Daily Bible Blessing

DBB - 96



This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. (Psalm 34:6)
The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. (Psalm 34:17)
A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all; (Psalm 34:19)


What we can infer from these three verses is that the Lord is able to deliver and does deliver the righteous from all their troubles. This is not the only portion of the Bible where we read this. There are other verses that supports this fact. So we must believe that the Lord will deliver us too, if Jesus has become our righteousness.
David was hounded by several enemies, yet God delivered him from them all. He sang,
I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies. (Psalm 18:3)
Also....He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. (Psalm 18:17)
The enemy that pursues us may be strong, but we must remember that Jesus is stronger and that he will rescue us. He is the one who.....
....having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross and having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. (Colossians 2:14, 15)
Yes, he is able to deliver you and me from satanic foes and he will, when we call out to him. He says,
And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly......." (Luke 18:7, 8)
 
DBB-97




In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and to put it in writing: "This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: "'The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Anyone of his people among you - may the Lord his God be with him, and let him go up.'" (2 Chronicles 36:22, 23)


These parts of v.22 give us significant insights....in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah.........the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia.....
The facts that we can infer from them are that God's word finds fulfillment sooner or later and that God does move hearts.
God moved the heart of Cyrus, a gentile king, for granting permission for the temple to be built after the captivity in Babylon. God had great plans for this king, long before he was born. Isaiah prophesied these words that God gave him.............who says of Cyrus, 'He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please; he will say of Jerusalem, "Let it be rebuilt," and of the temple, "Let its foundations be laid."' (Isaiah 44:28)

As believers in Jesus Christ, we must believe that God's word to us will also be fulfilled in his time.
For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. (Habakkuk 2:3)
We must also believe that God can move hearts for us and is always working on our behalf as we continually pray to him.
 
DBB-98


"Like birds hovering overhead, the Lord Almighty will shield Jerusalem; he will shield it and deliver it, he will 'pass over' it and will rescue it." (Isaiah 31:5)

Shield, deliver, rescue......3 so very important words.....and this was the Lord's promise for Jerusalem; that he would shield, he would deliver and he would rescue. It is so evident that the Lord cared and still cares for his people. And you and me, we must know that he cares for us; us, who have put our trust in his son, Jesus Christ.
The Apostle Paul writing to the Thessalonians says,
And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men, for not everyone has faith. But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. (2 Thessalonians 3:2, 3)
Oppositions rose against Paul as he bore witness to Jesus Christ among the gentiles and he was often persecuted. There were times when he did not have anyone to support him or defend him. Wicked and evil men persecuted him and he barely escaped their clutches on many occasions. He wrote this to Timothy,
Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done. You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message. At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion's mouth.(2 Timothy 4:14-17)
The watchful eyes of the Lord were upon him always. He was there to shield, deliver and rescue him and Paul was confident of this, so he wrote,
The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (2 Timothy 4:18)
Though Paul died a martyr's death, as he wrote, God was with him continually and rescued him from every evil attack till it was time for him to enter God's heavenly kingdom.
The promise is for us too...........the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect us from the evil one. He will shield, he will deliver and he will rescue. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
 
DBB-99



This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. (1 John 3:11)


John, the Apostle placed a lot of emphasis on this one command that the Saviour gave before he went to the cross for saving humanity from eternal death. This was what the master said.....
Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. (John 13:34)
And the apostle reminds us and all who read his epistle of the same.
And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. (1 John 3:23)
Repeatedly he exhorts his readers that love is very important, for, as he puts it, love comes from God.
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.(1 John 4:7)
Many believers fail in this matter because of various reasons. There are some who don't even love their own family members, leave alone others. Among the initial churches established by the apostles, there was often lack of love and we read in the epistles, several exhortations from them, to overcome this shortcoming and love each other genuinely.
The Apostle Paul wrote to the Colossians,
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. (Colossians 3:12-14)
Let us then humbly accept this command of the Lord and live as sons and daughters of the Most High.
No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. (1 John 4:12)
 
DBB -100


If the axe is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed but skill will bring success. (Ecclesiastes 10:10)

