Have Mercy On Us

"Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us, for we have endured much contempt."  Psalms 123:3 (NIV)

The unknown author of this psalm asked The Lord God to have mercy on His people who had suffered much at the hands of non-believers.  The exact situation which he was referring to is unknown, but it is clear that he and the people of God had suffered and endured much.

The Bible says that believers would suffer.  We suffer because we are born into this world of sin. (Job 14:1)  We suffer because we believe in The Lord. (Matthew 26:31, Mark 14:27, and John 7:7)  We suffer at the hands of non-believers when we speak up for Jesus. (Matthew 5:11-12)  That is not to mention the suffering we bring on ourselves. (Ephesians 5:6)  We need for God to have mercy on us.  O Lord God, have mercy on us because we are weak and sick. (Psalms 6:2)  Lord, have mercy on us because we are in trouble and suffering. (Psalms 9:13)  Lord, have mercy on us because we need help. (Psalms 30:10)  Lord, have mercy on us because we are in trouble and consumed with grief. (Psalms 31:9)  We need to pray, O Lord God, please have mercy on us, because we can't make it without You.  We need The Lord, for only He can supply all of our needs. (Philippians 4:19)

Forgive And Be Forgiven

"For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."  Matthew 6:14-15 (NIV)

The Apostle Matthew recorded the words of Jesus as He taught His disciples about forgiveness.  Jesus, The Christ, said that if they forgave those who sinned against them, then God would forgive them of their sins.  However, if they did not forgive others of their sins, then God would not forgive them of their sins.

Jesus said that we must forgive others of their sins against us in order for us to be forgiven of our sins. (Mark 11:26)  Even if someone sins against us more than once in a day, we must forgive them each time. (Matthew 18:21-22)  If some one sins against us and repents, we are to forgive him. (Luke  17:3)  To forgive is to be Christ-like.  From the cross Christ forgave those who crucified Him. (Luke 23:34)  We need to be more forgiving in order to be more Christ-like, and we need to pray for God's help to do that.

How Often Should We Praise God

"Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous laws."  Psalms 119:164 (NIV)

The author of this psalm stated that he praised The Lord seven times each day.  Some Bible scholars take this literally to mean seven times a day.  While others suggest that the number seven is used here as a statement of perfection or completion, and therefore it means an attitude of continual praise.

How often should we praise The Lord?  The Prophet Ezra stated that The Lord should be praised every morning and every evening. (1 Chronicles 23:30)  King David said that he would praise The Lord "at all times" and then he said that he would continually speak praise unto The Lord. (Psalms 34:1)  An unknown author said that we should praise The Lord from this time forth and for evermore. (Psalms 115:18)  Another unknown author said that he would praise The Lord as long as he was alive. (Psalms 146:2)  It is my belief that most believers praise The Lord twice a day, in the morning upon waking and in the evening just before bedtime.  It is also my firm belief that most believers do not praise Him seven times each day.  It is also my belief that very few of us, if any of us, praise The Lord continually, all day long.  The Bible says that The Lord is to be praised from sun rise until sun set, literally all day long, or every waking moment of every day. (Psalms 113:3)  All of us fall short of this.  We all need to praise The Lord more often.  We need to get ready and practice praising Him, because that is what we will spend eternity doing in heaven. (Revelation 5:13)

Hear Obey And Repent

"Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent.  But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you."  Revelation 3:3 (NIV)

In a vision, the Apostle John received a message to the believers, directed through the Angel of a local Church, from The Lord God who told him to write to them and say, remember The Word of God which they had received and heard, that they were to obey it and repent from their sins, because they did not know when The Lord was going to come and require them to give an account of their thoughts, words, and deeds.

This message is just as appropriate to us today as it was to them then.  We need to repent and obey The Word of God.  The main point of the first sermons of Jesus, The Christ, was repent, the kingdom of heaven is at hand. (Matthew 4:17)  This is a call for us to "wake up" for soon this life will be over. (Revelation 3:2)  We must hear and obey The Word of God. (James 1:22)  For one day, and no one knows when it will be, we will have to give an account of our stewardship. (Matthew 12:36 and Romans 14:12)  This is our wake up call, we need to get ready people, we need to repent, for judgement day is coming.

