THE PROMISES OF GOD

2 Chronicles 35:20-36:23

2 Chronicles 34:14-35:19

1 Chronicles 28:1-29:5

1 Chronicles 15:16-16:6

1 Chronicles 12:8-13:14

Numbers 33:50-34:29
‘Drive out all the inhabitants of the land’(52): We must drive out the enemy (Satan) if we are to enter more fully into our salvation in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 5:3-14). Idolatry is to be banished (52). It has no place among God’s people. God wants us to ‘possess the land’(53) - a fuller enjoyment of Him. Idolatry is settling for ‘second best’- letting something or someone else become more important to you than the Lord. Don’t let it happen! The setting of the boundaries of the land of Canaan (34:1-29) is a reminder that there are boundaries in the Christian life, boundaries set by God Himself, the boundaries of Holy Scripture. When we move beyond the boundaries of God’s holy Word, we move outside the sphere of God’s blessing. Live in the will of God - within the boundaries set by His Word.
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com

Numbers 23:1-30
Our words are to be an echo of God’s Word. We are to speak only what God says (8,12). Before we can speak for God, He must speak to us. ‘God’s Word is truth’(John 17:17). God does not lie. He does not change His mind. What He says, He does. He fulfils His purpose (19). How does God carry forward His purpose of blessing? We receive His blessing. We share His blessing with others. We can only bring blessing to others when we ourselves seek blessing from the Lord. His blessing comes to us. His blessing reaches out through us. We speak His Word, yet - through our words - He speaks (20). This is the work of the Holy Spirit. ‘God’s Word is the sword of the Spirit’(Ephesians 6:17). The Spirit uses the Word to convict us of our sin and lead us to our Saviour (Hebrews 4:12-16).
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com

Numbers 8:1-26
The Levites were ‘set apart’ for God (14). They were ‘a gift to Aaron... to do the service for the people of Israel at the tent of meeting...’(19). We are to work together as a team. ‘Yield yourselves to God...’(Romans 6:13): Help each other to be better servants of Christ. The ‘lampstand’(1-4): ‘Thy Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path’(Psalm 119:105). Without Christ, the living Word, we remain in darkness. With Him we ‘walk in the light’, in the joy of His salvation (John 8:12; 1 John 1:7). ‘Service for the people of Israel’(19): As servants of Christ - He ‘came not to be served but to serve’(Mark 10:45) - , we are to serve others for ‘Jesus’ sake’(2 Corinthians 4:5). To those whom we serve, we say, ‘We are your servants but you are not our lords’. Jesus is Lord: It is ‘as the Lord commands’(22).

Numbers 9:1-23
God’s people were ‘in the wilderness’(1) - No longer in the land of bondage, not yet in the land of promise. This is our situation - We look back to what the Lord has done for us, we look forward to what the Lord will yet do for us. The Passover directs our attention to the death of Christ, ‘our Passover Lamb’(4; 1 Corinthians 5:7). The Cloud directs us to the return of Christ - ‘He is coming with the clouds’(Revelation 1:7; Matthew 24:30). God’s people are guided by the ‘cloud’ and ‘fire’(15): Not one without the other, but both together. We need both grace and faith: Not grace without faith, not faith without grace. God is ‘able to keep us from falling’(Jude 24) - This is grace. We are to keep ourselves in the love of God (Jude 21) - This is faith. ‘Kept by the power of God through faith’(1 Peter 1:5).

Numbers 10:1-36
God’s Word - ‘the testimony’(11) - reveals God’s purpose (29) and provides God’s guidance (33). The ‘cloud’ is like the presence of God’s Spirit hovering over us. Great things are about to happen. The Spirit of God is moving over the face of the people of God gathered for worship (11; Genesis 1:2). Through the Word, the Spirit draws our attention to the Lord who has promised good to us (29). Instructed by the Word and strengthened by the Spirit, we ‘journey’ with God (33). We are moving on with God, looking forward to the fulfilment of His good purpose. We have heard the trumpet sound, calling us to worship the Lord, to be His soldiers and servants (1-10). We hear the divine declaration, ‘I am the Lord your God’(10), and we say, ‘Yes, Lord, You are our God’(Psalm 63:1; John 20:28).
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com

Numbers 7:1-47
Why do we bring our offerings to the Lord? - ‘that they may be used in doing the service of the tent of meeting’(5). We give ourselves to the Lord - ‘Love so amazing, so divine, Shall have my soul, my life, my all’- and we ask Him to put our gift to good use - ‘O use me, Lord, use even me, just as Thou wilt, and when, and where’(Church Hymnary, 437,485). Why is there so much repetition here? - God does not look only at the total offering. He prizes each separate offering. Each gift expresses the giver’s love for Him. Let us ‘lay up... treasures in heaven’, bringing our offerings in faith, as an expression of our gratitude to God for His abundant grace. Which matters most to you? - ‘earth’ or ‘heaven’: ‘Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also’(Matthew 6:19-21).

