God Speaks Now and Then

In the last post, I alluded to more words that God uses, including a four-letter word. This time, we will focus on the words "now" and "then" (the 4-letter word 😉).  The last post talked about two small words "but" and "yet" and how they were used often to re-write or change and contrast the entire meaning of a sentence or thought.  The words THEN and NOW cause similar changes in sentences.  Then and now can be thought of as words of action and words that propel the situation along. Let's take a look at some Scripture to see just how they are used by God. THEN often signifies a change in behavior or follows an action.

Ezekiel 18:30b says "Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall."
Once we choose (there's that word again) to turn away, then sin will not be the downfall.

Proverbs 1:23--"Repent at my rebuke! Then I will pour out my thoughts to you,
I will make known to you my teachings."  

Once we choose to repent, then God acts.....

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Amos 5:14 is another example--"Seek good, not evil, that you may live. Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is."

We choose to seek good, then the Lord.....

2 Chronicles 7:14--"If my own people will humbly pray and turn back to me and stop sinning, then I will answer them from heaven. I will forgive them and make their land fertile once again."

Choose to follow the commands at the start of this verse, then God answers....

After God speaks or moves, or acts, we then have a response. The word NOW often denotes that action has taken place and this is the result of our action. 

Romans 8:1--"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." God's action/reaction to our choice to follow Him is that NOW there is no eternal condemnation.

2 Timothy 4:7-8--"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day." Again, God's action/reaction to our finishing the race He has prepared for us is the reward of Heaven if we believe and follow Him.

I must give credit where credit is due for these last two blog posts. My husband brought up the verse I am going to list below.  It was a verse he had used and expounded upon in a sermon before and he was sharing it again with someone the other day. 

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Daniel 1:8-9--"But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and  wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this  way. Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel".  This verse uses a couple of our new little words. In this verse we see a couple  things. We see action on the part of both Daniel and God. 

But Daniel chooses to not eat the King's food. He chooses to obey the commands of God. Now God acts upon that decision to obey.  But Daniel...Now God....

 Hopefully as you search the Scriptures on your own, you will notice these small   words and what an impact they have on the context of the verses. Above all, it seems we must make decisions and it is on those decisions that God acts or doesn't act. Yes, God created us and loves us and desires nothing but good for us, BUT (contrast coming) He may not choose to bless us until we choose to obey Him.

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God Speaks 3-Letter Words

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  Are you a linguist? Do you enjoy language? Language has never been my top   subject.  I've always enjoyed reading and was decent at grammar, but never really   understood the whole system of language and identifying parts of speech and how   it  worked together.  Recently, I have discovered a couple small 3-letter words that really pack a punch. These simple words are: YET and BUT.  I did a post a while   back on these little words here, but this post will hopefully provide a deeper   understanding. 

 The words YET and BUT are both conjunctions. Conjunctions are used in language to link two parts together. These parts may be similar or different.  Both of these words generally introduce a contrast in ideas, giving a more powerful contradiction.   I was surprised at the number of verses in the Bible using these small, but intense, words. A few of them will be highlighted.  One of my all-time favorite verses is Habakkuk 3:17-18. I included it in the previous post linked above, but will again include it here.  Verse 17 sets up the story and verse 18 packs the punch.

Habakkuk 3:17-18--"Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stall, YET I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior."

Mark 8:36--"What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, YET forfeit their soul?"

1 John 1:6--"If we claim to have fellowship with him and YET walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth."

John 1:12--"YET some people accepted him and put their faith in him. So he gave them the right to be the children of God."

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The use of yet in all of these verses, besides showing some contrast in thoughts or actions, implies a choice that was made.  Habakkuk: things are going bad, "yet" I choose to rejoice. Mark: gain the whole word, "yet" I choose to lose my soul. I John: Claim to love God, "yet" I choose to walk in darkness.  John: "Yet" some people choose to accept Him.  Most of these verses also include a consequence. Let's look at a few more verses with the word "but". These same verses, besides showing contrast, imply choices.

Galatians 2:20a--"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, BUT Christ lives in me." 

Matthew 24:13--"BUT the one who stands firm to the end will be saved."

