Michael Kruger, president of ADRA International, said the 40th anniversary of ADRA Australia is a testament to the dedication and hard work of staff members and partners “who have worked relentlessly …… Source: https://adventist.news/en/news/celebrating-40-years-of-adra-australia
Salmo 7:6 – Martedì 13 febbraio 2024
“Ergiti, o Signore, nell’ira tua, innàlzati contro il furore dei miei nemici, e dèstati in mio favore.” (Salmo 7:6) Meditazione giornaliera “Apri la porta del tuo cuore”. Rubrica a cura di Anna Cupertino. Speaker: Jakov Asan. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qM_kGKUpbGI
Lesson 7: Your Mercy Reaches Unto the Heavens | 7.3 “If You, Lord, Should Mark Iniquities”
7.3 If you, Lord, kept a record of sins
Read Psalm 130. How are the severity of sin and hope for sinners portrayed?
Psalm 130 portrays the profound reflection of the psalmist on the severity of sin and simultaneously the hope for sinners through God’s forgiveness and mercy.
Firstly, the psalmist emphasizes the great anguish that affects both his own sins and the sins of his people. The sins of the people are described as so grave that they pose the danger of permanently separating the people from God. The biblical notion that sins are recorded and the names of sinners can be erased from the Book of Life intensifies this distress.
Despite this oppressive reality, the psalmist appeals to God’s forgiveness, which can erase the records of sins. He recognizes God’s essential nature as loving and merciful. God’s willingness to forgive sins and not to punish evokes reverence and worship. True worship is based on admiration for God’s love, not fear of punishment.
The believers are urged to wait on the Lord, which does not mean passively surrendering to circumstances but hopeful anticipation of God’s intervention. The hope of the psalmist is not based on personal optimism but on God’s word. Patiently waiting on the Lord is not in vain, for after the dark night comes divine deliverance.
Finally, it becomes clear how the personal plea of the psalmist becomes a plea for the whole community. The well-being of an individual is inseparably linked to the well-being of the entire people. Therefore, one prays not only for oneself but for the community as a whole. As believers, we are part of a community, and what affects one part affects us all.
Consider the question: “If you, Lord, kept a record of sins – Lord, who could stand?” (Psalm 130:3). What does this mean for you personally? Where would you be if the Lord were to keep a record of your sins?
The question from Psalm 130:3, “If you, Lord, kept a record of sins – Lord, who could stand?” prompts reflection on how we as sinners could stand before God if he were to judge our sins strictly.
Personally, I view this question as a solemn reminder of God’s holiness and righteousness, as well as the severity of sin. If God were to keep a record of my sins without granting mercy and forgiveness, I would be lost. My sins and mistakes would condemn me before his holy judgment, and I would have no hope of standing.
I would be in a place of despair, separated from God’s presence and with no possibility of reconciliation. My sins would create an insurmountable gulf between me and God, and I would face eternal damnation.
This thought leads me to gratitude for God’s infinite mercy and grace. Despite our sinfulness and unworthiness, God offers us forgiveness through his Son Jesus Christ. Through his sacrifice on the cross, our sins can be erased, and our relationship with God restored.
Therefore, the question from Psalm 130:3 personally means an encouragement for me to continually turn to God’s grace. It reminds me to acknowledge my dependence on God’s forgiveness and to remain humble before him. Without his grace, I would be lost, but through his love and mercy, I have hope for eternal life in his presence.
Psalm 130 connects with our daily life and faith by illustrating the severity of sin and the hope for sinners.
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The psalmist reflects on personal and communal sins that can cause a separation from God.
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Despite the severity of sins, the psalmist points to the hope of God’s forgiveness and infinite love.
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Acknowledging God’s forgiveness and love evokes reverence for God and forms the basis for true worship.
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The psalm encourages patiently waiting on God and relying on His intervention, signifying an active hope for His deliverance.
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Finally, the psalm emphasizes the connection between the well-being of the individual and that of the community, calling for prayer not only for oneself but also for others and caring for the welfare of all.
AWR360° An Awakening in Europe Ep.24
AWR360° An Awakening in Europe Ep.24
#AWR #Health # Awakening # Europe Sync ID Code
MB01ROLHML5DRLH #short Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFMq48Gze80
A Mercy That Will Make the Earth Stand Still
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Psalm 136:1 NKJV
Psalm 136 goes on to describe all the many ways that God’s mercy has endured forever, but my favorite illustration of God’s incredible mercy comes from Joshua 9 and Joshua 10.
Photo by William Earnhardt
The Gibeonites used deceit to trick Israel into letting them in on the covenant God had made with them. Even though Israel was not supposed to make a covenant with anyone living as close as the Gibeonites, they did. Later when the Gibeonites were under attack, they called upon Israel to save them, and even though the Gibeonites had used deceit to secure this covenant, God was so relentless in keeping His promise of love, that He caused the sun to stand still until the Gibeonites were all rescued! God fought for Israel as Israel fought for the mischievous Gibeonites. Let that soak in.
The Gibeonites were in no way worthy of any of God’s blessings, but God was still so loving and faithful to His promise that He made the sun stand still until they were all rescued! Talk about a love that moves heaven and earth! And this powerful love was given to the most undeserving people! So, scientifically speaking, the greatest power in the universe is not gravity or the suctioning power of the black hole. God’s love overruled all those powers and made the earth stand still. Imagine what this love can do in your heart!
God’s powerful promises and love are also for you and me. In Hebrews 13:5 God promises to never leave us or forsake us, but the Amplified Bible is the only English version that even begins to grasp what God is actually promising.
for He has said, “I will never under any circumstances desert you nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless, nor will I forsake or let you down or relax My hold on you- assuredly not!” Hebrews 13:5 AMP
Friends, God does not love the Gibeonites any more than He loves you. His mercy did not stop with the Gibeonites.
For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations. Psalm 100:4 NKJV
God’s mercy and truth endures throughout all generations. If God loved naughty Gibeonites enough to make the earth stand still for them, you know God’s love and mercy will do everything supernaturally possible to save you as well.
Friends, let’s not spurn or take God’s great mercy for granted.
how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will? Hebrews 2:3-4 NKJV
Let’s talk of God’s enduring mercy, Exercise our faith in His enduring mercy, and contemplate His enduring mercy until we are changed into His image or mercy and truth.
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Corinthians 3:18 NKJV
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