OUR FATHER WHO PROVIDES ANSWERS TO THOSE WHO ARE LOYAL TO HIM

From the book of Ezekiel chapter 14 verse 2 -3 says this;

Then the word of the Lord came to me:  “Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all?

This passage captures the Lord's statement to the prophet Ezekiel that pointed out that the leaders of Israel had idols in their hearts and that they had regarded wicked stumblimg block.

The question was then asked whether the Lord should have let them make an enquiry to Him at all.

To make any demands on heavens resources, we must harbor no allegiances or have any incumberances to the kingdom of darkness.

Amen 

2

OUR FATHER WHO VALUES FAITHFULNESS

The book of Ezekiel chapter 15 verse 2 says this;

“Son of man, how is the wood of a vine different from that of a branch from any of the trees in the forest? 

The Lord, in giving Ezekiel an analogy of the faithlessness of the people who lived in Jerusalem, asks him in what way the wood from a vine was not the same the wood from any other tree in the forest.

The Lord completed the analogy by describing how the wood from a vine had no practical purpose when it was whole and even less when it charred by fire.

The Lord compared the people of Jerusalem to a burned twig that had no useful purpose because they were unfaithful.

Amen.

2

OUR FATHER WHO IS THE LORD OF ISRAEL

The book of Ezekiel chapter 14 verse 8 says this;

I will set my face against them and make them an example and a byword. I will remove them from my people. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

This verse, speaking of the people of Israel or foreigners who dwelt in Israel and who separated themselves from the Lord and then pursued idols and set wicked stumbling blocks before their faces, declares that the Lord will set His face against them and so as to set an example for others, would remove them from the midst of His people.

This just governance would be a demonstration of the Lordship of God over His people.

Amen.

1

 

OUR FATHER WHO WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON HIS PEOPLE

The book of Isaiah chapter 14 verses 1 - 3 foretells of the day that the Lord will have compassion on Israel and at that moment, the state of affairs will undergo an inversion. The passage reads like this;

The Lord will have compassion on Jacob; once again he will choose Israel and will settle them in their own land.

Foreigners will join them and unite with the descendants of Jacob.

Nations will take them and bring them to their own place.

And Israel will take possession of the nations and make them male and female servants in the Lord’s land.

They will make captives of their captors  and rule over their oppressors.

On the day the Lord gives you relief from your suffering and turmoil and from the harsh labor forced on you, You will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon.

Israel will have foreign nations join and support them even as the kingdom of darkness tries gain permanent  control the Lord's people.

The nations that oppressed God's people will be brought under the ownership of Israel.

On this day, Israel (and the spiritual kingdom of Israel),  freed by the Lord from the dominance of the kingdom of darkness, will take up a taunt against her oppressor that is recorded in Isaiah chapter 14 verses  5 - 20.

The taunt will tell of the sudden fall of the kingdom of darkness where the king of Babylon will be exposed for what he actually is.

The whole of  creation will wonder why they feared him when they see him under the judgement of the Lord.

Amen.

3

OUR FATHER WHO ASSOCIATES WITH THE FAITHFUL

From Psalm 101;

My eyes, says the Lord, will be on the faithful

That they may dwell with Me forever

And those whose walk is blameless

They will ever minister unto Me 

1

OUR FATHER IS WORTHY OF ALL PRAISE

From Psalm 100;

Shout for joy all the earth.

Worship the Lord with hearts of gladness

Know that the Lord is God We are His creations

His faithfulness endures for all generations

Enter His gates with thanksgiving

Fill His courts with cheerful laughter

Give thanks and earnestly praise Him

For the Lord is good His love endures forever

7

OUR FATHER WHO IS BRILLIANT TO BEHOLD

Psalm 97 verse 8 says this;

Zion hears and rejoices and the villages of Judah are glad because of your judgments, Lord.

The Lord God Almighty approaches the earth and His glory and brilliance are seen by the people of the earth.

His arrival is marked by flashes of lightening and the mountains melt like wax in His presence.

