Jeremiah 5:30-31

An appalling and horrible thing Has happened in the land: The prophets prophesy falsely, And the priests rule on their own authority; And My people love it so! But what will you do at the end of it? NASB

The people of Jeremiah's day were in a very dangerous place. They knew God, knew about His commandments and the consequences of disobedience, and yet they continued in their ways, believing the lies of the false prophets and enjoying the double life. This really bothered God. He didn't like that they represented a relationship with Him in a false way to the world. According to their example, it was ok to cheat, lie, steal, murder, and do horrible things, so long as you made your sacrifices and observed the feasts. This made people turn away from God and that really bothered Him. Because of this, God allowed Judah to be captured by the Babylonians and Jerusalem destroyed. However, the most interesting point in this verse is not that, but the last statement: what will you do at the end of it? Where will you follow and what will you do? This is the real heart of it all; others might be doing the wrong thing, but what will you do? I pray your answer is to follow the Lord and serve Him in truth and love.

Job 25:5-6

"How then can a man be just with God? Or how can he be clean who is born of woman? If even the moon has no brightness And the stars are not pure in His sight, How much less man, that maggot, And the son of man, that worm!" NASB

When we are confronted with our sinfulness and willful disobedience, it can seem like there is no possible way that God could love us the way He says He does. Being confronted with God's holiness, love, and grace should produce this attitude in us, but it shouldn't end there. We need to remember that God's grace allows us to stand before Him, regardless of our lack of worthiness and holiness. It is not by our great deeds or perfect life that God accepts and loves us, but by the suffering of Christ and the work of the cross. This is a gift and we cannot earn it. Don't let yourself try to add to the work of the cross by saying that you need to add anything to enter into God's presence. Even your attitude needs to be as Paul described in Hebrews 10:19, with boldness and confidence, not in ourselves, but in the completeness of the work of Christ. Realize the reality of your personal status in God's eyes, but don't forget that you are also a beloved child of the Father! Run into His arms and enjoy the love He has reserved for you alone.

Psalm 37:8

Cease from anger and forsake wrath; Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.

We all can agree that anger isn't usually a good thing and that wrath tends to lead to mistakes of judgment. However, did you know that fretting is just as bad in God's eyes as anger and wrath? Fretting, or worrying, makes us do silly things sometimes. It messes up our health and makes us miserable. Not only that, but it is a result of us being disobedient to God! He tells us to worry about nothing and pray to Him. Why? Because He is GOD! If there is a problem, He can fix it, no matter how hard. So then why do we worry? Is God too small to handle our problem? We need to put God back in His proper place in our lives and, like a small child, trust Him to take care of it. Every day has it's problems, but every day God is God. Trust Him to handle everything. Listen carefully to what He asks you to do, then do it. Trust Him with the rest.

1 Sam 12:20,22-25

Samuel said to the people, "Do not fear. You have committed all this evil, yet do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart... For the LORD will not abandon His people on account of His great name, because the LORD has been pleased to make you a people for Himself. Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you; but I will instruct you in the good and right way. Only fear the LORD and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you. But if you still do wickedly, both you and your king will be swept away.

Samuel, a mighty prophet of God, was about to demonstrate the anger of the Lord in the people asking for a king, but before that he wanted them to know that God might not be pleased but He still desired a loving relationship with them. Also, Samuel wanted them to know that he would continue to pray for them and that if they repented, he would seek to teach them the path that pleased God. This is just one example how Samuel was a godly judge. We have a far greater Judge in heaven who makes constant intercession before the Father on our behalf; Jesus. Though God is righteously angry over our sins, the redemptive work of Christ pays for those sins. They are now and forever forgiven and we are set free to live a life led by the Spirit. To do this, we need to seek the teaching of Jesus and allow Him to show us the good and right way. Don't wait another day if you are not yet doing this. Start now and allow God to restore and renew you.

Genesis 49:28b

(Jacob) blessed (his sons,) every one with the blessing appropriate to him.

Jacob was dying and, as was normal in those days, he blessed his sons from his death bed. As the verse above notes, he blessed them not with a general blessing, but with a specific, individual blessing designed just for them. This means that he spend time and energy on making each one special for that son, custom fitted to match them and their personalities. That took a lot of time and effort, but it was the best way to show his love to his sons. What's interesting is that this is what God does for each of us. God does not give us all the same blessings and gifts for this life, but those which are suited best for us. We might look at others and see how blessed they are and feel jealous, or maybe try to convince or force others to be like us, but this shouldn't be. God made each one of us differently with different talents, traits, and gifts, and we shouldn't try to fit into someone else's mold or make others fit into our mold. To truly be blessed and a blessing to others, we should seek to set people free from that pressure to conform to our standards and encourage them to enjoy being the person that God created them to be. Celebrate their diversity, accept them for who they are, and allow them to serve God in the way He made them to.