A Man's Heart Reflects The Man

"As water reflects a face, so a man's heart reflects the man."  Proverbs 27:19 (NIV)

King Solomon provides this profound saying, just like still water shows the reflection of a man's face, so his heart reflects who the man really is.

That which is within us will eventually come out.  Just as that which is within us will show forth in the fruit that we produce. (Matthew 7:17-18)  Just as the words that we speak reflect the issues that are within our hearts. (Matthew 12:34 and Luke 6:45)  For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he. (Proverbs 23:7)  It may be possible to put on an academy award winning performance and fool some of the people some of the time, but it is not possible to fool all of the people all of the time, and it is impossible to fool God any time.  God knows our thoughts. (Psalms 94:11, 1 Corinthians 2:11, and 1 Corinthians 3:20)  We may hide our feelings, thoughts, and intentions from others, but God sees the heart and He knows who we really are. (1 Samuel 16:7)  We need to transform our reflection and renew our mind and heart. (Romans 12:1-2)  We need to pray that God will create in us a clean pure heart and a right spirit. (Psalms 24:4-5 and 51:10)  We want our reflection and our heart t be Christ-like.

Have Mercy On Me And Give Me Strength

"But You, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.  Turn to me and have mercy on me; grant Your strength to Your servant and save the son of Your maidservant."  Psalms 86:15-16 (NIV)

Because his enemies have gathered together and are after him, King David knows that God is compassionate, gracious, full of love, and full of faithfulness, so he asks The Lord to have mercy on him, and to grant him His strength.  He wants God's attention, salvation, and protection because of his special relationship with Him.

As believers we also have a special relationship with The Lord, and we know that He will never leave us or forsake us, regardless of the situation or circumstance. (Deuteronomy 31:6)  We know that if we call on Him, He will hear us and answer us. (Psalms 17:6, Psalms 34:17, and Proverbs 15:29)  We want God's salvation, deliverance, and protection from whatever negative position that we find ourselves in, and He will help us.  All He asks of us is that we would humble ourselves, and pray, and seek Him, and turn from our sinful ways, then He will hear us, answer us, and help us. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

When Companions Attack You

"My companion attacks his friends; he violates his covenant.  His speech is smooth as butter, yet war is in his heart; his words are more soothing than oil, yet they are drawn swords.  Cast your cares on The LORD and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall."  Psalms 55:20-22 (NIV)

King David tells the people that sometimes the people that they consider to be friends will turn on them.  They were only pretending at friendship while they had mischief in their hearts.  David said for them to cast their cares and situations on The Lord, and He will protect them, provide for them, and comfort them. 

Everyone who wants to be or claims to be our friend, is not really a friend at all.  They may be an enemy, or more likely they are just someone looking to deceive us and take advantage of us.  They are the most treacherous kind of people, they are wolves in sheep's clothing.  They are the worse kind of hypocrite, they have no intentions of keeping the promises or covenants that they make, and they know it when they are making them.  They plan evil for those who have shown them nothing but kindness.  We should pray that God will grant us the discernment to be able to see them for who they really are, betrayers being used by Satan.  We need God's help to protect us from our enemies, and from our "so-called" friends and companions.  We need to pray for His protection from dangers seen and unseen, as well as those that are known and unknown.

Don't Laugh When Others Fall

"Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice, or The LORD will see and disapprove and turn His wrath away from him."  Proverbs 24:17-18 (NIV)

The wisest of the wise men, King Solomon, said do not be glad when your enemy falls, God will see you rejoicing and He will disapprove of your behavior.

