Built on the Rock

Verse of the Day:

"Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"

Psalm 46:10 ESV

This verse has provided comfort for multitudes of believers. When reading this verse in context, we see that it comes from a longer section of Scripture that proclaims the power and security of God. Let's break down the verse into some phrases, in order to gain a better understanding.

Be still:

The original word for "still" is a translation of the Hebrew word raphah (רָפָה), which means to slacken, let down or cease. In other instances, in the Bible, we see this word carrying the idea of "to drop, be weak, or faint." Simply put, this phrase, "be still," at the beginning of Psalm 46:10 connotes two people fighting unit someone separates them. It's only after their fighting has stopped that they can acknowledge their trust in God. Often times, we see Christians interpreting the command of "be still" similarly to something along the lines of "to be quiet and recognize God's presence." And while this isn't a bad practice, and is certainly helpful, this phrase implies something different. Instead, we're being told to stop our frantic actions and to let down and be still. Don't fight a battle you cannot win, instead, be still and look to the Lord for your help.

Know that I am God:

In this next phrase, the word "know" is the Hebrew word, yada` (יָדַע). In this instance, this word means to "properly ascertain by seeking" and "acknowledge, be aware." How does acknowledging God impact our stillness? It implies that we can trust Him and surrender to His plan because we understand who He is through His Word. We know that He is: omniscient (1 John 3:20; Psalm 147:5; Psalm 139:4), omnipresent (Jeremiah 23:24; Proverbs 15:3; Colossians 1:17)

omnipotent (Revelation 19:6; Ephesians 1:19; Matthew 19:26; Luke 1:37)

holy (Psalm 22:3; Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8; Isaiah 43:15; 1 Samuel 2:2)

sovereign (Isaiah 46:10; Romans 9:19-21; Luke 1:37; Job 42:2)

infinite (Revelation 1:8; Isaiah 40;28; Psalm 147:5),

and good (Mark 10:18; Nehemiah 9:20; Psalm 143:10; 1 Timothy 4:4).

I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth:

Especially in the current times that we're experiencing, this part of this verse is powerful. When we are still and acknowledging God, we find peace when the earth gives way. We find peace when our nation upheaves itself (Psalm 46:6). We find peace when the mountains fall (Psalm 46:2). When life becomes overwhelming this is how we find peace.

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble."

Psalm 46:1

Now think about this verse again as you go about your day with this new understanding. Run to him, look to the Lord for your help and stop fighting a battle you cannot win, but instead in your weakness the Lord is strong. Acknowledge that He is God and that He is the one to be exalted in the earth. Be still and know that He is God.

In wrapping his letter to the church of Corinth, Paul tells them to be watchful (or to stay on their guard) along with the command to stand firm in the faith. This goes beyond just standing firm in the Christian faith, but standing firm in sound doctrine (Phil. 1:27; 1 Tim. 6:21; Jude 3). In the previous chapter, Paul was teaching about their faith in the resurrection of Jesus and the resurrection of all who follow Him. Some had watered down their belief in the resurrection, yet Paul reminded them that the resurrection was absolutely essential to the gospel in which they stood (1 Corinthians 15:1).

Paul tells us that it is our duty to look out for any kind of false teaching (i.e. prosperity gospel, legalism, antinomianism, cults disguised as Christian denominations, etc.). He also tells us to have courage and to be strong. It is our faith in Christ that will face opposition from our culture and from those around us. We need to prepare for this and resolve to remain strong in our faith with strength and courage.

Verse of the Day:

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."

Hebrews 13:8 ESV

The section of Hebrews 13:7-17 follows major themes of practical instructions for Christians, including perseverance, peacefulness, and praise. In this section, we also see a continuation that parallels components of the old covenant within Jesus' ministry. For example, in these verses, we see a comparison of the disposal of sacrificed animals with the crucifixion of Christ (both occurring outside the borders of the community)(Hebrews 13:13). 

