In case you forget, here’s a reminder:

The Verse of the Day for May 18, 2023, on Biblegate.com comes from the Book of Hebrews where we find a reminder of who God is not as well as who God is:

Hebrews 6:10 (New Living Translation):

For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do.

The opening phrase makes known that God is not unjust. On the contrary, God is just. One translation of the first part of Hebrews 6:10 states, “God is fair . . .” The Psalmist declares, “The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.”

Psalm 145:17 (AMP) notes:

The Lord is [unwaveringly] righteous in all His ways and gracious and kind in all His works.

Deuteronomy 32:4 (NKJV) says this:

He is the Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice, a God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He.

The Verse of the Day goes on to say “For God is not unjust so as to forget. . .” How well we have come to learn that God does not forget, except He does not remember our sins and shortcomings, as Hebrews 10:17 (AMP) reminds us that in certain areas of our lives God has “selective amnesia”:

“And their sins and their lawless acts I will remember no more [no longer holding their sins against them].”

Hebrews 8:12 (AMP) reiterates this message:’

“For I will be merciful and gracious toward their wickedness, and I will remember their sins no more.”

Though God does not remember our sins and iniquity, He is mindful of us and does remember this:

He has given food to those who fear Him [with awe-inspired reverence]; He will remember His covenant forever.

Ezekiel 16:60 (AMP) makes known God’s covenant relationship with His people:

[The Covenant Remembered] “Nevertheless, I will remember [with compassion] my covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you.

As believers we endeavor to serve God and minister to one another, but we must remember this: Our efforts may not always be recognized nor appreciated. Those whom we serve in love may not always remember what we say and do, but we are assured that God never forgets. Not only is God, our Father, faithful and just, but He is also a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).

The Verse of the Day inspired this original psalm:

A Reminder: God Is Faithful

For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love,   

which you have shown toward his name,        

in that you have ministered to the saints and do minister.

 Hebrews 6:10

The good deeds that you have done may not be extolled

When the fervor of God’s love has long since grown cold.

Some quickly forget all the good that you have done

And fail to recall that you were the only one

To answer the call, seek the Lord, and intercede.

Time after time you were the one to meet the need.

When others were busy and chose to walk away,

You were there and remained in the thick of the fray.

In dark times when words of thanks are distant memories,

Recall that God knows all things, for He alone sees

Your labor and saves all the tears that you have shed.

Our Father is ever mindful of how you serve,

And He shall reward you beyond all you deserve.

As you strive to finish your course, have no regret:

Our God is faithful–He will never forget.

This medley from the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir musically reinforces the message of the Verse of the Day: He’s Been Faithful and Great is Thy Faithfulness:

God is perfect in all His ways

 

The Verse of the Day for July 7, 2018 clearly reveals one of the unique characteristics of who God is and all He does. God Almighty, the creator of the heavens and the Earth, is the epitome of perfection, as the Psalmist declares:

Psalm 18:30:

As for God, His way is perfect;
The word of the Lord is proven;
He is a shield to all who trust in Him.

Amplified Bible states this truth this way:

As for God, His way is blameless. The word of the Lord is tested [it is perfect, it is faultless]; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.

Likewise the New Living Translation offer this statement:

God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true.

Deuteronomy 32:4 makes the almost identical statement in the New Living Translation:

He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is!

In the Gospels, Jesus Christ commands his followers to be perfect, in the same way God is perfect:

Matthew 5:48 (NKJV)

Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

The Amplified Bible puts it this way:

You, therefore, will be perfect [growing into spiritual maturity both in mind and character, actively integrating godly values into your daily life], as your heavenly Father is perfect.

At first glance, to “be perfect” seems to be an impossible task, but certainly, God, our gracious, patient, heavenly Father, would never ask us to do anything that would be impossible to accomplish.

Ligonier Teaching Ministries, founded by the late RC Sproul, comments on the concept of being perfect:

In the first place, the word that is translated “perfect” literally means “be complete.” So often, the New Testament and the Old Testament will describe people as being upright and righteous—not in the sense that they have achieved total moral perfection, but rather that they have reached a singular level of maturity in their growth in terms of spiritual integrity. However, in this statement, it’s certainly legitimate to translate it using the English word perfect. For example, “Be ye complete as your heavenly Father is complete.”

Colossians 2:10 reminds us this reality:

And you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.

