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Sunday, January 4, 2009
Dear Faithful One,
From the moment God spoke the first words that unleashed His glorious creation, until the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, His Word, spoken, written, or revealed, has been the foundation on which everything else has been built (reference 1 Corinthians 3:11). Through His Word we have everything necessary for life on this earth, and through belief and acceptance of His Word, we are blessed, beyond words, with forgiveness of sins, salvation, and life with Him in eternity.
There is not enough that can be said to emphasize the importance of daily feasting on God's Word. We have said it time and time again, because, teamed with prayer, it is the most important part of the Christian walk. You understand this, because you've tasted how good His Word is and you desire more (reference Psalm 34:8). You keep coming to His table because you hunger and thirst for His righteousness...and He consistently fills you (reference Matthew 5:6). You are the faithful who daily wait upon the Lord for your portion, and He exceeds your greatest need (reference Psalm 73:25-26). "When Your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart's delight, for I bear Your name, O LORD God Almighty" (Jeremiah 15:16).
His Word is necessary to nourish, sustain, strengthen, and guide us; without it we can't even begin to take the first step in the Christian walk. "Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light for my path" (Psalm 119:105). How blessed with are to have our path prepared for us and His road map to lead our every step. May we begin each day by faithfully getting directions from our loving Guide so we will stay on course as we continue to walk this amazing journey of faith. His Word will always be there to guide us - if we will simply use it!
"Heaven and earth may pass away,
but my words will never pass away."
(Matthew 24:35)
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all! (2 Corinthians 13:14)
Feasting on His Word and Remaining at His Feet,
Traci Alexander
Trumpet and Torch Ministries
Psalm 27:13-14
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Day Ten: Revealing the WORD of God
"For the word of God is living and active.
Sharper than any double-edged sword,
it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit,
joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes
of the heart."
(Hebrews 4:12)
Breakfast: Ten lords a-leaping - Focus on Exodus 20:1-20
"The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever.
The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous.
They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.
By them is your servant warned;
in keeping them is great reward."
(Psalm 19:7-11)
"On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me...ten lords a-leaping" The Ten Commandments (literally, "Ten Words") are the basic code of the Hebrew law. God's covenant with Israel was dependent upon their obedience to these stipulations set in stone. These principles, that outline God's moral law, is God's way of revealing His righteousness and man's sinfulness. Ultimately, His plan would be for His law to be written upon their hearts through a new, and greater covenant, that would be sealed with the blood of Jesus Christ (reference Jeremiah 31:31-33).
The first four commandments deal with man's responsibility towards God, the last six reveal how man is to relate to one another. Jesus summed up the Law, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hand on these two commandments" (Matthew 22:37-40).
The Commandments are as much applicable for the church today as they were back in the days of Moses. They were not set aside, but are repeated in the epistles of the New Testament for the Church to follow (reference Matthew 5; Ephesians 4:28; 5:3; 6:2, Colossians 3:9; 1 Peter 4:15); focusing more on the Spirit of the law, not the letter of the law (reference 2 Corinthians 3:6). We have seen in recent years our most basic moral law stripped from our public schools for fear that, "If the posted copies of the Ten Commandments are to have any effect at all, it will be to induce the school children to read, meditate upon, perhaps to venerate and obey, the Commandments...[which] is not a permissable...objective" (Stone v. Graham, 1980). It is unfortunate our culture cannot see the source of blessings this basic moral guide would bring to society as a whole if we would adhere to these timeless principles.
The nation of Israel was chosen by God to bear witness to the One, True, Living God. These Commandments set them apart in a world that worshiped many gods. The Church, today, is called to remain faithful to His Word and obedient to His commands to bear the light of salvation through Jesus Christ to a world lost in idolatry and immorality. Let us pray for Israel, with grateful hearts, for through them we have received the light and salvation of Jesus Christ. Let us lift them up in prayer for the battles they are facing today and pray for their peace and security, remembering the blessings we have already received, and will continue to receive, if we support them (reference Genesis 22:18; Numbers 24:9; Psalm 122:6).
