Faithful or Unfaithful?

Hebrews 13:5 … He hath said, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

Beautiful words, wonderful promise!

The first half of the verse says, “Let your conversation be without covetousness,” and verse 6 says, “so that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”

That tells me, there are things that can get in the way of God being our helper, of Him always being with us.  God will not leave or forsake us, but we can leave Him and forsake Him if we allow the desire of our heart to be turned from God by fleshly desires.

Verse 4 says, Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled, but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.

Think spiritually about these verses.  Have we covenanted with God to love Him and serve Him faithfully, with our whole undivided heart, soul, mind, and strength? And are we keeping that covenant?

The book of Hosea is a wonderful spiritual example of God and His people.  Desiring to leave this example for all of us, God told Hosea to take a daughter of whoredoms as his wife.  But in time, she was unfaithful to him, and returned to her previous lovers.  She was unable to find satisfaction in her unholy pursuits, and chose to return to her husband. Her husband had provided all for her, and she didn’t realize all the good he had done for her until she forsook him and he took all those blessings away from her.  In her destitute condition, he sought her, and won her heart back to him.

God used this as an allegory for the children of Israel. Chapter 4 shows their condition. Chapter 5 shows a backslidden people who seek God’s help and don’t find it, because they seek only for His help, but not to do His will.  God does not come to their aid, but waits for them to acknowledge their sin and to seek Him with a right heart and motive.  Chapter 6 is a call for them to repent. If they will come in true repentance, forsaking their sin, God will revive them.  Chapter 7 shows that, though God desires to heal, their continued sin stands in the way. They seek to the wicked nations around them, rather than returning to God wholeheartedly. Chapter 8 shows a people who claim to know God, but in all they do, they show their hearts and lives are contrary to God.  In Chapter 9, God declares his rejection of their “worship” of Him.  Chapter 10 further identifies their spiritual condition, which is the result of a divided heart.  In Chapters 11-13, God recounts Israel’s history of continual backsliding, and expresses His desire for a people that will seek Him with all their hearts, turning from all sin to serve Him faithfully in righteousness.  Chapter 14 is God’s promise of mercy and blessings if they will seek Him with a true heart of repentance and desire for God’s righteousness, forsaking all idols, worshipping God alone.

Revive Us, Lord!

I will pour water on him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground (Isaiah 44:3).

Oh, for showers on the thirsty land!
Oh, for a mighty revival!
Oh, for a sanctified fearless band,
Ready to hail its arrival. — Selected

Can we expect a revival ere the Lord’s return? Is the world so war-minded that we need not pray for revival until conditions are better?

Charles G. Finney said, “Would you have an awakening in your community, your church, your own lives? Then become the fuel, and a revival fire will be the result.”

The cost is high. “Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone, but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” Death to sin and self is the only roadway to power. Will we become God’s fuel in bringing this to pass? Let us give the answer to God in some quiet place today as we covenant to wait upon Him until He has flooded our own souls with Himself.

Lord, send a revival! Begin it today!

Revive us, Lord! Is zeal abating
While harvest fields are vast and white?
Revive us, Lord! The world is waiting;
Equip Thy Church to send the Light.

When naught whereon to lean remaineth,
When strongholds crumble to the dust,
When nothing’s sure but that God reigneth,
That, yes, that is the time to trust. —Author Unknown.

(from Streams in the Desert #2, April 3rd, Mrs. Charles E. Cowman)

Scripture Readings:

• Matthew 24:29-31
• Luke 6:21
• James 4:8-10

Gospel of Luke, Chapter 24

As part of “A New Christmas Tradition”, I am posting my thoughts on the Book of Luke as we read through one chapter per day in this month of December. I welcome you to read along, and share your thoughts in the comments.

Luke Chapter 24:

Verses 1-11: On Sunday morning, very early, the women returned to the tomb with the spices, prepared to anoint Jesus’ body for burial. They found the stone rolled away, but the body of Jesus was gone.  Two angels told them that He had risen, as He had told them He would.  They returned and told the disciples what they had seen, but the disciples didn’t believe them.

Verses 12: Peter (and John, Jn. 20:2-8), ran to the tomb and saw the linen clothes laid by themselves.

Verses 13-35: Jesus met with two on the road to Emmaus. They didn’t recognize Him at first, but as He spoke to them about the scriptures, and opened their understanding about their meaning, and when He sat to eat with them, breaking the bread and blessing it, they suddenly realized who He was. He immediately vanished, and they rose and went to find the eleven to tell them that Jesus was truly risen.

Verses 36-45:  Suddenly Jesus appeared in their midst. He reminded them that He had told them what was to happen to Him in fulfillment of the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms, and He opened their understanding of the scriptures.

Verses 46-49: He gave them a commission to preach the gospel message of salvation, and share what they personally had experienced and knew to be true. But He told them to wait in Jerusalem first, to receive the power of God.

Verses 50-53: He then led them to Bethany where He blessed them and was lifted up into heaven. They returned to Jerusalem with great joy, were continually in the temple, praising God.

Links to previous posts:

Resurrection

What God Did For Me