THE THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Matthew 14
In any time of trouble, doubt, or sickness, turn to Jesus
“But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.”
Matthew 14:27 (KJV)
When in doubt, let Jesus give you a hand
“And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?”
Matthew 14:31 (KJV)
Daniel 7
The four winds
Daniel 7:2-3 (KJV), “2 Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea. 3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.”
The phrase “four winds” is used principally to describe the whole of the earth or heaven
Four winds
Strong’s Concordance (7308) – ruach: wind, spirit. Brown-Driver-Briggs – 1. wind Daniel 2:35; Daniel 7:2.
In this particular place, scholars have noted that the literal ‘wind’ is its best interpretation
Four great beasts here are the same kingdoms as Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in chapter 2
Daniel 2:38-40 (KJV), “38 And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold. 39 And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. 40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.”
A. God is the Ancient of Days
A1. God the judge
Daniel 7:9 (KJV), “I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.”
A2. As God the Father, and we see Him on His throne as Jesus, the “Son of Man” approaches the throne on clouds
Daniel 7:13 (KJV), “I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.”
A3. As Jesus whose judgment will be part of the end-times events
Daniel 7:22 (KJV), “Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.”
At the end of time, the saints will have complete dominion
Daniel 7:26-27 (KJV), “26 But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. 27 And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.”
Jeremiah 29 Jeremiah’s Letter to the Captives
Jeremiah 29:1 (KJV), “Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem unto the residue of the elders which were carried away captives, and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon.”
Jeremiah 29:2 (KJV), “(After that Jeconiah the king, and the queen, and the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, and the carpenters, and the smiths, were departed from Jerusalem.)”
The letter from Jeremiah was sent directly to Nebuchadnezzar
Jeremiah 29:3 (KJV), “By the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, (whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent unto Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon) saying.”
Even in captivity, God wanted them to be fruitful and multiply
Jeremiah 29:5-6 (KJV), “5 Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them; 6 Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished. ”
In times in our lives, God will put us in valleys to test our faith and learn to grow dependent on Him
Jeremiah 29:7 (KJV), “And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the Lord for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.”
We do not know how long God will keep us in this place (hopefully, not 70 years)
Jeremiah 29:10 (KJV), “For thus saith the Lord, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.”
All the time God has you in a place to learn, He will prepare you for peace and to provide you a hope for your future
Jeremiah 29:11 (KJV), “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”
Jeremiah 29:11 (NASB1995), “For I know the plans that I [a]have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.”
God wants us to be totally dependent on Him and seek Him consistently without failure. This is the only way you will know what God’s plans are for you.
Jeremiah 29:12-13 (KJV), “12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. 13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”
If God desires to have you suffer for a time, do not turn away from Him and seek any easier way out, you will only make it worse for you in the long run
Jeremiah 29:16-19 (KJV), “16 Know that thus saith the Lord of the king that sitteth upon the throne of David, and of all the people that dwelleth in this city, and of your brethren that are not gone forth with you into captivity; 17 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like vile figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil. 18 And I will persecute them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, and an astonishment, and an hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations whither I have driven them: 19 Because they have not hearkened to my words, saith the Lord, which I sent unto them by my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them; but ye would not hear, saith the Lord.”
The fig tree has always been a staple in the scriptures of good and evil
Luke 13:6-9 (KJV), “6 He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. 7 Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? 8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: 9 And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.”
Excerpts from Mark 11:12-25
Mark 11:12-25 (KJV), “12 And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:
13 And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find anything thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. 14 And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter forever… 20 And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. 21 And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away.”
Throughout the scriptures, God will not tolerate false teachings
Jeremiah 29:21 (KJV), “Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, of Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and of Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, which prophesy a lie unto you in my name; Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall slay them before your eyes.”
Jeremiah 29:31b-32 (KJV), “31b Because that Shemaiah hath prophesied unto you, and I sent him not, and he caused you to trust in a lie: 32 Therefore thus saith the Lord; Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite, and his seed: he shall not have a man to dwell among this people; neither shall he behold the good that I will do for my people, saith the Lord; because he hath taught rebellion against the Lord.”
2 John 7 (KJV), “For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.”
Proverbs 6 The deadliest sins (read)
Ezekiel 27 Lamentation for Tyre
This is a continuation of chapter 26 when God said He would ruin Tyre
Ezekiel 26:14 (KJV), “And I will make thee like the top of a rock: thou shalt be a place to spread nets upon; thou shalt be built no more: for I the Lord have spoken it, saith the Lord God.”
Ezekiel 27:1-2 (KJV), “The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying, 2 Now, thou son of man, take up a lamentation for Tyrus.”
Ezekiel 27:36 (KJV), “The merchants among the people shall hiss at thee; thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt be any more.”
Romans 16:17-18 – Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.
Ephesians 5:11 – And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
Colossians 2:8 – Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
2 Corinthians 11:13-15 – For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
2 Timothy 4:3-4 – For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
Galatians 1:6-9 – I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
1 John 4:1 – Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
Matthew 7:15 – Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
1 Timothy 5:20 – Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.
Jude 1:4 – For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 5:6-13 – Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
1 Timothy 4:1 – Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
1 Thessalonians 5:21 – Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
2 John 1:10 – If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:
2 Peter 2:1 – But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
Acts 20:29 – For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
Matthew 7:15-20 – Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
2 Peter 2:3 – And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
2 John 1:7 – For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
Matthew 7:21-23 – Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. [return]
Grow in the Word of the Lord 