Tag: LGG

Posted in Bible study, Enduring Hope, From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time

A Faith that Presses On

Posted on by

Based on an LGG Study, Enduring Hope / w3d5

Today’s Reading: Hebrews 11:13-16 / SOAP verse 16

But as it is, they aspire to a better land, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

Hebrews 11:16
Who are “They”?

When studying Scripture, it is important to look back to the previous verse(s), exploring the people and things talked about, in order to understand the pronouns in the current verse. For instance in our SOAP verse today, we must know who was “aspiring to a better land” in order to understand who God “is not ashamed” of or who “He has prepared a city for.”

In this case, looking back, we find that the writer is referring to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob – and others like them; they are the “heroes of the faith.” They were the ones who remained faithful, not turning back even though they never received the things they were promised. They believed the promise that there was a better “homeland” and did not return to the one they, by faith, had left behind. Instead, they “trusted God’s ability to bring about His promises out of things unseen.”

Now faith is the certainty of things hoped for, a proof of things not seen. –

Hebrews 11:1
Made Right With God

“They realized that God’s promises aren’t necessarily tied to some physical earthly benefit. Instead, God is working all things for good, from a heavenly eternal plan.” So, because they lived out their faith – not wavering in their trust in God – God was not ashamed of them. “It was their faith leading to obedience, not the actions themselves, which made them acceptable to God.” [quotes borrowed from bibleref.com, Hebrews 11:16]

The same is true for us today, for when we walk by faith and not by sight, placing our trust in Jesus, we are made right with God – no longer His enemies but the children He, by grace, adopts as His own.

The grace and goodness of God are on full display in Christian reconciliation. “You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault”

(Colossians 1:21–22, NLT).
Response to God’s Word

Father, thank you that though we were once Your enemies, You – by grace – made a way for us to have a relationship with You. By grace, the work of Christ on the cross, and our faith in Him we stand before You unashamed – no longer condemned because we are in Christ Jesus, in whom You are well pleased! Thank you for the examples of those who have gone before us, who by faith did not turn back from following You, though they did not see Your promises come true in their lifetime. Like them we are strangers and foreigners on this earth – waiting for our heavenly homeland. Though we may grow weary in the wait Father, help us to stand firm – fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him, endured the cross – scorning its shame. Help us not to turn away from His commands but to press on to the mark of the Your high calling in Christ our Lord and Savior. Help us to endure in the hope we have in Christ and in Your promises – Amen and amen in Jesus’ name amen!

Going Deeper

Today’s LGG Blog will give you more insight on today’s passage

What does Hebrews 11:16 mean?

Unashamed

Posted in Bible study, Enduring Hope, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time

Confident Expectation

Posted on by

Based on the LGG Study, Enduring Hope, w3,d4

Today’s Reading: Titus 3:3-8 / SOAP: Titus 3:7

And so, since we have been justified by his grace, we become heirs with the confident expectation of eternal life.”

Titus 3:7

Because Jesus made us right with God – who saved us by His grace – we have become co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17). Because of this, our hope is secure in the eternal life God promised through our faith in Jesus Christ.

We were all once enemies of God. We disobeyed His commands, ignored His wisdom, and hated one another. We were hopeless without God and hopeless of ever being saved. But God did not let us stay there. –

LGG Team Member / Enduring Hope w3d4
An Amazing Love and Confident Expectations

In the Enduring Hope journal the LGG Team of writers share devotions for each day’s Scripture references. They are all wonderful but some stand out to me more than others. Today’s was one of those. I share it in part here that those who read this blog might not miss the hope that comes from these words that so beautifully describe the love of our God and Savior.

“We were all once enemies of God. We disobeyed His commands, ignored His wisdom, and hated one another. We were hopeless without God and hopeless of ever being saved. But God did not let us stay there.

Our God is kind. He is loving. He is merciful. He poured out His kindness, love, and mercy on us when we were still His enemies. Instead of letting us remain in darkness. He rescued us and gave us new life.”

The writer goes on to explain, “We’ve done nothing to deserve the kindness of God, nor could we possibly have made restitution for our sins on our own. We sinned against God, but His mercy was poured out on us; He held nothing back. He has fully and completely justified us.” She explains, “This means we are fully pardoned from sin, fully free of the punishment of death.” Oh what beautiful love this is!

“He has welcomed us as heirs, as recipients of all the promises of God. We have a confident expectation of eternal life.”