Seriously, one wouldn't venture to fell a tree without sharpening the axe. But it does happen frequently and then alas! the one wielding the axe realizes the folly. Many who are called to God's work follow in the same vein; some getting frustrated in the process and some burning out fast. A call to God's work usually calls for preparation for the task, according to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Of course, there are few who are commissioned by God for immediate action, but the norm is, action after preparation. The period of preparation varies with individual to individual and the work called to. God remains in control all through, if one submits to him while being readied for the task.
The temptation to walk ahead of God or run ahead of him remains a great danger. To cite an example....One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. Glancing this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. The next day he went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, "Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew?" The man said, "Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?" Then Moses was afraid and thought, "What I did must have become known."When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian......... (Exodus 2:11-15)
In his heart, Moses knew that he could possibly save his people from the cruel Egyptian bondage, but alas!it was not God's time. He did something in his own strength and it backfired.
God's call came to him 40 years later, when Moses was 80 years old and no longer keen for heroics. Thus he tried to stall God's call by giving several excuses, but finally God made him do what he intended him to do.....leading his people out of Egypt en route to the promised land.
Age 40 and Moses was bubbling with enthusiasm to save his people minus God's direction and age 80, he wanted nothing to do with God's glorious plans and that's why he said, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it."(Exodus 4:13)
A period of 'no active work' in a minister's life could be God's call to wait upon him in prayer and time to sharpen the axe, whatever the gift or talent be. God's timing is perfect and we should stick to his schedule, rather than ours.
 
DBB-101

Follow justice and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the Lord your God is giving you. (Deuteronomy 16:20)

A righteous God, he always desired his chosen people, the Israelites, to be just in their dealings, so he gave them a promise for following justice...and justice alone.....they would live and possess the land that he was giving them. But many of them failed to keep this requirement and could not enjoy the fullness of his promise.

One of things that God commanded them regarding this matter was that the should not pervert justice. He was clear in his instructions. He told them,
Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd..... (Exodus 23:2)

But this is one thing that happened frequently then and keeps happening even now...........following the crowd.
Jesus set an example for us, by not following the crowd and by not perverting justice by siding with the crowd. We must follow in his foot steps.

There was even a curse reserved for them who perverted justice in the days of the Law. It said,
"Cursed is the man who withholds justice from the alien, the fatherless or the widow." ........(Deuteronomy 27:19)

How would it be if we have promise of a glorious inheritance but not being able to inherit it because of perverting justice?
That would be a tragedy, to say the least.
God wants his chosen ones to experience the fullness of his promises, but that is achievable only when they walk according to his ways and ........following justice and justice alone is one of the prime requirements.
 
DBB-102

Joshua told the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you." (Joshua 3:5)
Consecration means to declare or set apart as sacred. Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. Consecration is the act of dedicating something to God, sanctifying it and making it holy. Different combination of words from different sources; all pointing in one direction and Joshua wanted the people he was leading in to the promised land of Canaan to be such...set apart for Almighty God. And God too was particular regarding this matter. He wanted the people whom he had chosen to be different; set apart for himself; living for him. And that is what God asks of us too; us, who have been redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ.
During the journey to the promised land, God wanted the Israelites to obey Moses, their leader, so he told Moses, "I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear me speaking with you and will always put their trust in you. Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes and be ready by the third day, because on that day the I will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people."
God reminded his people time and again that they were consecrated-set apart for him and his purposes......
I am the Lord your God, who has set you apart from the nations. (Leviticus 20:24)
You are to be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own. (Leviticus 20:26)
And we as believers in Jesus Christ....as we go about living our lives, here on earth, with its ups and downs, must acknowledge the fact that we have been set apart for God and his purposes and so, live for him and bring glory to his name always.
 
