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1. A "Fall" Study
As I near the end of each devotional series I begin praying and seeking God's guidance for a new theme. When Preacher Tripp began his sermon Wednesday evening, he said that he was going to do a "word" study. The next time I opened to my Bible reading I prayed that God would give me a "word" from His Word. I came to II Kings 10:10 and the verse spoke to me... "Know now that there shall fall unto the earth nothing of the word of the LORD, which the LORD spake concerning the house of Ahab: for the LORD hath done that which he spake by his servant Elijah." I thought about how, no matter what the world says, not a single Word of the Lord will fall to the earth. God will be faithful to His Word. Then my daughter-in-law asked if I had some games she could borrow for a Fall Festival for her church. I looked over my Fall Festival Harvest Party page on the web site and was remembering all the fun the children had during our fall parties. A little later I started thinking about our October Bible Jeopardy and the category "Falling Leaves" which is about things in the Bible that fell. So today we begin our new devotional study on the simple word, "Fall". I am excited to see how the Lord will lead in our Autumn study.
2. None Of The Lord's Words Will Fall To The Ground
King Jehu told Israel, "Know now that there shall fall unto the earth nothing of the word of the LORD..." but this was not the first time that thought is used in the scriptures.
“And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel feared to shew Eli the vision. Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. and he answered, Here am I. And he said, What is the thing that the LORD hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me; God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that he said unto thee. And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the LORD; let him do what seemeth him good. And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground. ” I Samuel 3:15-19
I am intrigued by the last phrase, "And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground." Many things fall in this world. If you follow the stock market you know how much it can fall in a short time. Atheletes and men and women in power can fall. Even great men of the Bible fell to temptation. I may promise to do something for you, and circumstances beyond my control may keep me from fulfilling my promise. But we can be sure that the Word of God will never fail. Isaiah tells us that the word of God shall stand forever. "The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever." (Isaiah 40:6-8) Don't put your faith in people or in the things of this world, because you can be sure that they will fall. Put your faith in the Word of God, because "none of his words fall to the ground."
3. The First Fall
We have to go back all the way before time to find the first fall. Before God created the heavens and earth, before He created the sun, moon, and stars, before He created man and woman, there was a great fall.
"12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit." (Isaiah 14:12-15)
I believe that pride caused the first fall. Notice how Lucifer lifted himself up above God. Do you see the "I's"? "I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God, I will sit also upon the mount, I will ascend above the heights, I will be like the most High." When Satan tried to rise above God, he fell. And some of the angels fell with Satan. "And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day." (Jude 6) God has prepared hell for Satan and his angels, and I believe this same pride is also sending many people to this awful place. Many try to lift themselves up above God and their pride keeps them from seeking God's salvation. Their pride tells them they are good enough on their own. Their pride tells them there is no God. "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good." (Psalms 14:1) Don't let Satan fool you with his prideful ways.
4. The Fall Of Man
In addition to sinful pride keeping men and women from accepting God's gift of salvation, John tells us three things of the world that cause us to sin. "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." (I John 2:15-17) We can see all three of these in the fall of man in the garden of Eden.
"1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons." (Genesis 3:1-7)
First, "the lust of the flesh" is found when Eve "saw that the tree was good for food." Adam and Eve had all they needed in the beautiful garden of Eden. But she looked at the forbidden fruit and wanted to taste it. Next, we see "the lust of the eyes," "and that it was pleasant to the eyes." Great chefs go to great lengths to make their food look good. When we have a fellowship at church, I usually take small portions of several desserts because they look so good. Eve wanted the fruit because it looked good. And finally, we see "the pride of life," "and a tree to be desired to make one wise." She wanted to lift herself up to be like God. The serpent fooled Eve in all three of these sinful ways. And still today, we must pray and seek God and try not to fall to these temptations.
5. "I've Fallen And I Can't Get Up!"
