Archive for the ‘Providence of God’ Category

True liberty…not what you might think!

Wednesday, February 8th, 2012

Obedience, February 8

“Please, let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night,
Take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, for I have hoped in Your ordinances.
So shall I keep Your law continually, forever and ever.
And I will walk at liberty, for I seek Your precepts.

Nehemiah 1:6-8; 10-11, www.solascriptura.com

Father, our prayer that You listen and be fully observant of us is accompanied by the reality that is exactly what You do. You hear us and see us, constantly. We do not understand how that can be true, given our finite capabilities, but we have faith that You know when a bird falls from the sky or when a hair falls from our head.

We “reach” for ways to understand, knowing that every living thing is Yours, including the air we breath and the water we drink. You had a dove descend and say, “This is my Son in whom I am well pleased”. You tell us the trees clap their hands, the clouds collide, the earth trembles and the stars are beyond counting. God we simply confess that Your declarations are true and we do not have to explain the phenomena that we observe and experience.

We now possess the Living Word, Your Scriptures and we look back on what the Old Testament prophets proclaimed. Your word enriches, encourages and illuminates. What a marvelous resource You have given us.

You say, we walk in liberty because we seek Your precepts. Father, is the opposite also true, that if we walk in darkness, there is no true liberty? Father, we want to keep Your law forever and forever. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen

Bruce Caldwell

The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 302, Franklin TN 37064

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Posted in Christianity, Courage, Providence of God, faith | 3 Comments »

Will the challenges ever stop? In this life…never.

Monday, February 6th, 2012

Providence of God, February 5

Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. …If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.
Deliver those who are drawn toward death, and hold back those stumbling to the slaughter.
If you say, “Surely we did not know this,” does not He who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, does He not know it? And will He not render to each man according to his deeds?
My son, eat honey because it is good, and the honeycomb which is sweet to your taste;
So shall the knowledge of wisdom be to your soul; if you have found it, there is a prospect, and your hope will not be cut off.

Proverbs 4:23; 24:10-14, www.solascriptura.com

Father, Solomon, according to Your word, was the wisest man who ever lived. We know his wisdom was a gift from You. He tells us that “from our heart” all the issues of life come forward. He says that we must warn others and that You notice when we do not.

We read that if we faint when we encounter adversity, something You promise will persist, then we are weak. We pray that as we face challenges this day, and is there ever a day that we do not face challenges, that we will remember that it is Your strength in us and available to us that will carry the moment.
 
Father, the wisdom from You, freely given to those who ask, makes witnessing of Your love, a sweet experience. We read of our individual accountability and ask You to help us O’God to seek and to do Your will every day. In Jesus Holy name, we pray, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 302, Franklin TN 37064

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Posted in Christianity, Law of God, Providence of God, faith | 15 Comments »

I humbly declare I am not proud; never have been.

Sunday, February 5th, 2012

Humility, February 5

 … God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world
Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
…”God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
 
Galatians 6:14; 5:26, Philippians 4:5, James 4:6; 10, www.solascriptura.com
 
Father, we know that to be like Jesus is our goal and we also know that our lower nature, our flesh, often causes us to act more like a goof ball than a saint. Give us the humility we pray to allow You to overcome that which is present in all of us. You promised to do so if we but ask.

Boasting is such a natural instinct. We all want to do well but we sometimes get carried away in telling others how well we are doing. In the process, we become entrapped in a practice that You have warned us about. We know some of the disciples boasted now and then but we notice that You, Jesus, did not.
 
Jesus, we should ask less and less for forgiveness of sins, such as bragging; it makes us look immature in our Spiritual journey. If we repeatedly make the same mistakes help us examine our hearts and make the changes we need to make. Remind us all that we should not even try to make corrections without the power of the Holy Spirit being our guiding Light. Our strength is in You and if we are inclined to boast, let it be of You and Your leadership in our lives. In Your Holy name we pray, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 302, Franklin TN 37064

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Posted in Christianity, Conscience, Humility, Providence of God, faith | 375 Comments »

Your thoughts toward us exceed number…and ours towards You?