LGG Team Member / Enduring Hope

Perhaps the best part of the author’s words is her commentary on our justification and eternal inheritance. Remember it’s an inheritance that would have never been ours apart from the grace and love of God, and the complete surrender of His “only begotten son”, as John described Him (John 3:16). She puts to rest every consideration we may have ever given to how Christ, the only son and rightful, sole heir feels about sharing the inheritance with us, who were enemies of His Father. With the reminder of Christ’s own words that He has gone to prepare a place for us in heaven, she writes, “He has welcomed us as heirs, as recipients of all the promises of God. We have a confident expectation of eternal life.”

Response to God’s Word

Father, thank You for the confidence that is ours through Christ Jesus and for the eternal life He secured for us on the cross. + We are forever in His debt and Yours, for He surrendered His life for mine and You accepted it as payment in-full for my sin debt! Mercy and grace flow into hope and we are forever changed – from hopelessly lost to eternally secure in Christ! I praise You God, my God – from Whom all blessings flow! – In Jesus’ name – Amen!

Worship Through Song

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=M7cD9kAjrXg&feature=share

Posted in Bible study, Enduring Hope, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time

The Salvation of Your Souls

Posted on by
Based on the LGG Study, Enduring Hope, w3d2
Today’s Reading: 1 Peter 1:3-9 / SOAP: 1 Peter 1:8-9

You have not seen him, but you love him. You do not see him now but you believe in him, and so you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, because you are attaining the goal of your faith—the salvation of your souls.

1 Peter 1:8-9
LIVING HOPE

Peter’s letter is meant to be a praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. However, it also serves to encourage the Christians who had been scattered because of persecution. What a cheerleader Peter was for these believers. He urges them to not give up even though they may be suffering, the suffering will enhance their faith and reveal its proven character – which Peter says is much more valuable than gold. He cheers them on with the reminder that they have, by faith, been reborn into a living hope, that they can trust in this hope because Jesus is ALIVE! I can just hear Peter cheering – ‘Alive! Alive! / A-L-I-V-E / Jesus is ALIVE! – This is the foundation of our salvation and it is indeed our living hope! It is, as Peter described, our imperishable, undefiled, and unfading inheritance kept in heaven for us until that day!

What exactly does Peter mean when he speaks of “a living hope”?

Peter states that it is the “new birth” that provides our living hope, affirming that salvation is a gift from God. Just as an infant does nothing to be born, we experience rebirth not because of who we are or anything we have done. We are born of God (John 1:13) through Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. Salvation changes who we are (2 Corinthians 5:17), making us dead to sin and alive to righteousness in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:5). This new birth serves as our reason for hope—the assurance of salvation. –  Jesus Christ is our Savior, our salvation, our Living Hope.

Gotquestions.org /on what is Living Hope
BLIND LOVE

Like those Peter wrote to in his day – we have not yet seen Jesus, but we love Him and we believe in Him, and indeed, we rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy! Why? Because we are achieving, or realizing, the goal of our faith – which is – the salvation of our souls! Can’t you just hear the crowd responding to Peter’s cheer with a thunderous shout of “Hallelujah! / HALLELUJAH! / HAL-LE-LU-JAH!?”

Response To The Word

Father, Hallelujah! You have given us a spectacular and living hope through a faith that is attaining for us the salvation of our souls. You have given us Jesus, and even though we haven’t yet seen Him we have believed in Him and we have loved Him. This belief and love are ongoing and bring with them an indescribable and glorious joy – to which we say glory hallelujah and amen!

Go Deeper

What is the living hope in 1 Peter 1:3?

Visit today’s LGG Blog for more thoughts on today’s passage

Biblereference.com / commentary on 1 Peter 1:8

The Salvation of our Souls / commentary on 1 Peter 1:9

Song of Worship

Living Hope

Posted in Bible study, Enduring Hope, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study

Strangers and Enemies

Posted on by

Based on the Love God Greatly study, Enduring Hope, w3d2

Today’s Reading: Colossians 1:9-29 / SOAP: 21-23

This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. 22 Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.

23 But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed as God’s servant to proclaim it.

Colossians 1:21-23

I was saved when I was six-years-old, I grew up in a Christian home, and we went to church every Sunday, morning and evening, and Wednesday night; however, this doesn’t change the truth of what Paul says here. Before I believed in and trusted Jesus as my Savior I was “far away from God”, or as some translations say, I was a “stranger” to God. I was “separated from him by [my] evil thoughts and actions.” You see, we are born sinners, strangers and enemies of God; and because He is a holy God we are separated from him by our evil (unholy) thoughts and actions.”

So What Changed?