There was a commercial on several years ago for some type of help assistance device and the line that I remember is, "I've fallen and I can't get up." Yesterday we looked at the "fall of man" when Adam and Eve sinned against God. They could not cover their sin with fig leaves, and they could not hide from God. They had fallen and could not get up. They brought sin and death to the human race. "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:" (Romans 5:12) But, God made a way to lift us up! A precious Lamb, God's only begotten Son, was offered to pay for my sin, and the sin of the world. When we see that we are lost in sin, with no way of lifting ourselves up to God, and we believe in our heart that Jesus died to pay for our sin, we can then pray and ask the Lord to save us and He will! "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." (John 5:24) The Lord Jesus is the only one who can lift us up out of our fallen state, and He is the only one who can keep us from falling back into sin. "Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen" (Jude 24-25)
6. When We Grow Weary And Fall
I was visiting my father-in-law in the hospital yesterday and I stepped back out into the hall when the nurses were in the room. After passing an open door, I heard someone talking and did not think anyone was in the room with the patient, so I turned to see if she was maybe talking to me. As I looked in her direction I heard her say, "Help me, Lord." I then realized that she was talking to the One who could help her, the Great Physician, the Healer of the nations, the great I Am. I am thankful for those in the medical profession, spending their lives helping others. I am even more thankful that I serve a living God who is powerful, and yet merciful. If God had all power and no mercy, that would not help, and if He had great mercy, but no power, we would be none the better. But, my God has all power and everlasting mercy. We all have times in our lives when we grow weary and fall, but God hears our prayer and can lift us up and renew our strength.
"28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.
29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." (Isaiah 40:28-31)
7. If A Tree Falls In The Forest, There It Shall Be
I never did well on reading tests that asked, "Why did the author write this?" or "What is the author trying to say?" Now, as I read my Bible I often come to scriptures that cause me to ask, "What is God trying to tell me in this verse?" In thinking about our word, "fall", I was intrigued by the verse found in Ecclesiastes 11:3, "If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be." These are such logical statements, I felt that King Solomon had to be talking about more than rain and trees. So I asked the Lord to show me something from this verse, and here is what I think can be said about the tree falling. There are places in the Bible where trees are spoken of as people (Judges 9:8-15 and Mark 8:24) so I see these trees as representing people. And there are only two types of people on earth, those on the path that leads up to heaven, and those who are on the path that leads down to hell, as indicated in the direction of north and south in our verse. When a person's life gives way to death, as a tree falling in the forest, the direction he is facing is where he will be. Those who have chosen to follow Jesus in salvation, rise up immediately to ever be with the Lord in heaven. Those who turned away from the Lord, and rejected His gift of salvation will realize too late that they will not get another chance to follow the Lord, but will be where they fall. There is no middle ground. "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6) "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (John 3:16-18)
8. When Lima Beans Brought Me To My Knees
I took a bag of lima beans from the freezer one day and I suddenly realized I had failed to tie the bag securely. I grabbed for the open end, but I wasn't quick enough and half of the beans poured to the floor. As I got down on my knees to pick them up I thought of how careless I had been to do such a thing. I didn't want to leave any strays behind so I leaned way down to look under the refrigerator. Down on my knees, with my head to the floor, I thought that maybe someone needed prayer, so I took time out to pray for my family and friends. After a sweet talk with my Lord, I finished getting up the spilled beans. And I realized that although someone on my prayer list may have needed prayer at that time, my Lord knew that I was the one who really needed prayer. My days are always better when I begin them in prayer, but many times I rush through my morning devotional time. There are so many things on my mental "To Do" list I am guilty of thinking, "Devotions - check", so I can move on to, "Make the bed - check". The Lord could have used any number of things to make me fall on my knees, but on that day He used a bag of spilled lima beans. "O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker." (Psalms 95:6)
9. Fall Festival
Michael picked the last few okra pods from the garden last week, and that was all that remained of my small garden. Little Jedidiah likes to walk down there when he comes to visit, and he said, "I'm sorry your garden died, MeMaw." I tried to explain to him that the weather will turn colder and it may even snow, and then after winter and it gets warm again we will try to plant another garden. We can count on the seasons to come and go because we have this promise from God. "While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease." (Genesis 8:22) Fall, the time of harvest, is a wonderful time of year. God gave the Children of Israel holidays to celebrate their harvest, and ingathering. "And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field." (Exodus 23:16) Many communities hold big celebrations in the streets, and there are also county and state fairs this time of year. Many churches hold Fall Festivals for their young people. We did this several years and everyone seemed to really enjoy them. If you are planning a Fall Festival you may like to look over some of the activities we did. You can find them on the Activity Page on our Devotions Web Site. We also have an October Bible Jeopardy game that your group might enjoy.