Thursday, February 2nd, 2012

Conscience, February 2

O LORD, You have searched me and known me.
You know my sitting down and my rising up; you understand my thought afar
off.
You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my
ways.
For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O LORD, You know it
altogether.
You have hedged me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it.
Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold,
You are there.
If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of
the sea,
Even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.
How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of
them!
If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; when I
awake, I am still with You.
Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties;
And see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way
everlasting.
 
Psalm 139:1-10;17-18;23-24, www.solascriptura.com
 
Father, Your omnipresence in our lives and world is beyond our
comprehension. We know you have none of the boundaries of the flesh and
that You created each of us. Now You teach us that You search us, You know
when we arise and lay down, You know the words on our tongues and the
thoughts of our hearts. You encompass us, Your thoughts toward us are
greater than the sand, a quantity we can not count.
 
Father, if we could but respond to You in the same way and give the same
consideration, attention and time back to You that You give to us, that
would keep our focus on our source of strength. We have access, all day
long, to Your wisdom and presence. Help us respond, constantly. In Jesus
Holy name, we pray, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 302, Franklin TN 37064

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Posted in Christianity, Heaven, Holy Spirit, Hope, Prayer, Providence of God | 7 Comments »

God’s word can never be stamped void. It invades your space

Sunday, January 29th, 2012

Mind of Christ, January 29

Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,
do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,
the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power

Ephesians 1:15-19, www.solascriptura.com

Father, the words we have just read are now a part of us. Your word has invaded our hearts, whether by a small amount or in a life changing way. Your word is never able to be stamped void. It is alive and active, giving us discernment and hope or convicting us. We truly respect and treasure Your word.

Father, we thank You for Paul’s ministry. He taught us how to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ, who he refers to as saints. We do pray for each other, perhaps not as fervently or constantly as we should, but we know that the prayers of a righteous man availeth much. You hear the prayers of those that love You so we never speak in vain when we bring our needs and hopes to You.

We pray, this day, that You will reveal to us Your wisdom, Your insight, into situations where we feel incompetent. Help us know that You know our circumstance, that Your thoughts toward us exceed number. What a wonderful truth. Help us respond, we pray, in Jesus’ name. Amen

Bruce Caldwell

The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 302, Franklin TN 37064

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Posted in Christianity, Inspirtation, Mind of Christ, Providence of God, salvation, wisdom | 23 Comments »

Is our guilt transparent mostly to ourselves?

Friday, January 27th, 2012

Prayer, January 27

LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill?
He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart;
You have tested my heart; you have visited me in the night; you have tried me and have found nothing; I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.

Psalm 15:1-2; 17:3, www.solascriptura.com

Father, here we learn from David that works of righteousness matter. What we say and do is noticed by You. But, You have taught us elsewhere that Your grace, in calling us to Your side, and that Your mercy and our faith in Jesus, makes our works become a reflection of our faith. We know that without works our faith seems powerless and that works alone hardly distinguish us from being like any other good citizen.

Help us today to be free of self-imposed guilt. We know that You have lifted our guilt from us and that if we try to continue to bear it, we miss the point of Your sacrifice. You have taught us that it is Satan who is the “accuser”. We also know it is You who stand as our advocate. We are no longer guilty! We, like David, have been tried and we stand before You, forgiven and cleansed.

Lead us as we seek to be obedient and righteous, empowered by You. Help us, especially, not to transgress with our mouth. You have taught us that an olive tree should not bear figs and vice versa. Let our words be consistent with our faith. May we glorify You and be an encouragement to others. In Your Holy name, we pray, amen.

Bruce Caldwell

The Sola Scriptura Project, P.O. Box 302, Franklin TN 37064

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Posted in Christianity, Fidelity, Prayer, Providence of God, faith | 13 Comments »