2 Kings 4-6; Matthew 5

I want my eyes to be open.

The physical army was easy to see outside. It was the spiritual army that was not as apparent–at least not to Elisha’s servant.

¹⁵ When the servant of the man of God got up early the next morning and went outside, there were troops, horses, and chariots everywhere. “Oh, sir, what will we do now?” the young man cried to Elisha.

¹⁶ “Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than on theirs!” ¹⁷ Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” The Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire. (2 Kings 6:15-17, NLT)

This story has been on my mind recently–and I’m thankful to encounter it again today.

***

The last words I read last night were the first ones to confront me this morning:

⁴³ “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. ⁴⁴ But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! ⁴⁵ In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. ⁴⁶ If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. ⁴⁷ If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. ⁴⁸ But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect. (Matthew 5:43-48, NLT)

Why was this gnawing at me? I thought of times when it was easier to show love to an enemy. Ah, but this one thing, still sore and nagging–to the point that I had to start my reading repeatedly and work through it in small bites.

I stopped and prayed, “Oh, God, you know. You know.” And I put my troubled thoughts into his hands.

That’s when I read Elisha’s story. The physical army that was easy to see, and the spiritual army that stood behind it. The Lord showed me, sometimes I can be focused too much on what I can see, and I forget there’s a bigger story accompanied by a big army, led by a big, sovereign, mighty God. And because of this, I can do hard things–through Christ’s strength–and have peace.

Oh Lord, I want my eyes to be open.

Courtney (66books365)

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Psalm 17, Psalm 19, John 9:24-41

Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him. John 9:31

 Read at – http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ps%2017,19;%20John%209:24-41&version=NKJV

 The Amazing Goodness of the LORD.

         I am grateful and honored to be a worshipper of the Lord God Almighty (1). Because of what the Lord Jesus Christ has done on my behalf by His Atonement for my sins (2), God is Immeasurably Good to me and to those I bring before Him (3). I depend upon the Lord Jesus Christ for my sustenance in every area and these verses explain why.  Oh, What Joy!

 Psalm 19       The heavens declare the glory of God; … shows His handiwork, …  utters speech, … reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard.

            God communicates to me bountifully! In speech, sound, and sight! I cannot escape from Nature’s witness! (4)   

            God’s explicit Word communicates to me, converting my soul, changing me, making me wise, rejoicing my heart, enlightening my eyes, having me desire God’s Word ever increasingly, warning me, ensuring His rewards, cleansing me from secret faults and from presumptuous sins from ruling over me by Lord Jesus’ Word convicting me of my sin and my repenting. (Psalm 51)  

            Because of God’s Good Pleasure for me, I desire to have “the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.” (Psalm 37:4)

Psalm 17                 Because You, Lord God declare me to be Your Own (1), I seek You continuously to bring “a just cause”, the deep cry of pain from my heart for a family member in sin, for You to set them free soon in the best manner glorifying to You. I know You hear me because “my prayer which is not from deceitful lips.” (5)

               I implore You to “Uphold my steps in Your paths, That my footsteps may not slip” so that I may follow closely You, Lord Jesus, to be with You all the time and bring others closer to You.  

               When I am to be around people who “have closed up their fat hearts; With their mouths they speak proudly”, I hide in Your Presence praying “save those who trust in You From those who rise up against them. Keep me as the apple of Your eye; Hide me under the shadow of Your wings, From the wicked who oppress me, From my deadly enemies who surround me.”

                I ask You Lord to “Deliver my life from the wicked with Your sword”, the Word of God by the Holy Spirit. (6)

                 Because of “the Word of Your lips, I have kept away from the paths of the destroyer” ,“my vindication comes from Your presence” so I REJOICE in this Glimpse of Heaven: “I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.”

John 9:24-41            “Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind. If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing.” Speaking of Jesus Christ.

             Tangible proof! (8) The Reason for my Eternal Life. – “One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.” Jesus gave sight to a blind man.

             After testifying that Jesus was from God, Jesus “found him, He said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of God?” The blind man answered, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?”

               And Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you.”   Then he said, “Lord, I believe!” And he worshiped Him.

            That is me! Jesus has opened my blind heart, mind and eyes!! Jesus set me free from my depravity and deceptions, and is still working on me. The Lord Jesus Christ brought me into His Marvelous Light and gave me sight! (9)  I choose to Worship the Lord Jesus Christ! (10) 

Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.”

Some people who thought they were right by their own design asked Jesus, “Are we blind also?”

              Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains.  (7)

                 … Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus…  2 Timothy 1:9

            His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 1 Peter 2:9 

1- John 4:23-26, John 1:1-3, 12-14, 29, John 3:3-8, 15-21, 1 John 3:1, 1 Peter 1:23, Ezekiel 36:25-27, Isaiah 1:18, Psalm 51, John 15, John 15:5-11  

2- Matthew 26:28, Luke 23:38-47, John 19:30, Hebrews 9:22, Romans 3:21-26, Hebrews 2:17-18, Hebrews 9

3- 2 Corinthians 5:17-18, 1 Peter 2:9, Romans 1:16, Joel 2:27-29

4- Romans 1:19-20, Genesis 1, Job 38:1-42:6

5- Matthew 6:9-10, Psalm 84:10

6- Ephesians 6:17-18, Hebrews 4:12-13

7- Romans 3:22-24, John 8:24, 1 John 1:5-10, Romans 2:5-11 

8- Hebrews 7:24-25, Luke 24, Matthew 28

9- John 1:4-5,9, John 8:12, John 12:46, 1 Peter 2:9, John 3:18-21, John 14:1

10 – Exodus 34:14, Genesis 22:5, Hebrews 11:21, John 4:23-26, Revelation 15:4

Crystal (PsalmThirty4)

Leviticus 15, Leviticus 16, Mark 8:22-38

He shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleanness … because of their transgressions, for all their sins. Leviticus 16:16

For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Mark 8:36

Read at www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Lev%2015,16;%20Mk%208:22-38&version=NKJV

 Leviticus 15 and 16 –   The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, “When any man has a discharge from his body, … it is his uncleanness…. he shall take for himself … offer … as a sin offering … make atonement for him before the Lord because of his discharge.  If a woman has a discharge… shall make atonement for her before the Lord for the discharge of her uncleanness.”

                “He shall take some of the blood … and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat. … So he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions, for all their sins”

                 God is very serious about our bodies because of the vast moral and spiritual repercussions. My body was bought with a very costly Price, the Blood of Jesus Christ, The Atonement. Using an analogy: What does God’s Law say concerning my body’s discharges? What about the words and expressions that come out of my mouth, my thoughts which God hears, my body movements and language that many can so obviously read, my habits, my dependencies, my lifestyle?  What do these things say about me? About the God I am supposed to follow and not stray from. How clean am I, really?

                 The tragic part is that MY sin affects Everyone! My family, friends, co-workers, classmates, every daily encounters in the supermarket, etc. Either I am pointing to Christ or to myself or some temporal thing. Can you relate with me?

               Lord Jesus, please show me my offenses against You and other people. I yearn for a contrite heart and broken spirit that You will never despise. May I have godly sorrow which produces repentance fulfilling my sanctification. High priest Jesus please “blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Psalm 51   In faith, I trust for Your forgiveness and rejoice in Your cleansing Blood!!

Matthew 12:36; Psalm 19:14; Psalm 49:3; Joshua 1:8; Romans 12:1-2; Matthew 18:6; 1 Corinthians 6:18-20; Romans 6; Luke 17:2; James 3:5-6; John 8:42-47; Exodus 20

Mark 8:22-38    –   Jesus, the God/Man of action restored a blind man’s eyes to seeing clearly. Peter was given spiritual sight to know that Jesus was the Messiah, the Christ. Jesus taught them what He was going to go through, when Peter reveals his selfish spiritual blindness. Peter is rewarded by Jesus’ quick rebuke “Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” Finally, Jesus warns His followers that they MUST deny their own sinful nature, follow Him and never deny or be ashamed of the Lord Jesus, for if he or she does, she will lose her own soul.

Spiritual sight can be clear or foggy. The only Good lens is the Word of God. The Holy Spirit is the Optician Who coaches me for perfect vision, that is God’s Vision. How many times has my flesh blocked my sight? My own selfishness, short sightedness, sinful nature, pleasures, pride and ….

                In retrospect, my “sight” is better now than years ago, but Lord Jesus Christ please have my sight in the future be much closer to Your 20/20 vision! I am to walk by faith and not by sight to please my Master. Jesus, Increase my faith, Help my unbelief, and Cause the eyes of my heart to burn with passion for You while fixed on You, the Author and Finisher of me, Your daughter. And dear Lord, please remove the deception blinders from those I cherish, soon!

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17

2 Corinthians 4:18; Psalm 119:105; John 14:26; John 15:26; 2 Corinthians 4:4; 2 Corinthians 7:10; 2 Corinthians 5:7; Hebrews 11:6; Luke 17:5; Mark 9:24, Hebrews 12:2; 1 John 3:1

Crystal (PsalmThirty4)