A Scripture for Today, May 18th, 2023

“ Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.

 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.” Matthew 10:29-31

“Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” Matthew 6:27-34

A Scripture for Today, July 29th, 2022

“I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.

The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.

 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.” John 10:9-15

Be of Good Cheer

”These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Jesus said that, in this world we will have tribulation. This may not be something we want to hear.

”But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart. Nevertheless I tell you the truth;…” John 16:6-7

Sometimes we do not want to hear the truth. But, our Lord Jesus tells us this for our benefit.

In this world we can expect sorrow. Genesis 3:17 It came with sin, and we will experience it every day of our life.

Many men drown out their sorrows, with false hopes of tomorrow. Hopes of wealth, worldly gain, comfort, and ease.

“And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.  But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?” Luke 12:18-20

If one doesn’t have Jesus as Saviour, there is no hope for the future.

”Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death.” Proverbs 11:4

”For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” Mark 8:36

Still many Christians are waiting for that type of golden day. That is what keeps them going, and they may be in for a big let down. God never promised us lots of money…nor life without conflict. Luke 9:23, I Corinthians 15:58

But there is reason to look up. That is: Who we are following.

”Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.” Psalm 42:11

The Lord Jesus also said, “Be of good cheer.”

”These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

He says, “I have overcome the world.”

Jesus Christ has overcome the world. There is one fight no man can win by his own power. That is the fight of death.  But, Jesus Christ arose from the dead! (Rev. 1:18) And if you are a child of God, that same Spirit dwells in you.

”But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you” Romans 8:11

Who lies withing us, is greater than anything in this world. Jesus will be with us every step in this life, and will help us if we ask.

”Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.” Psalm 55:22

Jesus will help us carry our sorrows.

”Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.” Isaiah 53:4

”But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” Matthew 10:30

In this world we will have tribulation, but in Jesus we can have peace.

”These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

”But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5

While we may not have abundance of material possessions on this earth, the Lord loves us, and He will supply all that we need!

Proverbs 30:7-9, Philippians 4:19, Hebrews 13:5, Psalm 37:25, Matthew 6:25-33,

And He has promised to work everything out in our lives for our good.

Romans 8:28

We will have trouble down here, but the Lord can and will get us through it. There is indeed a lot to be sorrowful about in this present world.  But, the Bible gives us hope.

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.” John 16:20

”But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.Wherefore comfort one another with these words.“I Thessalonians 4:13-18

”And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.” John 16:22

Be of good cheer, not because of  circumstances, or because of this world, but because of WHO WE SERVE!!!

Better than Money

“And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.” Acts 3:5-7

Sometimes, we want to give to people, or the Lord. But, because we lack money, we feel like we can do nothing. This man, looked to Peter and John, expecting to receive money. But, what they gave him was better. In the name of Jesus Christ, they caused this man to walk.

All the riches in the world, could not do that.

We too, have something that will do what all the money in the world cannot do.

We can give the Word of God, which brings the dead to life.

”[F]or thy word hath quickened me.” Psalm 119:50
The Word of God, when it enters into a person, makes them alive.

”But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” Romans 8:11

All the money in the world, cannot save you from death.

“Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death.” Proverbs 11:4 

God’s Word, gives the person the strength to get up and walk, and to go on.

”And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. ⁴ But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:3-4
And there are some things are more precious than gold and silver.

“[F]or love is strong as death…Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned. ” Song of Solomon 8:6-8

In a time of crisis,  unfeigned love, shown in even just a kind word, can do more, and mean more to a person than thousands of gold or silver.

“The desire of a man is his kindness…” Proverbs 19:22
“Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad.” Proverbs 12:25

”Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” Proverbs 18:21
Just being faithful, a faithful friend, a faithful witness to the truth, and to the love of God, is much more valuable, than silver or gold.
There are some people,  that I wouldn’t trade for all the silver and the gold in the world.

God never required of us to have a lot of physical possessions to serve Him.

With God two small mites counted more, than great riches (Mark 12:41-43).

God used just five loaves and two fishes, to feed over 5,000 souls.

Whatever you have, if you surrender it to God, He can use it to make a difference.

“And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, To keep the commandments of the Lord, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?” Deuteronomy 10:12-13

The Riches of Sodom

“And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.  And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the Lord, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich:” Genesis 14:22-23

Lot, was taken captive by the enemies of the king of Sodom, the city in which he dwelt. When Abraham was told how his nephew was taken captive, he gathered his servants, and those with whom he was confederate with, and took back all that which was stolen.

Then came the king of Sodom and offered Abraham the riches of the city. What did this man of God say? “I will not take so much from you as a shoelace!” Abraham did not want to be associated with the king of that wicked city, nor be made rich by him.

 

God was well pleased with Abraham’s words. Immediately in chapter 15 we read,

“After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.”

 

We ought to be cautious where we receive wages or gifts from.  Abraham’s example was that we shouldn’t take even a shoelace from Sodom.  If we receive the wages of unrighteousness, we might be forfeiting far greater and precious rewards.