One of the blessings of being a Christian is our intimacy with God the Father. But closeness with the Lord can also tempt us to treat Him too lightly by failing to recognize His holiness or treat Him with the adoration He deserves. Joshua’s response to God’s appearance has much to teach about proper reverential fear for the Lord.
- He approached the Lord in order to speak with Him. God is holy, but through Jesus Christ, we can freely and confidently approach Him to receive help and grace.
- He fell on his face in humility, submission, and dependence. This is the same attitude we need to have whenever we come to God in prayer or through His Word.
- He asked what the Lord had to say to Him. As we read Scripture, we too should ask the Lord to speak to us and teach us His ways.
- He worshipped God with immediate obedience. If we read the Word without obeying it, we demonstrate that we do not truly fear the Lord.
What we need in our relationship with God is a balance between familial intimacy and holy fear. Consider whether the way you approach Him might need some adjustment.
Believe it or not, many people who attend church choose to ignore God’s truth because they don’t like hearing sermons that convict or demand a change. But we tend to be guilty of doing the same thing when we pick and choose what to read in the Bible.
When you open God’s Word, do you read only verses that encourage, comfort, or promise blessings? Are you reluctant to tackle the more difficult passages, which prick your conscience and call for obedience? Do you avoid sections that make you feel guilty about the way you are living?
If you find yourself reacting strongly to a passage of Scripture or a sermon, then you ought to take an honest look at yourself. God’s Word is meant to cut into the deepest recesses of our soul and spirit. But the hope is that we then run to Jesus, our High Priest, in confession and repentance in order to receive forgiveness and cleansing.
Christ sympathizes with our weaknesses and invites us to draw near to God to receive grace and help. The convicting passage of Scripture may cause momentary discomfort, but those who listen and take their burden to Jesus find sweet relief
Context is important to our understanding of God’s Word and His ways. But I repeatedly hear one promise quoted without consideration of surrounding ideas that explain it. People often tell me, “God said He would give me the desires of my heart, so I’m trusting Him to do that.” Before we can lay claim to this promise, we must notice one of the conditions in the first half of the We are to delight ourselves in the Lord (Psalm 37:4).
What does this mean? Delight is a high degree of pleasure, satisfaction, and gratification. Although we may readily claim that we feel this way about God, the proof is in our desires and actions. Do we long to know Him and take time each day to read His Word? Are we eager to meet with Him in prayer? Is He in our thoughts throughout the day, or do we forget about Him for long stretches of time?
We must also read this promise in the context of the other verses that speak about trusting the Lord and committing our ways to Him. In other words, God is the focus—not our desires. When we truly delight in Him, His desires become ours, and we want only what is in line with His will.
Why do we have such a hard time extending forgiveness to others? Perhaps one reason is that it doesn’t seem right. Justice demands that there be repayment or punishment for wrongdoing. However, we are not the ones who have the authority to retaliate. To do so amounts to usurping God’s role, which is just as sinful as what was done to us.
This ungodly attitude is evident in the hearts of many—sadly, including Christians. So let’s uncover the dark truth behind it. This destructive landmine of unforgiveness ...
Demonstrates an unwillingness to extend to others the forgiveness the Lord has graciously extended to us (Eph. 4:32).
Plants a root of bitterness in our heart, which poisons us, causes trouble, and defiles others (Heb. 12:15).
Hinders God’s sanctifying process in our life, because we grieve the Spirit by holding onto anger, resentment, or vengeance (Eph. 4:30-31).
Instead of demanding justice now, Paul encourages us to bless and do good to those who persecute us. We can never overcome evil with sinful attitudes and actions, but only with good. For now, we must trust God and leave vengeance to Him.
God’s sovereignty extends over all things. He is omniscient (all-knowing), so nothing is hidden from His sight. And since He is omnipotent (all-powerful), no plan of His can be thwarted. Everything in both the natural and spiritual realms—including our salvation—is under His complete control.
Since sin has darkened minds and hardened hearts, man is excluded from the life of God (Eph. 4:17-18). Therefore, we can take no credit for our salvation. Our rescue began in the heart and mind of God, who chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4). God is the one who opened our minds to understand the truth of the gospel, convicted us of our sin, and gave us the faith to believe in Jesus as Savior. From first to last, all of salvation is God’s gift to us.
Why did He reach out to save us? Several repeated phrases in today’s passage give the reason. It was “according to the kind intention of His will” and “to the praise of the glory of His grace” (Eph. 1:5-6). We are the beneficiaries of God’s kindness and salvation, by which the spotlight falls on His glorious grace—not on us.
