While This is Happening in the World

Posted on 2021-01-14 by Mirjam Fels

Were the former days really that much better than the days we are living in now? If so, is there any chance that they become good again? How?

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.
And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

1 John 2:15-17

LORD Jesus, we praise You for the Bible. We thank You that we are having free access to Your Word — that we can read and study it. Help us, O God we pray, that we may not only be hearers but also doers of the Word. Enable us to see the Light on our paths and to follow in Your Footsteps. In Jesus’ precious name we pray. Amen.

Commenting on Psalm 14:1 Matthew Henry writes:

We are sometimes tempted to think, “Surely there never was so much atheism and profaneness as there is in our days;” but we see the former days were no better; even in David’s time there were those who had arrived at such a height of impiety as to deny the very being of a God and the first and self-evident principles of religion.

Built on the rocks vs built on the Rock

People try to find their happiness in all kinds of people, places and things. At first glance, some may seem to succeed; observe, though, what happens when things are tough and going against their will. As soon as their world is shaken and begins to crumble they begin to complain, become bitter and rebellious.

So is this whole life, as the Preacher says in Ecclesiastes, vanity and grasping for the wind? Yes, as long as we build our life on the foundation of a world on the rocks.

People, places, and things of life under the sun, apart from God, will never satisfy us nor could they ever give us the Peace we so desperately need for our souls. Fact is that sooner or later they will disappoint or even threaten to crush us.

It is so important that we set our foundations in order. We have to know what and whose word we believe — especially while this is happening in the world today. Why? Because, as Psalm 11:3 says:

If the foundations are destroyed,
What can the righteous do?

Note, though, that this is not talking about solid and eternal foundations of this world. We have to remember that we are on a journey, passing through this world, and waiting for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. (Heb 11:10)

So, while all of this is happening in the world:

Keep your focus on the right foundations.

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In Perfect Peace

Posted on 2021-01-12 by Mirjam Fels

You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.

Isaiah 26:3

LORD Jesus, we praise You for You alone can give a peace that will calm the storm. You are above all nations, above all powers, above all people; they are all in Your Hands. There is nothing going on, neither in our own lives nor in the whole world, that You would not be in control of. Help us, O God we pray, to stay focused on You and the Peace that comes from You alone. In Jesus’ mighty name we pray. Amen.

As I read through Psalm 12 this morning Isaiah 26:3 (today’s verse) came to my mind:

You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.

It looks like the godly and faithful people cease. People become proud and hurt one another. They say that the LORD does not see this; even worse, they say that there is no God. The poor are oppressed and people yearn for safety. Yet God’s promise remains true:

You shall keep them, O LORD,
You shall preserve them from this generation forever.

Psalm 12:7

TRUST in God’s Word

Matthew Henry comments on this psalm:

That, though men are false, God is faithful; though they are not to be trusted, God is. They speak vanity and flattery, but the words of the Lord are pure words (Psalm 12:6)

Precious friend, cling on to God’s promises which you will find in His Word. No matter what is going on in the world, God’s Word remains true and powerful. Hallelujah!

TRUST that God will keep you safe

God always secures His chosen remnant to Himself — no matter how bad the times are. He will keep them safe so that they are not drawn away from God. Matthew Henry writes:

In the worst of times God has his remnant, and in every age will reserve to himself a holy seed and preserve that to his heavenly kingdom.

TRUST in the God who hears

Cry out to Him for help. Pray to Him. He is right there and hears. He says so in His Word.

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

1 John 5:14

Do not despair, beloved! Yes, there is hope; and, yes, there is such a thing as perfect Peace. How do you get it? Read today’s verse again.

Keep your mind on God, and trust in Him for perfect Peace!

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Safe Inside

Posted on 2021-01-08 by Mirjam Fels

What is happening in this world? Who would have thought at the beginning of 2020 that a pandemic would break out? And, how many times, especially during this past year, have we been shaking our heads in unbelief wondering what and why crazy things are happening the way they are? Yet the LORD remains in control.

But the men reached out their hands and pulled Lot into the house with them, and shut the door.

Genesis 19:10

LORD Jesus, we praise You for You are the great God and worthy of all our praises. Nothing has ever taken You by surprise, and nothing will ever take You by surprise in in days to come. You are above all and on the throne. Hallelujah! Guide us through whatever is to come and help us to stay focused on You and Your promises. In Jesus’ holy name we pray. Amen.

Here in Ireland we are currently, and for the third time, told to stay at home.

Listen to what I wrote back in The Blood of the Lamb back in April of 2020 — during the first lockdown:

Due to the current lockdown we are told to stay-at-home, but let us not become bitter or rebellious. Could this be a time of keeping God’s children safe? Does God want to wean us from the world and/or some of its bad influences? Could it be that He builds a wall of protection around us?

Yesterday we read Genesis 19 which contains the story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Today’s verse comes from this chapter. Two angels from the LORD came to warn Lot of the coming destruction. The people of the city wanted to harm these angels which stayed at Lot’s home.

So Lot went out to them through the doorway, shut the door behind him,
and said, “Please, my brethren, do not do so wickedly!

Genesis 19:6-7

The men of that city would not listen but insisted for him to let them take the two angels. They attacked Lot. Verse 9 says that they pressed hard against the man Lot, and came near to break down the door. The next verse tells us that the “men” (meaning the angels here) reached out and pulled Lot into the house, and shut the door.

We do not know everything about this worldwide pandemic. We do not have a complete picture of it. God does! Could it be that He shut the door for us the third time?

True, for some of us the second round of lockdown was not as hard as the first one. We are, however, now back to nearly the same restrictions as back in springtime of 2020. But… It is January, wintertime in Ireland, meaning it is cold and wet outside. Why not make use of this time instead of focusing on all the things we cannot do at the moment?

In my blog post Teach Them at Home I wrote:

Now is a time when we are together as a family — 24/7. I know, some of us are not used to this. Others, like homeschool families, don’t feel much of a change compared to the usual days. Still others, like the members of a family who would have like to homeschool but were not allowed before, are now free to spend more time in the Word of God.

Use this time wisely.

Stay safe. Stay inside. Use this time to draw nearer to God.

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