Genesis 18:14

“Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”

The Lord of the universe is amazing. He has created all things. The knowledge and power that He had in order to make everything perfectly so. What’s even more amazing is that He had the power to make man out of dust. All that I am able to make out of dust is mud, and with enough, maybe a fort. But the Lord was able to make something so complex that we do not even know all of the functions of it.

So what is too difficult for the Lord? When He promises us that He will take care of our physical needs if we put His kingdom first, do we trust that? Or do we worry and put the burden on ourselves? We sometimes are not better than Sarah when it comes to trusting in the Lord. We almost scoff at those who would trust in the Lord so much. They need to have a certain amount in their savings account, at least six months worth of bills. While there is nothing wrong with saving, since we know the Lord has promised provision mad (if we work) we do not have to get bent out of shape if something goes wrong.

Finally, we see that the Lord is able to do all things spiritually as well. While His tasks in the creation were amazing, it is even more incredible what He has done for our salvation. He was able to offer us forgiveness in a plan so divine that we can barely understand more than the basics of. So when we face a particularly rough path as far as our spiritual lives go, do we trust that God will provide a way of escape (1 Cor. 10:13)? Or do we assume that there is no way for us to beat any sin. We must trust in the Lord, and remember that with Him, nothing is too difficult.

“Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”

Genesis 6:14

“Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with rooms, and shall cover it inside and out with pitch.

Noah is a great example of true faith. Consider his circumstances. Up to this point there had never been any rain upon the earth. The the Lord comes and tells Him that He has to build this huge boat for a flood that will be coming after an extended period of time. Considering that most people will ignore tornado sirens until they actually see the tornado, Noah’s preparation stands out. He built an ark based on the warning that he received from God.

Noah also was not afraid of hard work. The Lord gave Noah a very specific blueprint for the ark. He demanded that it be large enough to hold all the animals of the earth. Noah could have rebelled that the Lord had asked so much of Him. Why did the Lord not just cause a boat to appear? The Lord has the power does He not? Why does the Lord expect Him to take care of all the other animals? Noah appears to have no such complaint. He is so pleased to have been given salvation from the oncoming danger that he will do whatever the Lord requires.

We should follow Noah’s example. While we know that the Lord promised not to destroy the world by flood, we also know that the Lord will bring a day of judgment for the world. Instead of preparing for a flood, we need to prepare for that day. Also, rather than begrudge the Lord for what He asks of us, living righteously, spreading the gospel to others, etc., we should be grateful that the Lord has offered us a way of escape and be doing whatever he asks to the best of our ability. If we will follow Noah’s example of faith, we then too will follow in His salvation.

“Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with rooms, and shall cover it inside and out with pitch.

Daniel 6:24

The king then gave orders, and they brought those men who had maliciously accused Daniel, and they cast them, their children and their wives into the lions’ den; and they had not reached the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.

Actions have consequences. It is almost cliche to talk about the teacher dressing down his students. Some might argue that they have the right or the freedom to not take a given test.  The teacher calmly replies, “That is your right. And it is my right to fail you.” Yes, it is possible for said students to not take the test. They could not show up that day, or even refuse to write anything down if they are there. It really does not matter. But just because it is possible does not mean it is for the best. Any student who would excercise that option would quickly learn that their actions do in fact have consequences.

Our sin is the same way. Sadly those consequences do not just affect us. It is sometimes easy for us to assume that we live in a vacuum. We might argue that we have the right or the ability to sin because it is our lives and we can do what we want. Yet we must always keep in mind the consequences. Our sin, wether it be lying, stealing, adultery, etc., will hurt other people. Sometimes the hurt is minor, other times it is life shattering. But everything we do affects those around us.

In Daniel 6, it is quite sad to see that those who sinned caused the death of those closest to them. By their foolish actions,  the ones they loved were thrown to a pit of ravenous lions. The same can be said in our lives. Often times our sinful behavior hurts those around us in more subtle ways. How often does a parent, due to their secret sin, put off talking or teaching their children about the word of God? Do they avoid setting the example of prayer? How does it affect their spouse, their friend, their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ? When we are spiritually bankrupt ourselves, we lack the ability to encourage others and make them stronger. Our lack of helping is often times detrimental. So while we may argue that we have the “right” to sin in our own lives, we should consider the collateral damage we will cause to our loved ones.