The Bible says that we are to pray for our enemy and do good to them. (Matthew 5:44 and Luke 6:28)  By doing good to those who do us wrong, we heap hot burning coals upon their heads. God will cause them to suffer. (Proverbs 25:21-22)   But laughing at them in the mist of their misfortune is not the Christian thing to do, and God will not be pleased with us for doing so.  We are to have sympathy and compassion for our fellow man, even the ones who wrong us.  It is easy to love those who love us.  It is not so easy to love those who do not love us, and who show their dislike for us.  But that is exactly what Jesus wants us to do. (Matthew 5:46-48)   As Christians we are to display Godly behavior, even when those around us do not.  To do that requires much prayer, and God's help, and we need to ask God for His help to do this.

Teach Me To Do Your Will

"Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; may Your good Spirit lead me on level ground."  Psalms 143:10 (NIV)

King David wrote this psalm and asked God to teach him, and help him to do God's will.  He asked that The Holy Spirit would lead him in the way of uprightness, to a place of safety and protection where there was goodness. 

David prayed in good times and in bad times.  He asked for God's instruction, guidance, and direction to ensure that he would obey the will of God.  He wanted The Spirit of God to be his guide.  We would do well to follow David's example.  All to often we do things and go places without first praying to God for His guidance and direction, to be sure that we are following the will of God.  We should pray that His will be done in our lives.  In the model prayer that Jesus taught His disciples, He said pray to our Father in heaven, "Thy will be done." (Matthew 6:10 and Luke 11:2)  We need to recognize the fact that if The Holy Spirit is not driving the bus that is our lives, then the devil is driving it.   

Blessed For Being Obedient

"If you fully obey The LORD your God and carefully follow all His commands ...  All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you, if you obey The LORD your God:  You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.  The fruit of your womb will be blessed ... You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out ... The LORD will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to.  The LORD your God will bless you in the land he is giving you ... The LORD will grant you abundant prosperity ... The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands."  Deuteronomy 28:1-12 (NIV)

According to Moses, the people of God would be blessed if they were obedient and diligently followed The Word of God.  He recorded five conditions for them to receive the twenty-one blessings listed in this chapter.  These blessings were conditional and were based upon their behavior.  

We are included in these conditional blessings for the people of God.  If we obey The Lord and if we honestly and wholeheartedly follow His Word, we will be blessed, our children will be blessed, our work will be blessed, our travels to and fro will be blessed, our homes will be blessed, and we will be abundantly blessed with prosperity.  The blessings that we receive depend upon our behavior and our obedience to The Word of God.  The Lord God rewards those who have faith and diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6)   

We Speak What Is In Our Hearts

"No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.  Each tree is recognized by its own fruit.  People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers.  The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart.  For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks."  Luke 6:43-45 (NIV)

Luke, the physician travelling companion and recorder of the Apostle Paul, wrote good fruit does not come from bad trees, and bad fruit does not come from good trees.  Likewise, the same is true for people.  The good or evil that is in a man's heart will come out of his mouth.

For as a man thinks, so is he. (Job 24:13-17)  "We may not be all that we think that we are, but what we think, is we are." (Author Unknown)  It has been said that it is not what a man does when others are watching that determines his character, but it is what he does when he is alone and thinks that no one sees him that determines who he really is.  We should be mindful of the fact that God sees all that we do (Job 34:21) and He knows our intentions. (Psalms 94:11, Matthew 9:4, Matthew 12:25, 1 Corinthians 3:20, and Hebrew 4:12)  That is why we should pray like King David prayed, that the words of our mouths and the meditation of our hearts would be acceptable in the sight of God. (Psalms 19:14)

Enthusiastic Joyful Patient And Faithful

"Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving The Lord.  Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."  Romans 12:11-12 (NIV)

After urging the believers in Rome to be living sacrifices unto God, the Apostle Paul told them to love one another, and to never lose their zeal for serving God.  They should praise Him in good times and bad times; the should never lose hope; they should be patient during the trials, the tribulations, and the storms of life; and they should faithfully and regularly pray.

