"Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me." (Micah 7:8)

 

The Lord is ALL WE NEED! Of course, most of us know that and we've heard it over and over and over again, but sometimes a scripture just "hits" us and suddenly we find application for it in our lives.

When we are down, whether physically or emotionally or even spiritually, the Lord is there to shed light on our path and show us the way out.

Many of us have suffered from deep depression . . . some more than others. When I read this verse I could almost see us walking through a deep, dark valley at the midnight hour. Sometimes we seem to walk on and on forever and ever, but then suddenly a glimmer of light can be seen on the path just ahead, and as we approach it, the light becomes brighter and brighter and soon we find ourselves surrounded by the light and the darkness is totally dispelled as we stand in the LIGHT!...

"For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High." (Isaiah 14:13-14)

 

Just reading these verses we get quite a clear picture of the evil intents of a heart dedicated to "I will!" Just listen to yourself as you carefully read the evidence of strife, bitterness, pride, boastfulness, and the very essence of evil:

"I will ascend . . . I will exalt . . . I will sit . . . I will ascend . . . I will be . . ."

Every day we have a battle going on in our minds . . . it is the battle between "I will" and "Thy will". H. G. Wells wrote a famous book entitled, "The War of the World's". The Bible could easily be considered the written record of "The War of the Wills". ...

 

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful." (Colossians 3:15)

 

One way to true peace . . . thankfulness! To be truly thankful, we have to acknowledge the Source of every good thing! To acknowledge the Source of every good thing, we have to realize that we have nothing . . . that we are nothing . . . that we can do nothing . . . in and of ourselves! True thankfulness realizes that we have not earned His blessings, but rather that He lovingly chose to bestow them upon us . . . an outpouring of His grace!

Thankfulness comes from a heart of gratitude . . . adorned with humility! True thankfulness will change us . . . transform us . . . renew us into His likeness!

God designed the act of thanksgiving so we could show how much we love and appreciate Him for all He has done. But there is a...

 

"Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth." (John 17:17)

 

The Word of God is truth. The Word of God is sufficient to cleanse us from all of our unrighteousness. The Word of God is preeminent. The Word of God sanctifies us. The Word of God is alive today in the person of Jesus Christ, our Risen Lord!

There is nothing new nor is there any tool or vehicle by which we can be made clean other than the Word of God. Of course, when talk about the Word of God, I am referring to none other than Jesus Christ the Lord and King of the universe.

It would be good for us to take some time to consider what level of priority the Word of God holds in our life. Have we established the Word of God as a source for all that is true and all that is pure and all that is holy. Or, have we accepted a lesser truth by believing the lies this world tells us through...

 

"And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: Ad it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night." (Exodus 14:19-20)

 

It never ceases to amaze me how the scriptures unfold as we read and reread and reread the Word of Truth. As many times as I have read this passage, it never occurred to me what is happening. Let me share with you my thoughts, praying that God will use this to encourage you today.

The children of Israel had left Egypt and the enemy was pursuing them. The pillar of the cloud went before them leading them, guiding them, and giving them direction every step of the way....

"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words." (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18)

 

If you for just one moment close your eyes and imagine the glorious appearing of our Lord in the clouds; imagine hearing the sound of the trumpet; and in a flash, your "mortality" has put on "immortality" and you find yourself in the presence of the Bridegroom for whom you have been anxiously awaiting . . . in a split second . . . in the blink of an eye!

How can we describe this event we're anticipating? Glorious? Magnificent? Wonderful?

Ah, but what about those who are not prepared for His coming . . . to them this event will be filled with terror, fear, uncertainty, trouble....

 

"And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?" (Luke 24:32)

 

The disciples had the opportunity to walk and talk with the Lord while He was here on this earth, yet they never grew tired of listening to Him unfold the mysteries of the scriptures before them. Desire for and love of the Word caused their hearts to burn within them while He taught either in front of multitudes, in a small group setting, or on a one-on-one basis.

We have a challenge in this simple verse to ask ourselves when the last time was that our hearts burned within us at the hearing of God's Word. Are we yearning for a nugget of truth from the Word of God? Do we desire His Word more than anything in life? We must be careful not to take the Word for granted or forget what a precious gift it truly...

 

"And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor." (Ephesians 5:2)

 

Love . . . our lives must be characterized by love following the example of Jesus Christ, our Lord! We are to display the same love for one another that Jesus did for us by giving of ourselves totally and completely to others. The strength of His love was so great that He was willing to lay down His live and give Himself up to death on our account. Our love for one another should be such that we would be willing to do the same thing for them . . . allow their will to be done in the place of yours!

The sweet-smelling savor relates to the offering of incense the priests would make to the Lord -- the offering of Christ to God was like that pleasant smell . . . His total obedience pleased the Father and...

 

"And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor." (Ephesians 5:2)

 

Love . . . our lives must be characterized by love following the example of Jesus Christ, our Lord! We are to display the same love for one another that Jesus did for us by giving of ourselves totally and completely to others. The strength of His love was so great that He was willing to lay down His live and give Himself up to death on our account. Our love for one another should be such that we would be willing to do the same thing for them . . . allow their will to be done in the place of yours!

The sweet-smelling savor relates to the offering of incense the priests would make to the Lord -- the offering of Christ to God was like that pleasant smell . . . His total obedience pleased the Father and...

 

"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. For my brethren and companions' sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee. Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek thy good." (Psalm 122:6-9)

 

Watching the news brings us to the stark realization that we are indeed living in the times prophesied by the prophets of old. Israel, and more particularly, the city of Jerusalem, has been a stumbling block for centuries. But, God has a plan, and He is personally involved in all that is happening there this very moment.

God has revealed Himself through His names and by learning God's names we can come to a greater understanding of His character, His personality, His provision for us, and His will. Let's look at a few of God's names and see Him for Who He is in light of...