"It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."
(Matthew 4:4)
Lunch: Finding Meaning...in the WORD of God- Focus on Ecclesiastes 10:2-20
"The heart of the wise inclines to the right,
but the heart of the fool to the left."
(Ecclesiastes 10:2)
In the tenth chapter of Ecclesiastes, Solomon speaks of the folly of those who do not live by the wisdom of God's Word. Without God's teaching we are destined to a life of folly. "Words from a wise man's mouth are gracious, but a fool is consumed by his own lips" (v.12). In Scripture, a fool is "one who refuses God's teaching". A fool is not one who cannot learn, but one who refuses to learn. "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline" (Proverbs 1:7).
The Word of God is the supreme teaching, and a wise person will incline their ears to His Word. This requires being intentional about studying the Word, and having disciplined study habits. The parable of the sower (recorded in Matthew 13:2-23, Mark 4:1-20, and Luke 8:4-15) speaks to how the Word of God is received - some will not even listen, some will accept it -for a little while, some will grasp it and then lose interest, and others will hold fast and eventually bear fruit.
May we be like the one in which the seed fell on good soil as we remain diligent in our study of the Word of God, allowing these words of life to take root, and produce a crop that will feed this world we are living in as they are suffering from a famine of hearing (and understanding) the words of the Lord (reference Amos 8:11b). His Word is Truth - they are the Words of eternal life (reference Psalm 119:160). Let us praise God for His wonderful, life-giving Word, and pray fervently for the workers of the field to go forward, armed with His Word, and boldy proclaim His Truth that we might yield a harvest of righteousness in 2009!
"The meaning of the parable is this:
The seed is the word of God.
...the seed on good soil stands for those
with a noble and good heart,
who hear the word, retain it,
and by persevering produce a crop."
(Luke 8:11,15)
Dinner: The Sovereignty of God - a Matter of His Word - Focus on Daniel 10: 10-21
" Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets;
I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear,
not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen,
will by any means disappear from the Law
until everything is accomplished."
(Matthew 5:17-18)
As we discussed yesterday, Daniel was a man committed to the Word of God and prayer. He was a devoted and faithful servant of the Lord, who prayed fervently for understanding of God's plans for His people. Because of his obedience to the Word, the Lord willingly revealed His plans to His servant. "Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them" (v. 12).
Daniel's commitment was so focused on gaining understanding that he fasted and prayed for three weeks. The visions he had received showed him the great spiritual battles that we are facing. "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 6:12). Daniel knew that his greatest, and most powerful, weapon in this battle, that he couldn't see, and didn't fully understand, was prayer. "Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requets. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints" (Ephesians 6:17-18).
Daniel's faithfulness to be a diligent student of the Word, for many years, and to remain faithful in prayer, through all the years of captivity, led him to a place of deep intimacy and dependence upon God; the Lord blessed him for His desire to seek His face, and He revealed Himself to Daniel (reference Daniel 10:4-6). Daniel was highly esteemed in God's eyes because of his humble pursuit to gain knowledge and understanding of the ways and will of the Lord.
May we be as blessed, as Daniel, as we submit our time to the study of His Word and be willing to look to the Word of God, and not to the world, as the times we are living in become more challenging. May we show concern for our nation, as Daniel did, and be willing to humble ourselves with prayer and fasting as we wait upon God for His hand to move in a mighty way this year. How blessed we are to have the Word of God as our guide, and to have the example of Daniel to follow. May we not take for granted the blessing we have been given through the written Word of God and be faithful to study, meditate, and apply all that we learn.
"And we have the word of the prophets made more certain,
and you will do well to pay attention to it,
as to a light shining in a dark place,
until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture
came about by the prophets own interpretation.
For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man,
but men spoke from God as they were carried along
by the Holy Spirit."
(2 Peter 1:19-21)
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A Word of Encouragement
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly
as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom,
and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs
with gratitude in your hearts to God.
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed,
do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through Him."
(Colossians 3:16-17) ________________________________________________
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