So, if I was unholy, a sinner separated from God – a known enemy by my thoughts and deeds – then how was I able to be saved? Paul clarifies this in verse twenty-two with the life-changing news that Christ made me right with God by His death. His sinless blood was accepted as a payment for my sin so that I am no longer an enemy or stranger but blameless and without fault. This is the evidence of John 3:16, that says – For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

The Three Marks of a Genuine Believer
  1. You continue to believe the truth of the Gospel.
  2. You stand firm in the truth.
  3. You don’t drift away from the assurance [the hope] of the Gospel.

It should be noted that these marks are not to infer that our faith/salvation can be lost or is of any work that we can do. Clearly it can not and is not, for Paul wrote in Ephesians chapter 2 that, we are saved by grace through faith, not by works – so that no one can boast.

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

Ephesians 2:8-9
Response to the Word

Father, thank you for the gift of Your Son. Thank You Jesus that You were willing to lay down Your life for mine so that I could be made right with God. I’m no longer an enemy, no longer a stranger who is separated from Him but I can enter into His presence blameless and pure in His sight! Oh how blessed I am to know You and to be saved by You – to have placed my faith in You and share in the Hope of Your Gospel message! – In Your Name I pray and give glory to the Father – Amen!

Posted in Bible study, Enduring Hope, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time

When Hope Is No Hope At All

Posted on by

Based on the LGG Study, Enduring Hope, w3d1

Today’s Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:1-28 / SOAP verses 16-19

And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised.  And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins.  In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.

1 Corinthians 15:16-19

The Gospel Paul preached was: Christ crucified, dead and buried, and raised from the dead. It is this Gospel that has the power to save (Romans 1:16) – and it is through our faith in Jesus, the focus of the Gospel that God’s grace has saved us! (Ephesians 2:8) However, if Christ really hasn’t been resurrected, as some were suggesting in Paul’s day, and some still doubt today – then Paul’s preaching was a waste of time and our faith is worthless.

And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is futile and your faith is empty

1 Corinthians 15:14

The bottom line is that we either believe in life after death or we don’t. For if Christ was not resurrected then no one else will be, and we are without HOPE. This means:

To place our hope in this life – is to have no hope at all!

Response to God’s Word

Father, I believe Your Word and I stand firm in the faith of the Gospel message that Christ Jesus was crucified, dead, and buried – and that on the third day he rose from the grave! I believe that after revealing Himself, in His resurrected body, to His disciples – for a period of days – He then ascended into Heaven where He is now seated at Your right hand – where, among other things, He intercedes for us in accordance with Your will. I believe that He will one day return to claim His bride, the church, that we might forever live with You! In this is my hope and strength for each new day – without this there is no hope at all. Let us not become cynical in this world of chaos and hopelessness but rather help us to stand firm in Your truth and to be lights and voices of the promised Hope of Jesus’ return and the promise of eternity with You – and this that others might come to share in our HOPE – In the name of Jesus I pray – Amen and Amen!

song of Worship

Going Deeper

Don’t forget you can get more out of today’s passage by reading the Love God Greatly Blog Post

Posted in Bible study, Enduring Hope, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time

Comfort in Trouble

Posted on by
Enduring Hope, An LGG Study / Week 2 Hope In God’s Character
Today’s Reading /Psalm 119:49-64 / SOAP Psalm 119:49-50

Remember your word to your servant,
for you have given me hope.
50 This is what comforts me in my trouble,
for your promise revives me.

Psalm 119:49-50
Notes:
Verse 49:
  • God does not forget His Word
  • God’s faithfulness is known and not doubted
  • God’s Word give the Psalmist/us HOPE
  • The Psalmist honors God with and through a servant’s attitude
Verse 50:
  • God’s Word is powerful – it comforts and revives us when we need it
    • consider this: revive means to regain life, consciousness, or strength
    • give new strength or energy to.
  • We can/should use it to comfort and revive others

It is obvious that the Psalmist puts much weight into God’s Word. He has a personal relationship with God since he alludes to the fact that God has spoken to him before. He not only calls God to remember the words He had spoken to His servant, but the Psalmist declares that the words have brought him hope. When he has faced troubles, God’ hope-filled words have brought the Psalmist comfort, because he considers God’s Word to be trustworthy promises that can fill him with strength and life.

Response to God’s Word

Father, Your hope-filled words comfort me when I’m in trouble – I trust in Your Words – I consider them gold, pure gold, sure and TRUE – so they revive me when I’m weak or “fainting” from fear, trouble, doubt , worry, and the like. For this I am most thankful. Help me to use Your Word to comfort others, to help them regain strength and life in times of trouble. – In Jesus’ Name – Amen!