This verse, verse 8, connects two ideas: honoring living examples of faith and the importance of consistent doctrine. There is the inclusion of directions for Christian living (Hebrews 13:1-6), which included looking to the example set forth by Christian leaders (Hebrews 13:7); and this instruction, we find, mirrors the depiction of the legendary heroes of faith that are given in chapter 11.

This interweaving of the old covenant and old testament doctrine within the teachings of Jesus leads us to a key theme that we see in the book of Hebrews:

God's plan does not change.

The New Testament is not about God changing His mind or how the Old Testament doesn't apply anymore. The purpose is the opposite. It was always God's plan to replace the old covenant with Jesus (Hebrews 8:6-8).

While humanity may grow in our understanding/grasping of the truth (1 Timothy 3:9; 2 Peter 3:18; Colossians 1:26), the truth itself does not change. This is evident as Jesus instructed His disciples to spread His teaching (Matthew 28:19-20), not to develop their own. We even see this attention to maintaining the integrity of Christ's teachings as Paul sought to confirm that what he taught was exactly the same as that of the disciples (who were with Christ while it was being taught)(Galatians 2:1-10).

So how do we apply this verse to our lives, especially in this time of uncertainty we are in now as a country? We need to recognize while certain political leaders align with Christian values, morals, and principles far better than others, and it's our duty as Christians to vote for those people, ultimately, these leaders come and go. It is Jesus Christ who is "the same" (1:12) "yesterday" (1:1), "today" (3:7, 13; 4:7), and "forever" (1:8; 7:17; 21, 24, 28). Or as R.C. Sproul puts it, "He is the strong anchor amid sufferings and uncertainties (6:19)."

Jesus doesn't change, God's plan doesn't change, and His truth doesn't change (Isaiah 40:28). Since we've talked about how this verse applies to some immediate issues at hand, we wouldn't be following this page's mission if we didn't dive a little deeper.

The next application we're going to discuss is: recognizing false teaching. I know we discuss this a lot here, but we'll continue talking about it as long as it is an issue in Christian culture. Today, we're specifically referring to those who discuss "new" interpretations of the Bible that overturn the basics of faith itself. We see these "new" interpretations in various areas, such as regarding Christian doctrinal issues or as claims about the changing of moral principles.

And what's more, is that these claims can be tricky or hard to recognize at times. Rarely do people present their "new" interpretations as the twisting of Scripture. Sometimes you'll hear a group say they have a "different understanding" (Jehovah's Witness), or that they have a "new addition/testament" to Scripture (Mormonism), or that they have a more accurate perspective than the Biblical writers (the New Apostolic Reformation).

Yet the verses immediately following Hebrews 13:8 add to the point that Jesus is unchanging, giving Christians a warning not to stray from the established teachings and doctrines of Scripture (Hebrews 13:9). This is why God provided us with a written Word (1 Corinthians 4:6), so that we may learn from it, understand it, and discern what is of

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." - Romans 12:2 ESV

Yesterday we talked a lot about the "Father of mercies." Today, we're answering the question, "How should we respond to God's great mercy to us?" And we find the answer in the first two verses of Romans 12.

It's in these verses that we see Paul urging Christians to respond to the mercy of God, His forgiveness of our sins, and His inclusion of us in His family. Paul tells us that we are to abandon the pursuit of pleasure, possessions, and societal status* - our goal is not to please anyone else. Instead, we are urged to be transformed from the inside out. Specifically, in the way we think.

Our mindset should be one of determination through the reshaping of our minds by the knowledge of the gospel, power of the Spirit, and by shifting our concerns to the age to come (Romans 8:5-9; 13:11-14), instead of a fascination with the passing fashion of our earthly world and age (2 Corinthians 4:18; 1 John 2:17). It's only by such a sanctifying renewal that we are able to sufficiently discern the behavior that God's revealed will requires in each situation.

This is not to say that having pleasure, possessions, and status are inherently bad by nature, but let's look at John's take on the pursuit of these things. John describes the way of being conformed to this world as "the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life" (1 John 2:16). It's by instinct and our sinful nature that all of us chase those things in pursuit of happiness and meaning.

It could be that God's will is to provide those things to you, but what we're being told here is to view life through the lens of this question:

"What is God's will for me? How can I use my life for His purposes and not for my own?"

So as you go about your day, keep this in your mind. And try to stay conscious of it as you encounter different situations you may face.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort..." - 2 Corinthians 1:3 ESV

As we dive in, you should know that Paul begins many of his letters by first thanking God for those he is writing. Also, he often prays for them in some way.

But 2 Corinthians is different.

Instead, Paul begins by focusing directly on God's comfort to all who experience affliction. If you continue to read on in the verses following today's Verse of the Day, you'll see that Paul had recently endured an incredibly traumatic event. At the beginning of this letter, instead of praying for his readers and the audience to which he is writing, he asks that they pray for him. Yet, we still see him starting this letter by offering praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Here's where we dive into what Paul is teaching us here in this verse: we see him call God by two names, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. Because God is in the position of judge over all people, this also puts Him as the sole source of all mercy.

Here are some words that I genuinely want every reader to think about and fully wrap your mind around:

God could execute judgment on all who deserve it. That means every single one of us. As soon as Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, that could have been it. None of us have to exist, and further, none of us have to be given eternal life or mercy. Because of our sin, God would be a just God for casting judgment on all of us.

Yet, He freely gives His mercy to those who come before Him through faith in Christ (John 3:16-18). So, remember that if you are in the middle of suffering, affliction, or facing incredibly uncertain and hard times, you must remember that God has given us mercy and will continue to do so.

Secondly, Paul tells us that God is the God of all comfort. As Christians, we aren't to run from God. We're not to seek relief from pain anywhere, but instead, we are to run to Him as the source of our comfort. We've mentioned and talked about God being the God of all comfort several times already today, so let's go a little deeper and examine what we mean by the word "comfort."

The original word for comfort used in this verse is the Greek word "paraklēsis" (παράκλησις), which comes from the root word, "parakaleō" (παρακαλέω). This word, "paraklēsis," appears 29 times in 2 Corinthians. And it means more than just momentary relief from affliction or pain; but it involves encouragement, consolation, and exhortation.

So how do we apply this to our lives? By remembering that God's comfort allows us to stop relying on our own strength against suffering, affliction, and pain, it enables us to rest and be strong in His strength, which is far greater than anything we could ever possibly hope to obtain.

For more information, resources, and other articles, please visit our website, https://burningbush.blog/

"We love because he first loved us." - 1 John 4:19

This section in 1 John (verses 11-19), is the backbone of John's letter. We see in this section that John is saying that the primary way in which Christians are to be recognized is by love. And not just the feeling of love, or an emotion, but by an outward display of what we do for others.

This is quite possibly the shortest verse that we've covered so far, but it offers incredibly profound words. Romans 3:10 says this, "as it is written: 'None is righteous, no not one;" - we don't just wake up one day and decide to love. God, who is love and created love, loved us first - and we are not to take credit for any of the love that we have and show to others.

Now read these next words carefully, as they are important in understanding what I'm saying, and the power of this verse: God loved us before we were ever even capable of loving Him, and therefore we can only love others because of what God has done in our lives.

As you read on beyond this verse, you'll see that verses 20 and 21 will further specify that this love is not just an affection between us and God. It includes love for others. Remember when Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment in the Law was? His answer was simple and dealt exactly with what we are talking about today:

"'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." - Matthew 22:36-40 NIV.

Jesus tells us explicitly that we are to love God fully and love our neighbor as ourselves. Something we see all throughout Jesus' teaching and interactions in the New Testament, is the deep understanding and knowledge He had of the Old Testament. Did you know that Jesus was basing this teaching off of two sections from Scripture? Let's look at Deuteronomy 6:4-5 and Leviticus 19:18.

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might."

- Deuteronomy 6:4-5

"you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord."