The entirety of chapter twelve of the book of Romans could be entitled, "Guidelines For Christian Living."  These two verses encourage us to love and serve The Lord with gusto, no matter what comes our way.  We ought to communicate with Him regularly and often.  The more that we pray, the better off we will be. (James 5:16)  We need to learn to be patient, and to wait on The Lord.  He does thing in His own time-frame. (Isaiah 40:31)   We should be "on fire" for The Lord, we should be very enthusiastic about our service to Him.  Jesus said that He did not want any "lukewarm" followers. (Revelation 3:15-16)   We should also be joyful as we approach and deal with everything. (James 1:2)  We have already been assured of the victory. (1 Corinthians 15:57 and   1 John 5:4)  With Him, we win; without Him, we lose. (Romans 8:37)

Every Man Will Receive According To His Deeds

"But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.  There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile;  but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile."  Romans 2:8-10 (NIV)

In his letter to the believers in the Church in Rome, the Apostle Paul told them that the righteous judgement of God will render to every man according to his deeds. (Romans 2:5-6)  The worldly people who reject Him will incur His wrath, and the righteous people who follow Him live by His Word will be blessed.
The salvation of the redeemed believers is not based upon their works, their good works are the evidence of their salvation.  The evil deeds of non-believers provides evidence of the absence of righteousness in their lives.  Both groups will sin, but believers will feel and show remorse, confess, and repent of their sins, whereas the non-believers will not.  We all will be judged on the basis of our belief, character, and conduct.  And, His judgement will begin with those in the Church.

Christ Has Overcome The World

"I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world."  John 16:33 (NIV)

After Jesus told His disciples about His upcoming departure (John 16:16), the Apostle John recorded these word which Jesus spoke to them.  Jesus said, I told you this so that you would be at peace and not worry when it happens.  The He said to them, in this would you will have trouble, but don't worry because He had overcome the world.

As present day disciples of Jesus, The Christ, we should understand that we will have troubles, trials, and tribulations.  (Job 14:1 and John 16:33)  However, this should not concern us,  because He is with us, and He has assured us that if we believe in Him, will be victorious.   He has already conquered the world. (Romans 8:38, Hebrews 13:5, 1 John 4:4)   With Him, and only with Him, will we be victorious.

The Lord Gives And The Lord Takes Away

"... Job ...  he fell to the ground in worship and said: 'Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and The LORD has taken away; may the name of The LORD be praised.'  In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing."  Job 1:20-22 (NIV)

After Job lost all of his livestock, and after his sons and daughters were killed, Job worshiped God and said The Lord has given and The Lord has taken away, blessed be the name of The Lord. (Job 1:21)  He did not blame God , or question God, regarding the loss of his possessions or the deaths of his children. 

Some people not only question God, but they get mad at Him, blame Him, even curse Him, and refuse to worship Him because a loved one died.  With our limited capacity for knowledge and understanding, we do not have any idea why God does what He does, when He does it, or why He allows some things to happen. God is omniscient, He knows everything. (2 Samuel 14:20 and 1 John 3:20)  Job did not lose faith in God because bad things happened to him and his family.  Bad things will happen to all of us. (Job 14:1)  However, our troubles, trials, and tribulations are but a test of our faith.  (2 Corinthians 13:5 and 1 Peter 1:7)  We should not blame God because we failed the test.  We should praise and bless The Lord at all times. (Psalms 34:1)  Our problem is that we have very little faith in God, and since we do not exercise our faith, it is weak.  If we exercised our faith more often, we could develop faith like Job had and be able to praise Him during the bad times of our lives, even after the death of loved ones.

Hear And Obey The Word Of God

 "He replied, 'Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.' "  Luke 11:28 (NIV)

Luke, the physician and frequent travelling companion of the Apostle Paul, recorded the words of Jesus as reported to him by eyewitnesses. (Luke 1:2)  As Jesus was explaining to the crowd that His power to perform miracles, like casting out demons, came from God.  He was interrupted by a woman in the crowd who yelled out blessed is the woman who gave birth to Him and nursed Him.  To her He replied "Blessed, rather, are those who hear the word of God and obey it."  Without putting her down, Jesus redirected the conversation stating more than that, those who hear and obey The Word of God are blessed.

