August 30th 2015
Good News, God Is Patient With Those He Has Chosen!
1 Thessalonians 5: 9-10 (NLT)
For God decided to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. He died for us so that we can live with him forever, whether we are dead or alive at the time of his return.
Many of those depicted in the Bible as God’s chosen people seemed to be very human, as they had some very normal problems. They even had trouble believing what God told them, and then often had trouble doing what God plainly told them to do. Does that sound familiar to you? It does to me! Do you ever wonder if God really knows the problems you experience, and more importantly, does He really care? The psalmist captured a thought that may help us better understand, how detail oriented God is through His love for us. You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book. (Psalm 56:8 NLT) God records every tear you shed, and keeps them! Now that is detail oriented!
Today, in this commentary, I’m going to let God speak to us through His Book. The Bible is His gift to us, and therefore, needs to be read, every day! Following are some incidents taken from His Word about some of the people He chose to do the work He wanted them to do on this earth. Notice their reactions may be similar to how we would react. Notice also, that God is willing to change your situations, if you just ask Him!
Hezekiah was one of the kings of the Israelites who did what God wanted, most of the time, anyway! When God told him it was time for him to die, he cried, and cried out to God, and God decided to give him more time on this earth. Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the LORD came to him: "Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the LORD. I will add fifteen years to your life. (2 Kings 20: 4-6a) God granted him fifteen more years to live, because he asked!
Jonah tried to run from God, and to avoid doing what God wanted him to do. So God sent a big fish to deliver him to where God wanted him to be. When Jonah had been vomited up by the fish, he was where God wanted him to be, but he still had to do what God needed him to do. And the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land. Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: "Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you." Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh. (Jonah 2:10 – 3:3) On the second try, Jonah decided to do what God had commanded him to do. The rest of this story is interesting too; it is recorded in the Bible in the book named Jonah. This is a good story to read, as it makes you realize how stubborn we humans can be.
If you wonder how many times you can question God, and still find His favor, just read the following accounts, and be amazed at how much God will put up with.
Remember the judges were the chosen leaders of the Israelites during a long period of time. This book is very interesting, as it tells how these chosen people behaved, and continually questioned God’s commands to them. And/or put God to the test! Gideon said to God, "If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised—look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing-floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said." And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water.
Then Gideon said to God, "Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece. This time make the fleece dry and the ground covered with dew." That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew. (Judges 6:36-40)
In the New Testament we get to read about Peter, and how he often spoke without thinking, or responded to crisis situations in a bad way. However remember, through a great faith he did get out of the boat, and did walk on the water with Jesus! Do you ever consider getting out of the boat for Jesus? That is to say are you willing to do what Jesus asked you to do, when it does not seem like something you can do! The following verses are not about when Peter failed in some way, they relate to Jesus acclaiming Peter to be the first leader of Christ’s church on this earth. These do reflect Peter’s honesty and truthfulness. When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs." Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?" He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep." The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep. (John 21:15-17)
Because of what Jesus did, God chose everyone to be His representatives on this earth; your choice is to accept His choice of you! If you have, listen to what Paul tells us we need to do, to the best of our ability. Since God chose you to be the holy people whom he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. You must make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. (Colossians 3: 12-13) Forgiveness is a great and difficult command to obey!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
1 Thessalonians 5: 9-10 (NLT)
For God decided to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. He died for us so that we can live with him forever, whether we are dead or alive at the time of his return.
Many of those depicted in the Bible as God’s chosen people seemed to be very human, as they had some very normal problems. They even had trouble believing what God told them, and then often had trouble doing what God plainly told them to do. Does that sound familiar to you? It does to me! Do you ever wonder if God really knows the problems you experience, and more importantly, does He really care? The psalmist captured a thought that may help us better understand, how detail oriented God is through His love for us. You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book. (Psalm 56:8 NLT) God records every tear you shed, and keeps them! Now that is detail oriented!
Today, in this commentary, I’m going to let God speak to us through His Book. The Bible is His gift to us, and therefore, needs to be read, every day! Following are some incidents taken from His Word about some of the people He chose to do the work He wanted them to do on this earth. Notice their reactions may be similar to how we would react. Notice also, that God is willing to change your situations, if you just ask Him!
Hezekiah was one of the kings of the Israelites who did what God wanted, most of the time, anyway! When God told him it was time for him to die, he cried, and cried out to God, and God decided to give him more time on this earth. Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the LORD came to him: "Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the LORD. I will add fifteen years to your life. (2 Kings 20: 4-6a) God granted him fifteen more years to live, because he asked!
Jonah tried to run from God, and to avoid doing what God wanted him to do. So God sent a big fish to deliver him to where God wanted him to be. When Jonah had been vomited up by the fish, he was where God wanted him to be, but he still had to do what God needed him to do. And the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land. Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: "Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you." Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh. (Jonah 2:10 – 3:3) On the second try, Jonah decided to do what God had commanded him to do. The rest of this story is interesting too; it is recorded in the Bible in the book named Jonah. This is a good story to read, as it makes you realize how stubborn we humans can be.
If you wonder how many times you can question God, and still find His favor, just read the following accounts, and be amazed at how much God will put up with.
Remember the judges were the chosen leaders of the Israelites during a long period of time. This book is very interesting, as it tells how these chosen people behaved, and continually questioned God’s commands to them. And/or put God to the test! Gideon said to God, "If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised—look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing-floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said." And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water.
Then Gideon said to God, "Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece. This time make the fleece dry and the ground covered with dew." That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew. (Judges 6:36-40)
In the New Testament we get to read about Peter, and how he often spoke without thinking, or responded to crisis situations in a bad way. However remember, through a great faith he did get out of the boat, and did walk on the water with Jesus! Do you ever consider getting out of the boat for Jesus? That is to say are you willing to do what Jesus asked you to do, when it does not seem like something you can do! The following verses are not about when Peter failed in some way, they relate to Jesus acclaiming Peter to be the first leader of Christ’s church on this earth. These do reflect Peter’s honesty and truthfulness. When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs." Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?" He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep." The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep. (John 21:15-17)
Because of what Jesus did, God chose everyone to be His representatives on this earth; your choice is to accept His choice of you! If you have, listen to what Paul tells us we need to do, to the best of our ability. Since God chose you to be the holy people whom he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. You must make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. (Colossians 3: 12-13) Forgiveness is a great and difficult command to obey!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
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