In suffering,
in sadness,
in trials,
in temptations,
in forgiveness,
in faith,
in humility,
in hope,
in rejoicing
in Jesus,
we press on.
Not that I have already obtained this
or am already perfect, but I press on
to make it my own, because Christ Jesus
has made me His own.
Philippians 3:12 ESV
Scripture: Philippians 3:17-21
God does not offer the gift of eternal life
as though a person can decide to accept it or not.
He graciously gives eternal life as a gift
to those who trust in Christ as Savior and Lord.
So we should not say in our gospel presentation,
“Will you accept God’s gift of eternal life?” But rather,
“Will you submit to Christ as Savior and Lord?”
For the wages of sin is death,
but the free gift of God is eternal life
in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23 ESV
I keep Philippians 4:8 in my arsenal. Obeying
that verse is my best defense against the depression
that tries to seep into my soul every year, about this time.
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
Also: Philippians 4:4
Repentance is the key
that unlocks the door
to eternal life–
belief opens it.
When they heard these things they fell silent.
And they glorified God, saying,
“Then to the Gentiles also God has granted
repentance that leads to life.”
Acts 11:18 ESV
For the whole story read Acts chapter 10 and 11:1-18.
The invitation is not,
the call is not,
the command is not
to take Jesus with us,
but to leave all
and go with Him–
to follow Him.
And going on from there he saw two other brothers,
James the son of Zebedee and John his brother,
in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets,
and he called them. Immediately they left the boat
and their father and followed him.
Matthew 4:21-22 ESV
Also: Matthew 11:28-30
The temporary blessings God gives us here
are a mere taste of the eternal inheritance
that will one day be ours in heaven.
May every good gift here,
direct our attention there.
“Then the King will say to those on his right,
‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father,
inherit the kingdom prepared for you
from the foundation of the world.'”
Matthew 25:34 ESV
Also: 1 Peter 1:3-9
It’s a medical fact that humans need sleep.
It’s a spiritual reality that humans need God more than sleep.
And rising very early in the morning,
while it was still dark,
[Jesus] departed and went out to a desolate place,
and there He prayed.
Mark 1:35 ESV
God, through the Holy Spirit,
convicts, corrects and rebukes,
strengthens and guides,
teaches, reminds, empowers,
and produces His fruit
in the lives of His children–
that’s how we know we are His.
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit
that we are children of God.
Romans 8:16 NKJV
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, and self-control.
Against such, there is no law.
Galatians 5:22
The Bible doesn’t say we are to choose
whether or not to accept Jesus as Lord.
It doesn’t say we should choose whether or not
to have a personal relationship with Christ.
It does not say to choose heaven or hell,
an abundant life or so-so existence,
joy or sadness, sickness or health. The Bible says,
“Choose you this day whom you will serve.”
One Master gives joy and peace, purpose
and direction, hope and eternal life.
The other has nothing to give, for he
is as doomed as those who serve him.
“Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve.”
Joshua 24:15 NKJV
When we follow Jesus,
He will enable us to do whatever He does.
Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me,
and I will make you become fishers of men.”
Mark 1:17 NKJV
God’s plan is still unfolding.
And he said to me, “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book,
for the time is at hand. He who is unjust, let him be unjust still;
he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous,
let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.”
Revelation 22:10-11 NKJV
May Jesus always be the center of our attention.
Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith,
who for the joy that was set before Him
endured the cross, despising the shame,
and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:2 NKJV
All of eternity hangs
on whether or not
we have done two things–
repented and believed.
Now after John was put in prison,
Jesus came to Galilee,
preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,
and saying, “The time is fulfilled,
and the kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
Mark 1:14-15 NKJV
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
John 14:6 NKJV
Aren’t you glad there is no “and” at the end of that verse?
It doesn’t say, No one comes to the Father
except through Me and good works,
except through Me and penance,
except through Me and church attendance,
except through Me and charitable giving.
But only, “Except through Me.”
For by grace you have been saved through faith,
and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9 NKJV
No one knew the lengths to which God would go
to save His people from their sins–until the cross.
“For God so loved the world,
that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him
should not perish
but have everlasting life.”
John 3:16 NKJV
Our hope in trials,
our relief in pain,
our comfort in sorrow,
our confidence in death,
our joy in life–
our future with God.
“Their souls shall be like a well-watered garden,
And they shall sorrow no more at all.
And My people shall be satisfied with My goodness,
says the LORD.
I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”
Jeremiah 31:12, 14, 33 NKJV
May we live every day
in the peace of God’s presence,
by the power of the Holy Spirit,
mindful of our pleasures in Christ,
and for the purpose of His calling.
