Scripture Treasures

Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near ~ Isaiah 55:6 I cannot imagine when the Lord cannot be found, for I know his presence to always be with those who follow and love him. Isaiah knew though that there were times when the Lord could not be found – that is, when sin entered into a life. We who believe and have received Jesus Christ as our Saviour need not worry about the Lord hiding from us, for he paid our sin price on the cross, redeeming us from our sins. The Israelites did not have the ongoing presence of God’s Holy Spirit within them which is the power we have received when we accepted Jesus into our heart; the power and presence which leads and guides us into righteousness. Jesus had not at that point suffered the cross and the powerful cleansing which came to us through his shed blood. Their cleansing came when an animal was sacrificed for their sins, but not always was that the history of Israel’s people. The fell away many a time. All they needed

  And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast ~ 1 Peter 5:10 As I look out my window the winter winds are whipping around the snow in a frenzy of circular paths. One moment the winds are to the east and the next to the south, seeming to have no fixed pattern. All outside seems confused as to which way the snow must blow. Inside my apartment, I am warm and protected from those winds which flit about on the other side of my window. This would be the ideal way the storms of life would come upon us. All the suffering would be on the outside, but inside we are full of peace, we are strong and firm throughout the storm. It does not happen this way though, does it. When the storm of suffering comes from the outside it rises in confusion on our inside as well. We wonder why this storm has come upon us, for all seemed well and good. What is the purpose of my go

“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labour on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare ~ Isaiah 55:1, 2 The prophet is calling his fellow people to come back to what will really satisfy – the Lord God. Until a people do that, they will always be searching in the wrong areas for their fulfillment. We are people just like those is Isaiah’s day. We hunger for a better job, we hunger for a bigger house, we hunger for a bigger bank account, we hunger, and we search, sometimes scratching our way to the top of the worldly ladder. Isaiah is reminding us that our search will be in vain if we buy the wrong bread and work for a job that does not bring us if not joy, at least contentment. He is telling us that when we eat the bread of heaven, that is, when we come

Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honour ~ Proverbs 21:21 If our heart is set on goodness then what will follow will be blessings. It follows naturally. If we pursue what is evil, what will follow will be evil. We see this all the time in life. Those who turn toward a life of crime find themselves in prison, or under the influence of drugs and alcohol, and their life is ruined as well as the lives of those around them. The other day my daughter, who lives in another city, witnessed an incident with a man who was attacked outside her apartment building. He had to be mixed up in a life that is not righteous, but instead is mixed with crime. Of course, I do not know that for sure, but I do know that people who live a life that honours God and his principles do not normally have a car stop to attack and then drive off quickly. That is not the type of life Christ followers find themselves mixed up in. Even if a Christ follower is beaten for their belief in

Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much ~ Luke 16:10 This is a matter of character. If you are given a small task and complete it faithfully, not only are you rewarded internally, but your manager or boss will see that you are trustworthy. I know a young man who recently started a job and works hard. He volunteered for overtime when others in his workplace did not, he made sure he was there everyday when others took time off, and it has paid off for him. He is now in line within a very short time of employment to move up into a higher responsibility heading toward leadership. This is a principal God uses in our Christian life as well. When we are faithful with the things of God in small measures he gives us more responsibility. If we try to hide certain aspects of who we are or try to cheat in some way, we fail in character and integrity. I ran a maid service many years ago and w

I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing ~ John 15:5 I love this verse as it literally shows how our connection to Christ works in life. When we remain in him its like an IV inserted right into my vein with his life-giving resource. I am fed the nutrients I need to survive through this connection. If I pull the IV plug out of my arm, I will fail in health, but if I allow the medicines to continue to flow into me I will get stronger and stronger. Jesus tells us without him we can do nothing. How the world thinks so differently on this subject. They say, “I can do it all! I don’t need anyone!” We on the other hand, fall on our knees and say, “I need you, LORD! I cannot do this without you!” He is our lifeblood, our inspiration, our strength, and our foundation. Thank you, Jesus, for giving me the strength I need day by day to make life worth the living. As that little chorus goes, “…Because He live

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you ~ John 14:26 Jesus did not leave us to fend for ourselves after he returned to his Father in heaven. His concern has always been for us, and we would know we are not left alone. I am so thankful for the Spirit of Christ and his living within me. When I need his wisdom, all I must do is ask for it. When I need discernment, he gives it to me. He opens the word of God for me when I read it, opening my eyes to see what he must teach me. The word of God is a living word, a powerful word which reaches into my heart to sometimes bring comfort, and at other times to help me make decisions. Sometimes God’s word with the power of the Holy Spirit cuts into my spirit and reminds me of how I may have forgotten to uphold his truth, or to show me what I may need to confess before him. When I pray, his Spirit intercedes for me when I am not sure of w

But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one ~ 2 Thessalonians 3:3 Paul is asking for prayers in this chapter, acknowledging that not everyone has faith. If there was ever a time when the days were similar to when the disciples of Christ walked the earth, it is now. We live in an anti-Christian world where in some places there is strong persecution, but even in our western world people can be verbally abusive to those who follow Jesus. We also are living in a time of great fatigue in our world due to Corona. We are all tired of the isolation, the shut-downs, and the changing rules that confuse us. Between the fatigue and the fear of speaking out in Jesus’ name that some live with, we need more than ever the strength of the Lord and his protection. We must stand firm in his faithfulness to bring us through in all respects. He is always walking with us. His protection will keep us even against the wiles of the world which fights against the pri

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like ~ James 1:22-24 Being a follower of Jesus means we are a people who are set into action, and we will obey the word to “go.” We will live the way of Jesus, love the way of Jesus, bring peace the way of Jesus, and we will forgive the way of Jesus. We are not people who sit back and speak empty words. Anyone can do that. We will follow up our words, as James says here, by doing what God’s word says. We may run into people who will say one thing and do another, but that is not what a Christ follower will do. It also means we will be active to put away those things that do not fit with the life of Christ. James is emphasizing our works, emphasizing that those who do a good work are not satisfied with simply hearing the wo

Produce fruit in keeping with repentance ~ Matthew 3:8 John the Baptist is speaking to the Pharisees in this verse, knowing that they knew the scriptures, yet they did not live by what they taught. In fact, they made it difficult for those who listened to them to grow in their faith and change their actions to ensure they had access into heaven. They had so many rules and regulations, not even they could follow them all and yet others were expected to do so. John has been calling for repentance. How often do we make things harder for others than they ought to be? How often do we expect a higher participation or morality or accounting than what we expect from ourselves? Do we stand over others and quote scripture yet have such hard hearts that we cannot love as Christ loved, or bring aid as Christ brought comfort? If we have truly repented, we will love and live as Christ lived, with goodness in our heart, with healing on our lips, with power in our actions. We will talk the talk and

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud ~ 1 Corinthians 13:4 In this form, love is a beautiful word. The word love can be twisted, its use can be manipulative, and we can speak so freely about what we love but that which really has no value or substance to it such as when we say we love ice cream or whatever. But when we love with patience and kindness we love as Jesus loves. It is beautiful then. Patience in love means I will sit with you, I will hear you, and I will not make snap decisions without stopping to hear you. Envy, boasting, and pride set me either above you or below you, but not equal to you. Love says we are on equal standing. Love says you matter, and I matter. Today is Valentine’s Day. How will we live with true love today? Pastor Julia image by pixabay

Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago ~ Isaiah 25:1 I no longer have to stress about my future. I may do so out of my humanness, but I don’t have to because God has it all under control. I believe in the God I love and serve, that all he has in mind for me will lead to conclusions that I can not only live with but will be blessed by. I can wake up each day praising my God for he has done wonderful things in my life. Have there been disappointments? Of course! A life without struggles has not been promised to me. A life with God by my side through those struggles has been, and God has never left me. Have painful days been experienced? Again, of course. But I can think of the pain Christ went through when my days arise, and I take comfort in a God who knows what pain is. But there have been many joys in my life too, and for that I am grateful. Again, I serve a God who sings over m

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart ~ Hebrews 4:12 When I read the Word of God new messages come to me every day. Even when I re-read a scripture, God speaks to me in different images, in different thoughts, and the Word seems to change to match what I may need to hear. Of course, God’s word never changes, it is the receiving of it as God speaks to me. You can read the same scripture as me, but God will give you a different message, because it is alive. We do not serve a god with a carved mouth, we serve a God who speaks to his people, who loves us and cares for us. We serve a God that is alive and wants to lead and guide us as he calls us into ministry for him in this world. God’s word gives us encouragement as well as disciplines us. God’s word convicts us as well as shows us how to live as a better person in this world which

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” ~ Jeremiah 29:11 I remember a time when I was in seminary and began to wonder if I had heard the Lord correctly (by the way, this was not the only time I wondered that, but it came to mind as I read this verse today.) It was challenging to return to learning from an educational setting, for it had been thirty years since formal education had been a part of my life. It was hard work! At this time though, I had become sick and needed to stay in bed for about a week, and the questions swirled in my mind – what was I doing?? I could not quite grasp what was necessary to succeed in college with writing papers and exams etc. I was feeling defeated! A friend I had met there sent me a card, and on the front was an image of a path bending around a corner, making the end of the road invisible. I don’t remember the words of the card, but it pointed out that t

That Father sent the Son to be Saviour of the world ~ 1 John 4:14 I was asked a question the other day, which happens to coincide with the above verse. The person was writing and began by talking about God in the Scriptures, then suddenly switched to verses which referenced Jesus Christ. They wanted to know if that would interrupt the flow of her writing. My response was no, Jesus is God just as God is in Christ and the Holy Spirit, so they are all one. The problem here was what some of us encounter ourselves – we separate the characters too much. This verse says, “the Father sent the Son” – Jesus came to earth not of his own accord, but in obedience to his Father. As Jesus spoke, as he performed miracles, as he taught, and as he was nailed to the cross, the Father was right there with him. Jesus was as dependent upon the Father as the Father was as dependent on Jesus’ obedience. In essence, they are one and the same. I read that though there is a distinction between the characterist

Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever ~ 1 Corinthians 9:25 If an athlete will train to gain a crown of glory from the world, should we not train just as hard, or harder to gain the crown we will receive at the end of life? I think of my dog. I started to train her to fetch and drop. To reinforce this, especially the drop part, I would give her a treat. Now I find that she is less energetic and wants her treat after only a few romps down my hall. At first, she would run back and forth several times. Now she knows a treat is waiting for her, so why do all that running? I am wondering this morning if we are somewhat like that. We have been received into glory through the grace of God, and praise God for that beautiful gift! But, have we come to know that there is a crown waiting for us at the end of the journey of life, so we don’t need to put much effort into our Chr

Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation – but it is not to the flesh to live according to it ~ Romans 8:12 Did you catch that word in this verse – OBLIGATION. It is an act or course of action to which a person is morally or legally bound; a duty or commitment. And it is not an obligation to follow the flesh! We are not committed to following the world, though the world is beginning to make more inroads into our life as Christians, and as a result, we tend to be more committed than we should be to the world. To follow the ways of Jesus calls us to a radical commitment to all this is not of the world, but that is of God. We look too much to our bank account, or our life of leisure. I think of the Apostle Paul’s words where to follow Christ means that we think of “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things” (Philippians 4:8). We owe

  May they sing of the ways of the LORD, for the glory of the LORD is great ~ Psalm 138:5 This is a psalm of praise and joy, lifting up the voice to the God who has brought salvation. How can we not lift our voices as we read this psalm? The LORD is above all “gods”, his love is unfailing and faithful, his decrees are so exalted they surpass his fame! This God the psalmist is singing about is no ordinary god but is a GOD of the highest calibre! The writer goes on to say that though this God, this LORD is so exalted he looks upon the lowly with kindness, and he vindicates the psalmist. All the faith and trust this psalmist has is in his LORD. Too often we forget what God has done for us, but this song reminds us to sing! I recently met a woman who had forgotten her song, and she found it in my presence. What a joy that was for me, for I could see in her face that something new had happened to her and that a peace which had not been there moments before was brightly shining from her fa