Likewise, we are blessed when we hear and obey The Word of God.  Just hearing or reading and knowing The Word of God is not enough. (John 13:17)  We are to be doers of The Word, and not just hearers of it. (James 1:22)   Not only did Jesus preach and teach The Scriptures, He lived them.  Herein He provided an example of helping the woman see the bigger picture instead of embarrassing her.  We should also pass up the opportunity to put someone down.  We should phrase our comments in such a way as to help enlighten others instead of putting them down.  Let's do more than read and listen to The Word of God, let's obey it and live it, and be blessed for doing so.

Keep The Sabbath Day Holy And Be Blessed

"This is what The LORD says: 'Maintain justice and do what is right, for My salvation is close at hand and My righteousness will soon be revealed.  Blessed is the man who does this, the man who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath without desecrating it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil."  Isaiah 56:1-2 (NIV)

The Prophet Isaiah recorded here The Words of God by beginning with with the phrase "Thus says The Lord..."  God said that the the people were to do that which was right and just.  He also said whoever keeps the Sabbath day holy and avoids doing evil, will be blessed.

When the law was given to Moses, one of the commandments was to remember the Sabbath  day and keep it holy. (Exodus 20:8)  Isaiah reminded the people, and he reminds us today, that the man who keeps the Sabbath day holy will be blessed.  While there may be disagreement as to which day of the week is the Sabbath day, clearly one day of each week should be reserved for giving reverence to God, The Lord's Day.  It should also be noted that it is The Lord's Day, and not The Lord's Hour.  There are some people who feel that they have done that which is required of them after they spend one or two hours in church on Sunday each week.  They feel that the rest of the time is theirs to do with as the please.  It is not that we have to spend the entire day in church on The Lord's Day, but the question is: do we give God glory with the remaining waking hours after we leave the worship services?  Do we avoid doing evil?  Remember, the Bible says that all unrighteousness is sin. (1 John 5:17)  One day we will all have to give an account for our thoughts, words, and deeds, including desecrating the Sabbath. (Matthew 12:36 and Romans 14:12)  In all things may God be glorified. (1 Peter 4:11)

Be Faithful And Be Blessed

"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him."  James 1:12 (NIV)

James, the half brother of Jesus who became a pillar of the early Church, wrote that the man who keeps the faith while going through trials and tribulations will pass his test and be blessed. He will receive the crown that God has promised to give to all those who love Him.

Perseverance is important, he that endures to the end shall be saved. (Matthew 10:22)  Let us never get tired of doing good. (Galatians 6:9)  We must be faithful until the end. (1 Corinthians 4:2)  By maintaining our faith in Jesus, The Christ, as we successfully negotiate the trials of this life, believers will be rewarded with the gift of eternal life.  Our goal is not to receive the accolades of man.  Our goal is the hear the words: "well done, good and faithful servant" when we stand before The Lord.  Keep the faith and be blessed. (2 Timothy 1:13 and Titus 3:8)  

Those Who Have Faith Are Blessed

"The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: 'All nations will be blessed through you.'  So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith."  Galatians 3:8-9 (NIV)

The Apostle Paul told the believers in Galatia that The Scriptures predicted that all nations, all of the people of the world, would be blessed through Abraham, the man known as the father of the faithful.  This was a reference to the coming of Christ, through the lineage of Abraham, and His death, burial, and resurrection for the salvation of man.  God also blessed Abraham and his seed.  The word "seed" is used in two different ways, at times it refers to Christ, and other times it refers to the descendants of Abraham. (Roman 9:7 and Galatians 3:16)  Paul said that those who have faith will be blessed.

