December 18 – Unthwarted Purposes

“Then Job answered the Lord and said, “I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.” – Job 42:1-2 (NASB)

In all the books of the Bible, there is none that matches the Book of Job. It is a story of God giving permission to Satan to test one of His own. Job was an extremely wealthy man. Some say the most wealthy of his time – sometime after Babel and before Abram. With permission from God Satan laid on Job the most serious trials in an effort to get Job to curse God and turn from his faith in God. Job lost everything except his wife and his own life. It was a stiff trial and very difficult to understand for a man who loved and followed God all his life. At the end and after hearing many recriminations from his so-called friends, Job confessed the words in today’s verses. He acknowledged God’s sovereignty over his life and all life. Nothing that God purposed to do can be thwarted is the promise we have. Have you a promise from God? Believe it friend and know that God will never renege on any promise he makes. His love for us is perfect and his grace has saved us if we have believed in Him.

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September 3 – Grace Given Before Time Began

 “...who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,” – 2 Timothy 1:9 (ESV)

The very first words in the Bible are; “In the beginning God created…” An important truth from these words is that there was ‘a beginning’ of time. Before God created all the rest he created time. It was before the ages began. “Time, ‘like an ever-rolling stream,’ flows on and on and on. But before it even began we were already included in the gracious purpose of God.”* And God purposed to give us grace ‘before times of the ages’ as the words are literally translated. That grace of God was hidden, and it is part of the “mystery” given to the Apostle Paul for him to reveal to the world.  In Colossians 1:26 Paul also wrote, “the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations,” Grace from God for us, hidden from before the foundation of the world was in the Old Testament only dimly discerned by those who believed. But it in the New Testament it “has now been revealed or manifested.” When we think of grace, we think of Jesus our Savior, anointed by God  for the purpose of saving his people from their sins (Matthew 1:21).

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* William Hendriksen and Simon J. Kistemaker, Exposition of the Pastoral Epistles, New Testament Commentary, (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953–2001), 4:232–233.

February 25 – United in True Unity

“Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.” – Philippians 2:1-2 (NASB)

Our passage today from the letter to the Philippians, written by Paul the Apostle continues an appeal he made in chapter one. (Let’s remember that chapter divisions and verse markings were applied 1150 and 1500 years later.)  

In Philippians 1:27, Paul wrote about living our Christian life in harmony with the message on which it is based. He followed that message with a call to show spiritual unity. This unity is possible because of the reality of the four qualities mentioned in 2:1. The “if” clauses speak of certainties, about realities, not questionable things. So in this passage “if” may be translated “since.” Paul appealed on the basis of any encouragement from being united in Christ; any comfort from His love; any fellowship with the Spirit; and any tenderness and compassion. We are exhorted furthermore to demonstrate unity in practical ways. This unity is ours in Christ. Our expression of spiritual unity results in complete joy for all. Matching the four realities are four specific ways in which our spiritual unity will be understood. We will find ourselves being like-minded, sharing and showing the same love; united together as one in spirit; and focused on one common purpose.

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July 15 – Steps to Follow

“For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth: and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;”  -1 Peter 2:21-23  (NASB)

We live in a day where accusations are hurled and people are reviled simply for holding opposite opinions.  Especially for those who claim Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. When we step out and proclaim the truth we hold, it is common for allegations of all kinds to be claimed of our character, and intelligence.  Our promise today is the example of Jesus and how He conquered bitterness. There had never been any person more grievously sinned against then Jesus. Instead of receiving the honor He was worthy of, Jesus was dishonored more than any other man. As a man we would think Jesus had the right to be angry and bitter and even vengeful. How did Jesus overcome this?  How did Jesus control His reaction when they spit in His face? He had faith in his Father’s righteous judgement. Jesus did not need to avenge Himself and when we suffer indignities for proclaiming faith in Jesus, we don’t need to do so either.  He left us an example of how He reacted and calls us to follow Him in those steps. Don’t strike back. Leave the vengeance in God’s hands. Continue in faith to proclaim the Good News.