- Leviticus 19:18

The answer was there all along and has been told to us by God from the very beginning, yet we struggle with it each and every day. We're told that those who claim to love God but hate others are liars. It's commanded of us to live out the presence of God's love in our lives.

As you go about your day today, keep this in your mind: our love for God and others originates in His love for us, and His love is the incentive for our love. God loved us at the cost of sacrificing His Son for us (John 3:16). He took the initiative and loved us first. 2 Timothy 3:5 says, "Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ." An omission of love on the human level is an indication of the absence of love on the divine level. It is God's love that makes divine love on the human plane possible, and all true love is a response to God's initiative. So let us each pray that we are able to go about our day with our hearts directed "into the love of God and into the patience of Christ."

For more information, resources, and other articles, please visit our website, https://burningbush.blog/

We live in a time marked by fear. Fear of the election, fear of the future, fear for health, fear for the economy, fear of losing jobs, fear of death, fear of loneliness, fear of isolation, you name it. We may find ourselves asking, “How am I supposed to deal with all of this?” How are we as Christians supposed to act in the face of fear?

In these two verses, we see that David doesn’t try to avoid his fear or pretend it doesn’t exist. He faces fear head-on. He doesn’t say anywhere, “If I am afraid,” nor does he say anything like, “I’ll never fear…” Instead, he assumes that there will be times that he’ll have fear. He says, “When I am afraid…” The focus isn’t whether you will encounter fear in your life; it’s what you do with fear that we’re focusing on today.

I was reading an article on trust recently, and they put it like this, “Think of trust as a currency you hold in your hand, like a handful of coins.” Where will you “deposit” your trust when fear hits you? You will end up depositing your trust somewhere when fear strikes, so thinking about it now will allow you to bank on the right choice when that time comes. You will trust someone or something to get you through fear, even if you choose yourself and your willpower.

The solution for a life filled with fear is simple. Notice I’m not saying it is easy, but it is simple. The tactic isn’t to aim to eliminate all fear from your life, but instead to fight the fear with a different sort of fear: trusting in God. You see, that’s where a lot of fear in our lives comes from: when we “deposit” our trust in the wrong places.

Misplaced trust results in us relying on something or someone to do for us the things that only God can promise and fulfill. It is only when God’s Word is speaking louder in our lives than the word of man that we can find ourselves able to breathe deep as we trust in Him.

Sure, those old fears may never disappear from the back of our minds, but again, that’s not the point. The point is that we’re aiming to put those fears in their proper place and rightly-ordered under a healthy fear of God (Psalm 25:14, 111:10; Proverbs 1:7, 3:7, 8:13, 14:27, 19:23; Matthew 10:28; Ecclesiastes 12:13).

It’s in this fear of the Lord that we find we can stand up from these lesser-fears, empowered to confront circumstances, people, and systems that contradict His will and His kingdom values.

So today, on Halloween, I want to leave you with this truth: only God is sovereignly ruling and reigning – no fear can make claims of His supremacy. Trust in the all-powerful, all-loving God; this is essential for casting out fear.

This is my prayer for each and every one of you reading this: that in this climate of uncertainty, may a beautiful and healthy fear of God overcome the fear of man in our...

The section of Psalm 18:1-9 expresses David’s love for God and his praise to the Lord for delivering him from his enemies. We see similar expressions from David in 2 Samuel 22, as well as Psalms 3-5.

As we break down this verse, there are five metaphors that David uses to describe God’s relationship with him.

1) He views God as his rock

2) He views God as his fortress

3) He views God as his shield

4) He views God as the horn of salvation

5) He views God as his stronghold

What is important about these metaphors?

They identify David as a warrior. He fought enemies, often much stronger than him (remember Goliath?). Yet, he relied on God for protection.

God as the rock: We see examples of these same metaphors used to describe God throughout the Psalms, such as in Psalm 19:14; 28:1; 62:2; 94:22 which all describe God as a rock.