Numbers 7:48-89
At the end of this long chapter, we have Communion with God: ‘When Moses went into the tent of the meeting to speak with the Lord, he heard the voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat...’(89). This is what it’s all about: We ‘draw near to the throne of grace’. We ‘receive mercy and find grace...’(Hebrews 4:16). Listen for God’s Word. Speak to God in prayer. So often, the most important things get crowded out. We lose sight of God - His love, His grace, His mercy. Religion becomes a burdensome, legalistic thing. There is no joy in it. God comes to us in mercy - ready to forgive. In love, He offers us a new beginning. By His grace, we can live as the people of God. God is speaking. Are you listening to Him? God is listening. Are you speaking to Him? Nothing is more important than this!
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com

Numbers 5:1-31
‘The Lord said...’(1): Let us hear and obey His Word. God is holy: His people are not to be defiled (3). Sin is not merely moral. It is spiritual. It is not only a deviation from law. It is an offence against God - ‘breaking faith with the Lord’(6). God is holy: ‘Atonement’ is more than a provision for our need of forgiveness. It is a ‘restitution... to the Lord’(8). Christ’s atoning death does two things: (a) It meets the demands of God’s holiness. (b) It meets our need of salvation. We must not do ‘the wrong’ and ‘break faith with the Lord’(6-7). We are to obey the Gospel call for ‘faith in our Lord Jesus Christ’: This is ‘repentance’. We obey God’s ‘command...to repent’(Acts 20:21; 17:30). No longer ‘trusting in ourselves that we are righteous’, we confess our sins and look to Christ for mercy (Luke 18:9,13).

Numbers 6:1-27
‘Separate... to the Lord,... Separate... from wine and strong drink’(2-3): These two thoughts are closely connected in the New Testament - ‘Do not get drunk with wine,... Be filled with the Spirit’(Ephesians 5:18). We are to be ‘holy to the Lord’(8). ‘Consecrated to the Lord’, our whole life must be controlled by one thing: ‘Do all to the glory of God’(1 Corinthians 10:31). Motivated by a desire for God’s glory, we will enjoy God's blessing (22-27). God’s blessing is not a ‘cheap’ thing, something that doesn’t matter very much. Remember Esau (Genesis 25:29-34). He couldn’t be bothered. He couldn’t care less. God’s blessing meant nothing to him. He didn’t want God’s blessing. What did God do? - He gave it to Jacob. ‘The Lord bless you...’: Do you want this? Or must God find somebody else?
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com

Numbers 1:1-54
‘Every man able to go forth to war’: This is the key phrase in verses 1-46. God is looking for ‘soldiers’: Soldiers of Christ! To live for Christ is to be engaged in warfare. It is spiritual warfare. We need ‘the whole armour of God’(Ephesians 6:10-20). We must remember that ‘the weapons of our warfare are not worldly’. They have ‘divine power’. They are ‘powerful weapons from God’. They are ‘mighty through God’(2 Corinthians 10:3-6). The Levites were to lead worship (47-54). The battle is the Lord’s (2 Chronicles 20:15). We will never be strong ‘soldiers of Christ’ unless we are learning to worship the Lord. Worship lies at the very heart of the life of God’s people. Without worship, we are weak. Worshipping God, we will grow ‘strong’. We will ‘firmly resist’ the enemy. We will ‘take action’ for God (Daniel 11:32).

