Tag: call on God

Called, Chosen and Faithful

OLD TESTAMENT: Zephaniah 3

POETRY: Psalm 120

NEW TESTAMENT: Revelation 17

Zephaniah 3:17 (LEB):

“Yahweh your God is in your midst,

a mighty one who will save;

he will rejoice over you with gladness;

he will quiet you by his love;

he will exult over you with loud singing.”

Psalm 120:1-2 (LEB):

“In my distress, I called to Yahweh,

and he answered me.

O Yahweh, deliver my soul from lying lips,

from a deceitful tongue.”

Revelation 17:14 (LEB):

“They will make war on the Lamb,

and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings,

and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.”

In the final chapter of Zephaniah, we see a beautiful promise of restoration for God’s people. Despite the judgments and warnings throughout the book, Zephaniah reveals a God who delights in His people. The imagery of God rejoicing over His people with gladness and singing conveys a profound message of love and hope.

This promise is especially comforting when we feel weighed down by our failures or the struggles of life. No matter the circumstances, God’s presence is a source of strength and salvation. He quiets our fears and anxieties with His love, inviting us to experience His peace. Reflecting on this passage encourages us to trust in God’s ability to restore and redeem our lives, no matter how lost we may feel.

Psalm 120 begins with a cry for help from a place of distress. The psalmist’s plea reflects the reality of living in a world filled with deceit and conflict. This prayer for deliverance from lying lips and a deceitful tongue resonates deeply in a society where truth is often obscured.

In our own lives, we may face similar challenges—misunderstandings, falsehoods, or manipulation. Like the psalmist, we are reminded that we can call upon God in our times of need. He hears our cries and is ready to deliver us from the influences that seek to lead us astray. This passage encourages us to bring our concerns to God, trusting in His protection and guidance as we navigate the complexities of our world.

Revelation 17 presents a stark contrast between the forces of evil and the sovereignty of the Lamb. Despite the tumult and the power struggles depicted, the ultimate victory belongs to Christ, the King of kings. Those who stand with him are described as “called and chosen and faithful,” highlighting the significance of our relationship with him in the face of adversity.

This truth empowers us as believers. While we may encounter challenges and opposition, we can find solace in knowing that our Savior reigns supreme. The victory of the Lamb assures us that evil will not prevail in the end. This passage calls us to remain faithful, trusting in God’s promises and living out our calling as His children.

-Jeff Ransom

Reflection Questions:

How does the promise of God’s rejoicing over you impact your understanding of His love and presence in your life?

In what areas of your life do you feel distressed or overwhelmed? How can you bring those concerns to God in prayer?

Reflect on the theme of deceit in Psalm 120. How can you guard your heart and mind against falsehoods in your daily life?

What does it mean for you to be called, chosen, and faithful in light of Revelation 17? How can you live out this identity in your community?

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What are You Looking For?

Seek the Lord!

Psalm 6, 8-10, 14, 16, 19 & 21

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Today’s reading contains my absolute favorite Bible Verse, Psalm 16:8, “I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With Him at my right hand I will not be shaken.” I love this verse because of its beautiful reminder to seek the Lord daily. Growing up as a Christian my whole life, there is an added need to make my faith my own. And with that comes the importance of having a relationship with our Creator. But no matter what walk of life we are on, we all need to be striving to seek the Lord in all that we do. 

If you make God your main priority in life, He will see you through the rest. Although this doesn’t mean you won’t have any more problems, you can be reassured that God will be by your side the whole way. Continually seeking the Lord.  It’s so simple, and we have all heard it a million times yet its significance is still so important. So how do we continually seek the Lord?

 

Worship- As great as worshiping with other believers can be and is, spending time alone with God in worship can be just as beneficial, if not more. Whether it’s turning on worship music or meditating and praying Psalms, take the time to unplug from the world and plug into God. 

Psalm 95:1-2  “Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.”

 

Reading the Bible – Dedicating time each day to read His word will realign your focus on God over and over again and is the best way to learn more and grow closer to God. God has given His word to you! Don’t leave him unread! 

 

Memorizing and meditating on scriptures-   Keep your focus in alignment with what is important. One way to do this could be to place a couple of your favorite Bible verses around your house to encourage you to continually seek the Lord throughout your day. Soon you will be thinking of Bible verses from memory. 

Joshua 1:8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

 

Pray- Just like any relationship between two people, there needs to be communication. Consistent communication. Turns out, the same is true for a relationship with God. When was the last time you talked to God, and I mean really talked, like spilled your heart out to Him? We have an amazing opportunity to talk with the Creator of the universe. And the most amazing part, he hears you. He’s waiting for you to open up your heart to him. 

