word of God Archives - Page 28 of 42

Andy Sochor August 19, 2012

"They Continually Mocked the Messengers of God" (8/19)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from 2 Kings 24-25; 2 Chronicles 36.

God’s judgment of the people of Judah happened in stages at the hands of the Babylonians. But even after it started, He still loved the people and sent messengers to them so that they would listen and repent.

“The Lord, the God of their fathers, sent word to them again and again by His messengers, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place; but they continually mocked the messengers of God, despised His words and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against His people, until there was no remedy. Therefore He brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man or virgin, old man or infirm; He gave them all into his hand” (2 Chronicles 36:15-17).

Despite the fact that judgment was already happening against them, the people still refused to listen to the prophets. But more than just closing their ears for lack of interest, they actively mocked, despised, and scoffed at the message and the messengers of God.

God’s patience has a limit. In this case, the people who refused to listen were taken off into captivity. Though we do not stand to face a Babylonian captivity, we will still be judged and punished if we mock those who teach the truth and reject the word of God.

Once God’s patience runs out, we will have no hope; we will be destroyed. We must take advantage of our time now, when God still extends His patience and mercy toward us, so that we might correct anything that might be amiss in our lives and conform to His will.

Tomorrow’s reading: Habakkuk 1-3

[I’m using the Chronological reading plan on the Bible Gateway website if you’d like to follow along, too.]

Daily Notes & Observations contains all 365 articles from this series and is available in paperback from Gospel Armory.

Filed Under: SERIES: Daily Notes & Observations Tagged With: judgment, preaching, punishment, word of God

Andy Sochor August 16, 2012

Faith in Vain

Faith is absolutely essential if one wants to be saved. The Hebrew writer said, “And without faith it is impossible to please Him” (Hebrews 11:6). Paul wrote about being “justified by faith” (Romans 5:1). But while faith is essential, it is important to understand that we must have the right kind of faith as it is described in the New Testament. If we do not, then whatever faith we do have will be worthless or in vain. How can faith become of no value to us?
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Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: authority, faith, obedience, truth, word of God

Andy Sochor July 27, 2012

If Only You Had Paid Attention (7/27)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Isaiah 44-48.

God desires to bless and reward His people. But the rewards He promises are, and have always been, conditional.

“Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, ‘I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go. If only you had paid attention to My commandments! Then your well-being would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea. Your descendants would have been like the sand, and your offspring like its grains; their name would never be cut off or destroyed from My presence’” (Isaiah 48:17-19).

Following God’s instructions by walking in His ways leads to a reward. During the time of the Old Law, this reward was physical prosperity, peace, and a continued preservation of the nation of Israel. Today is a little different. We may not have physical prosperity (1 Corinthians 15:19) or peace (2 Timothy 3:12). The nation in which we live could fall, leading to economic instability and hardship (Proverbs 27:24). But God does promise a reward to us if we are faithful today.
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Filed Under: SERIES: Daily Notes & Observations Tagged With: listen, reward, word of God

Andy Sochor July 18, 2012

“These Who Have Turned the World Upside Down”

After just a few weeks of Paul preaching in Thessalonica, the gospel had been received by some of the Jews and “a large number of the God-fearing Greeks and a number of the leading women” (Acts 17:1-4). In an effort to try to silence this message, the Jews intended to capture Paul and Silas. When they could not find them, they took Jason and some of the brethren and brought them before the authorities in order to accuse them.

“When they did not find them, they began dragging Jason and some brethren before the city authorities, shouting, ‘These men who have upset the world have come here also; and Jason has welcomed them, and they all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus’” (Acts 17:6-7).

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: fellowship, forgiveness, gospel, peace, preaching, sin, word of God

Andy Sochor July 11, 2012

“God Does Nothing Unless He Reveals His Secret Counsel” (7/11)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Amos 1-5.

As God revealed His message to the prophet Amos about the punishment that was coming to Israel, He made a point about prophecy and calamity that would be good for us to remember today.

“If a trumpet is blown in a city will not the people tremble? If a calamity occurs in a city has not the Lord done it? Surely the Lord God does nothing unless He reveals His secret counsel to His servants the prophets” (Amos 3:6-7).

When a calamity occurs, is God the one behind it? When a tragedy strikes, is God trying to send some sort of message? People wonder about these things all of the time. As a result, they spend many hours speculating, wondering, and worrying over some message from God that they assume must be interwoven in the events of their life. So they try to figure out what God is trying to show them.
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Filed Under: SERIES: Daily Notes & Observations Tagged With: revelation, word of God

Andy Sochor July 10, 2012

The Parable of the Vineyard (7/10)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Isaiah 5-8.

“Let me sing now for my well-beloved a song of my beloved concerning His vineyard. My well-beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hill. He dug it all around, removed its stones, and planted it with the choicest vine. And He built a tower in the middle of it and also hewed out a wine vat in it; then He expected it to produce good grapes, but it produced only worthless ones.

“‘And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between Me and My vineyard. What more was there to do for My vineyard that I have not done in it? Why, when I expected it to produce good grapes did it produce worthless ones? So now let Me tell you what I am going to do to My vineyard: I will remove its hedge and it will be consumed; I will break down its wall and it will become trampled ground. I will lay it waste; it will not be pruned or hoed, but briars and thorns will come up. I will also charge the clouds to rain no rain on it.’

“For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel and the men of Judah His delightful plant. Thus He looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, a cry of distress” (Isaiah 5:1-7).