Numbers 2:1-34
‘The Lord said to Moses’: These words appear more than eighty times in Numbers. Let your life be centred on the Word of the Lord - Listen, Read, Study, Memorize, Meditate! God’s people were ‘facing the tent of meeting on every side’(2). There were to be no gaps in the ranks. We are not to pull in different directions. We are to pull together. Everyone has their place. All who are willing to serve the Lord will find a place in His service. Let us be united in worship and witness. Without this spirit of co-operation, the work of the Lord will fail. Each of us needs to be ‘in position’(17) - on the Lord’s Day for worship and on other occasions, when we are called upon to ‘serve the Lord with gladness’(Psalm 100:2). Let our ‘standard’(17,31) be the Lord - not the world: We are God’s people!
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com

Psalm 147:1-20
‘The Lord builds up Jerusalem. He gathers the exiles of Israel. he heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds’(2-3). This is much more than the building of the city of Jerusalem with bricks and mortar. This is God building up His people in their ‘most holy faith’(Jude 20). This is God blessing His people as they gather together to worship Him. In Christ, we are ‘being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit’(Ephesians 2:22). The Lord draws us to Himself. He brings us into fellowship with His people. He calls us to worship Him: ‘Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving’. He ‘blesses’ us through ‘His Word’. He ‘blesses’ us in ‘the Spirit’: ‘He sends His Word... and the waters flow’(7,12-13,18; John 7:37-39).

Psalms 148:1-150:6
‘Praise the Lord’. Psalms 146 and 147 began and ended with these words. Now, we find the same beginning and ending in each of these three Psalms - ‘Praise the Lord’. Our personal song of praise to God - ‘Praise be to the Lord my Rock... I will sing a new song to You, O God... I will exalt You, my God the King; I will praise Your Name for ever and ever; Every day I will praise You... My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord... I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live’(144:1,9; 145:1-2,21; 146:2) - is just a small part of something so much richer and fuller - ‘Let everything that has breath praise the Lord’(150:6). May these great Psalms of praise inspire us to praise the Lord more truly and more fully.
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com

Psalm 143:1-12
The Psalmist prays, ‘Rescue me from my enemies, O Lord’(9). He is not concerned only about his own welfare. He is concerned about the glory of God: ‘For Your Name’s sake, O Lord, preserve my life’(11). How does God lead us in victory? How is He glorified in our lives? He brings to us the teaching of His Word- ‘Let the morning bring me Word of Your unfailing love’(8). He gives to us the strength of His Spirit- ‘May Your good Spirit lead me in good paths’(10). Through His Word and Spirit, God shows us His ‘unfailing love’. He enables us to say, ‘You are my God’, ‘I have put my trust in You’ and ‘I am Your servant’. He ‘shows us the way we should go’. He ‘teaches us to do His will’. He gives us victory over our ‘enemies’(8,10,12).

Psalm 144:1-15
‘Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle’(1). The Lord is ‘the One who gives victory’ to His people (10). What a great God we have! He is ‘our loving God, our Fortress, our Stronghold, our Deliverer, our Shield’(2). What great blessing the Lord sends into our lives! He fights for us (Exodus 14:14; Deuteronomy 1:30; 3: 22; Nehemiah 4:20). He is ‘our Strength’(28:7-8; 59:17). ‘With God we shall gain the victory’(60:12). Let us pray that God will pour out His blessing upon us: ‘Part Your heavens, O Lord, and come down... Reach down Your hand from on high...’(5,7). Let us think of how much the Lord has blessed us. Let us sing our song of praise to Him: ‘I will sing a new song to You, O God’(9).
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com

Psalm 119:97-120
Throughout life, we have to make choices. Some choices are relatively straightforward. Others are very much more difficult. Some choices don’t affect the rest of our life very much. There are, however, choices which affect the whole of our life. There is one choice which is more important than any other - Choosing the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour. Those who refuse to choose are ‘double-minded’(113). They can’t make up their mind. They know that they should be following Christ - but they are still ‘in love with the world’. They are ‘lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God’(I John 2:15; 2 Timothy 3:4). Make your choice. Say to the world, ‘Away from me, you evildoers, that I may keep the commands of my God’. Say to God, ‘I have decided to obey Your laws until the day I die’(115,112).

Psalm 119:121-144
‘The entrance of Your words gives light’(130). The Word of God brings light into our lives. Sadly, many people ‘love darkness rather than light’. They refuse to ‘come to the light’. They prefer to remain in the darkness. They refuse to listen to what God is saying to them through His Word. Then, when things are not going so well for them, they blame God. They say, ‘It’s all Your fault’! Things could have been so different. They could have learned to spend time with God. They could have learned the lessons of faith which are found in God’s Word. They could have learned to cope with life’s difficulties. They could have been filled with the strength of the Lord. They would not be complaining against Him. They would be rejoicing in Him: He has ‘called us out of darkness into His marvellous light’(1 Peter 2:10).