God as David’s Fortress: What is the purpose of a fortress? It’s meant to protect against enemies. Throughout Scripture there is an incredible truth to be seen here: no fortress built by human hands could ever provide as much protection for David as the fortress of the Lord.

God as David’s Shield: We see the Lord protecting David from his enemies on several accounts throughout the Old Testament. David recognizes this as he writes in the Psalms, calling God his shield, covering him as a soldier.

God as the horn of salvation: This one may be tricky at first to fully grasp without some cultural context surrounding this phrase. In David’s era, horns were a symbol of strength. This is why we see them being used as metaphors for kings in rulers (Daniel 7:8; Revelation 17:12). Therefore, as David’s horn of salvation, he is saying that the Lord empowered and delivered him.

God as David’s stronghold: For believers today, we have Jesus Christ as our stronghold – our refuge and shield. The apostle Paul refers to our lives as “hidden with Christ in God” in Colossians 3:3.

As you go about your day today, keep in mind these incredible truths from this Psalm. It is only through our belief and acceptance as Jesus as our savior for us to be “hidden with Christ in God,” and through this belief, we are Scripturally able to rely on God to be all of these same things for us.

Let’s break this verse down to gain a better idea of the full meaning of what is being told here.

The word “curse” in the original language of Greek is “kataraomai” (καταράομαι). It means to curse or call down evil upon someone and is referring to so much more than just “hateful language,” and we see here through this translation that it has a spiritual connotation to it. It means that when wicked people curse, they desire to use evil to accomplish their curse, thus revealing the enormity of what we’re being told in this verse.

This commandment requires a lot from us because of our own sinful nature and bent toward retaliation against those that hurt us. We can easily be hurt by something as simple as hateful language. Yet we are supposed to love and pray for our enemies, specifically those that curse us (which, as we’ve learned, is so much more than “hateful language”).

So how do we do that? How do we bless someone who hates us so much that they want evil to rest upon us?

Simply put: it is impossible on our own.

We only accomplish this type of Godly love through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and it is subsequently expressed by those whose lives are completely submitted to the Lord. It is in His power that we can love as Christ loved: to love our enemy by blessing those who curse us and praying for those who mistreat us – all of which we do for the glory of God.

The early verses of this psalm are a cry to the Lord from David for support as he’s expressing his helpless condition, the bitterness of his heart, and the pain that he is feeling in his soul. He needs deliverance from his enemies and is entreating the Lord to hear his prayer. We see his distress so intense that he fears that he will “become like those who go down to the pit” (Psalm 28:1). As characteristic with David, he is calling out to God for relief.

We don’t see David taken in by smooth-talking neighbors who speak of peace, while their hearts plot evil. This Psalm is interesting as part-way through this serious lamenting, we see David’s attitude switch from pleadings of deliverance; justice; and vengeance to words of rejoicing, worship, and song.

You see, something incredible is happening here. In the midst of his deep distress, David stopped and remembered who God truly is:

“The LORD is my strength and my shield…” This is jubilant praise!

As we talked about yesterday and the day before regarding Psalm 118:8 and 2 Corinthians 12:9, we’re not promised health, wealth, or prosperity by simply being Christians. In fact, we’re promised the opposite and should expect hard times. This is how be can avoid discouragement in our faith, and in this verse we see a prime example of David doing just that. When faced with tremendous difficulties, David knows that God has promised to be with us in every situation of life as he says, “in him my heart trusts, and I am helped…”

As you go about your day, you should keep this truth in your mind: due to our sin and rebellion against God, we have the sentence of death if we only trust in ourselves. Don’t trust in yourself or man, but in Christ, as it is He who provides to us sufficient grace, and in Whom we have been made new.

“…my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.” This phrase is edifying and encouraging in glorifying God and singing our praises to Him. In good times and bad, we should worship Him, for it not only lifts our heart but in our helplessness we know we can trust in Him as we give glory to our Father in heaven.

My prayer for each of us is that our heart may truly rejoice in the God of our salvation and that our hearts will exult in thankfulness and eternal praise to God.