Deuteronomy 4:7 “What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him.” 

Psalm 27:8 “My heart has heard you say, ‘Come and talk with me’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming’

 

Call on Him- The outcome of seeking God- he will uphold you. When you seek the Lord wholeheartedly, you invite Him into your life, and He will touch every angle of it. That is how our lives can be transformed into  living for Him and His glory. God’s plan for you starts with you looking to the Lord as your strength and foundation every day. .  

Jeremiah 29:”Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 

James 4:8 “Come near to God and he will come near to you…”

Jeremiah 33:3 “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” 

Psalm 91:14-15 “He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.”

Lastly, another verse from today’s reading, Psalm 10:4 “ In his pride the wicked man does not seek Him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God. 

 

Let’s learn from this wicked man and not make the same mistakes he did. Make room for God in your lives, He can be found when we seek Him wholeheartedly. It’s our job today, tomorrow, and forever.

 

Makayla Railton

 

Today’s Bible reading can be found at https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+6%2C+8-10%2C+14%2C+16%2C+19%2C+21&version=NIV

Tomorrow’s reading will be 1 Chronicles 1-2 as we continue seeking God in His Word on our journey through the 2020 Chronological Bible Reading Plan

 

 

 

 

Coming to Terms

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One of the most difficult ordeals that came with my spiritual depression was to look it head on, call it what it was, and start to try moving past it. For me, I had to come running back to God, and tell him that I was angry because I felt He took my grandpa away before many of my life experiences I wanted to share with him. It is just the first step to getting better though. The next few steps require you to find what your passions are after feeling that you haven’t been yourself in quite some time, and where who you’ve been and who you are intertwine. Then, listen to God to see what He has in store for you to do next.

Job 10: 1-2 (HCSB): “I am disgusted with my life. I will express my complaint and speak in the bitterness of my soul. I will say to God: ‘Do not declare me guilty! Let me know why you prosecute me.’”

Job speaks candidly to God throughout the rest of chapter 10 saying that he knows himself to be blameless in the eyes of God, and wants to know why there is no deliverance from the trial he is facing. We witness Job go through this whole trial because God has faith in Job, that Job will be faithful to Him through it all. There are times in this life when we face circumstances that aren’t brought about by our own actions. They can be side effects from this world being a wicked place because this is not the Kingdom of God, or because we are being tested. In Psalm 91, we see the ways YHWH protects us, but it is conditional. The two key conditions are we must love God, and the other is to call upon Him. Psalm 91: 15 (NASB): “He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him, and honor him.”

Psalm 91 doesn’t seem like a chapter that works well in correlation to Job, but I find it is rather fitting. Job 2: 4-6 shows that God set conditions while allowing Satan to test Job. God was with Job the entire time through the trial and tribulation. God answered Job, but not immediately after every question Job brought forth. Last, but not least, God did rescue Job in His time, and honored him for his faithfulness. Today, I challenge you all to reflect upon some of the difficult times in your life, and how God came through for you in a way that left you in awe.

A song suggestion for today is “Who I am Hates Who I’ve Been” by Relient K. If the regular instrumentation form of this song is too much for you to handle, there is also an acoustic version that should be more suitable for your preference.

Regular song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HeuMiuj_Sg

Acoustic Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sS6Y3hf57KY

 

-Andrew Cheatwood

To All You Control Freaks…

Jeremiah 32 – 34

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Thursday, March 9

“I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?”  -Jeremiah 32:27

How often do you question God’s ability?  Do you ever look at something and think to yourself, “This is hopeless…” or “I can’t do this by myself…”  I frequently fall into this mindset, and I know I’m not the only one.  I’m what some may call a control freak… I frequently try and fix the problem myself rather than simply calling on God!  33:3 says “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”

God promises that when we call to Him, He will answer.  Yet here I am still trying to do things on my own!  Thankfully, I have a good God whose love endures forever (33:11) and who follows through on His promises!

Chapter 34 is all about God following through on what He has said.  Good or bad, God commits to His word and will not change it.  What He says is truth.  We can know that whatever is written in the Bible is true because He inspired it!

Today I challenge you to ask yourself, ‘Am I a control freak?’

Give up the control you are clinging to and remember that you can call on our God.  Nothing is too difficult for Him and when you call to Him, He will answer!

-Sarah Blanchard

(Photo Credit: https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Jeremiah-32-27_Inspirational_Image/)