I press toward the goal for the prize
of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
Philippians 3:14, Psalm 51:12 NKJV
Also: Romans 8:28-39
“For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him” (2 Chronicles 16:9).
Those words, spoken to Asa, the king of Judah, provide all the encouragement we need to go, and go boldly, with the Lord.
Asa was the first of Judah’s kings who did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He commanded all of Judah to seek the LORD God, and to obey His law. So God blessed Judah with peace. The land was quiet for 10 years. But then an Ethiopian army of a million men came out to fight against Judah, whose army was only about half that size.
The Bible says Asa prepared his men for battle, and then he cried out to the LORD his God and said, “LORD, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power…in Your name we go against this multitude. O LORD, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You!” (2 Chronicles 14:11).
So the Lord struck the Ethiopians and they fled. Asa and all of Judah honored the Lord God, and God blessed them with peace, again.
Asa didn’t face another military conflict until the 36th year of his reign. But this time, instead of trusting God, Asa made a treaty with a pagan king. So Hanani the prophet confronted him about it: “Because you have relied on the king of Syria, and have not relied on the LORD your God, therefore the army of the king of Syria has escaped from your hand. Were the Ethiopians…not a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet, because you relied on the LORD, He delivered them into your hand. For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him” (16:7-9).
“For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.”
A couple things in that verse jump out at me. First is that the Lord is looking to show Himself strong on our behalf. He is always looking for the opportunity to display His strength. He is eager to do it. That’s His priority.
So we have to ask ourselves, why? Why is God intent on showing Himself strong on behalf of those who are loyal to Him?
I can think of 6 reasons:
1. We will praise and glorify Him when He does. God blesses people all the time who don’t acknowledge Him, who haven’t asked for His help, and who won’t thank Him when He does help them. He does that all the time. He gives people air to breathe, friends and family who love them, food and shelter. He heals sicknesses, protects from danger, and gives people many joys and pleasures in this life. Even an atheist is blessed by God every day. (Theologians call that common grace.)
So, it stands to reason that God would be extremely happy, and even delighted to help those who depend on Him, those who will actually thank and praise Him for His provision.
2. God wants to show Himself strong on our behalf because He is bound by His Word, and by His promises. Isaiah 41:10 says, “Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” God is bound by His Word.
3. Why does God want to show Himself strong? Because He delights in our dependence on Him, and He wants us to keep on depending on Him. Psalm 147:11 says God delights in those who fear Him, who put their hope in His unfailing love.
4. God shows Himself strong on our behalf because His great name and reputation are at stake. Psalm 106:7-8 says, “Our fathers in Egypt did not understand Your wonders; They did not remember the multitude of Your mercies, But rebelled by the Red Sea. Nevertheless He saved them for His name’s sake, that He might make His mighty power known.”
And that’s exactly what King Asa counted on. Before going to battle with the Ethiopians he cried out to God, “In Your name we go against this multitude. O LORD, You are our God.” So, God is bound to help us because His name and reputation are at stake.
5. God shows Himself strong on our behalf because He loves us. Jeremiah 31:3 says, “I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.”
6. God shows Himself strong on our behalf because Jesus died for us. Romans 8:32 says: “He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also along with Him graciously give us all things?”
If God already did the hardest thing, offering up His only Son, it just makes sense that He would now want to do the easy thing, showing Himself strong on our behalf. Remember what Asa said before doing battle with the Ethiopians? “Lord, it is nothing for you to help.” Helping us doesn’t burn up any of God’s energy or dwindle any of His resources.
The next thing that jumps out at me in 2 Chronicles 16:9 is the word loyal. “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.”
Instead of the word loyal, other translations use the words: fully committed, perfect, blameless and faithful. If we just read that one verse, it would seem as though God is looking to reward our faithfulness to Him. It would seem as though the focus is on God showing Himself strong to the one whose life demonstrates a commitment to faithful obedience, allegiance, and loyalty to Him. And God does do that. He does reward our faithfulness. But the faithfulness spoken of in this story is the perfection of helplessly depending on God and God alone.
Asa was rebuked for where he placed his dependence. Hanani rebuked him for trusting in the help of a pagan king, instead of his God. The loyalty spoken of in 2 Chronicles 16:9 is a loyalty that turns to God for help, and Him alone. It’s a heart considered blameless because it has not trusted in another for even the tiniest bit of help. It’s a loyalty in our dependence that God is looking for.
The cool thing is, we don’t have to wait for an enemy attack, or a dire situation, to receive God’s strength on our behalf. Whether we realize it or not, every aspect of our lives is totally dependent on Him. We are able to get up in the morning, and eat and breathe and pray because He enables us to.
