Tag: living for God

“The Lord Will Not…?”

Zephaniah 1

Saturday, November 12, 2022

Without repeating themes from the previous days this week, like the punishment of Israel or the reconstruction of the remnants of Jacob, we’re going to focus on one verse in particular. 

“It will come about at that time That I will search Jerusalem with lamps, And I will punish the men Who are stagnant in spirit, Who say in their hearts, ‘The Lord will not do good or evil!’ ” (Zephaniah 1:12)

These words of God issue a strong warning to a multitude of people, many of whom are within our churches. Similar to the warning issued by Jesus about not having a lukewarm faith, here God is warning us to increase our own. The follow up to that is when those who are stagnant in spirit then say “The Lord will not do good or evil”, It is stated that God will indeed punish them. This draws me to think of Romans eight, when Paul writes about either being in the flesh or the spirit.

It is my understanding that you are either living in the flesh or in the spirit. There isn’t really a way to balance it. The people saying that “The Lord will not do good or evil” are trying to balance and will receive punishment.

I am reminded of a saying I have heard from an elder in my church that goes like “Being a Christian requires more than being a ‘good ole boy.’ ” The older I get, the more I realize that is much too prevalent in our world. Too many think that just being a good person is all there is to living for God.

It is my encouragement to all readers today to structure a prayer along with the wishes of the apostles in Luke 17:5. “Increase our faith!” When we become on fire for God and don’t remain lukewarm we can truly experience what God has required of us. To fully dedicate our lives, as a living sacrifice.

-John Evans

Reflection Questions

  1. How would you describe the stagnant in spirit or those with a lukewarm faith? What are their attitudes toward God? Where do you see this today?
  2. Do you want your faith to grow? If so, definitely pray for it! Then what? How badly do you want your faith to grow? What are you willing to change in your life, your schedule, your speech, your heart, your priorities in order to see your faith grow?
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Faith Check

Hebrews 11-13

hebrews-11-1

Tuesday, July 11

Faith is an interesting concept. Many people live their lives just “going through the motions and rarely stop to smell the roses.” Their focus is mostly on themselves and they are distracted by the interruptions the world presents daily. Faith is extremely important to have as a Christian because “without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6 NIV). Faith directed the lives of Abraham, Moses, Isaac, Jacob, and continues to direct the lives of God’s children to this present day.

During my lifetime so far, I have had a struggle living for God and Jesus daily. I have tried to live peacefully with everyone and live a life pleasing to God. However, I am not perfect and, unfortunately, have sinned. An important lesson that I have learned through my everyday life as a child of God is that He will always forgive my sins if I ask for forgiveness. Hebrews 12:1-3 states, “… let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” It is imperative that we, as Christians, pay attention to when the Lord disciplines us and that we listen when God speaks because we should serve God with fear and awe in a way that pleases him.

Lately, I have been going through my possessions to figure out what I can donate or sell because I have a plethora of things that I do not need any more. The items that I own are causing me anxiety and making it hard to focus on the more significant things in life. Hebrews 13:5-8 reminds us to “keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ So, we say in confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?’” Knowing that God oversees my life makes it much easier to have a clear conscience and a desire to live honorably in my faith.

Today, I want you to remember Hebrews 13:15-16: “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” God wants us to continue to love each other through good actions, to not fall in love with money, and to endure when life gets tough because gaining inner strength from God’s kindness is good for us. I pray that your faith grows significantly in the coming days and that you pay attention to what God is trying to tell you. In Jesus name, I pray, Amen.

-Cynthia Fyfe

(Photo Credit: http://www.dailylifeverse.com/posts/2014/03/hebrews-11-1)