Romans 6:23--"For the wages of sin is death, BUT the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

2 Thessalonians 3:3--"BUT the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one."

Galatians: "But" Christ chooses to live in us. Matthew: "But" we choose to stand firm. Romans: "But" God chooses to give us eternal life. 2 Thessalonians: "But" God chooses to be faithful. These small words mean so much.  

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We have choices to make in our relationship with God. God then has responses that He chooses to give.  God does not simply put us into existence with a pre-determined will to obey Him.  Once Adam and Eve made their choice and brought sin into the world, God could have stopped it right there. God could have said, "That's it! Humans make bad choices. I'm done!" In Noah's generation, God could have chosen again to destroy everything and everyone!  He chose to save Noah and his family because they chose Him. Had God, at any point, chosen to wipe out the entire earth, you and I would not be here today, but God knew we were coming to the world and He chose to keep the world going so that He could choose to fellowship with us!  Just remember:  God chose you, He is just waiting for you to choose Him!

Next time we will look at another 3-letter word and maybe one with 4-letters as well! Stay tuned to read more about choices and the rewards or consequences that go with them. 

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God Speaks Routine

Have you developed a certain routine? Do you have any habits?

A routine is defined as: a sequence of actions regularly followed; a fixed program. A habit is defined as: an acquired mode of behavior that has become nearly or completely involuntary. So it seems that a habit is nothing more than a routine that has been put to memory. We all know there can be both good and bad habits and I believe they are obtained through good and bad routines. 

Good routines are very important in our lives. They can help us live better, healthier, and more fulfilled lives. Routines that turn into habits are even better because you don't even have to think about or plan for them; you just do them. Bad routines, which later become bad habits, are detrimental to our lives and can bring about pain, sorrow, sickness, and mental anguish. 

Recently I heard of someone who took a family member with dementia on a several-day trip. By the end of the trip, the family member was really having difficulty because they were extremely out of their typical routine and habit.  It was unsettling for them. Think for yourself how unsettled you might be if your daily routine gets changed.  I know for myself, I wake up, shower, teeth, get dressed, put lunch in my lunchbox, make my Choffy drink and take my medications.  If there is anything that causes me to miss a step or that complicates this routine, it really throws me off for a good portion of the day.

The last several pastors that have served the church where I worship have all attempted to build certain routines into the congregants so that they become habits. Among them are Bible reading, prayer, and Christian fellowship.  These are vital routines for the life of a Christian.  Consistent prayer and Bible reading help us to remember to seek God for all of our concerns and joys. Consistently reading Scripture helps to keep us in line with God's will and His desires for our life.  Consistent Christian fellowship helps us to see God working in and through others.  I must admit that I STRUGGLE with these things myself, especially being consistent in Bible reading and prayer.  I do receive a Scripture in my email that I read everyday, but often find little time to study the Bible. I pray every morning on my way to work, but often "forget" throughout the rest of the day and weekends (when I'm out of my routine).  Summers are especially bad!  I am usually way out of routine and habit by then and often don't do more than read my daily Bible verse. The lack of blog posts through the summer can attest to that as well. 

If we search the Scriptures, we can find God's thoughts about certain routines and habits.

Psalm 119:56--"You have blessed me because I have always followed your teachings." The writer here states he is blessed by ALWAYS following God's teachings.

Luke 5:16--"Jesus repeatedly left the crowds, though, stealing away into the wilderness to pray."  Even Jesus, Who is God, knew the need to consistently get away and pray.

Luke 4:16--"When he came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on Saturday, and stood up to read the Scriptures."  Jesus also knew the importance of meeting on the Sabbath.

Acts 2:46--"They followed a daily discipline of worship in the Temple followed by meals at home, every meal a celebration, exuberant and joyful, as they praised God."  The disciples followed the lead of Jesus and continued in their daily routine.

The Scriptures are clear about bad habits and routines as well.

Here is a very direct and to the point Scripture.  Hebrews 10:25--"Some people have gotten out of the habit of meeting for worship, but we must not do that. We should keep on encouraging each other, especially since you know that the day of the Lord’s coming is getting closer."

Jeremiah 22:21--"When times were good, I warned you. But you ignored me, just as you have done since Israel was young."

God desires to have communication and fellowship with us through prayer, Bible reading, and gathering with other Christians. Let us ALL strive to develop these good routines and habits!