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June 13 – A Divine Confidence

“The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.”  -Psalm 138:8  (ESV)

When we believe the promises that God has given us and see their fulfillment, it is good for us to take the time to express our confidence in the promises.  Earlier in this Psalm the author, David claims that when he called, God answered his call and gave him the needed strength.  Our promise here is that our LORD God will do the same for us fulfilling His purpose for us.  His purpose, not necessarily our purpose unless we are in alignment with God’s will.  We believe David was in alignment and desired God’s purpose in his life.  Another translation says, “The LORD will accomplish what concerns me.”  And yet another renders the words “The LORD will vindicate me.”  Whatever God’s purpose for each of us is, our God will fulfill it, He will accomplish all that concerns us, and if we need vindication, He will do that as well.  All in all we depend on God fulfilling His promises and He never forsakes that because his love is steadfast, His mercy is forever. God will not walk off the job of fulfilling His word to us leaving it unfinished. We have divine confidence because He has promised.

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February 17 – Right on Schedule

“…which he [God] lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.”  - Ephesians 1:9-10 (ESV)

Despite the political uncertainty and military unrest in the world today, we can be assured that God is in control.  The word translated “mystery” is a Greek word that does not mean “mystery” as we think of it. For us a mystery is something strange, an enigma,  even a weird phenomena This is the common understanding. It is used in Paul's letters to mean a “secret”–something that has been kept hidden, something previously unrevealed. But now God has revealed his secrets to us through those whom He inspired to write the Bible–especially the New Testament. These secrets which are often identified as the mystery and unrevealed before Christ came into our world, were revealed to the Apostle Paul and others.  The revelation of the risen, ascended and glorified Lord is set forth in this passage where Paul is reminding us of the promise that Jesus Himself is the sum total purpose of human history. In Jesus Christ, the Son of God, all things will be summed up and all accounts settled and made right—all human history will be resolved and united to the Father through the work of the Son. 

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December 28 - All Things Good All Things Bad

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”   Romans 8:28  (NASB)

This is the time of the year that we are seeing and hearing the reflections of 2019.  What are the biggest stories or events?  What so-called important people died?  Some of us take account of the path of our life over the past 12 months.  And this brings to mind some good things that brought joy and happiness.  It also brings the memory of some things not so good, even bad and difficult things that happened to us or our family and friends.  Our verse of promise today tells us the we can be assured that all the things good and bad, without exception, have been worked together for our good by God.  The bad and even evil things He has overpowered and woven into a plan of good things for us.  This is for those who love God and those who are the called according to His purpose.  Those who do not yet know or love God do not have this promise.  But we know all things end up as part of God’s good plan for all who belong to him. 

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October 10 – It Will Be Done

“The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.”  - Psalm 138:8  (ESV)

When faced with the most difficult circumstances and the world seems to be piling it on toward our destruction, God is with us and He is not giving up on accomplishing His purpose in us or for us. Without the promises God has given us we would be very miserable people from time to time in our lives.  Especially those times when we anxiously fear what our future holds and uncertainty .  Recognizing that there are those who do not believe in God or even that He exists, we who do believe can know that God is watching over us and He has a purpose for us in this life on earth.  Our promise today is that God will fulfill His purpose both here and hereafter when we are with Him in heaven.  God's love for us is steadfast, never wavering and will last forever.  We too can have this hope which is assurance that God will not forsake His work, it will be accomplished by His hand for His glory. Let's think about this today and rest in this promise.   

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October 6 – All Things Indeed

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”  -  Romans 8:28  (NASB)

Our selected verse is often used to comfort ourselves and others when we have experienced some crisis.  Health, accident, career upheaval, marital conflict, death, or whatever we would rather avoid experiencing if we could.  It is a good truth for times like these,  but it is more than just for crisis times.  It is a promise that we can take to heart every day as we go forth.  God knows all things and the outcome of all things before all things even happen to us.  He loves us and we have come to love God.  We believe He has a purpose for us in all we think, say, and do.  God is weaving the events of our lives into His plan.  Yes indeed, His plan is good and glorious and He can take our efforts and all the things we do and encounter and experience, and weave them into that good plan He has determined for us.  After all we are His because He has called us.  His call is according to what He has determined for us and it is His purpose.