Posted in Bible study, Enduring Hope, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time

His Loyal Love Endures

Posted on by
Enduring Hope, An LGG Study / Week 2 Hope In GOd’s Character
Today’s Reading /Psalm 136 / SOAP Psalm 136:23-26

to the one who remembered us when we were down,
for his loyal love endures,
24 and snatched us away from our enemies,
for his loyal love endures,
25 to the one who gives food to all living things,
for his loyal love endures.
26 Give thanks to the God of heaven,
for his loyal love endures!

Psalm 136:23-26

How sweet and comforting it is to know God’s love is loyal and it endures. I can’t help but think how beneficial it would be for us to imitate the Psalmist and make a list of reasons to thank Him and to follow each reason with the phrase – for His loyal love endures – if for no other reason than to rehearse it in our minds so that when there doesn’t seem to be any miraculous deeds or creation seems to be crumbling rather than ‘awing’ us. Or when chaos and our needs are overwhelming us, or we find ourselves wandering in a desert or walking into battle, even then may we say – to God belongs all thanks and praise because His loyal love endures!

To endure is to abide … to last … to remain … to continue …
in other words … God’s love is forever

Me – from the Inside out 🦋

It’s also a healthy exercise to reverse the order of the Psalmist’s wording. For instance,

  • ‘Because your loyal love endures, God remembers us when we are down -‘
  • ‘Because His loyal love endures, God saved us from our enemies’ – or
  • ‘Because his loyal love endures, He provides our food.’

This is what I call a biblical perspective that impacts or changes everything! When this is our perspective we find strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow! And, we find countless reasons to praise the father.

Reflection Question

What’s something you have to thank Him for?

Posted in Bible study, Enduring Hope, From the Insideout, LGG Study, Quiet Time

The Goodness of God

Posted on by
Enduring Hope, An LGG Study / Week 2 Hope In GOd’s Character
Today’s Reading /Ruth 1; 4:14-22; Matthew 7:7-11 / SOAP Matthew 7:11

If you then, although you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

Matthew 7:11

Borrowing from today’s LGG Journal/Devotional – “We serve a good God. He never changes. But sometimes, life doesn’t turn out the way we hoped it would. How do we reconcile our difficulties with God’s goodness in those times? How do we know that He really cares about us when we don’t feel like anything that’s happening to us [or those we love] could possibly be good?

Naomi had experienced incredible loss. She knew who God was, she was convinced of His character – that He was sovereign, ever-present, and good – but she had stopped believing He was good to her.”

If you didn’t read today’s passages from Ruth, I encourage you to do so. We may know the story from reading or hearing it before but let it fall fresh on you and watch for the ways God cared for Naomi – even in the midst of her loss and bitterness. In chapter one we see her forced to leave her homeland, friends, and all she knew for another land and people. Once there she lost her husband and her two sons, but not before gaining two daughters-in-law. One of which, Ruth, adopted Naomi’s God as her God and despite the fact that Naomi released her from her ‘obligation’ to live out her days with her – Ruth makes the declaration: “Stop urging me to abandon you! For wherever you go, I will go,. Wherever you live, I will live. Your people will become my people, and your God will become my God. Wherever you die, I will die – and there I will be buried. May the LORD punish me severely if I do not keep my promise! Only death will be able to separate me from you!”

The rest of the story is a beautiful love story of God for His daughter and the longevity of His people. It is a wonderful testimony of His Great Faithfulness and evidence of the work of His hand! To miss it is to miss out on a visual piece of the rich history of God’s people.

It is also a wonderful example of today’s focus verse – in demonstrating how “[our] Father in heaven gives good gifts to those who ask him!”

If you’re wondering why the LGG Team combined the Ruth passage with the Matthew passage – note in Ruth 1:8-9 how Naomi had prayed in general for both Ruth and Orpah, but then she prays specifically for Boaz, who has recently shown interest in Ruth –

“And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, ‘May [Boaz] be blessed by the LORD, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!

Ruth 2:4-19

And then, the beautiful declaration of praise from the lips of the village women, when they saw how God had answered Ruth’s prayer –

“May the LORD be praised because he has not left you without a guardian today!”

Ruth 4:14

Consider this, not only had God provided Naomi with a guardian, He was continuing to carry out His plan to gift us with a Savior! – Oh the vast, immeasurable goodness of God!

Response to the Word

Oh God, how very good You are! You have gifted us with a Savior, with Your Spirit, with forgiveness, never-ending mercy and all sufficient grace. You hear and answer our prayers, You see us when we are hurting, and You provide for our needs. Yes, You allow hard and even tragic things to happen to us or around us but our hope will not be shaken for we know You are with us, You are for us, You are not against us. Help us to press into these truths and to cling to the HOPE that is ours in Christ Jesus! – Amen and amen!

