Provisions and expectations Part 1
Yesterday we had a good discussion about God's provisions and expectations (commands He gives us in the Word) for us. It was very rich, for lack of better word, and we only began to touch on the wealth of God's promises to us.
Can we exhaust God's Word? Can we really say we've tried it, and it wasn't sufficient?
A couple of years ago, we bought a microwave oven with a built in range/hood/fan deal. It sat around for a few months during our kitchen remodel. Finally we installed it. After a few weeks, to our consternation, it was obvious it was not working properly.
Our consternation was due to the fact that we would have to uninstall it to haul it in to the appliance store to return it. That was no easy task We dropped it once! But we boxed it up, hauled it over to the store, wheeled it inside, only to find out they do not take returns of appliances at the store. You had to call the manufacturer.
So, we got the thing home and I looked through the manual for the phone numbers. Preceding it, there was a big long list of things that had to be done correctly during installation. Consumers were instructed to ONLY call if you could verify that all these instructions were properly carried out and it still did not work. After looking at the list, we found a possible culprit: insufficient current to the microwave. Duh.
So, we reinstalled the microwave, and planned to correct the source of the problem.
Of course, in reality, some microwaves are defective. You can follow all the instructions and they will never work. But that cannot be said about God's Word. It always works. If it doesn't do what it claims to do, we are in big trouble, because we are hanging our eternal destiny on it.
As we got into God's Word, it became obvious that God has a pretty long list too! There are ample instructions for us in how to live in this real world, with its real trials. There are ample instructions of how we are to look at our trials. And there are statements to show the believer exactly our position and standing in Christ and what he has equipped us with. We are to trust and obey, as the song goes.
Here is the first of the lists we worked on yesterday, but they are by no means complete! Help us out!
What we know
2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
2 Peter 1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that [pertain] unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
Ephesians 1:3 Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly [places] in Christ:
Romans 8:31-39 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
James 1:3 Knowing [this], that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Zechariah 4:6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This [is] the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.
More in next post!
Can we exhaust God's Word? Can we really say we've tried it, and it wasn't sufficient?
A couple of years ago, we bought a microwave oven with a built in range/hood/fan deal. It sat around for a few months during our kitchen remodel. Finally we installed it. After a few weeks, to our consternation, it was obvious it was not working properly.
Our consternation was due to the fact that we would have to uninstall it to haul it in to the appliance store to return it. That was no easy task We dropped it once! But we boxed it up, hauled it over to the store, wheeled it inside, only to find out they do not take returns of appliances at the store. You had to call the manufacturer.
So, we got the thing home and I looked through the manual for the phone numbers. Preceding it, there was a big long list of things that had to be done correctly during installation. Consumers were instructed to ONLY call if you could verify that all these instructions were properly carried out and it still did not work. After looking at the list, we found a possible culprit: insufficient current to the microwave. Duh.
So, we reinstalled the microwave, and planned to correct the source of the problem.
Of course, in reality, some microwaves are defective. You can follow all the instructions and they will never work. But that cannot be said about God's Word. It always works. If it doesn't do what it claims to do, we are in big trouble, because we are hanging our eternal destiny on it.
As we got into God's Word, it became obvious that God has a pretty long list too! There are ample instructions for us in how to live in this real world, with its real trials. There are ample instructions of how we are to look at our trials. And there are statements to show the believer exactly our position and standing in Christ and what he has equipped us with. We are to trust and obey, as the song goes.
Here is the first of the lists we worked on yesterday, but they are by no means complete! Help us out!
What we know
2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
2 Peter 1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that [pertain] unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
Ephesians 1:3 Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly [places] in Christ:
Romans 8:31-39 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
James 1:3 Knowing [this], that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Zechariah 4:6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This [is] the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.
Many more verses could be included!
As we continue in our daily reading in the Word,
try to make note of these statements.
As we continue in our daily reading in the Word,
try to make note of these statements.
More in next post!
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