James 1-8.23.22
SCRIPTURE:
James 1:19-21
"My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral fifth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you."
OBSERVATION:
James, the brother of Jesus was a leader in the Jerusalem church. He wrote this letter expressing his concern toward his dearly loved brothers and sisters in Christ regarding their behavior.
He highlighted 3 areas: sinful anger, immorality, and indifference to needy people.
UNDERSTANDING:
As we hear The Word of God and pray that the Holy Spirit will help us want to obey it, He will help us want to put it into practice. The key to attaining right Christian behavior is hearing the Word and obeying it! James exhorted his fellow Jewish believers to be doers of the Word, NOT JUST HEARERS!
LIFE APPLICATION:
When I hear and receive the implanted Word, I am allowing it to renew my mind, and when my mind is renewed, I become transformed, and am more in tune with God's voice.
I pray as my love for the Lord continues to grow, and as I receive the implanted Word into my heart, that I will become a better listener to God and to others, and that I will be better at putting His Word into practice.
-Robin Orefice
Psalm 55-8.22.21
Scripture
Psalms 55:22 NLT
“Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.”
Observation-What does it say?
In this psalm, David is surrounded by his enemies. His enemies are threatening him, hunting him down and to top it all off, one of his closest friends has betrayed him. David is overwhelmed with his troubles. So what does David do? He cries out to God.
Understanding-What does it mean?
Forget 911. I’m calling God for help!
When I was in the U.S. Marines, we were known as America’s 911 Force. The number 911 has always been associated with the phone number you call in case of an emergency. So, it has always been embedded in us since we were kids to dial this number whenever we were in trouble and in need of help. From the sounds of things in this psalm, David needed to dial 911. It seemed that everyone was out to get him. Even someone he thought he could trust, (his best friend), had turned his back on him during David’s most desperate time of need. So what’s David to do?! I’ll tell you what David did. David “brings out the big guns.” David calls out to God. You see, David knew that nothing was too big or too small that God couldn’t handle. David had seen God’s faithfulness time and time again, not only for himself, but for his people, (the Israelites ), before him. So if the God of the universe is on your side, what’s stopping you from calling out to Him?
“If God is for us, who can be against us?” -Romans 8:31b
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”-Philippians 4:6-7 NIV
“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”-1 Peter 5:7
“Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.””-Matthew 11:28-30
Life Application
When’s the last time you called out to God?
There are so many verses in the Bible that encourage us to turn to God for anything and everything! He is there waiting for us with open arms. He is never too busy for us. He desires that intimate relationship with each and everyone of us. He is a friend we can call during the good times and the bad times. So don’t just call on Him whenever we need something. But also call on Him to seek what He needs from us. It’s a relationship. It takes the both of us. Love is a two way street. God desires to bless us and do the “heavy lifting” if we are to seek and trust Him. So seek Him. Trust Him. See how much He loves us. His love will never fail us.
“The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.”-Lamentations 3:22-23
-Moses Gaddi
Hebrews 12 - 8.19.22
Scripture - What stood out?
Hebrews 12:11-13
No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.
Observation - What does it say?
The author continues to encourage the Jewish believers of Jesus that their faith in Jesus must remain steadfast, to battle against wrong teaching and sin, comparing this struggle to God’s loving discipline for our lives. “…Submit to the Father of spirits and live!”
Understanding - What does it mean?
With all the damage I have done to myself personally, Lord, I took that encouragement literally. There are numerous bible commentators who believe that You were telling us to firm up our spines, to stand up a little bit taller – for (those who do not know you yet) are watching us and it is for them we must stay strong! Reading these words were exactly what I needed to hear Lord. It is so easy for me to get distracted by looking at everything but the eyewitness testimony provided to us in these books. Thank you Holy Spirit for pointing out these life giving words to me. I had been looking towards that terrible ‘woe is me’ path (I’m quite familiar with that path, Lord). And I absolutely needed to be told today that my eyes need to stay focused on the true prize:
And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.
Life Application - How can I apply this to my life today?
Thank you my Lord Jesus. I needed to hear these words today. I needed to hear them. Thank you Holy Spirit for highlighting this verse to me! I choose to strengthen my feeble and weak arms today both figuratively and literally. Today, Lord, as I go about my day restoring my body into good health I will remind myself once more of Who I am a representative of. Who I keep my eyes fixated on. For while I run this race looking towards you, there are those who look on still unsure of where to go. Grant me strength today Lord. In the name of Jesus do I pray, amen.
-kenneth lee