OUR FATHER WHOSE LOVE FOR US IS GREAT

From Psalm 117;

Praise the Lord

All you nations

Extol His Holy Name

For great is His love for us

His faithfulness never fails

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OUR FATHER WHO WILL FAVOUR THOSE WHO TREMBLE AT HIS WORD

From Isaiah 66;

This is what the Lord says:

Heaven is My throne, 

The earth is where I rest My feet

For wherever the soles of My feet will tread

Shall be Mine from the rivers  to the sea

This is what the Lord says:

The new heavens that I made

and the new earth will long endure

So shall My people perservere from age to age

I will bless those who tremble at My word

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OUR FATHER WHO IS MIGHTIER THAN ALL

The book of Isaiah chapter 7 verses 5 - 6 says this;

Aram, Ephraim and Remaliah’s son have plotted your ruin, saying,  “Let us invade Judah; let us tear it apart and divide it among ourselves, and make the son of Tabeel king over it.” 

This passage is the beginning of a prophecy that the prophet Isaiah brought to king Ahaz of Jerusalem from the Lord.

King Ahaz was told that the king of Aram and the king of Israel had devised a plan to invade the kingdom of Judah and to bring ruin to it.

They had planned to divide it among themselves and set up a vassal king over it.

However, the Lord instructed king Ahaz to stay calm and not be afraid because, the Lord, in the same prophetic word to Ahaz, said this;

Yet this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “‘It will not take place, it will not happen,

This assurance to king Ahaz from the Lord is our assurance as well during our times when enemies have plotted to tear our countries apart and divide them among themselves and rule over us with vassal kings. 

Our Lord is mighty and none can overpower Him.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER BESTOWS HIS AUTHORITY UPON THOSE WHO GOVERN

The book of Romans chapter 13 verses 1 - 5 says this;

Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 

Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 

For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. 

For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 

Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.

The authority of rulers who maintain public order and good governance is a legitimate authority established by God.

Paul tells us in this passage that it is therefore neccessary to submit to governmental authority as part of our submission to God's authority.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER TO WHOM WE SHOULD ALWAYS LOOK

The book of Psalms chapter 105 verse 4 says this;

Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.

In this verse, the Psalmist exhorts us to turn our eyes to the Lord keeping in mind His strength.

When any occasion in our lives brings us to a challenge, the counsel given is to first go to the Lord with the expectation that His strength is greater than any challenge we might face.

The model given to us to follow is that we should be in constant, continuous seeking of the Lord every day of our lives.

Our permanent posture should be one of leaning forward toward the Lord, pressing in to know Him.

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHO SPARES THOSE WHO RESIST DOING WHAT IS EVIL

The book of Ezekiel chapter 18 verse 15 says this;

“He does not eat at the mountain shrines or look to the idols of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor’s wife.

Preceding this verse, the prophet Ezekiel declared that those who do evil will not be spared because of  the righteousness of their parents. 

He then declares here that the children of parents who do evil things, if they abstain from wickedness by not participating in idol veneration by eating at the shrines on the high places and turning to graven images and also by not engaging in immorality, they will not incur the judgment that their parents invited to themselves even though they saw their parents doing these things.

These children of evil parents also avoid other evil things set as examples by their parents as enumerated in verses 15 -17 which say;

They do not oppress people nor do they require collaterall for a loan nor do they commit robbery but instead, they give food to the hungry and give clothes to the naked.

They also avoid mistreatment of the poor and refuse to profit off of them.

These children keep the laws of God and follow his decrees and are spared culpability as Ezekiel chapter 18 verses 19 - 20 says;

“Yet you ask, ‘Why does the son not share the guilt of his father?’ Since the son has done what is just and right and has been careful to keep all my decrees, he will surely live.  The one who sins is the one who will die. The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child.

And because of the mercy of God, any who had already gone down the wrong path and then repented to turn around, the Lord will rescind their penalty as verse 21 and 22 say;

“But if a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, that person will surely live; they will not die. None of the offenses they have committed will be remembered against them. Because of the righteous things they have done, they will live. 

Amen.

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OUR FATHER WHO DIRECTS HIS PROPHETS

The book of Ezekiel chapter 19 verses 1 - 2 says this;

 “Take up a lament concerning the princes of Israel and say:

“‘What a lioness was your mother among the lions!

She lay down among them and reared her cubs.

The princes of Israel were the leaders of the Israelite society and Ezekiel the prophet was charged by the Lord to lament to the princes by speaking to them about the lioness who was their spiritual mother.

The lioness who was their mother lay down among the other lions and reared her cubs in their midst.

The lioness represents the spiritual power behind the nation of Israel and the prophet reveals to the princes of Israel that their mother was indeed  formidable and raised her cubs while ensconced in the middle of other kingdoms.

Amen.

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