Abraham was not righteous.  He believed God, and God imputed unto him righteousness. (James 2:23)  The same can be true for us today.  If we believe in God, our faith will result in our salvation, and we will be the children of God (Matthew 5:9), part of the seed of Abraham, and we will be blessed along with him.  Abraham's seed was to be more numerous that the stars. (Genesis 15:5)  Abraham believed God and had faith.  Having faith is important, because without faith it is impossible to please God. (Hebrews 11:6)  It is by the grace of God through our faith that we are saved. (Ephesians 2:8)   The just shall live by faith (Romans 1:17), we live and walk by faith (2 Corinthians 5:7), and faith comes by hearing The Word of God. (Romans 10:17)

Blessed For Doing As Jesus Did

 "I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you ... Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them."  John 13:15-17 (NIV)

The Apostle John quoted these words of Jesus, The Christ, as he spoke to His disciples just before His final passover meal.  Jesus said follow My examples, do as I have done.  Then He said now that they know these things, they will be blessed if they do them.

While He lived on earth as a human being, Jesus gave us a living example of how we should behave.  Not only did He preach and teach, but He lived a life which was consistent with His words.  Jesus lived a life of loving compassionate humility providing service to those who were in need.  He preached repentance (Matthew 4:17), taught by example and parable, and He helped others.  He charged us to follow His example and serve one another.  He also said when we know that which is right, then we ought to do the right thing.  Knowing The Word of God is not enough, we must also be doers of His Word.  We will not be blessed for knowing what is right, we will be blessed for doing what is right.  Knowledge of that which good and right that is not put into practice is fruitless and sinful. (Luke 12:47 and James 4:17)

The Scriptures Were Written For Our Benefit

"For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.  May The God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."  Romans 15:4-6 (NIV)

The Apostle Paul tells the believers in Rome that the scriptures were written for their benefit, to teach them, and encourage them, and to give them hope.  Then he prayed that God would bless them and give them unity of mind, heart, and speech, that they would be on one accord, and follow Christ, and glorify God.

The written words of the Bible represent God speaking to us.  They were written under the divine inspiration of The Holy Spirit for our education, edification, and enlightenment.  The scriptures provide us with guidance and direction, comfort and compassion, help and healing, in addition to insight and instruction.  The Word of God can provide us with spiritual food (1 Corinthians 10:3) and living water (John 4:10 and 7:38), and the road to salvation and sanctification.  To be blessed by The Word of God we must read it, or hear it (Deuteronomy 17:19, 2 Kings 23:2, Nehemiah 8:3 and 9:3, & Rev 1:3), believe it (Matthew 21:22), study it (2 Timothy 2:15), live it (James 1:22), and share it with others (Hebrews 13:16).

Comforted To Provide Comfort To Others

"Praise be to The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, The Father of compassion and The God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God."  2 Corinthian 1:3-4 (NIV)

In this letter to the believers in Corinth, the Apostle Paul tell them that God, their heavenly Father, who is the God of all compassion and comfort, comforts them in their time of trouble so that they, in turn, can be a comfort to others in their time of trouble.  

Just as we were blessed in order to be a blessing to others, we were comforted in our troubles so that we could learn how to be a comfort to others in their hour of need.  God comforted us when we were afflicted, anguished, bereaved, burdened, persecuted, suffering, troubled, and when we were going through our tribulations.  When others are going through the storms in their lives, that is when we should do likewise and comfort them.  Appropriate words of comfort are great, but sometimes just our being there is all the comfort that they need.  So, let us be there for one another, with comfort and compassion, and help each other for God's glory.  We were blessed, to be a blessing to others.

God's Grace Is Sufficient For Us

"To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.  Three times I pleaded with The Lord to take it away from me.  But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me."  2 Corinthian 12:7-9 (NIV)

The Apostle Paul was given a thorn in his flesh, a physical ailment, or a disability, or a personal challenge, which was designed to torment and humble him.  He referred to it as a messenger from Satan, but God used it to keep him from becoming conceited, and to correct his focus.  Three times Paul asked God to remove it, but God told him "My grace is sufficient for you."  God's strength was demonstrated in Paul's weakness.

