustice done to us while closing our eyes to the injustices we do to others.  Sin has a way of coming back to haunt us.


Under Gods Command

Sin has a way of coming back to haunt us

Part 1

Genesis 27:5 –10:  Now Rebekah was listening as Isaac spoke to his son Esau.  When Esau left for the open country to hunt game and bring it back, Rebekah said to her son Jacob, Look, I overheard your father say to your brother Esau, Bring me some game and prepare me some tasty food to eat, so that I may give you my blessing in the presence of the Lord before I die.  Now My son, listen carefully and do what I tell you. Go out to the flock and bring me two choice young goats, so I can prepare some tasty food for your father, just the way he likes it.  Then take it to your father to eat, so that he may give you his blessing before he dies.   

When Rebekah learned that Isaac was preparing to bless Esau, she quickly devised a plan to trick him into blessing Jacob instead.  Although God had already told her that Jacob would become the family leader, Rebekah took matters into her own hands.  She resorted to doing something wrong to try to bring about what God had already said would happen (25:23-26).  For Rebekah, the end justified the means.  No matter how good we think our goals are, we should not attempt to achieve them by doing what is wrong.  Would God approve of the methods you are using to accomplish your goals?


Proverbs 10:4-5  Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth. 5, He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son. 

 Every day has 24 hours filled with opportunities to grow, serve, and to be productive.  Yet it is so easy to waste time, letting life slip from our grasp.  Refuse to be a lazy person, sleeping or frittering away the hours meant for productive work.  See times as God’s gift and seize your opportunities to live diligently for him.


Under Gods Command

Isaiah 48:1 – List o this, O house of Jacob, you who are called by the name of Israel and come from the line of Judah, you who take oaths in the name of the Lord and invoke the God of Israel, but not in truth or righteousness. 

The people of Judah felt confident because they lived in Jerusalem, the city with God’s temple.  They depended on their heritage, their city, and their temple, but this was false security because they did not depend on God.  Do you feel secure because you go to church or live in a Christian County? Heritage, buildings, or nations cannot give us a relationship with God; we must truly depend on him personally, with all our hearts and minds.


Under Gods Command

Luke 17:1-5 “Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come.  It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.  So watch yourselves.  “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.  If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, ‘I repent, ‘forgive him.”The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea, and it will obey you. 

 Jesus warned about God’s wrath for those who offend and abuse.  How appropriate such a warning is in this day when corruption enters our homes every day in many television programs or on the internet.  While Christians must guard against physical abuse, they also must be aware of and work against the mental and spiritual corruption that unfiltered television and internet surfing can bring. 

To rebuke does not mean to point out every sin we see, it means to bring sin to a person’s attention with the purpose of restoring him or her to God and to fellow humans.  When you feel you must rebuke another Christian for a sin, check your attitude before you speak.  Do you love the person?  Are you willing to forgive?  Unless rebuke is tied to forgiveness’, it will not help the sinning person. 

This was a hard one for the disciples; they wanted the faith necessary for such radical forgiveness.   The amount of faith is not as important as its genuineness.  Faith is not something we use to put on a show for others; it is complete and humble obedience to God’s will, readiness to do whatever he calls us to do.   The amount of faith isn’t as important as the right kind of faith-faith in our all-powerful God.


Under Gods Command

Zephaniah 3:1-2 Woe to the city of oppressors, rebellious and defiled! She obeys no one, she accepts no correction

Do you know people who refuse to listen when someone disagrees with their opinions?  Their root problem is pride inflated self-esteem.  God’s people had become so proud that they would not hear or accept God’s corrections.  Do you find it difficult to listen to the spiritual counsel of others or God’s words from the Bible?  Don’t let pride make you unable or unwilling to let God work in your life.  You will be more willing to listen when you consider how weak and sinful you really are compared to God.


Isaiah 40:29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, and they will walk and not be faint.

 Even the strongest people get tired at times, but God’s power and strength never diminish. He is never too tired or too busy to help and listen. His strength is our source of strength. When you feel all of life crushing you and cannot go another step, remember that you can call upon God to renew your strength.