DBB-103

After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward. "(Genesis 15:1)
Do we consider the Lord Jesus Christ as our "very great reward"?
At a time when Abram very greatly desired a child, God Almighty told him that he himself was Abram's shield and very great reward. Abram lamented,
"O Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?" "You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir."
Sometimes believers wonder why God takes so much time in answering their prayers. He remains quiet about issues that greatly disturb them.
That's exactly how Abram felt, so the question.....what can you give me since I remain childless.
God's reply was comforting and reassuring, though he did not immediately give Abram a time frame as to when he would have a child.
"This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir. Look up at the heavens and count the stars - if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be."
That was a big, big promise, but the best thing about Abram was that he believed God he credited it to him as righteousness.
And till the promise of the offspring was fulfilled, God kept reminding him of the promise. Finally, when Abraham was 99 and Sarah 89 years old, God gave him a time frame. He said,
Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son." (Genesis 18:14)
And God was faithful regarding fulfilling his promise to Abraham. And mind you, he has not changed. He will fulfil every promise that he has given you and me too.
The best promise of all being......For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17)

Praise the Lord.
 
DBB-104

I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me and what the king had said to me. They replied, "Let us start rebuilding." So they began this good work. (Nehemiah 2:18)
What the enemy destroyed had to be rebuilt and Nehemiah received grace from God to do it. As he said, the gracious hand of God was upon him and God gave him like minded friends, so they began the good work. The walls of Jerusalem lay in ruins in many places after the Babylonian invasions and God placed the burden of rebuilding the walls upon a cup bearer (to King Artaxerxes) named Nehemiah who was among the exiles who returned from Babylon. He mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. He prayed to God for granting him favour in the presence of the king and he received it.
There were many oppositions to the work and Nehemiah had to battle in prayer and answer his enemies wisely on all occasions, trusting in God rather than his own might. He was ridiculed and mocked and threatened by his enemies.......
Tobiah the Ammonite, ...........said, "What they are building - if even a fox climbed up on it, he would break down their wall of stones!" (Nehemiah 4:3)
Also our enemies said, "Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work." (Nehemiah 4:11)
Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: "Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono." But they were scheming to harm me; (Nehemiah 6:2)
False prophets and a prophetess intimidated Nehemiah, yet he remained steadfast in prayer and built the walls and the gates completing the task in 52 days.
Opposition to the work that God has given us to do is common, but we have to persist in prayer and work (like Nehemiah) and not give up. Sometimes we may not be able to achieve as much success as we did, say in the past year or years, still we must work and work hard.
God will defeat our enemies and we will be able to complete the task that God has given us.
 
DBB-105

To each of them he gave new clothing, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver and five sets of clothes. (Genesis 45:22)

People do amazing things when they love someone deeply from their heart. Here Joseph shows his love to his younger brother Benjamin by giving him much more than he gave to his other brothers. Long back, his father Jacob had showed his deep love for Joseph by giving him a richly ornamented robe. His brothers hated him for that and Joseph underwent a lot of persecution from them and finally landed in a different country. Now things had changed and he had great power and riches.
He loved his younger brother very much and could not and did not hide it when he met him after many many years.

We read in Genesis 43 & 45,
When portions were served to them from Joseph's table, Benjamin's portion was five times as much as anyone else's.......(Genesis 43:34)
Then he threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin embraced him, weeping. (Genesis 45:14)

Much greater is God's love for you and me. The Bible says,
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.(John 3:16)
He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?(Romans 8:32)

And the love of Jesus.....for the Father....and for us, was (and is) so deep that he.... made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:7, 8)

Isaiah prophesied,
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. (Isaiah 53:3-5)

Salvation, eternal life, peace and healing for all who believe.
 
DBB-106

I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer. (Psalm 17:6)

The psalmist here affirms his faith in God, because he had experienced answers to his prayers and that makes him pray again for God to give ear to his prayer. Prayer is one of the most vital links between a believer and God; probably can say that it is "the" vital link. In many Psalms, we read of the Psalmists crying to God, "Hear my prayer" or "Listen to my prayer". In this Psalm, the Psalmist David starts by saying, "Hear, O Lord, my righteous plea; listen to my cry. Give ear to my prayer - it does not rise from deceitful lips. (Psalm 17:1)"

