Author: evangelist_breland

Psalm 130:1-5, NKJV

Everyone suffers trials and tribulations in this fallen world. Like the psalmist, believers have the right to pray and cry out of the depths of their sufferings to the Lord (v.1). He prayed with an urgency, asking the Lord to hear his voice, and let His ears be attentive to his supplications (v.2). In v.3 the psalmist humbly acknowledged the Lord’s power: “If You, Lord, should take note of iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?” He knew the answer; we all have sinned and come short of God’s glory.  

In spite of our shortcomings, the God of providence is gracious. He offers us forgiveness of our sins through faith in His Son Jesus Christ and everlasting life, or we may reject His offer and have everlasting damnation. When we fear the Lord, we respect and honor the true and living God, seeking His kingdom first and all His righteousness.

In v.5 the psalmist declared that he waits for the Lord, his soul waits, and in God’s word he does hope. The psalmist knew that in trouble he needed to wait on the Lord to deliver him from the hands of man and from the grip of Satan. His hopes in God’s word; it is truth. God is good to those who trust in and hope in His word. Jesus said, “The words that I speak to you are spirit and life” (John 6:63b). 

Today, will you declare in this season of advent, “I am waiting for the redemption of the Lord?” Clap your hands and give God glory!

Romans 15:8-13, NKJV

God sent many prophets at different times in history. They predicted the coming of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, who would save His people from their sins. Jesus Christ’s coming as aminister to the Jews, showed that God was truth, confirming the promises He made to their fathers (v.8), and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy and coming to save them. In John10:16 Jesus spoke of the Gentiles as His other sheep not of this fold, and He must bring them also. They would listen to His voice, pay attention to His call, and with the Jews they would become one flock with one Shepherd.

Paul continues: “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people (v.10)!”

And again: “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles!
Laud Him, all you peoples (v.11)!”

In verses 10-11 the Gentiles are encouraged to rejoice with the Jews and praise the Lord. Everybody, praise Him for His mercy and your salvation.

And again, Isaiah says: “There shall be a root of Jesse;
And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, In Him the Gentiles shall hope (v.12).” Paul prophesied there will be a descendant of Jesse’s to reign as King over the Gentiles. This is the king in whom the Gentiles will trust and have hope. The prayer is that the God of hope fill the Gentiles with all joy and peace in believing, that they may abound in hope and overflow with confidence in His promises by the power of the Holy Spirit (v.13).

Will you glorify God as He fills you with joy and peace? Abound always in His hope.

2 Corinthians 9:6-9, AMP Bible

The grace of giving, an important part of worship, honors God, and blesses both the receiver and giver. Here Paul instructed believers to be cheerful givers, not by command, but to prove if they were faithful and sincere in their love (8:8). God showed His great love toward us, that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Rom. 5:8). To demonstrate how we will be blessed in giving, Paul used an agricultural principle: “He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows generously [that blessings may come to others] will also reap generously [and be blessed] (v.6). Believers’ giving is a heart matter and should be Christlike; grudgeful giving revokes one’s blessing. Verse 7 said: each believer should decide in his heart to be thoughtful and purposeful in their giving, not grudgingly or under compulsion. God loves a cheerful giver; He delights in those whose hearts are in their gifts. Everything belongs to God; therefore, we “should not be heartless, nor close-fisted” with our neighbor in need. 

The apostle declared in v.8 that God is able to make all grace – every favor and earthly blessing – come in abundance to you. You will never lack; you may not have all you want, but you will always have plenty of everything needed for every good work. Verse 9 said: it will forever remain written that the righteousness of believers who generously give to the poor endures forever. “The more you give, the more He gives to you.”

Clap your hands and shout, “Glory!”

2 Corinthians 9:8,10-11

Did you know that God is able to make every earthly blessing come in abundance to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work (v.8)? Yes, God promised   believers that through faithful, generous giving in service to Him and their neighbor in need, they will be enriched in every way at all times: material, physical, and spiritual. Believers honor God through the ministry of giving. The Corinthians promised to give and started a collection to help the poor saints at Jerusalem a year earlier (8:10). Here Paul encouraged them to cheerfully fulfill their promise as an example to other saints.

Paul stated, “Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness” (v.10). We are promised to be rewarded for faithfully honoring God with our lives. “… I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread” (Ps.37:25b). He multiplies our resources so we can willingly sow into the lives of others and increases the harvest of His children’s righteousness so they will be more like Him.

Verse 11 declares that you will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion. We bless others; through us, the generosity of those blessed will result in thanksgiving to God. The hymn writer said, “You Can’t Beat God Giving No Matter How You Try.”

Give God a hand clap and shout, “Glory!”

Lamentations 3:19-26

God is our provider and sustainer; He commands our obedience. Yet we let Him down far too often. Do we remember, or do we forget, that God has an abundance of steadfast love, but He also has a wrath? No matter how disobedient we might be God’s love and compassion never change. However, He does get angry with His disobedient children. Let’s give Him thanks; “His anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime” (Ps. 30:5a). So, to get God’s lifetime favor, we must repent, turn from our wicked ways, and obey Him.

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail” (v.22). God is not a flip-flopper; He is purposeful, steadfast, and unchanging. How wonderful it is to have hope in Him, knowing that His love and mercy never expire! Jeremiah acknowledged that though God brings grief, he will show compassion according to the abundance of His steadfast love (v.32) even though we don’t deserve it. “Great is God’s faithfulness” (v.23) because He promised they are new every morning.

Like Jeremiah, in our season of suffering, we must declare that God is our inheritance and wait on Him (v.24). He is good to those whose hope is in him and seek him (v.25);it is good to wait quietly for the Lord’s salvation (v.26). He is well able to do just what He promised. Clap your hands and shout, “Glory!