A CLOSING NOTE

“A Thought About God’s Word” has been provided daily on this website for the last twelve months. I pray and trust the intended purposes of the Lord have been fulfilled through these devotional readings. I’m thankful for every result that He has brought about, and I praise Him for the blessings that His Word is too us.

At the conclusion of the devotions for the 52nd week, new readings will no longer be provided. However all 365 of the previous devotional thoughts will remain available for use as desired on this website. Thanks for your support of “A Thought About God’s Word.”

BE BLESSED IN JESUS!
Pastor Jim Hoston

AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE

READING: LUKE 17:11-19

Verse 19: “And He said to him, ‘Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well’”

Nearly everyone appreciates that it is right and proper to express gratitude for benefits received from another. Even at that people still frequently fail to do so. An example of this failure is found Luke 17. Jesus cleansed ten men of leprosy, but only one of them took the effort required in order to thank the Lord. We can guess why the other nine did not do that, because of behaviors we see around us these days. Sometimes people allow themselves to get busy with other matters and don’t get around to  saying thanks. For some it is a bit embarrassing or uncomfortable to express gratitude so they refrain from doing it. Others may believe they were owed the benefits they received in the first place, therefore recognition of what was done is not necessary. Various other similar human attitudes produce the same effect. We don’t know the final results for the nine ungrateful men in this passage,  but we see that the one who was faithfully grateful received the blessing of the Lord. Therefore we can be taught a scriptural lesson. This lesson is that gratitude to our God results in blessings when we express our thanks. Godly responses to another are reversed to return reward to the grateful one. That’s a thought – about God’s Word.

RESPONSE

1. Do you have an “attitude of gratitude”?

2. What would be your response to the statement made by Jesus in the verse above?

OBEYED AND GOT PAID

READING: JOB 42:7-13

Verse 10: “And the LORD restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.”

When a person is treated wrongly or offended it can be a struggle for that person to respond in a godly manner. It can get even harder when the wrongdoer is exposed and the desire arises to see punishment take place. In today’s verse the Lord uses Job to provide a godly model for the response that is proper under these conditions. God judged that Job had spoken rightly and that his friends were wrong as they had spoken against Job. However, the Lord did not permit Job to become proud, self-righteous or arrogant as he was vindicated. Instead He had Job to perform a humble act of forgiveness. Before Job’s losses were restored he had to pray for his friends. The New Testament teaches this same lesson in Matthew 5:44 where it says, “...pray for those who spitefully use you...” Godliness constantly raises the challenges of humility and forgiveness for Christians. Even when we have been wronged there is great reward in a scriptural and godly response. That’s a thought – about God’s Word.

RESPONSE

1. Should we expect to double our gain as Job did when we respond well?

2. What do you suppose might have happened if Job had refused to pray as directed?

THE GAP IS FILLED

READING: JOB 9:23-35

Verse 33: “Nor is there any mediator between us, who may lay his hand on us both.”

There are times when experiences recorded in the Old Testament can cause Christians to be grateful and to appreciate our provision in Christ. Job 9 relates Job feeling very rejected by the Lord and wanting to hear from Him. He expresses a bitter complaint that there is no mediator between himself and the Lord. Today, through the love and sacrifice of our Savior, provision has been made that we need not experience the isolation and rejection that Job felt. We have access to the Mediator that Job so desperately wanted. The following quote of 1 Timothy 2:5 makes the point. “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Jesus Christ.” At times people may feel isolated from God as Job did, but we have the assurance that he lacked. Jesus our mediator is faithful to intercede and intervene in our behalf. That’s a thought – about God’s Word.

RESPONSE

1. What does it mean to you personally to have Jesus as your mediator?

2. Is there a way that you are equipped for spiritual mediation?

HE IS NEAR

READING: GENESIS 18:1-15 

Verse 1: “Then the LORD appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day.”

This passage describes a very compelling encounter experienced by Abraham the Patriarch. The description given in the verse above doesn’t necessarily produce a very impressive picture of how Abraham was being occupied. You can imagine him sitting there hot and sweaty hoping for a breeze to cool him a little. Not exactly an image of the mighty man of faith in the exercise of a powerful spiritual gifting. However, even though he wasn’t engaged in an act of worship or supplication, the Lord appeared to him. Abraham’s experience provides a lesson. It teaches that God’s choice to approach a person is not controlled by what that person may or may not be doing. Certainly we should reach out to the Lord in all the ways that the Bible teaches. At the same time we must know that we serve the one and only God who according to Ephesians 1:11, “works all things according to the counsel of His will.” He comes to us not according to our time or influence, but according to His infinite knowledge of what must be and how it must be established. When we are properly related to the Lord, anytime can be a time of His appearing! That’s a thought – about God’s Word.

RESPONSE

1. How does it affect you to consider that God could suddenly appear to you?

2. What do you learn from Abraham’s response?

NO VARIATION OR SHADOW OF TURNING

READING: HEBREWS 13:7-16

Verse 8: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.”

It is a reality that strategies and tactics have always been used in attempts to defeat the people of God. It is a greater reality that God has always provided victory for His people when they have been receptive to Him. When the enemies of the nation of Israel positioned themselves to fight battles, the Lord gave His people victorious battle plans based on His divine foreknowledge and influence over what would happen. When the religious establishment attempted to destroy or drive out early Christianity the Lord once more provided a victorious response. Christians dispersed under persecution resulting in growth rather than elimination. Today there are modern challenges of the same basic nature and having the same intention. Certainly the devil has seen to that. As the Church of today faces these modern versions of opposition, the promise of the verse above gives us courage and confidence. The Lord and Sovereign God of former victories is also the author of our victories of this age. That’s a thought – about God’s Word.

RESPONSE

1. What is the devil’s main strategy today?

2. What effect is persecution having on the Church of today?

THAT’S GOOD!

READING: PSALM 52:1-9

Verse 1: “Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man? The goodness of God endures continually.”

Sometimes commonly used expressions deny the realities of God. One such expression gets used when something is very good. At some of those times people are heard to say, “This is too good to be true.” What does that expression really say? It says that if something gets really good it must be an illusion. It is so good that it can’t really be happening. Given some thought, it can be seen that acceptance of that statement overlooks the reality of God’s provision. The fact is that He designs and brings forth goodness for our lives. It is just as today’s verse, confirmed by many other scriptures, fully establishes. His goodness is always present. Since He is the source of all that is truly good, when we experience His goodness it is real and not an illusion. It is real simply because that is what He does. He produces goodness for our lives. Therefore, in our expressions, we should recognize the truth of the Lord’s goodness. Let’s not say, “This is too good to be true.” Instead of that, with God as the author of goodness of in mind, let’s confess, “This is so good it must be true.” That’s a thought – about God’s Word.

RESPONSE

1. Do you know of an expression that boasts in evil that you will purpose to avoid?

2. Is there anything you want to do in order to be more expressive of God’s goodness?