Praying with guile in one's heart is a great hindrance to receiving answers to prayer, so David checked himself to be sure that there was no deceit in him while he prayed. He is sure of being innocent at heart and so he tells God, "Though you probe my heart and examine me at night, though you test me, you will find nothing; I have resolved that my mouth will not sin. As for the deeds of men - by the word of your lips I have kept myself from the ways of the violent. My steps have held to your paths; my feet have not slipped. (Psalm 17:3-5)"
In Psalm 51, where David confesses his sins and prays for cleansing from God, we can sense how much he missed his close relationship or fellowship with God because of him committing sins. He cried out..... Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. (Psalm 51:10-12)
He realized that God delighted more in a humble and contrite heart rather than sacrifices. We, as believers are a praying people, so we must make it a point to check our hearts continually to see whether there is any guile in us, because that then will be a hindrance to us receiving answers to our prayers from God Almighty. Let us submit ourselves to God as Jesus did; let us make it a point to follow in his footsteps..........During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. (Hebrews 5:7)
 
DBB-107

The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard him say it. (Mark 11:12-14)

Mark, the gospel writer mentions that it was not season for figs; yet Jesus went to find out if the tree had any fruit. Nothing strange regarding that if one knew the real story of the fig tree. By the time of the passover, there should have been small forerunners of figs on this tree which had leaves, but Jesus did not find any. These small knobs of fruit called "Taqsh" was plucked by people to satisfy their hunger while travelling. And the fact remains that if a fig tree does not put out these small knobs of fruit, their won't be real figs that year. But Jesus' dealing with the tree symbolized much more than what the disciples thought. Here was a nation whom God had chosen and given much, but there wasn't any fruit to be seen; not even forerunners of the fruit. And so the stern response.

We can be "all leaves" Christians without any fruit and there remains the risk that God deals strictly in such cases.

We read of another fig tree in another parable mentioned by Jesus....Luke writes, "Then he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, 'For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?' "'Sir,' the man replied, 'leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.'" (Luke 13:6-9)

It was 3 years since Jesus had been proclaiming the kingdom of God, but there were not many takers among his own people. Of course, there were huge crowds following him because of the miracles, but most of the Jews did not want to take the narrow path that he preached. And so the parable of a fig tree planted in a vineyard but not bearing fruit for 3 years in a row. It was using up soil; the owner wanted it to be cut down; but the man who took care pleaded that the tree be given some more time....another year...eventually judgement came upon the nation because of their failure to bear fruit.

Jesus tells you and me this day, "This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. (John 15:8)".
Let us then, fulfil this desire of our Saviour and bring glory to our Father in Heaven.
 
DBB-108

For you have been my hope, O Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth. (Psalm 71:5)

As a youth, when he was still a shepherd, David had trusted in God Almighty and made him his confidence. It did not end there; as the king of a nation, he needed God's help continually and he received it as long as he walked with God. But there were times when he took things for granted regarding his relationship with God and then fell in to trouble like when he numbered Israel's fighting men and had illicit relations with another man's wife. But these he repented of, when God chastised him and his fellowship with God Almighty was restored.

In the same psalm, David once again affirms this sentiment of God being "his hope".....
But as for me, I will hope continually, And will praise You yet more and more. (Psalm 71:14)

Standing in the presence of King Saul and being told that he (David) was no match for the giant Goliath who was threatening Israel, did not deter David from professing his hope and confidence in God. He said, ""Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." Saul said to David, "Go, and the Lord be with you." (1 Samuel 17:34-37)

Is God your hope and your confidence? If yes, blessed are you. Hoping continually in God is what we must all do, despite the circumstances being contrary. Then we will see deliverance from our troubles. David experienced this from the Lord on myriad occasions, so he proclaimed, "Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed; he answers him from his holy heaven with the saving power of his right hand.(Psalm 20:6)"

This day and everyday, proclaim that God is your hope and your confidence. And praise him continually for being that.
 
DBB-109

"You have said, 'It is futile to serve God. What did we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord Almighty?' (Malachi 3:14)

Sometimes, thoughts like these pass through the minds of believers. After doing things in a right manner, if deliverance doesn't come at the expected time, frustrations can surface. "What more should I do Lord", is the heart cry that rises. But we must remember that God is merciful and more compassionate than we can ever imagine. He sets the time for the deliverance and when it comes, it comes quick, though we may think it was delayed. The taunts of the enemy during the waiting period can be distressing and can batter whatever hope remains.