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June 22 – There Is A Purpose

“And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.”  2 Corinthians 5:15 (NIV)

The Apostle Paul is speaking of Jesus Christ as he writes these words in his second letter to the believers in Corinth, Greece.  For there are many reasons and many purposes that brought Jesus obediently to the cross and His death by crucifixion.  The reason given here is that it was for all people.  There was and is only one way to please God in this life and that is by accepting what He did for us.  This reminds us of what God wants us to do in return.  He died for us and now we no longer live for ourselves.  Jesus knows those of us who have believed in Him and He expects that this will have an effect on how we live.  He wants us to live for Him so that our actions, activities, and attitudes will bring glory to Him.  We are called to this each day, to follow not our own personal goals and ideas but to look to Jesus for His guidance and then trust Him for the ability and strength to follow in His steps.  Let's do so today.

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March 6 – The Bottom Line of God's Love

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”  Romans 8:28  (NIV)

So many of the verses we read in this blog are familiar to those who have walked with Christ in faith believing for a long time.  Our verse today reaffirms our belief that we have a wonderful God who is caring for us in the big and small things of our life.  God watches over all and He knows each of us who really know and love Him.  He has promised that no matter what happens to us in our life and no matter what we encounter, whether it is good or bad, easy or difficult, and whether it brings happiness or sorrow, He knows about it.  And for us who love Him and are called by His will and for His purpose, the bottom line of all these things eventually result in what is good for us.  This does not mean that we always know what is really for our good but we can trust our loving heavenly Father to know what is good for us.  Not a promise that everything will end up being easy or enjoyable but it does mean that nothing will ever rob us of what we have been promised.  When we face situations and circumstances that threaten our well being, God knows and in the end, what we receive will be good.  This is His purpose and His promise.  

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September 4 – Accomplished Intentions

“So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:11 (NASB)

We can find in our Bible the purpose God has in providing it.  God has given us His Word in the Bible because He wants it to accomplish something whenever anyone reads it.  Also whenever anyone teaches or preaches its message.  God want His word to produce results in our lives.  For that to happen we need to have the proper attitude when we read it or hear it read.  We need to believe God's Word and we need to obey it.  It is not the cleverness or skill of the preachers or teachers that will change lives.  God accomplishes His purposes when His Word is faithfully proclaimed because He will take care of the result.  Our promise today is a promise about God's Word.  When ever it goes forth by whatever means or media, it will always accomplish what God desires.   It will accomplish its intended purpose just as rain and snow accomplish the purpose of watering the earth.

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August 12 – Staking No Claim

“Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God,”  2 Corinthians 3:4-5 (ESV)

Today's verse selection is a testimony by the Apostle Paul.  He wrote about the source of his ability to carry on the work God had given to him.  The apostle was a very intelligent man and a very capable person.  He had an impressive resume.  But he knew that his personal abilities were not sufficient to do anything of eternal value.  He recognized that it was God who had been accomplishing His works through him.  The wonderful truth in all this is that God does work through human personalities, He is working in your life my friend, to perform His purpose.  And what is our responsibility?  It is to admit our inabilities and to allow God to work through us.  We give God the credit through praise and worship for what He is doing.  We don't take credit for the work that God does with us, it is all for His glory.  The rest, as Paul told the Philippians is worthless, rubbish.  But what God does with us is sufficient to accomplish what He intends to do.  

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June 19 – Purposes Fulfilled

“The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.” Psalm 138:8 (ESV)

Many promises given to us by God in the Bible are fulfilled and realized when we exercise our faith.  David, the author of this Psalm knew that God had a  purpose to carry out in his life. The same is true for each of us who believe. God has a plan for each of us and it is based on His steadfast love for us which springs from his lovingkindness.  We can all trust God as David did knowing that He loves us and always will love us. As we trust in His love which will always be and will never end; and as we allow Him to do what He wants to do in our lives and for His glory, He will continue to accomplish His plan for each of us.  God is concerned with everything and every detail of our lives and He is working all of it together as long as we allow Him to by following Him in faith. We can trust that God will never forsake the work of His hands in our lives. 

