Be holy, for I am holy

In Leviticus 11:44 (KJV), God commands,

Ye shall be holy; for I am holy.

But then Job complains about everyone's lack of holiness (Job 15:15-16, KJV),

The heavens are not clean in his sight. How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?

Yikes! We're supposed to be holy, but we're so far removed from that standard that it might seem hopeless. Paul laments this situation (Romans 7:24, KJV)...

O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

 ... and then answers the question for the reader (Romans 8:1, KJV)...

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.

And that, itself, is the message of the gospel! It is impossible for us, through our actions, to achieve the level of holiness that God demands. Even the very best people are "abominable and filthy." How then do we achieve the impossible? Though faith in Jesus. As Jesus himself said (Matthew 19:26, KJV),

With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

 

 

Rewards for obedience

Psalm 199:165 (KJV) reads,

Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.

And Proverbs 16:7 (KJV) reads,

When a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.

And then Jesus promises (John 14:23, KJV),

If a man ... will keep my words ... my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

The message is consistent. We should obey God, and in doing so, we can expect his love and comfort. And that obedience should be an all-consuming focus. God says (Isaiah 66:2, KJV),

To this man will I look ... him that ... trembleth at my word.

All bible translations render that word as "tremble," which seems to indicate more than just a passing familiarity with God's word. It should enter our heart and occupy our thoughts and concerns. We should actually fear falling into disobedience. And we can reach that level of "trembling" by praying ... without ceasing! 

God will answer

The entire bible emphasizes that, when we seek God, he will answer. Some examples (all from the KJV),

Call unto me, and I will answer thee. (Jeremiah 33:3)

Ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. (Jeremiah 29:12)

He shall call upon me, and I will answer him. (Psalm 91:15)

He also will hear their cry, and will save them. (Psalm 145:19)

If we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us. (1 John 5:14)

Note that God does not ask that we do anything complicated to get his attention. We don't have to accomplish anything or demonstrate any particular talent. We simple have to "call" upon him, and he promises to answer. And that "calling" to him means praying ... without ceasing!
 

Encouraged himself in the Lord

1 Samuel 30 finds David and his army suffering military defeat to the Amalekites. David's family is taken captive and his people contemplate stoning him. He and his companions "wept until they had no more power to weep." (verse 5, KJV).

Yet, verse 6 (KJV) finds Davis shifting gears, at least mentally,

But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.

The rest of the chapter tells of David seeking God's advice, and subsequently securing victory.

Many of us find David's frame of mind very difficult to emulate. But that's what God asks us to do. We should seek his help and "encourage" ourselves in him. And let us keep in mind God's promise put forth in Proverbs 16:7 (KJV),

When a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.

Lightness and darkness

Many parts of the bible -- and especially those written by John -- emphasize differences between lightness and darkness, with those concepts appearing to represent righteousness and unrighteousness. This starts right at the beginning of the bible (Genesis 1:4-5, KJV),

God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

Note that God divided, or separated, the two. Note, also, that "the evening and the morning" were the first "day." That is, morning (lightness) follows the evening (darkness), and both together go by the same term used to describe the light -- that is, "day." The implication, it would seem, is that lightness will eventually overcome darkness.

The New Testament writers expand upon that dichotomy. For example, Paul writes (1 Thessalonians 5:5, KJV),

Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

As we pray, let us remember our pursuit of the "lightness" and be watchful for dangers of the "darkness."

I said not, seek ye me in vain

Numbers 10 outlines God's military instructions to the Israelites. What's interesting about that material is that God does not provide mechanical instructions on the fundamentals of fighting. Rather, God instructs the Israelites on how to call for his help (Numbers 10:9, KJV),

If ye go to war ... then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and ye shall be remembered before the Lord your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies.

Note the certainty of the wording: "ye shall be remembered" and "ye shall be saved." Just by calling to God! This passage is surely also intended as instruction to us. When we "go to war," meaning when we encounter earthly or spiritual struggles, we should call to God, and he will hear us and save us.

That passage brings to mind a famous verse from Isaiah 45:19 (KJV),

I said not, ... seek ye me in vain.

God promises that calling to him is not a fruitless endeavor. He hears, he protects, and he saves. 

Let them not turn again to folly

Although biblical scholars disagree about its historical setting, the theological content of Psalm 85 clearly speaks on the topic of God's forgiveness. Verses 2-3 (KJV) praise God for washing away sin,

Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin ... Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger.

Those words of Mercy are meant to give us peace. Verse 8 (KJV) reads,

He will speak peace unto his people.

We should feel that peace, and we should take great joy, because that (undeserved) mercy is God's greatest gift to us. Above all, we should be thankful.

BUT, as part of that thankfulness, verse 8 (KJV) also highlights an important part of that thankfulness,

But let them not turn again to folly.

Repeating the very sins for which we were just forgiven is one of the saddest states in which we find ourselves. Solomon puts it bluntly (Proverbs 26:11, KJV),

As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.

God's mercy is infinite, but let us show our thankfulness by not turning again to our folly.