1 Cor 9:2

If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. NASB

People have a habit of criticizing others, especially when they are doing something well. Paul was facing just such criticism from Jewish Christians trying to turn the Corinthian church against him and into legalism. Paul's defense is basically this; look at the fruit of my work in your life and decide for yourself who is true and who isn't. As Luke 7:35 says, "Wisdom is vindicated by her children." We shouldn't feel the need to defend ourselves to critics if we are following the Lord's calling and our relationship with the Lord is solid. There will always be people who are convinced they know more then you and they will love to tell you so. Your job is not to make them "see the error of their ways" but to be faithful to the calling God has called you to and love them, no matter how they might abuse you. Then, the results of your work will speak for themselves. Yes, it is hard at times to do this, but Jesus knows all about that pain. Call out to Him when you experience things like this and He will give you strength and endurance to get through it.

Mark 3-4a

And Jesus said to them, "Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to kill?" NASB

The religious leaders of Jesus' day were upset with Jesus. While Jesus never sinned, He didn't obey the man-made rules the Jews had made to keep themselves from sinning. He didn't need them. In the end, the rulers sought to kill Jesus because of this and the threat He proved to their power. In this specific example, Jesus sought to set someone free from a crippling disability. This is good by anyone's definition, but the Pharisees were upset because Jesus "worked on the Sabbath." They had so wrapped themselves in rules and regulations to keep themselves from sinning that they lost sight of the heart of God! They saw this act as a sin, not as a miracle! Don't let your relationship with God become like the Pharisees. Don't become so obsessed with rules and legalism that you forget to help people who are sick and suffering!

Isaiah 63:1-4

Who is this who comes from Edom, With garments of glowing colors from Bozrah, This One who is majestic in His apparel, Marching in the greatness of His strength? "It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save." Why is Your apparel red, And Your garments like the one who treads in the wine press? "I have trodden the wine trough alone, And from the peoples there was no man with Me. I also trod them in My anger And trampled them in My wrath; And their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments, And I stained all My raiment. For the day of vengeance was in My heart, And My year of redemption has come." NASB

Verses like this tend to be really troublesome for some people. When they think about Jesus, they think of a guy who loves to hug people, heal the sick, and say a lot of good things about living a life of love, not of hate. The problem is that Jesus also spoke out a lot about hypocrisy, injustice, and sin. In fact, He was as angry with sin as He was in love with us. That is His nature. We cannot accept the love of Jesus and "leave out" His justice and holiness. The reason the Gospel is good news is because there is bad news; we all have sinned, God is Holy, and sin and holiness can't dwell together. There will come a time when God's love for all mankind will have to step aside for His holiness and justice to step in. This is both good and bad news! We all see the sin and injustice in this world and wonder why it happens. The problem is when the sin and injustice are in us. Then we want only the love of God, not his justice. Of course, with the justification of Christ, we are exempt from the justice of God, and even in verses like this we can see a hope for those who trust in Him. It might be hard to understand at times the holiness and justice of God, but trust that God is good and holy, that He loves everyone and doesn't want them to perish. But also understand that God is holy and just, and when evil is done, there will be a price to pay. If not upon the cross, then upon our own souls.

Job 23:10

But He knows the way I take; {When} He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

Trials can be some of the most frustrating, annoying, and faith-breaking times of our lives. We feel distant from God, pressured to let go of our striving for holiness or maybe even to just give up our faith and walk away. However, like Job, we are not put into trials to destroy us, but to grow us. God's desire is to make us into a mirror image of Jesus and to do that He has to allow trials in our lives. The Bible describes this process in Zechariah 13:9 as a metalsmith purifying his metals. Metal smiths heat their metal to the melting point, then scrape off the impurities until they can see themselves in the metal's surface. Sometimes he would do this repeatedly and this would increase the value of the metal even more. This is what God is seeking to do with us when we go through trials; He is seeking to remove the impurities in our hearts and lives through our trials. As we let those go, we are made more and more in His image and become more and more valuable to His work in this world. Don't fight against God in your times of trials, but seek what He desires to remove and let Him take it. Then, you will shine with His purity and be useful for the work of the Lord!

Psalm 33:10-11

The LORD nullifies the counsel of the nations; He frustrates the plans of the peoples. The counsel of the LORD stands forever, The plans of His heart from generation to generation.

Sometimes the world can seem like a really scary place. We see nations making plans to detonate nuclear bombs or people desiring to inspire terror and fear in our hearts. However, God is always the one in control. This works in two ways. The first is that if someone seeks to destroy God's work, God will not allow it. We should work to maintain and protect what God has given us responsibility for, but we shouldn't be worried when the enemy seeks to tear it down. God will prevail. We waste too much energy and time worrying about something that God alone can maintain and defend. The second way this works is that God's eventual plan is to bring about the end times prophecies. The Bible speaks a lot about the wickedness and corruption of those days being like the days of Noah. This is God's plan. Things might look bad now, but don't be afraid! We know the battle belongs to the Lord and we know how it ends. Don't fret and be anxious, simply seek to do the work of the Lord and warn as many as possible before the time draws to a close. The signs are evident and the time is coming. Are you ready?