10. Thanksgiving
The shorter days, cooler nights, and brightly colored leaves always make me think of Thanksgiving. I know that the holiday is a few weeks away, but I could never thank God enough for all He has done for me. First, I thank the Lord for saving me. Jesus left the glory of heaven to be born in a lowly stable, made His home with the poor and lowly, and suffered and died so that I could live. Not only has He prepared me a home in heaven, but He supplies all my needs, He watches over me, and leads me in the right path from day to day. He let me be born in a Christian home and has blessed me with a wonderful family. The Lord put me in Pine Grove Baptist Church where I can worship and serve Him with Christian friends. He teaches me from His Word and has let me hear some great preaching through the years. God has been so good to me. The colder weather makes me more appreciative of things that we sometimes take for granted: hot water for showers, heat in my home and car, food and ways to cook it, warm clothes to wear and a warm bed to sleep in. Today I just want to say, "Thank you, Lord."
"1 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
2 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
3 Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations." (Psalm 100)
11. The Seasons Of Life
Today I want to look at our lives as we grow in God's garden, following the seasons of time. I am not the first to do this, as we see this analogy in Psalms 128:3, "Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table." I see my grandchildren as the springtime, budding forth with new life, just babies in this journey, young and tender. They need loving care and nurture and continual prayer that God will protect them from the harmful elements of this world. My children are in the fruitful summer, growing and maturing into young adults. My prayer for them is that they will feed on God's Word and center their lives around God's will. Michael and I are in the fall of life. As our days grow shorter, the little things in life become more and more precious with time. My prayer is that we will stay faithful and be strong in the Lord. I see our parents as being in the winter of their lives, where life can sometimes be hard and cold. My prayer for them is that the Lord will warm their hearts, protect, guide, and comfort them. As time moves more quickly, the gap of time between my Mom and me seems to become more narrow with each passing year. I pray that we will continue to grow closer and closer in this journey. No matter what season of life you find yourself in, I pray that God will give you strength and courage, and help you be faithful till the end.
"24 The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:
25 The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
26 The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace." (Numbers 6:24-26)
12. When Handfuls Of Purpose Fall For Us
Today I want to start looking at some of the Bible verses which contain the word, "fall". A good verse to begin with is Ruth 2:16, "And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not." Ruth had left Moab and gone back to Bethlehem to care for Naomi, her mother-in-law. You may remember her loving cry to Naomi. "And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me." (Ruth 1:16-17) Now she has gone to glean in the fields. When the people gathered their crops, they left the corners on the fields for the poor people of the land to reap. Boaz heard of Ruth's loyalty to Naomi and he told his men to let "handfuls of purpose" fall for her. As I look back over my life I can see that there were many times when the Lord dropped handfuls on purpose to help us get through till payday. Many years ago I was reading my Bible and I noticed, Malachi 3:10, "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." Through all these years the Lord has never failed to let the blessings fall to us through the windows of heaven. God is good!
13. "Though He Fall, He Shall Not Be Utterly Cast Down"
I have been sick with a fever for three days now, and a trip to the clinic only proved that it is not the flu. Sometimes things happen in our lives that bring us down. Look at Jabez. His mother gave him a name of sorrow that he had to bear all his life. But he rose above it. "And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow. And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested." (I Chronicles 4:9-10) David also had his share of trouble, but he was still able to praise God. "The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand." (Psalms 37:23-24) Even the Apostle Paul said he was "troubled on every side." "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;" (II Corinthians 4:8-9) I don't know what trouble you may be going through. I am fighting a fever and am weak and weary, but I can still praise my God and reach up to Him in prayer to lift me up.