We each have something in our lives that keeps our feet on the ground and our eyes looking towards heaven.  Something that keeps reminding us that we are dependent upon God. We know that God can heal us, and keep us from all hurt, harm, and danger.  God can also use our afflictions and our situations to keep us on our knees in prayer.  That which makes us cry out unto The Lord can be our thorn in the flesh.  Whatever it is, His grace is sufficient to help us overcome and persevere through it.  In our weakness and limitations, God can demonstrate His strength and power.

Mercy And Compassion Are Gifts From God

"For He says to Moses, 'I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.'  It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy."  Romans 9:15-16 (NIV)

The Apostle Paul reported in his letter to the believers in the Church at Rome that God said to Moses that He will have mercy on whomever He wants and He will have compassion on whomever He wants. (Exodus 33:19)  The choice is His, and His alone.

It is not up to man to determine on whom God will have mercy, or whom He will bless and have compassion.  God is sovereign and does not have to answer to anyone.  He can do what He wants to do with us.  We belong to Him, He made us.  He can show mercy to whomever and whenever He wants to.  The same is true regarding His showing of compassion.  We may want it, but He decides who gets it.  He makes the rules and sets the standards, and He decides whom He will bless.  The righteous and those who follow His Word, are much more likely to be the recipients of His mercy and compassion. (Psalms 34:17 and Proverbs 15:29)  Blessings and salvation are gifts from God.  The only decision man makes is to believe or not to believe.

Be Compassionate And Humble And Be Blessed

"Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.  Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing."  1 Peter 3:8-9 (NIV)

The Apostle Peter encouraged the believers to live in harmony, to be sympathetic, to be compassionate, to be humble, and to love one another as brothers.  By being a blessing to each other they would receive a blessing themselves.

The concept of "being a blessing to others and then receiving a blessing," is not a new one.  Peter may have been paraphrasing Proverbs 11:25 which states "he that watereth shall himself also be watered."  As Christians, we are to treat our fellowman with love and compassion.  We are to be sympathetic to the plight of others, and humble in our dealings with them.  Jesus said that as we treat our brothers, we are doing it to Him. (Matthew 25:40 and 25:45)  So let us be very careful about how we treat each other.  Treating others in a non-Christian way may cause us to miss out on a blessing.

Have The Attitude Of Christ

"If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with The Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.  Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.  Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus..." Philippians 2:1-5 (NIV)

The Apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Philippi to encourage them to be Christ-like, and to be guided by The Holy Spirit, and demonstrate the love of God towards one another.  He told them not to be selfish, but to think of, and to value others more than self, just as Christ did.

Those of us who have been encouraged by being in Christ, who have received comfort from His love, who have received the indwelling of The Holy Spirit, who have been shown the loving kindness and mercy of God, should have and display that same love towards one another.  We should do nothing with selfish ambition or conceit, but we should humble ourselves, and place the interest of others before our own.  We should think, act, and behave as Christ did and follow His example.  To be Christian is to be "Christ-like."  We cannot be perfect like He was and is, but we can strive for the perfect example which He set before us.  

Comfort During Suffering

"Remember Your word to Your servant, for You have given me hope.  My comfort in my suffering is this:  Your promise preserves my life."  Psalms 119:49-50 (NIV)

This psalmist declares that The Word of God gives him hope, and it is a comfort to him when he is suffering because he knows that God is keeping him.

We should be glad and thankful that The Lord has preserved our life and allowed us to remain among the living for one more day.  We may be in the midst of a storm at the moment, however, the fact that we can recognize that and understand that it is only a temporary situation, (Psalms 30:5 and 1 Peter 1:6), should be a source of comfort for us.  We should rejoice because trouble  don't last always.  It was God who brought us to it, and He can take us through it.

Ask For It And Receive It If...

