The Cooling Stream

I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.” —Deuteronomy 30:19-20

God takes no pleasure in seeing us lost, wandering, searching. He wants us to know His will. He makes it clear and simple. He gives just two choices: “life and good” or “death and evil” (Deuteronomy 30:15). He even says which one to choose: “Choose life”. To choose life is to choose God Himself and obey His Word.

When Moses addressed the Israelites for the last time, he pleaded with them to make the right choice by observing “all the words of this law. . . . Because it is your life” (32:46-47). God’s will for us is life. His Word is life. And the Lord Jesus Christ is the Word. 

God gave us a perfect example to follow— the Lord Jesus Christ. 

When the Word is our guide and worship is our goal, God will grant us the wisdom to make life-affirming choices. 

Let us love and obey God and enjoy life in Him.

Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work,  to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. 

—Titus 3:1-2

Order requires intervention.

It does not happen naturally.

God brought order out of chaos. 

He did it when He was creating the nation of Israel (Ex. 7–14). 
When God said it was time to bring the Hebrew people out of Egypt, Pharaoh objected. 
His nation’s economy depended on the Hebrew workers, so Pharaoh didn’t want to lose them. 

To change Pharaoh’s mind, God sent 10 plagues to convince him. 
Pharaoh’s magicians were able to duplicate the first two plagues. 
But they could not reverse the plagues—any of them. 
They could cause chaos, but they could not restore order. 
Only God can do that.

With effort, we can bring order to our living spaces.
But none of us can bring order out of the emotional and spiritual chaos of our lives. 
Only God can do that. 
He restores order to chaotic situations when we live as God intended—speaking no evil, being peaceable and gentle, and showing humility to all (Titus 3:2). 

Our world and our lives do have much chaos and confusion. 

We need God to restore our souls.

May God help us to live as He want us to live— serving Him and loving others.

When we put our problems in God’s hands, He puts His peace in our hearts.

Now the LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the former ways of his father David; he did not seek the Baals, but sought the God of his father, and walked in His commandments and not according to the acts of Israel. — 2 Chronicles 17:3-4.

Asa, king of Judah, modeled devotion to God for a season in his life (2 Chron. 14:2). 

He removed the idols from his kingdom, restored the altar of the Lord, and led the people into a covenant with God. 

Asa’s son Jehoshaphat carried on this legacy by seeking the God of his father and walking in His commandments. 

Jehoshaphat purged the land of idol worship and sent out priests and Levites to teach God’s law in all of the cities of Judah.

Jehoshaphat’s reign resembled that of his father.

He faithfully honored Asa’s godly example. 

Yet even more important, Jehoshaphat’s heart took delight in the ways of the Lord. 

Today, if we are looking for a father to follow, remember our heavenly Father and take delight in His ways. 

We honor God’s name when we call Him our Father and live like His Son.

For the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith. —Ephesians 4:12-13

Christ gives spiritual gifts to the church, the body of Christ. These gifts include: 

(a) apostles, who open up new mission territories to the gospel; 

(b) prophets, who apply the Word in spiritually compelling ways; 

(c) evangelists, who share the gospel that often brings a positive response; 

(d) pastors/teachers, who communicate the Word so that believers are built up in their faith. 

All the parts of the body are necessary for the body to function properly. 

And no one part is better than another.

God gives gifts to His church. 

They are giving for the benefits of the body of Christ.

The gifts are given so that Christians will be “perfected” in their faith and move on to maturity. 

The effective use of these gifts creates a unity that bears witness to the reality of Christ.

It matters little what title or position we hold in the church.

What is important is that we strengthen the faith of God's people.

It does not matter if we are moved to another role.

It does not matter if we no longer hold a specific title or position.

Out of love for God, we serve to build up fellow believers.

May God use us as His instrument to touch others' lives.

May our lives show others God's grace.

God’s gifts to us are not for us but for others.

Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. (Matthew 5:5)

Meekness is not weakness.

Meekness is an attitude of humility toward God and gentleness toward men, springing from a recognition that God is in control.

It is strength and courage under control, coupled with kindness.

Meekness is an attitude toward God in which we accept His dealings with us as good, and therefore without disputing or resisting.

We see this in the Lord Jesus Christ who found His delight in doing the will of His Father.

The meekness manifested by the Lord Jesus Christ and commended to the believer is the fruit of power.

The Lord Jesus Christ was meek because He had the infinite resources of God at His command.

He could have called angels from heaven to prevent His crucifixion.

The Lord Jesus Christ told His weary, burdened followers, "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (Matt. 11:29).

The Lord Jesus Christ is the perfect model of meekness.

As a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:23), meekness is a virtue that should characterize the Christian.