The waiting can sometimes be spiritual hunger for experiencing the touch of God and is accompanied by a soul-mourning condition. One of the Psalmists went through such a state and he lamented, "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, "Where is your God?" (Psalm 42:1-3)"

But the best part of it all for a believer is that God never leaves nor forsakes and his Holy Spirit is always at work even when one can't bring words to the mouth while in prayer due to the dejected state that one is in. The Bible says,
"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. (Romans 8:26)"

There's hope for you and me because we serve a Saviour who went through all the griefs and pains that we go through and he understands. Let the afflicted among you assure your selves this day, that your Saviour will do wonders for you once again and that he will reign supreme over all matters of your life.
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)
 
DBB-110

Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well."(Luke 17:19)

One thing that God honours and rewards is 'faith'. Even during Jesus' earthly ministry, he openly commended them who showed him their faith, whether they were Jews or Gentiles. What we read above is him commending the faith of a leper who was cleansed or healed. Actually there were 10 lepers who cried out to Jesus, "Master, have pity on us". The gospel writer Luke gives us the facts as it happened.......

Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus travelled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!" When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him - and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well." (Luke 17:11-19)

If 'what God honours and rewards is faith', 'what God loves is a heart filled with gratitude'. There were 10 healed but only 1 came back to thank Jesus; and he was not a Jew, but a Samaritan. (Where are the other nine?)....The question that Jesus asked then, is relevant even today, because many receive his blessings but fail to praise God or thank him for the same.
The question that we must ask ourselves today is.........are we like the nine who were ungrateful or are we like the one healed leper who praised God with a loud voice, fell at Jesus feet and thanked him?
"How can I repay the Lord for all his goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. (Psalm 116:12, 13)
 
DBB-111

But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. (2 Timothy 4:5)

Keeping one's head in all situations is easier said than done, but that's what the Apostle Paul asks young Timothy to do among other important things.
Different Bible translations have interesting versions of the phrase (keep your head in all situations)
be sober in all things.....NASB
be calm and cool and steady....AMPLIFIED BIBLE
be clear-minded in all......GREEN'S LITERAL TRANSLATION
keep a clear head about everything....CHRISTIAN STANDARD BIBLE
watch thou in all things....KJV
be watchful in all things.....NKJV

We read of the Apostle himself losing his cool once, but he immediately realised it and corrected himself. It happened thus......
Then Paul, looking earnestly at the council, said, "Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day." And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. Then Paul said to him, "God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! For you sit to judge me according to the law, and do you command me to be struck contrary to the law?" And those who stood by said, "Do you revile God's high priest?"Then Paul said, "I did not know, brethren, that he was the high priest; for it is written, "You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people."' (Acts 23:1-5)

Be sober, be calm and cool and steady, be clear minded, be watchful....keep your head in all situations......
Paul's exhortation is not only for Timothy, but for all of us who have put our trust in Jesus Christ.
It may not work out always, but try we must, by fixing our eyes on Jesus and keeping the Apostle's exhortation in mind.
 
DBB-112

You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. (Psalm 32:7)

Those who have the Lord Jesus Christ as their 'hiding place' can rest secure, because he is their protector and deliverer. The fiery darts of the enemy will only rebound from the shield (your lord) that protects you.

