Posts Tagged ‘ a simple man of God ’
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Ephesians 4:1-3, ESV
We are called to be peacemakers, disciples if Christ, and brothers and sisters … who love each other!
casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7, ESV
We struggle sometimes (or, for some, all the time) in this life. Let the One who created and then died for you bear that burden.
It may not go away, but it just might feel lighter to you as He lifts it onto His shoulders and walks with you.
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
Jeremiah 1:5 ESV
Christian believer: we are not all called to be Prophets, as Jeremiah, but God set up from eternity that we should go to the world and declare the Gospel for our Great Prophet and saving Lord Jesus.
Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6, ESV
Right and wrong.
Respect.
Making a great sandwich.
All of these are included in training up a child, and more.
The most important: to seek and love God.
(And remember, proverbs are guidelines and summarized truths, not hard and fast laws.)
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Philippians 4:8, ESV
It is so easy to get distracted by and focused on the bad things in life and this world.
Ask God to help you see the good, beautiful, just, true things in each moment. (It helps a lot with stress and cynicism!)
We continue looking at hymns and songs that impacted my spiritual life – and with another reminder to check out the other blog I contribute to, ProverbialThought.com, and the daily thoughts on the Bible (specifically Proverbs) – with another song (No direct relation to last week’s hymns.)
Come, Thou fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,
Mount of Thy redeeming love.Sorrowing I shall be in spirit,
Till released from flesh and sin,
Yet from what I do inherit,
Here Thy praises I’ll begin;
Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Here by Thy great help I’ve come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood;
How His kindness yet pursues me
Mortal tongue can never tell,
Clothed in flesh, till death shall loose me
I cannot proclaim it well.O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.O that day when freed from sinning,
I shall see Thy lovely face;
Clothed then in blood washed linen
How I’ll sing Thy sovereign grace;
Come, my Lord, no longer tarry,
Take my ransomed soul away;
Send Thine angels now to carry
Me to realms of endless day.
“None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”
(Romans 3:11-12, ESV)
We are all – every single human who has ever or will ever live (save for Jesus) – sinners. We all have refused God in some way, and none of us have wanted to seek out God … without His help.
Even me.
But Jesus came – God took on a body of flesh – and lived a sinless life so that He could be the perfect, spotless, stainless sacrifice for our sins. After His death and resurrection, He ascended to the Father’s right hand, and they sent the Holy Spirit to draw us to in, save us, and sanctify us. (Big words, but you can look them up!)
If we truly understood how big this act is, how much grace God has and is showing us, we would be unable to stand under the weight of it. Instead, we would not be able to do anything but fall to our knees in gratitude and sing His praises for seeking out and saving lost sinners.
Like us.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
John 1:5, ESV
Sometimes it can feel like evil is winning.
We must remember that Christ Jesus has already won the day, through the cross. He is returning one day to vanquish evil and darkness once and for all!
The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.
Ecclesiastes 12:13, ESV
Everything is meaningless without God.
And what is the meaning of life and calling for every human?
The two greatest commandments: Love God and love others.
I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
Psalm 119:11, ESV
Why is reading and meditating on (thinking about) Scripture important?
We memorize it, and it guides us out of temptation and away from sin. (See Jesus in Matthew and Luke chapters 4.)
By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.
1 John 3:16, ESV
Our greatest example showed true love: sacrificing everything for the good of others.
How well are you doing this?
a simple man of God 