The king then gave orders, and they brought those men who had maliciously accused Daniel, and they cast them, their children and their wives into the lions’ den; and they had not reached the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.

Proverbs 20:11

It is by his deeds that a lad distinguishes himself If his conduct is pure and right.

It is true that we cannot save ourselves by doing enough righteous deeds. No matter what we do, we cannot do anything to atone for the sins we have previously committed. It is only through God’s mercy, and us meeting the conditions he provides in order to accept that mercy. But in no way do we earn righteousness.

So why are our deeds important? Well the Proverbs author has one aspect of their importance. Our actions can be a litmus test for us. What is our spiritual temperature? If our actions are in direct violation of what God has commanded, then we know that are hearts are not with Him. When we act in unrighteousness then our faith is lacking.

While we should not judge ourselves based solely on our actions, righteous actions can be a sign of our heart. In Galatians 5, the fruits of the Spirit are listed. If we have an inward change, then our outward actions will follow. Our actions can and should be a sign of an inward change. The speak to our dedication and love to the Lord.

It is by his deeds that a lad distinguishes himself If his conduct is pure and right.

Romans 6:22

But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.

     Being a slave to sin is wretched. The grasp that it has on us is so incredibly strong. We answer to it, and it controls us. Many times the hold is so strong that we do not even think that we have the ability to break free. Indeed it would be near impossible to without the help of God. Those who have been enslaved to sin know that it can be all consuming so that all your thoughts and your actions are geared toward sin.

     As frustrating as that can be for a Christian, it is also important for us to see and understand the power of slavery to sin. The reason is that it is parallel to our slavery to righteousness, and how we should respond to. In Romans 6, Paul compares and contrasts slavery to sin and slavery to righteousness. As Christians it is our responsibility to leave our slavery to sin and instead be slaves to righteousness. To see how consuming sinfulness can be allows us to see how consuming righteousness should be in our Christian life.

     Whereas before all our thoughts or actions were geared to sinfulness, now our thoughts and actions should focus on rightouesness. As slaves to sin, it was hard to refuse temptation. We had to pry ourselves away from sin with no small effort of will, determination, and discipline. Now we should have to pry ourselves away from righteousness if we want to sin. Righteousness should be so ingrained in us that we have to really be trying if we are to go away from it. While it is not easy to get to this point, we must strive to be slaves of rightesouness in deed as well as word.

But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.

Romans 12:2

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

     Movies enter us into a fantasy land. They allow us to see and interact with another persons life. We come to know them  and might even consider them to be our friends depending on how we relate to them. One of the most fascinating aspects of watching a movie is to see how the characters change. As a critic once said, we go to the movies in order to see people change. Many movies center on the character whose life has gone to peices because of bad decisions he has made. We cannot wait to see him find redemption, and as we which him do acts of goodness that were once foreign to him, our hearts are moved.

     One of the great aspects, then, about movies is that it is a reminder that people can and do change. It is easy to forget that in our everyday lives. We even use expressions that suggest that some people are beyond change. “Oh that’s just so-and-so,” we say at their inappropriate behavior. No sense in trying to change them, because it just will not happen. While that may be true about other people at times, we can never forget that we always possess the ability to change in ourselves.

     Changing is a matter of the mind. If we have the will and the determination, along with the help of our Lord, we will find that we can truly change even the most ingrained habits. It is not easy, nor should we expect over night success in all cases. But we can be assured that we can change. Paul would not tell the Romans to change if it were not possible. As hard as it may be, do not forget the incredibly power of change within you.

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Philippians 2:4

do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

     People, by their very nature, are self-centered. One statistic says that ninety percent of our thoughts relate back to our own lives. This makes sense, really, as everything that happens and everything we percieve is often times looked at with the idea of how it affects us. Not only do we have to deal with our own thoughts, but also our emotions. It makes sense that as we learn things they impact us on an emotional level as well as intellectual. This makes things personal and it can easily gravitate the focus back to us.

     Because it is so easy for us to think about ourselves, we must always be on guard with self-centered behavior. This is different than selfishness. Selfishness wants what it wants and it does not matter how it affects other people. While sometimes we can fall prey to selfishness, it is often his little brother (self-centeredness) that we must guard against. It is not that we do not care about others. It is just that we have not taken the time to think about them.