"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.  And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."  Mark 11:24-25 (NIV)

These are some of the words that Jesus spoke to His disciples regarding prayer.  Jesus said that if they asked for something, and believed that they would receive it, then it would be theirs. Then He told them not to hold anything in their heart against anyone so that they would not block their own blessing.

Today, Christians, we are the disciples of Jesus, The Christ.  Before we pray, we should make sure that we are not holding anything in our heart against anyone. When we pray, we should make sure that what we pray for will give God glory. For whatever we ask for that is in the will of God, we will receive it, so that God can be glorified. (John 15:7-8 and 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12)  After we pray, we must believe that God hears and answers the prayers of His saints. (Proverbs 15:29 and 1 Peter 3:12)  We have not, because we ask not. (James 4:2)  Before, when, and after we pray, we must believe that God can, and will, grant our request.

God Is Watching Us

"From heaven The LORD looks down and sees all mankind; from His dwelling place He watches all who live on earth; He who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do."  Psalms 33:13-15 (NIV)

The author of this psalm states that God, who made man, looks down from heaven and observes man, and He takes note of everything that man does.  The Creator not only sees, but He oversees and records all that man does.

Not only did God create the first man, (Genesis 1:27 and Genesis 2:7), He oversees the creation of every man. (Psalms 139:13-16)  He made us and He knows us.  God sits in heaven and sees all that we do, hears all that we say, and knows all that we think.  Additionally, there is a record being kept of this in heaven, and one day, we will each have to give an account for our  every thought, spoken word, and action. (Revelation 20:11-13)  We say, what happens in Las Vegas, stays in Las Vegas, but this is not true.  God sees it all and we will have to answer for it.  It is time for us to walk the Christian walk and not just talk the talk.  Let us let our behavior match our beliefs.  God is watching.

Live In Order To Please God

"Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living.  Now we ask you and urge you in The Lord Jesus to do this more and more."  1 Thessalonians 4:1 (NIV)

In his letter to the Thessalonian believers, the Apostle Paul said that his purpose for teaching them was so that they would know how to live to please God, and so that they would do that more often.

We have to be taught how to walk with God and how to please Him.  Only through The Word of God can we learn how to please Him.  Only by instruction in His Word can we learn how to behave and conduct ourselves in a manner which pleases God.  Living to please God means living according to His Word, hearing it, believing it, reading it, following it, and loving it.  And not just doing this once in a while, but doing it more and more, and more frequently.  No matter how good our Christian walk may be, there is always room for improvement and growing closer to God.  Living to please God is a continuous process which requires a daily devotion and commitment.  As Christians, this is how we ought to live.

Do What Is Right Just And Fair

"The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight; for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair; for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young; let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance; for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.  The fear of The LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline."  Proverbs 1:1-7 (NIV)

King Solomon was the wisest man ever (2 Chronicles 1:11-12), and he chose to share his wisdom with the people within the thirty-one proverbs which he wrote. The purpose of the proverbs was to help the people gain wisdom and discipline, to gain understanding and a prudent life. To help them do that which was right, just, and fair as they went about their daily activities and in their dealings with others.

Solomon prayed for wisdom and knowledge so that he could do a good job as king leading God's people. (2 Chronicles 1:10)  He wanted to help the people by giving them some good examples and words of wisdom to live by.  We could learn a lot from Solomon, not only from the proverbs which he wrote, but also from his prayerful concern for others and his purpose for sharing.  His motives had nothing to do with personal gain.  He had a sincere love for others.  We need to pray that we would develop that type of love for others.  Jesus said that we should love others as we love ourselves. (Matthew 22:39, Mark 12:31, and Luke 10:27)  If we love The Lord, then we should love and help His people.  To truly love and live a Godly life, we must do things which benefit someone other than ourselves.  As we treat others, we are doing that to God.  (Matthew 25:40)  We should do that which is right, just, and fair, and that which is a blessing to others.  Solomon was blessed beyond what he asked for because his purpose was to be a blessing to others.  He who blesses others shall himself also be blessed. (Proverbs 11:25)