The Bible says that... .....The Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. (2 Thessalonians 3:3)

AND

He is a shield for all who take refuge in him. (Psalm 18:30)

The enemy will cower before you because the Lord who loves you will rise up to fight for you. Yes....The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." (Zephaniah 3:17)

So....................Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. (Isaiah 60:1)
 
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Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: (Philippians 2:5)

24 years after heeding the call of God and becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ and a minister of the Gospel, when the Lord asked me to preach on the above verse, I asked myself whether, after all these years, my attitude was now, as that of Jesus Christ.
It also reminded me of God speaking to Abraham, that great icon of faith, 24 years after he had set out heeding the call of God. Abraham was 99 years old and this is what God had to say to him: "I am God Almighty ; walk before me and be blameless." (Genesis 17:1)
Did I hear that right?.........I am 99.......Blameless?
Abraham never read the King James Version, I guess, for in that, this verse called for something more.
I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. (Genesis 17:1) (KJV)
Perfection is what God desired then and perfection is what Jesus desires now from his disciples.
In Jesus' own words......Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:48)
Is perfection possible? Perfection like the Father, that too? No where near it I would say; far from it, to put it bluntly.

Paul, the Apostle grappled with this thought and he wrote to the Philippians...
I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:10-14)

That's exactly what God desires from me and you too when he says, "Be Perfect"
He desires that we press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus has taken hold of us.
..............Press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus.

SO...Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. (Hebrews 10:23)
AND...........do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. (Hebrews 10:35)
 
DBB-114

"Agreed," she replied. "Let it be as you say." So she sent them away and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window. (Joshua 2:21)

Rahab was a prostitute who hid the Israelite spies sent by Joshua to spy the land of Jericho. She was kind to them and saved them from the king's soldiers who came searching for them at the command of the king. She acknowledged the sovereignty of God Almighty and requested them to show kindness to her and her family when Joshua and the Israelites took over the land. They agreed, but also told her, " "This oath you made us swear will not be binding on us unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother, your brothers and all your family into your house. (Joshua 2:17, 18)
And she said, According unto your words, so be it. And she sent them away, and they departed: and she bound the scarlet line in the window. (Joshua 2:21)

Tying the scarlet line in the window turned out to be a great blessing to her and her family, for when Joshua and the Israelites invaded and destroyed Jericho, she and her whole family were saved.

Notable here is the fact that she tied the scarlet line soon after she let down the spies. Perhaps she could have waited and pondered over what the spies had said; perhaps held a discussion with her family, before tying the line, but no; she did not waste time. She did what she had to, for the deliverance of her family.

Oh, I forgot, is what we hear from many mouths, regarding important spiritual matters. But that can be avoided, if we choose to act wisely saving precious time.

Another thing that we can learn from her story is that God doesn't forget the good that one does for His children or His servants. He remembers and rewards bountifully in his wonderful ways.

Here's an exhortation from the writer of Hebrews to all...
God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. (Hebrews 6:10-12)
Shall we say an "Amen" to that?
 
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Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:3-5)

The Israelites gathered at Shiloh and set up the Tent of Meeting there. Canaan was brought under their control, but there were still seven Israelite tribes who had not yet received their inheritance. So Joshua said to the Israelites: "How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the Lord, has given you? He then, devised a plan and finally all tribes except Levi received their inheritance. The Levites, did not get a portion because the priestly service of the Lord was their inheritance.

Every earthly inheritance that one receives is temporary, for as the Psalmist sings, "The length of our days is seventy years or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away. (Psalm 90:10)
But the Apostle Peter speaks of another inheritance; one that can never perish, spoil or fade....one that is kept in heaven for those who have been born again.
Like a newborn coming into a new world after being in the mother's womb, a person who experiences the new birth in Christ is born in to a living hope; a hope that one does not have without knowing Christ. There are others who live with a false hope that their works will save them, only to enter eternity and realise their folly; but then it is too late.

No doubt, earthly inheritances have importance, though temporarily and God gives as he wills, but our concern should be of that which the Lord has kept in heaven for us. An inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade and an inheritance that can be experienced and enjoyed without time limits.
The question then comes, "How can one (I/You) be sure?"
The Apostle Peter answers that very promptly in the same passage...."who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation"

YES.......By faith a child of God can proclaim, "I will receive my heavenly inheritance as the Lord has promised."

Like Joshua asked the 7 tribes, "How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the Lord, has given you?", here's a question for the one who is still in two minds regarding the validity of the new birth through Jesus Christ......"How long will you wait before you take possession of the heavenly inheritance that God wants to give you through Jesus Christ?".....LET IT NOT BE A BIT TOO LATE.
 
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