We are able to serve Him because He has appointed us to a specific task, and He enables us to accomplish His purposes.
People are saved and brought into His kingdom because He brings them. He saves them. With men, this is impossible, but not with God!
May we trust Him to keep His Word and show Himself strong on our behalf— in our everyday lives, in our areas of ministry, and in saving sinners and glorifying His name.
As the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, may we be the ones He sees who are depending on Him, and Him alone.
One of my favorite verses is 2 Chronicles 16:9.
“For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.”
As I began my study on Asa, king of Judah, the person to whom those words were spoken, I was reminded of a book I read a couple years ago. Father and son, doctors Kenneth and Tyler Cooper, wrote the book. Its title is Start STRONG, Finish STRONG.
As I thought about that book, and the story leading up to that verse, I realized the importance of starting and finishing our lives strong—SPIRITUALLY STRONG.
King Asa was the first of Judah’s kings who did what was right in the eyes of the Lord (2 Chronicles 14:2, 1 Kings 15:11). He began his 41-year reign STRONG. But, unfortunately, he didn’t finish as strong as he began.
When he became king, He removed the prostitutes from the land and got rid of all the idols made by his forefathers. He even removed his grandmother from her position as queen mother, because she had made an obscene idol (1 Kings 15:12-13). He brought all of the holy things back into the house of the Lord. And He commanded all of Judah to seek the LORD God, and to obey His law (2 Chronicles 14:4).
So God blessed Judah with peace. The land was quiet for 10 years. But then an Ethiopian army of a million men and 300 chariots came out to do battle with Judah, whose army was only about half that size.
Asa didn’t seem concerned at all. The Bible says Asa prepared his men for battle, and then he cried out to the LORD his God and said, “LORD, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O LORD our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude. O LORD, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You!” (2 Chronicles 14:11).
So the Lord struck the Ethiopians and they fled. The spoils of Judah’s victory were immense! The Bible says they carried off livestock, sheep, and camels in abundance. Later they sacrificed some of those animals to the Lord: 700 bulls and 7000 sheep (15:11)!
Asa and all of Judah honored the Lord God, and God blessed them with peace “all around” (2 Chronicles 15:15). There were no more wars until the 36th year of Asa’s reign (15:19). But then something happened. In the last 6 years of Asa’s life, he had one lapse in good judgment, after another.
First, when faced with another military conflict, he made a treaty with a pagan king, rather than trusting God. Then, when Hanani the prophet confronted him about it, he became angry and put him in prison.
“And at that time Hanani the (prophet) came to Asa king of Judah, and said to him: ‘Because you have relied on the king of Syria, and have not relied on the LORD your God, therefore the army of the king of Syria has escaped from your hand. Were the Ethiopians…not a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet, because you relied on the LORD, He delivered them into your hand. For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.’ Then Asa was angry with the (prophet), and put him in prison, for he was enraged at him because of this. And Asa oppressed some of the people at that time” (16:7-10).
And then, just a few years before Asa died, his feet became diseased. Some think it may have been a severe case of gangrene. “Yet in his disease,” the Bible says, “he did not seek the Lord, but the physicians” (16:12).
So, how does all of this apply to us?
1. We can pray for those who have been faithfully serving the Lord for many years. We can ask God to bless, encourage and strengthen them. Especially knowing that we are never far from sin. We can praise God for their example of starting and continuing strong. And we can ask God to enable them to finish strong.
2. We can pray for more strong starters to help carry the load.
3. We can continue strong in our prayers for the lost—for our families, friends and acquaintances. Because we know our God is a saving God, and He has called us to pray (1 Timothy 2:1-7).
4. We can pray for each other, that we might remain fully committed to God; that we would rely on Him alone to strengthen us for the area of ministry in which He places us. That we might start and finish strong.
5. We can praise the Lord that even though we often fail, He remains faithful. Even though Asa sinned by not trusting God, the people honored him at his death. And God honored him for generations to come. In both biblical accounts of his reign as Judah’s king, it says, “Asa’s heart was fully committed to the Lord all his life” (2 Chronicles 15:17, 1 Kings 15:14).
“But you, be strong and do not let your hands be weak,
for your work shall be rewarded!” 2 Chronicles 15:7
There is nothing flippant, carefree, or easy about serving God. But there is a gladness, a peace, a confidence that He will accomplish His purposes through us, in us, and for us.
Serve the LORD with fear,
And rejoice with trembling.
Psalm 2:11 NKJV
Also: 2 Corinthians 2:14-17