Posted in Bible study, Enduring Hope, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time

This Is My Fate

Posted on by
Enduring Hope, An LGG Study / Week 2 Hope In GOd’s Character
Today’s Reading /Psalm 77 / SOAP Psalm 77:9-13

Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has his anger stifled his compassion?” (Selah)

Then I said, “I am sickened by the thought
that the Most High might become inactive.
11 I will remember the works of the Lord.
Yes, I will remember the amazing things you did long ago.
12 I will think about all you have done;
I will reflect upon your deeds.”
13  O God, your deeds are extraordinary.

Psalm 77:10-13 NET

Note the ‘I wills’ of this Psalm. These are important resolves of the believer’s life and crucial to winning the battles of lies and doubts.

While God will never leave us or forsake us, there may be times when it seems that He has. It is in these times we must resolve to REMEMBER the works of His hands. If we don’t act quickly the enemy will gain a foothold with fiery darts of lies and doubt. I truly believe God-directed praise is an assault weapon against our enemy,(2 Chronicles 20:22), both in the physical and spiritual realms. For this reason, we must stop and give God praise – and remember His great faithfulness! We must count our blessings – the things God has done for us. I have found it truly helps, as the old hymn says, to “name the blessings one-by-one”. As I do this, I find myself – not only standing in awe of what God has done but I also notice that the enemy is silenced as my focus is redirected from the fears, concerns, and temptations of this world toward God.

Whether it is the enemy or the situations of our lives we must be careful not to allow them to distract us from the truths and blessings of God.

Me from the Inside out
A Comparison

Has God forgotten to be gracious?
    Has he slammed the door on his compassion? Interlude

10 And I said, “This is my fate;
    the Most High has turned his hand against me.”
11 But then I recall all you have done, O Lord;
    I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago.
12 They are constantly in my thoughts.
    I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works.

13 O God, your ways are holy.
    Is there any god as mighty as you?

Psalm 77:9-13 NLT

I wanted to make sure that I was correct in my understanding of the phrase, “I am sickened by the thought that the Most High might become inactive.” So, I checked out the passage in the NLT translation and I decided to share the comparison because I think it best describes the ‘fiery darts’ of lies and doubt and why we may fall prey to the enemy. You see, when we buy the lie that God treats us as we deserve we forget that “His compassions are new every morning and His faithfulness is great”, (Lamentations 3:19-24). We forget or bury the truth that we do deserve such “a fate” – but in His great mercy He saved us and does not treat us as we deserve! Psalm 103:10-14. Both translations of Psalm 77: 9-13 make it equally clear that our response to the thought or feeling that God has somehow turned against us or become inactive in our lives must be to fix our thoughts on God, to remember who He is, what He’s done, what He has said, and what He desires. Only when we do this will we have the hope of standing against the lies of the enemy.

A Song For Worship: We will remember
Going Further

2 Chronicles 20:1-24

Lamentations 3:19-24

Psalm 103:10-14

Joshua 6

Posted in Bible study, Enduring Hope, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time

Hope in the Lord

Posted on by
Enduring Hope, An LGG Study / Week 2 Hope In God’s Character
Today’s Reading / Psalm 31 / SOAP Psalm 31:24

So be strong and courageous,
    all you who put your hope in the Lord!

Psalm 31:24

Sadly, we live in a fallen world. We live in a world where we have to call out to the Lord to vindicate us, to rescue us, to deliver us, and protect us. We need a refuge to run to and a stronghold to trust in. We are reminded in today’s passage and throughout the Bible that our God, the true and living God, is faithful. We can entrust our lives to Him because He is faithful; and we can rejoice in His faithfulness for He notices our pain and is aware when we are in distress. He hears our cry for mercy and He protects us from the enemy and enables us to stand even when we are weak.

Regardless of the things or people who come against us we can trust in the Lord our God, for He determines our destiny and rescues us from the power of our enemies, both earthly and spiritual. Your loyal followers find safe shelter in You, for You hide us under the shelter of Your wing where we are safe from the treacherous plots of the enemy and the slanderous words of men. When we are attacked from every angle we do not have to fear for we know You will hear us and come to our aid. We have tasted and seen Your goodness and Your faithfulness and have known Your rich mercies so that we can be strong and confident as we hope in You Lord.


Putting our hope in the Lord requires both strength and courage –

May this trust and the confidence that it instills in us, Your faithful followers, be a light that radiates to the world around us and draws all people to You.

Don’t forget to visit lovegodgreatly.com for todays blog

Going Further

Psalm 34:4-8

Joshua 1:9

Proverbs 16:9

Psalm 18:2