So in the sense that we are complete, lacking nothing, we are perfect, just as God desires us to be. We are what God says we are: “Perfect!” The source of our becoming perfect as we mature is the Word of God, given that we might be “perfected”–that is to be whole, complete, fully equipped, lacking nothing needed to complete the work set before us. Note what 2 Timothy has to say:

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

The Amplified Bible broadens our understanding of this passage:

¹⁶ All Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately—behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage]; ¹⁷ so that the man of God may be complete and proficient, outfitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Psalm 19:10 also reminds us:

The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;

When believers look in the mirror of the matchless Word of God, they behold their true identity, perfected in the precepts of Almighty God’s changeless law. We now behold:

Our True Identity

But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord,

are changed into the same image from glory to glory,

even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

II Corinthians 3:18

 

We look in the mirror of God’s Word, and we see,

Not only who we are but who we shall become,

Reflected in our eyes, our true identity.

 

Released from shackles of a slave mentality,

The bondage of Egypt we have now overcome.

We look in the mirror of God’s Word, and we see.

 

Perfected to reveal all we were designed to be,

In our hearts we have prepared for God a new home,

Reflected in our eyes, our true identity.

 

“Perfect and complete”: our new reality:

As born-again models of the Father’s Kingdom.

We look in the mirror of God’s Word, and we see.

 

God’s blessings in double measure abundantly,

Flowing by the spirit in knowledge and wisdom,

Reflected in our eyes, our true identity.

 

We live to fulfill our prophetic destiny,

As joys unfold with even greater joys to come.

We look in the mirror of God’s Word and we see

Reflected in our eyes, our true identity.

As Christian believers we study the Scriptures to show ourselves approved to God, and in doing so we learn more about God and His expectations for His people. Just as God is perfect in all His ways, He desires the followers of Lord Jesus Christ to be perfect, as God our Father is perfect. We close with Chris Tomlin, singing of God as a “Good, Good Father”, as the chorus resounds to remind us “You are perfect in all your ways.”

God is not unjust; God is fair

On May 18, 2017, we examine the Verse of the Day taken from the Book of Hebrews where we find a reminder of who God is not as well as who God is:

Hebrews 6:10 (AMP)

For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown for His name in ministering to [the needs of] the saints (God’s people), as you do.

The New Living Translation puts it this way:

For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do.

Take a look at this graphic illustration of this verse:

The opening phrase makes known that God is not unjust. On the contrary, God is just. One translation of the first part of Hebrews 6:10 states, “God is fair . . .” The Psalmist declares, “The judgements of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.”

Psalm 145:17 (AMP) notes:

The Lord is [unwaveringly] righteous in all His ways and gracious and kind in all His works.

Deuteronomy 32:4 (NKJV) says this:

He is the Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice, a God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He.

The Verse of the Day goes on to say “For God is not unjust so as to forget. . .” How well we have come to learn that God does not forget, except He does not remember our sins and shortcomings, as Hebrews 10:17 (AMP) reminds us that in certain areas of our lives God has “selective amnesia”:

“And their sins and their lawless acts I will remember no more [no longer holding their sins against them].”

Hebrews 8:12 (AMP) reiterates this message:’

“For I will be merciful and gracious toward their wickedness, and I will remember their sins no more.”

Though God does not remember our sins and iniquity, He is mindful of us and does remember this:

He has given food to those who fear Him [with awe-inspired reverence]; He will remember His covenant forever.

Ezekiel 16:60 (AMP) makes known God’s covenant relationship with His people:

[The Covenant Remembered] “Nevertheless, I will remember [with compassion] my covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you.

As believers we endeavor to serve God and minister to one another, but we must remember this: Our efforts may not always be recognized nor appreciated. Those whom we serve in love may not always remember what we say and do, but we are assured that God never forgets. Not only is God, our Father, faithful and just, but He is also a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).

The Verse of the Day inspired these poetic comments:

A Reminder: God Is Faithful

For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love,   

which you have shown toward his name,        

in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

 Hebrews 6:10

The good deeds that you have done may not be extolled

When the fervor of God’s love has long since grown cold.

Some quickly forget all the good that you have done

And fail to recall that you were the only one

To answer the call, seek the Lord, and intercede.

Time after time you were the one to meet the need.

When others were busy and chose to walk away,

You were there and remained in the thick of the fray.

In dark times when words of thanks are distant memories,

Recall that God knows all things, for He alone sees

Your labor and saves all the tears that you have shed.

Our Father is ever mindful of how you serve,

And He shall reward you beyond all you deserve.

As you strive to finish your course, have no regret:

Our God is faithful–He will never forget.

Listen to the hymn composed by Charles Gabriel who reassures: “Sweet is the promise. I will not forget thee”

 

 

 

 

God’s way is perfect: a shield and buckler

Revised and re-posted from a previous blog entry, the Verse of the Day for July 7, 2016 speaks of some of the outstanding attributes of God:

Psalm 18:30 (NLT):

God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.

