Three Things to Remember
Scripture
Together Again
When I’m writing an article, I can get a little frustrated with my typos. These little gaffes can be the source of large misunderstandings or they can be a bit humorous. A case in point is a verse from a song that was misprinted: Let Us Break Bread On Our Knees.
If a group of people were going to come together to break bread to-gather, they would soon have a pile of crumbs. Togetherness is a theme of Scripture, and more often than not, we’re promised blessings instead of crumbs:
- Paul urged people to agree together, to end your divisions, and to be united by the same mind and purpose (I Corinthians 1:10).
- David said, it’s good and pleasant when God’s people live together in peace . . . the Lord gives His blessing of life forever (Psalm 133).
- Paul worked hard to comfort and encourage people, so that they will be knit together—that many hearts would become one through His love. I do it so they will be rich in understanding and have full knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Jesus (Colossians 2:2).
- David said God will bless the righteous and surround him as with a shield (Psalm 5:2).
Let me encourage you take a minute to reflect on God’s goodness for it is “He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations (Psalm 100).”
Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He has chosen as His own inheritance. ~ Psalm 33:12
Bread, Benefits, and Priorities
My morning routine usually begins with a cup of coffee and a piece of toast with peanut butter and honey. As I sip my coffee, I read some Scripture, check the news, and I think about my To-Do-List for the day.
I then do the necessary but mundane tasks of showering, shaving, brushing me teeth, and combing my hair—notice that I didn’t say hairs. While I was doing this yesterday, I thought of the correlation between the “daily” words of Jesus in Luke 9:23 and Matthew 6:11:
- Luke 9:23: If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.
- Matthew 6:11: Give us this day our daily
The thought of taking up your cross daily, might seem to be a monumental task, and it would be if it were not for God’s provision. He promises the daily bread you need to accomplish His will for your life.
Psalm 68:19: Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, The God of our salvation!
God will never tell you to “go” without showing the way, and He will never say “come” without leading you to Him. This is the benefit of knowing Him as your Shepherd and the God of your salvation.
God will show you and lead you with with His Voice of Wisdom in Proverbs 8:32-35: Now therefore, listen to me, my children, for blessed are those who keep my ways. Hear instruction and be wise, and do not disdain it. Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoever finds me finds life, and obtains favor from the Lord.
Discovering God’s will and finding the necessary bread to accomplish it, requires a daily trip to the food pantry: These Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures (food pantry) daily to see if these things were so. ~Acts 17:11
When you consider your T0-Do-List for tomorrow, I suggest you start by making God a daily priority.
I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel; My heart also instructs me in the night seasons. I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved. ~ Psalm 16:7-8
Finding Truth in 50 Words
In Colossians 3:11, Paul used just 6 words to convey a massive amount of truth: “Christ is all and in all.” When I read this succinct statement about the indescribable Christ, I remembered a brief description of the Bible.
The Bible in 50 Words, uses statements consisting of 2 words to describe the 66 books of the Bible:
God made
Adam bit
Noah arked
Abraham split
Jacob fooled
Joseph ruled
Bush talked
Moses balked
Pharaoh plagued
People walked
Sea divided
Tablets guided
Promise landed
Saul freaked
David peeked
Prophets warned
Jesus born
God walked
Love talked
Anger crucified
Hope died
Love rose
Spirit flamed
Word spread
God remained
Along this same theme of profound brevity, I suggest there is one verse in the New Testament that summarizes the life of Christ better than any other:
Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh,vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory. ~I Timothy 3:16
I will close with this question: What are the 50 words that define you?
A Five-Five Relationship
One of my favorite sections of Scripture is Romans 5:1-5, and I read it again this morning. I call it the 5-5, and I share it with you below:
“Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 We have also obtained access through Him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also rejoice in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, 4 endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. 5 This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
In these brief verses, we find a long list of truths that provide the secret of our relationship with God through Jesus Christ:
• You are justified and declared righteous before God when you accept His son as your Savior.
• The initial result of your salvation is that you now have peace with God.
• As a child of God you have around-the-clock access to God—24/7.
• You can gain a better understanding of your affliction because hard times increase your endurance; the new found endurance builds character; and, Christ-like character produces hope.
• The hope within you is based on the love of God which has been “poured out” into your heart, and it is always available because the Holy Spirit now resides within you.
There is a reason I like to think of this section of Scripture as the 5-5. The 5-5 is a mnemonic that I use to help remind me of the relationship I have with God. 
Whenever I see a 55 MPH speed limit sign on the highway it reminds me of this Scripture and the peace I have with God through Jesus Christ.
God Willing
Over the last couple of years, I’ve noticed something about my mail box. It has more junk mail and very few letters. The reason for this is the advent of email.
In the early history of our nation, travel was difficult and communication a challenge, so people were excited when they received a letter in the mail. In the early 1800’s a Christian might end his letter with a postscript consisting of two letters: D.V.
These letters stood for a Latin phrase, Deo Volente that means: “God willing.” This idea is expressed in the book of James: “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that (James 4:15).” The principle of this phrase and this verse is that we should not live a self-directed life.
A clear concept of Scripture is that we should seek the will of God. To do this you should:
• Be willing to embrace God’s will for your life (Isaiah 6:8).
• Look to God’s Word as a guide (Psalm 119:105).
• Seek Gods will through prayer (Jeremiah 33:3).
As you follow the steps above, you may notice that when you take God’s Word in, your praise for Him will go up; your faith will go out; and, God will strengthen you as you walk in His will.
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