1 Samuel 8:3

(Samuel's) sons, however, did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after dishonest gain and took bribes and perverted justice.

Samuel was the last judge of Israel, and just like Eli before him, his sons rebelled and went after their own ways. Samuel was a truly Godly man, and yet his own sons turned against the Lord! Some people might blame Samuel for not spending enough time with his children, or others might blame the ministry and the demands it placed on Samuel. The Bible is silent on why this happened though. The point of this section isn't how good or bad of a parent Samuel was, but that the people rebelled against God and sought a king instead of a prophet to lead them. Little did they know what they were really asking for. They might have had problems with the sons of the judges, but at least the judges were chosen by God. Judges could come from anywhere and were called with signs and wonders. When Israel asked for a king, they increased their problems as the next king was chosen by birth! Like Israel, we need to seek a way that is closer to God's desire, not what everyone else is doing or what seems to be more comfortable. God is our Lord and King and the more steps we add between us and Him, the harder it will get for us. Seek the Lord yourself and seek to hear what He has to say for you today! Don't always rely on someone else to speak for Him. His message might get lost in the translation.

Genesis 45:5,8a

"Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life... Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God... "

Joseph's brothers were rightfully afraid when Joseph revealed himself to them. They had sold him into slavery and told his father he was dead! Now Joseph was second only to the king of the ruling nation of those days and they were under his power. Joseph demonstrates here the heart of God though by forgiving, blessing, and desiring to have fellowship with them. He realized that God's plans can use even the seemingly worst turn of events to accomplish His perfect will. This is the attitude we need to have also. It might be hard to imagine God turning your current situation to good, but hang in there! Over and over again we see how God changed lives and used horrible situations to accomplish a good and lasting result. Look to Jesus and His sacrifice on behalf of the brothers who cried out to crucify Him. Though they shed His blood, their actions accomplished the work needed to save the whole world! Also, think about Jesus' reaction to those brothers; forgiveness, love, and grace. May we have the same heart as Jesus in this. May we always seek God's perfect will and to demonstrate His perfect love in all things.

1 Cor 8:9,13

"But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble."

Paul says in Galatians 5:22-23 that one of the fruits of the Spirit in your life is self-control. In Christ, we are truly blessed in that we are no longer under the Law but freedom. However, Christ gave us a commandment to follow: love one another as He has loved us. Think about this for a moment; Jesus was God in the flesh! He had the power to never be hungry, tired, or frustrated. He could snap His fingers and make the apostles into super-holy men. He could whistle and the Roman guards who were torturing Him would be frogs. It was all in his ability to do, but He didn't do these things. Why? Because of love. He so loved us that He chose self control and self denial so that we might have salvation. This is how Jesus loved us, and how He commands us to love one another. We are all free to do whatever we wish in Christ, but the question we need to ask is if our actions are causing someone to walk closer to Christ or walk further away from Him. Freedom is a great thing, but not allowing your freedom to destroy someone else is an even greater thing. Love others enough to sacrifice so that they may be drawn closer to the Lord. This is what Jesus did for us after all.

Mark 1:43-45

"And He sternly warned him and immediately sent him away, and He said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them." But he went out and began to proclaim it freely and to spread the news around, to such an extent that Jesus could no longer publicly enter a city, but stayed out in unpopulated areas; and they were coming to Him from everywhere."

This man, healed by Jesus, was a leper. Leprosy was an incurable disease in those days and highly contagious. This man had been living a life full of isolation, persecution, and hopelessness. Then, Jesus came into his life and set him free! What a huge change and an obvious work of God! However, Jesus warned the man to keep the Law and do as Moses commanded. Why? Because it would strengthen his testimony and his witness for Jesus' being a messenger from God. Also, the people that he told would come to Jesus seeking the Word of God, not just a physical healing. However, the man didn't obey and because of this Jesus was unable to do what He truly wanted to do in that area for a time. Did you know that you too are a messenger of God? Your actions, words, and life all witness to everyone around you about God. Sometimes, this can feel like a huge burden, like this man having to go through the ceremonial cleansing ritual after his leprosy was cured, but if we are faithful and do our best to obey, God will be glorified and others will be drawn to Him in a real faith. Thus, God will be set free to work in a powerful way through you and your life here and now. Don't allow your witness of God to limit His work for a time. Set Him free to work in a mighty way by remaining faithful to His calling for you today!