14. We Can Fall On Our Knees Even In Hard Times
When someone calls on the phone or sends a message very late at night I expect bad news. My daughter sent me a message last night that her brother-in-law's house burned down. They have four children and lost everything except the clothes they were wearing in the fire. So, today I would like to ask you to pray for this young family. I am so glad that we can fall on our knees and pray during the hard times. When Daniel was in captivity, and was threatened to be thrown to the lions, he still prayed. "Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime." (Daniel 6:10) Please ask the Lord to help this young family.
15. Don't Fall Out By The Way
There are two large beautiful estates I pass from time to time where two brothers live. The brothers had a "falling out" some time ago and the wife of one was the mediator who tried to make peace between them. After she died, I noticed that a long fence had been put up to separate the two properties. It is so sad that something could separate two brothers and they would live their last few years in bitterness. After Joseph revealed himself to his brothers and sent them back to get his father, look at what he said in Genesis 45:24. "So he sent his brethren away, and they departed: and he said unto them, See that ye fall not out by the way." Joseph knew the character of his brothers. He was telling them to keep peace between them. The Apostle Paul tried to keep peace in writing to the early churches. One example is found in Ephesians 4:29-32.
"29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."
I believe our days here on earth are short. Let's tear down the fences of bitterness and anger and plant seeds of love and kindness. We are too near the end of the journey to "fall out by the way."
16. When A Sparrow Falls...
Once when I was visiting my sister we were out walking her dogs and she said, "Watch the bird when we get to those bushes." As we got closer with the dogs, a bird went hobbling out in the road like it was hurt until the dogs started running towards it. My sister held tight to the leashes and told me that she had not seen a nest, but she knew the mother must have babies there somewhere because she drew the dogs away everytime they got near. Isn't it amazing that God cares for little birds and gave them instincts on how to protect their young. Jesus said that God notices when one falls to the ground. "Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows." (Matthew 10:29-31) Think about how much God loves you! "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
17. Falling Snow
When I think of things that fall, I first think of snow. God has created so many beautiful things, with bright colors for all the seasons. Beautiful flowers in the spring, brilliant sunsets on summer shores, and bright leaves on autumn mountain ridges. But, in the dead of winter when things look dark and dreary, a new snow fall can cover all the dead of winter and make it glisten and sparkle as it reflects the light of the sun and the moon. That is just what God did with my life. I was lost and dead in sin, and God saved me and washed me whiter than snow, so that even in my small little way, I can reflect the Light of the Son.
"Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow." (Psalms 51:7)
"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." (Isaiah 1:18)
18. Don't Fall For Bad Advice
With all these devotionals on fall, I have been thinking back to things we did in the fall when I was a little girl. We used to love to play outside at my Grandmother's house. There was a great big hickory tree beside the house and my great-aunt Eve worked hard to keep all the leaves away from the house so there would not be a fire. She raked and raked to get them to the bottom of the hill so they could be burnt away from the house. My sisters and I would use a large rock and crack the hickory nuts on the rock chimney and try to dig out the little pieces. One time we found a large barrel and we learned to walk on the barrel, which I suppose was dumb enough, but someone told me how fun it would be to get in the barrel and roll down the hill. I was young enough that I did not realize just how bad that advice was. I was very fortunate that I did not hit the big tree. I slid into the barrel and someone gave me a push to get me started down the hill. I started turning round and round, faster and faster, completely out of control. I didn't think about my head sticking out of the top of the barrel, rolling along the ground, with the leaves, and grass, and dirt in my face and hair. At the bottom, I crawled out, and decided I would never do that again. As we grow older, we should learn to seek out good advice. Many people have been ruined by listening to the wrong people. The Kingdom of Israel was divided when King Rehoboam listened to some bad advice. Don't fall for bad advice.