March 30 – Good Friday – Finished for Us

“Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.” John  19:30 (NASB)

All the words which Jesus spoke while he was suffering and dying on the cross are important, but the last words He spoke mean very much to all of us who have believed in Him.  Earlier than these words recorded in the Gospel of John, we learn that Jesus knew that it was done. He said, “knowing that everything had now been finished.” Jesus knew that His death was accomplishing His Father's purpose in sending Him to this earth.  He came to pay the price for bringing us into God's family.  He paid the penalty for our sins when He died for us. So after hanging on the cross for about six hours, enduring the separation from His Father which our sins had caused, He knew that God's purpose was accomplished and so He declared it accomplished.  The way was open for you and for me to come to God to have our sins forgiven. When Jesus said, “It is finished,” he was declaring a promise for us. Through His sacrifice and death, we are forgiven.

March 10 – Rain and Word

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:11 (NASB)

As we write these words today we can say that we have had a lot of rain in our area. It is an opportunity, perhaps, to reminds ourselves of a lesson God teaches us about rain through the writings of the prophet Isaiah. God says that rain comes for a purpose, and He uses it to help us grow our food. He likens the purpose and process of rain to the spreading of His Word.  How wonderful to know that God has revealed himself in His Word and we have His Word in our Bible. When God speaks to us through the Bible, let's remember that He does it for a purpose. God wants to make us more like Himself. He has other purposes too when He talks to us through His Word. Let's be sure we're listening and we're obeying so that God can fulfill his purpose in and through us. 

January 31 – Accomplishes All Things

“I will cry to God Most High, To God who accomplishes all things for me.” Psalm 57:2 (NASB)

Psalm 57, where our verse is from today, was written by David. He composed this song while hiding in a cave* from those who wanted to kill him. In spite of the precarious situation David was in, he was trusting in the Lord. He knew that God had a purpose for his life. Even though the picture was dark for a time, David knew that God was in control. We can be sure that God has a purpose for each of our lives. We can also be sure that God is in control of things. He is able to work things out to fulfill the plans that He has in mind for us. Let's keep turning to Him for what we need for every hour of every day. The promise we have today is that God will accomplish all things for us – all things means all things, nothing is left undone by God. 

*Cave of Adullam

November 15 – God's Advance Planning

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)

While we read and think on this verse let's be sure to notice that the emphasis is on God and His plans for us. It's not on what we do for God but on what He does for us. When the verse speaks of our being created by God it really means our being born again – our re-creation because of what Jesus did for us. It is God who makes that happen and makes us His child and give to us eternal life. That makes us the work of God – we are His workmanship. God has a purpose in this and it is that we will do what He gives us to do. We will tend to the work He gives us. Good works in our lives comes after His work in our lives. And all this was prepared and planned in advance. It is God's plan that comes together for our benefit. 

September 27 – Steadfast Love

“The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.” Psalm 138:8 (ESV)

What a wonderful promise begins our verse. How wonderful it is to believe and know that our Lord God will complete and fulfill His purpose for each of us. The psalmist David knew this to be true and says so in this verse. This confirms for us that God has a special purpose for each of us and He is watching over us with a steadfast love that never changes. He knows and sees our reactions to difficulties in our life and here promises to us that he is with us forever. What God has given us to do he will help us do because this purpose is His work in our lives and the lives of others. We can depend on Him to not forsake this work – it is the work of His hands and He will accomplish it because of His love is a steadfast love.

September 18 – Freely Given

“What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.” 1 Corinthians 2:12 (NIV)

Our God knows what our needs are and He is very eager that we know how much He cares. Our verse today makes that clear. We trust that all who read this daily blog remember that when a person believes in Jesus as Savior, at that very time, the Holy Spirit comes to live within that person. Our verse today reminds us what His purpose is within us. He has come to help us understand what God has freely given us. Yes, that is His ministry in each of our lives. He is here to help us realize how much God has given us and how much He wants to continue to give us.  Let's listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit each day and let's open our hearts to receive what He offers us.