Isaiah 59:1-2

"Behold, the LORD'S hand is not so short That it cannot save; Nor is His ear so dull That it cannot hear. But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden {His} face from you so that He does not hear."

At this time, the people of Israel were blessed by God and had enjoyed much prosperity and protection by God's hands. However, they became lazy in their relationship with God and eventually their faith became nothing more than an outward show. While they still went to the temple and offered sacrifices and worshiped God, inwardly their hearts were far from God. This meant they were not seeking God's will, nor His face. Because of this, their lives became harder and God's hand was slowly being removed from their lives. God did not do this without warning. He constantly confronted them through the prophets and His Word to return to Him, warning them of dire consequences if they didn't. His love for them never changed, but His ability to bless them did. When we walk in a relationship with God, seeking His direction and desires for us, we are able to receive the blessings He desires to give us. When we walk in our own will, seeking only to get what we want and neglecting our relationship with the Lord, He cannot bless us as He wants. Eventually, we will walk into a place where God even has to allow our disobedience to bring about painful consequences. We don't have to experience this though! If we will remain close to the Lord and seek His will, we will have trials, but God will protect us and empower us to make it through them. Best of all, we will be in the place where we will receive every blessing and gift that He has lovingly prepared for us. Don't let your blessings be wasted! Walk close to God every day!

Job 22:2-3

"Can a vigorous man be of use to God, Or a wise man be useful to himself? Is there any pleasure to the Almighty if you are righteous, Or profit if you make your ways perfect." NASB

Job was a man whom God loved and declared "he is blameless and upright." (Job 1:8) However, God allowed a severe trial to come into his life for the strengthening of his faith and deepening of his walk with God. His friends, attempting to comfort him, ended up speaking discouraging and wrong things to him. This quote, though spoken in a wrong motive, is quite true. Job was no more or no less useful or pleasurable to God then anyone else because of his righteousness and faithfulness. God's love for him was based on a pure, unchanging motive. This is true for us as well. Do you know that your value to the Lord is no better or worse because of your abilities, faithfulness, or adherence to some rules and laws? Do you know that there is nothing you can do to make yourself more valuable or loved by God? Romans 5:8 states it clearly that " God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." God already gave the greatest sign of His love ever while we were still sinning! His love won't change based on any change in us. While our obedience and devotion makes us walk in the places where God can bless us, it doesn't change the depth of His love for us. You don't have to strive to make God love you more and you don't have to fight to be loved more then the next person. God already loves you completely, you just have to walk in it. Seek the Lord, walk in His love, and the rest will come.

Psalm 32:9

Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding, Whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check, Otherwise they will not come near to you. NASB

Have you ever tried putting a horse's bit into their mouth? They don't like it, and for good reason! It hurts! It isn't designed to be pleasurable for them, but to help in guiding them because they won't simply listen and obey. God often times will use painful things in our lives to guide us into His will, similar to a horse's bit. However, the secret here is that God doesn't want to use the bit on us! He would prefer we would listen to Him and then obey Him. This begins by taking the time to hear from God in the first place. Without that, we won't be able to do the next step. Spend some time in God's Word and praying each day gives you the chance to hear what God is saying. After this, we need to do what He is saying. Sometimes we might not understand what God wants us to do or why, but that isn't important. If it matches God's Word and Jesus' commission, then go for it. When we do this, we won't eliminate pain from our lives, but that pain will be the pain of the enemy, not God, and thus we can cling to the promises that He will give us the strength and power to overcome the trial and that it will work out for good in the end.

1 Sam 2:17

Thus the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD, for the men despised the offering of the LORD. NASB

As the time of the Judges was drawing to a close, Eli was judging Israel and was the high priest. He was a good and Godly man, but his sons were not. Though they surely knew about the LORD and His commands, they lived a life as if they didn't. Despite this, they were priests in the tabernacle of the Lord due to their birth. They were supposed to be ministering to the LORD and be representatives to the people of God's character and love, but they used their position to take advantage of the people and lived selfishly and in the flesh. 1. Samuel chapter 2 says that God saw this and it bothered Him very much. Why? Because they served God without faith and didn't care about what they were doing. Though they were priests of God, they managed His service as if it didn't matter to them. Worse then this, they bullied, abused, and threatened the honest worshipers of God. God does not want us to forget that He is primarily a holy, good, and just God and that each of us is a representative to the world for Him. Yes, God is love, and that doesn't change based on how faithful or unfaithful we are to Him, but He is also holy and desires that people see Him as He actually is. When we forget that and take lightly the things of God, we commit the same sin as Eli's sons; hypocrisy and misrepresenting God to the people. This doesn't please the Lord at all. We should strive to always honor and sanctify the things of God so that His name is glorified, both in our actions and for the example of those around us. We should seek to always worship and serve the Lord from our hearts and love and honor those we serve as Christ would. Then, God is honored, people are blessed, and God is pleased.