     As Christians we have to be weary of this. It is not wrong for us to think about how things affect us or to pay attention to our emotions. It is in fact wise and righteous to do so, but only to a certain extent. Paul here urges the Philippians that they need to have a new paradigm. Instead of only thinking about how things affect them, they need to be diligent to think about how it will also affect others. After examing ourselves, we need to look outside at others. How are they? What do they need? How can I help them spiritually? When we start asking how we can help them, rather than just focus on how they can help us or our needs, we start down the path to true love.

do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

Isaiah 40:31

Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.

The Christian walk is hard. It is not a sprint, but a marathon. When we first become a Christian, we start out on fire and excited to do the work of the Lord. We feel like we can do anything. And then discouragement starts to creep in. It could be from anywhere. Things start falling apart in the church around us. A role model that we looked up to deserts the faith. We fall back into past sins, allowing them to entangle us. When these things happen in our lives, it is easy for us to be discouraged.

What we need to do instead of allowing ourselves to be discouraged is return to the Lord. He needs to be our focus. If we think about Him and His greatness, we will gain new strength. We need to be diligent in following His word, no matter how hard it is. When we focus on God, rather than on ourselves or on others, it is much easier to be positive. We gain our strength, not by outside circumstance, but instead on our relationship with our Father.

Also, it helps to read a few verses before where it talks about the fact that the Lord does not grow tired or weary. This can be of great help to us, because God wants us to cast our burdens on Him. With other people, we might be afraid to turn everything over to them, but with God, we know we can because He can handle it. Giving God your burden is like lifting weights with a spotter. When we cannot do it anymore, we can leave it in His hands. In doing so, it becomes far easier for us to walk our Christian walk. If we will only wait upon Him, He can give us His strength to rely upon.

Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.

Revelation 19:15

From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty.

In Revelation 19, we see a picture of Jesus that is many times forgotten. Many today want to label Jesus as an all-accepting Savior. Jesus would never judge anybody! He was too loving to do such a thing. In fact, those who would say that some practice is sinful are often times branded as being un-Christ like. Yet the picture in Revelation 19, which is clearly of Christ, shows a strong and powerful warrior. He brings judgment to the nations, He rules over them. A sword protrudes from His mouth so that he may cut those down who oppose Him! This is quite a different image of Jesus than what most people want you to see today.

This view of Jesus has two important applications for us today. The first is that it means we need to make sure that we have indeed done what the Lord wants us to do for remission of sins. If we fail to do so, then we will be judged. All those who will not come to Christ as He has put forth will incur His wrath. When looking at the image given in Revelation 19, we can know that we desperately want to avoid His wrath.

The second thing it teaches us is how important our work as Christians is. This is not a hobby. Jesus is here portrayed as a warrior, leading others into battle. Those who are following Him into battle are His saints. We are in a war right here and right now. We sometimes want to treat our Christian life like it is something we can pick up and lay down. This is not so. We must constantly be alert and on guard, for the battle is all around us.

From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty

Hebrews 4:11

Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience.

     People today are so tired. The walk around in a continually sleep deprived state. People push themselves so hard that sometimes their bodies rebel against the pace. At times there body falls asleep in small doses as they do daily tasks, even ones as important as driving! We can not wait to accoplish all of the days tasks so that we can go to sleep. We look forward to our vacation from work all year long. We work our whole lives, hoping to retire so that maybe we can get rest then. Yet this life never offers enough rest for us. We still wear down, still get tired.

      The Lord promises us a resting place after this life. This is what Heaven is for us. It is our “vacation” or our “retirement”. It is a place where we can rest from our labors. The hardships of this life will be behind us. The struggles and temptations that we face in this life will no longer haunt us as they did before.  The strife and the tears that we have here will no longer have dominion in our lives. Looking back to the garden, we will no longer have to “till the ground” in order to provide for ourselves. All our needs will be supplied by the Lord.

    This all should be motivation for us to be faithful servants. We need to push forward. As with a workout, we have to overcome the times when we become weary and push on. We cannot give up or lose hope. All the work that we do right now will be worth it in the end. As the farmer works now for proceeds later, we too must work for a future result. When we hear from our Lord, “Well done good and faithful servant,” we will be able to lay aside our tools of service and dwell in peace with our Lord forever.

 Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience.