Day Forty-five

Psalm 125, Numbers 6, Isaiah 42, Philippians 2:12‐30

Psalm 125

Ps. 125:1-2 - Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. 2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people, from this time forth and forevermore. - Trust is a beautiful thing. To trust someone means that you believe in them. When our trust is broken it can be a painful thing. It's hard to feel the betrayal of someone. The psalmist assures us that when we trust in the Lord, we won't be let down. He will not fail us. Trusting in the Lord brings security to us, because He is faithful and won't let us down. He is the safest place to place our trust.

Numbers 6

Num. 6:22-27 - The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 23 “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them, 24 The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. 27 “So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.” - Numbers 6 begins with teaching about the Nazarite vow and ends with the priestly blessing that Aaron and his sons were to give to the children of Israel. I love this particular blessing. The first time I heard it was at my eighth grade graduation. My class actually sung the blessing as a song of blessing for each other. It's interesting to me that this blessing was given by God to Moses to give to Aaron and his sons to give to the people. In other words, God wanted this particular blessing to be given to the Children of Israel. "The Lord bless you and keep you" speaks of the wonderful blessing and security that is available to followers of Jesus Christ. While we may not be materially wealthy, we are spiritually blessed beyond measure. To be kept by God is HUGE. No one is going to take away from God what is His. "The Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you," speaks of the presence of the Lord in the life of His followers. God is watching over us. And, when the Lord watches over us we experience His grace. "the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace" speaks of God's ministering presence. He is there to give us peace when our world seems shaky. He is near.

Isaiah 42

Isaiah 42 is a beautiful chapter that is ultimately fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Isaiah writes about the Lord's chosen servant. As you read the chapter look for ways that Jesus fulfilled the prophecy in this chapter.

Philippians 2:12-30

Phil. 2:12-13 - Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. - Paul charges the Philippian believers to live a life of obedience to the Lord. He then goes on to describe what this looks like in verses 14-16. I love his use of the words "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." We need to constantly be adjusting our lives to God's standards. We need to recognize that our faith is a daily thing. We can't rely on past successes. We should live our lives to glorify God each day.

Phil. 2:19-20 - 19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. 20 For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. - I love Paul's description of Timothy in this passage. Timothy was a dedicated servant of Jesus Christ. You see Paul's leadership in these verses and the verses that follow. He describes his relationship with Timothy and Epaphroditus and you can see how he has equipped them for leadership in the local church. I want to be this type of leader.