2 Samuel 22:31 in the New Living Testament expresses the same truth verbatim:

“God’s way is perfect.
All the Lord’s promises prove true.

In discussing perfection, we recognize that we cannot find even the slightest trace of imperfection in the Lord our God:

Deuteronomy 32:4 (NLT):

He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is!

The Psalmist also reiterates the message:

Psalm 119:138 (NLT):

Your laws are perfect and completely trustworthy.

Not only is God perfect in all His ways, but He makes perfect the ways of those who follow Him:

The passage containing the Verse of the Day makes a statement in verse 30 and asks a question in verse 31 and provides the answer in Verse 32 of Psalm 18 also notes that God who is perfect also perfects:

³⁰ God’s way is perfect.
All the Lord’s promises prove true.
He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.
³¹ For who is God except the Lord?
Who but our God is a solid rock?
³² God arms me with strength,
and he makes my way perfect.

2 Samuel 22:33 (NLT) reminds us that

God is my strong fortress, and he makes my way perfect.

The Psalmist goes on to make a similar statement in Psalm 138:8 (NKJV)

The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.

The Verse of the Day and other references throughout the Psalms and other passages in the Old Testament God is and what He does

Psalm 18:2 provides a series of metaphor describing the Lord God:

The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

Another claim that God is a buckler is found in Proverbs 2:7:

He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.

In the Psalms we find two additional references to God as both “shield and buckler”:

Psalm 35:2:

Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help.

Psalm 91:4:

He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

In the Milihistory Quarterly, the Journal for Military Miniature Enthusiasts, an article on “shield and buckler” notes these distinctions:

One of the most misunderstood weapons is the shield.  Many think it is little more than a small wall to catch the blows of an opponent.  In actuality, the shield and its smaller version, the buckler, are weapons in their own right.  Rather than catching a blow passively, they are moved to parry and deflect.  A fighter would rather push a blow aside than catch its full force on his shield.  Shields and bucklers are also used aggressively. They can strike, push, trap and pin as well as defend.

The two weapons are used in conjunction with one another, both defensively as well as offensively.

In the midst of the fiercest and most intense battles that we face, it is comforting to know that the Lord God, Adonai, who is mighty in battle, is our shield and buckler.

The poem “Protect Me,” from a series of teachings entitled “A Five-fold Prayer,” reinforces the message that God is faithful and that He is “my buckler, my shield. . . ”

As a child runs to safety in his father’s arms,

So I, too, run to you, “my shelter from life’s storms.”

Lord, I long to dwell with you in the secret place,

My buckler, my shield, deliverer, my fortress,

Strong tower, defender, who responds to my prayer.

For Lord, you are faithful, who will establish me

And protect me and deliver me from evil.

Clint Brown provides a musical version of Psalm 18 which speaks of God as “my fortress and my deliverer . . . my buckler”:

 

 

 

 

The faithful God

The Verse of the Day for March 11, 2015 makes known one of the attributes of God, who is described in this way:

Deuteronomy 7:9 NIV

Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.

Deuteronomy 32:4 further proclaims:

He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.

The Psalmist speaks of God’s faithfulness:

Psalm 25:10

All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.

The truth that God is faithful in everything that He does is echoed in the Psalms:

Psalm 33:4

For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does

Psalm 145:13

Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does.

Psalm 145:17

The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does.

Throughout the New Testament we find declarations of the absolute faithfulness of God:

1 Corinthians 1:9

God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

1 Thessalonians 5:24

The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

2 Thessalonians 3:3

But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and prote2 Timoct you from the evil one.

Even when we, as believers, are deficient in faith, God remains full of faith

2 Timothy 2:13

If we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.

Hebrews 10:23 also reminds us that God is faithful to keep his promises:

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

God is faithful to His covenant, and He has promised to fulfill that covenant and bless the land of those who maintain their covenant with Him, as an expression of His everlasting love:

Perfected Love

I am sending you grain, new wine and olive oil,
    enough to satisfy you fully;
never again will I make you
    an object of scorn to the nations.

Joel 2:19 [NIV]

Jehovah, creator, author and finisher,

Who initiates to nourish perfected love;

Ever-abiding source and resource, publisher

Of declarations of genuine love to move

The soul of man to return to the place of his first

Love, the Beloved, whose heart overflows to give,

For only this passion can satisfy our thirst,

As you refresh us and teach us how we should live.

You have pledged your love through a sacred covenant.

If we maintain your vows of love, you will sustain

Our souls and feed us so that we shall never want.

You will shower with mercy as the gentle rain

With grain, new wine and oil supplied by your gracious right hand.

Here is a song that brings to mind the faithfulness of God: “He’s Been Faithful” offered by Damaris Carbaugh and the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir.”