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Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Sunday, 2 July 2023
Isaiah 59:1, 2 — Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have made a separation, between you and your God.
Sin separates, gets in the way of a right relationship with The Holy God. If you are a Christian, you have been saved by faith in Jesus, your sins have been forgiven, “and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.” (Acts 13:39) However, in salvation, you were called to sanctification – “because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.” (2 Thessalonians 2:13) “For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.” (1 Timothy 4:10) Obedience to God isn’t the condition for salvation it is the fruit or evidence of salvation, not the path to salvation but the path of sanctification, being conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29) and knowing Him more and more each day (John 17:2), that we would have the fullness of joy in Him (John 15:11). In our fellowship with God, the Bible says our sin can grieve the Holy Spirit (Ephesian 4:30), quench the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19), and cause us to get out of step with the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:25). Do not let sin separate or get in the way of your fellowship with God.
- John 3:36 — “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
- Galatians 5:16-26 (Keep in Step with the Spirit) — But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
Isaiah 59:8-13 – The way of peace they do not know, and there is no justice in their paths; they have made their roads crooked; no one who treads on them knows peace. Therefore, justice is far from us, and righteousness does not overtake us; we hope for light, and behold, darkness, and for brightness, but we walk in gloom. We grope for the wall like the blind; we grope like those who have no eyes; we stumble at noon as in the twilight, among those in full vigor we are like dead men. We all growl like bears; we moan and moan like doves; we hope for justice, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far from us. For our transgressions are multiplied before you, and our sins testify against us; for our transgressions are with us, and we know our iniquities: transgressing, and denying the Lord, and turning back from following our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart lying words.
It is our own sin that denies us peace, blinds us, and separates us from God.
“We hope for justice, but there is none.” A person or nation cannot expect blessings from God while remaining in disobedience.
“For our transgressions are with us, and we know our iniquities: transgressing, and denying the Lord.” When we sin, we are in essence denying the LORD at that moment.
Isaiah 59:15, 20 — The Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice. He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede; then his own arm brought him salvation, and his righteousness upheld him. and turning back from following our God…. “ {And a Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,” declares the Lord.
No one could save the world trapped in the guilt of sin but God Himself, Jesus, the One without sin. Jesus is the only Redeemer, the Redeemer to those “who turn from transgression” as the evidence of redemption. Those who habitually and willfully continue in sin do not know Jesus as revealed by their behavior. Christians still sin but continually bear the fruit of sanctification, not holy perfection but holy direction.
- Luke 6:43 — For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit….
- Proverbs 20:11 — Even a child makes himself known by his acts, by whether his conduct is pure and upright.
Psalm 75:1 — We give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks, for your name is near. We recount your wondrous deeds.
Paul, who said he had learned the secret of contentment and inner joy and peace, taught that we should be a people of continual songs of thanksgiving and praise:
- Ephesians 5:18-20 – “…be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ….”
- Colossians 3:16 — Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
Psalm 75 is another song of Asaph to give thanks, but thankfulness about what? “We give thanks, for your name is near. We recount your wonderous deeds.” How can we, and why should we, sing joyful songs of praise and thanksgiving in the midst of life’s obvious trials and afflictions? Because His name is near. In the Bible God’s “name” is not just a reference to His title, it is speaking of the reality of who He is, His character and His nature; and the reality is God is with us, in complete control; He loves us perfectly, promises to never leave or forsake us (see Romans 8), and He promises to bring about a goodness far beyond our comprehension or imagination through all of our circumstances. And the psalmist reminds us that He has already demonstrated His goodness in our lives, and our songs will help remind us of that. If you haven’t developed the habit of singing songs of praise to yourself, start today and be encouraged.
Psalm 75:2, 10 — “At the set time that I appoint I will judge with equity.” … I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. All the horns of the wicked I will cut off, but the horns of the righteous shall be lifted up.
Trust God when you are persecuted to not only see you through it but also to deal accordingly with those you persecute you in His perfect timing. Don’t worry, God will deal with the issue and those involved far better than you could ever do or even imagine. Rather than getting bitter, rejoice, again in song, that God is faithful.
Proverbs 2:1-5 – My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.
There are three conditions (“if”) to obtaining the “knowledge of God.” Do you know what they are, and are you meeting the conditions? Review: “My son, IF you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, IF you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, IF you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.” These verses contain the first “If… then” statements in our readings this year, the first conditional blessings from God. You will see conditional blessings throughout the Bible this year – make note of them. Yes, to receive the fullness of God’s blessings, we must do something. Our responsibility starts with receiving and treasuring His word, studying it, applying it, and praying to Him for more and more understanding. Only through reading and applying God’s word can we find the knowledge of God. Key to this year’s Bible study is understanding that you won’t understand what you don’t apply. For example, you can’t understand football simply by reading all the best books on football. You have to play the game, succeed and fail, get bruised and battered, get dirty, etc. Likewise, when the Holy Spirit tells you what you need to do, you must do it to understand it and to eventually win the game.
Proverbs 2:1-6 – … then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God….
Read Proverbs 2:1-5 and find out how to understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God
Proverbs 2:6 – For the Lord gives wisdom.
Another critical theme in the Bible – wisdom comes only from God. Wisdom is knowledge rightly applied. There are many knowledgeable people in the world, but not many wise people in the world. The Holy Spirit must guide you beyond your very limited intellect to do what you cannot understand through your own ability.
Proverbs 2:10 – For wisdom will come into your heart.
Wisdom is not a mental issue, it is a heart issue. Wisdom is not achieved intellectually, it is achieved spiritually. Wisdom is knowledge controlled by love and applied with love. God is love. To have wisdom we must become one with the God who is love and obey Him in love.
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 2 July 2023: Today, choose an uplifting hymn or worship song to memorize and sing to yourself regularly.
Defenders Bible Reading Plan 