Psalm 119:145-176
‘With my whole heart I cry; answer me, O Lord!’(145). God is calling us to pray. There is nothing more important than this. If other things have become more important in our lives, we need to think about the way we are living. God wants to send His blessing into our lives: ‘Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you’(Matthew 7:7). His blessing will come to those who seek him with their whole heart: ‘You will seek Me and find Me when you seek me with all your heart’(Jeremiah 29:13). If we do not ask, we will not receive: ‘You do not have, because you do not ask’(James 4:2). God’s blessing is not given to those who are half-hearted. God is calling us to love Him with our whole heart: ‘I long for Your salvation, O Lord, and Your law is my delight’(174).
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com

Psalm 119:49-72
God’s Word makes such a difference! When everything seems so hopeless, we turn to God’s Word and we find that there is ‘hope’(49). When we are going through a time of terrible ‘suffering’, we turn to God’s Word and we find ‘comfort’(50,52). When everything seems to be going so badly, we must keep on reading the Word of the Lord: ‘The wicked have laid a trap for me, but I do not forget Your law’(61). Through His Word, God is teaching us to see His purpose in our sufferings: ‘The punishment You gave me was the best thing that could have happened to me, for it taught me to pay attention to Your laws’(71). God is showing us what is really important: ‘The law that You gave means more to me than all the money in the world’(72). He is teaching us to see His ‘love’ in every part of our life (64).

Psalm 119:73-96
We rejoice in God’s ‘constant love’. This is our ‘comfort’- God keeps on loving us no matter what’s going on in our lives. We may be going through really hard times - ‘Men persecute me with lies... They have almost succeeded in killing me’. There’s one thing that never changes - God’s ‘constant love’. He loves us in the hard times as well as in the happy times. His love inspires us to keep on loving Him when we feel like giving up in despair (76,86-88). We see many changes taking place in our world. Sometimes, we wonder, ‘Where is God in all of this? Has He abandoned us? Can we keep on trusting Him and rejoicing in His Word?’. When our minds are full of negative thoughts, we must remember God’s Word - ‘Your Word, O Lord, will last for ever... Your faithfulness endures through all the ages’(89-90).
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Blessings in Christ
Christ in all the Scriptures
http://christinallthescriptures.blogspot.com

THE PROMISES OF GOD

Links To Some Meditations On God's Word

‘How I love Your Temple, Almighty Lord! 6th September 2009

Jesus is taken up into heaven. He will come again with power and great glory. 24th May 2009

Jesus is taken up into heaven. The Holy Spirit is given to us. 24th May 2009

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To see each meditation, click on the date.

“We need the Word of the Lord … “

"My House Will Be Called A House Of Prayer ... "

Keeping Jesus At The Centre

God's Word Is A Lamp To Our Feet And A Light To Our Path.

Be Careful In Your Listening To God's Word.

The Rediscovery Of God’s Word

Let Us ‘Dedicate Ourselves To The Lord Today.’

Our Meditation On God’s Word Is To Be Accompanied By Obedience To His Word.

Be ‘A Doer Of God’s Word’ - Obedient To God And Blessed By God.

Live In The Will Of God - Within The Boundaries Set By His Word.

Before We Can Speak For God, He Must Speak To Us.

God Says To Us, ‘I Am The Lord Your God.’ We Say To Him, , ‘Yes, Lord, You Are Our God.’

God Is Speaking. Are You Listening To Him? God Is Listening. Are You Speaking To Him?

‘Do Not Get Drunk With Wine,... Be Filled With The Spirit.’

Let Your Life Be Centred On The Word Of The Lord - Listen, Read, Study, Memorize, Meditate!

God ‘Blesses’ Us Through ‘His Word.’ He ‘Blesses’ Us In ‘The Spirit.’

"Let The Morning Bring Me Word Of Your Unfailing Love ... May Your Good Spirit Lead Me In Good Paths.’’

God's Blessing Will Come To Those Who Seek Him With Their Whole Heart.

God Keeps On Loving Us No Matter What’s Going On In Our Lives.