"6 And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people?
7 And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever.
8 But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him:
9 And he said unto them, What counsel give ye that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke which thy father did put upon us lighter?
10 And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins.
11 And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day.
13 And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men's counsel that they gave him;" (I Kings 12:6-13)
19. Take Heed Lest Ye Fall
If you have been reading my devotionals very long, you may remember that I told this story before. Back when I worked in an office, we had visitors one day and my boss was bragging on the good job I was doing. I started to feel proud that he was talking so highly of me in front of these people. All of a sudden something fell from the top of my cabinet, hit me on the head, and continued to the floor, where it broke. The thing that fell was a heavy plaque with a Bible verse on it. It really hit me hard, in more ways than one, because the verse was James 4:10, "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up." It is so easy for pride to creep into our heads. We try to humble ourselves before the Lord, but if we think about it too much, we can start feeling proud that we are so humble. I guess the best thing to do is to turn to God's Word and keep Him first in our lives. "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." (I Corinthians 10:12) "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall." (Proverbs 16:18) "A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit." (Proverbs 29:23)
20. Time To Fall Back
Some are already posting reminders on facebook that our clocks fall back an hour this weekend. We always say that we gain an hour, but our clocks are all that change. God has set time in motion, and except for the two examples I see in the Bible, (Joshua 10 and II Kings 20) time will remain the same until the Lord declares that time will be no more. "And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:" (Revelation 10:6) We can look back on our lives with blessed memories, and sometimes heartbreaking regrets, but we can't go back. Nor are we promised tomorrow. All we have is today, and that is short in comparison with all eternity. I like the way it is put in Psalms 90:9 and 10, "... we spend our years as a tale that is told. The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away." So, what are we to do? The Psalmist goes on to say in verse 12, "So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." If you don't know the Lord as your Savior, please trust in Him today. "(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) (II Corinthians 6:2) Let's move on in the wisdom gained from our yesterdays, give the Lord our todays, and trust in Him for our tomorrows.
21. "The Lines Are Fallen Unto Me In Pleasant Places"
I am so thankful for the Word of God and how He has preserved it for us. The more I read my Bible, the more I enjoy the language of the King James Version. Yesterday I mentioned Psalms 90:9, "... we spend our years as a tale that is told." Today I am looking at another poetic passage from Psalms 16:5-7. Some people talk of being lucky, and others may see life as a game of chance. People used to cast lots and might blame their circumstances on "how the lot fell", or "the roll of the dice." In Psalms 16 David doesn't take credit for the good things he has in life, nor does he think it was all by chance. He gives all the glory to the Lord.
"5 The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot.
6 The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.
7 I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons."
I can also say with David, "The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage." I was blessed to be born in a Christian home. I was blessed to be born and raised in a Christian nation. I am praying that God will help us in the upcoming election and some Christian men and women will be elected to help slow down the rampant pace of sin in our country. I pray for the future of our country, and hope that my children and grandchildren can enjoy Christian freedom. God established this great nation, and without God we will surely fall.
22. Every Knee Shall Bow
There are many "Fall" verses I could use to close this series. We could talk about the fall of Jericho when the Israelites marched around and the walls fell down flat, and see that God can fight our battles for us. (Joshua 6) We could determine to stand for God and not fall down to other gods and look at the story of the three Hebrew children who refused to fall down and worship the golden image and were thrown into a fiery furnace. (Daniel 3) It is important that we build on the solid foundation of Jesus Christ and we could talk about the wise man who built on the rock and the foolish man who built on the sand. Jesus said of the house on the sand, "And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it." (Matthew 7:27) These are all Biblical lessons that could help us in our daily living. But I want to close with a verse that will affect every person that has ever lived or shall live. We shall all fall down on our knees before a holy God. We can put away our foolish pride and submit to God, or we can fall to Him in judgment for eternity. "For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God." (Romans 14:11)
"5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:5-11)