The adversaries of God are judged in fire and those who worship idols are disgraced because even the spiritual entities will be unable to avoid worshipping Him.

At the sight of their God, the settlements of people will be glad because of the judgements that are metted out.

Amen.

18

OUR FATHER WHO REVEALED TO HIS PROPHETS WHAT HE INTENDED TO DO TO SAVE US OUT OF DARKNESS

The book of Isaiah chapter 9 verse 5 says this;

Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire.

The prophet Isaiah, foretold of a time of darkness when the land of Galilee would host the Light of the world.

The awaited Light would transform the nation into a large kingdom under the throne of David and this kingdom would be marked by joy as victory over the oppressor is celebrated.

The arrival  of the Light would be predicated by bloodshed and the boots and garments stained by blood during the battle in the heavenlies would be added to the fire of judgment against the agents of darkness.

What was being resisted was the arrival of the child mentioned in Isaiah chapter 9 verse 6 which reads;

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Amen.

1

OUR LORD WHOSE BRIDE WILL FLOURISH

The book of Isaiah chapter 54 verses 3 - 5 says this;

For you will spread out to the right and to the left;  your descendants will dispossess nations  and settle in their desolate cities.

 “Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood.

For your Maker is your husband—the Lord Almighty is his name—the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth.

The bride described in this passage is the spiritual church which has been sanctified by God and prepared for victory over the kingdom of darkness.

The bride will flourish as the Lord draws His people unto Himself and they will do great exploits and dispossess the realms of spiritual wickedness.

This is achieved because of the close relationship they have with their redeemer who is the Lord Almighty, the Holy God of all the earth

Amen.

2

OUR FATHER WHO IS GREATER THAN ALL

The book of Isaiah chapter 7 verse 9 says this;

The head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is only Remaliah’s son.

If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.’”

Judea, under king Ahaz, learned that they were going to be invaded by the kingdoms Ephraim and Aram. The King and all the people were shaken and fearful.

Our verse captures the central  case that the prophet Isaiah was instructed to make to king Ahaz of Judea.

King Ahaz was told that he and his people must be fearless in the face of the new enemy alliance.

The verse makes the argument that the leaders of the enemy alliance were weak and if King Ahaz and the people of Judea could not stand in faith against them, they would not stand at all in the face of any challenge.

This is a remainder to stand in faith even when we initially perceive that the odds are insurmountable.

As it says in the book of John chapter 10 verse 29;

My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.

Amen.

5

OUR FATHER WHOSE JUDGEMENT IS INESCAPABLE

The book of Isaiah chapter 15 verse 9 says this;

The waters of Dimon are full of blood, but I will bring still more upon Dimon—a lion upon the fugitives of Moab and upon those who remain in the land.

The people of Moab, under judgment, suffered the swift destruction of their cities and homes. Some of them wailed and lamented and went to their temple and high places to find spiritual help from their gods but get no relief.

They were forced to flee in convoys  of refugees to other lands. In the panic of departure, they grabbed anything of value they had and traversed the ravines and to get away.

As they moved, their cries and wails were heard by other towns which spread even more fear through the whole land.

Even as the the people of Dimon fled, they could not escape for a lion set upon them and caused havoc among the refugees and the remnant stayed behind.

Amen.

3

OUR FATHER WHO HEARS

From Psalm 120;

I call on You Lord in my distress

I cry to you in dismay

Deceitful tongues speak against me 

Please answer when I pray

Save me Lord 

Save me Lord

2 

OUR FATHER WHOSE EYES ARE ON THE FAITHFUL

From Psalm 99 101 verse 15 1 ;

I will sing of Your love and Your justice O Lord

I will be careful to lead a blameless life

Your eyes are on the faithful 

On the faithful  in the land

And we will dwell with You safely 

In the palm of Your hand

Amen.

3

OUR FATHER WHO INVITES US TO DWELL IN HIS HOUSE

Psalm 14 15  verse 9 2 says this;

The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous,  who speaks the truth from their heart; whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others;

This passage lists some of the attributes that we would need to have in order to be invited to dwell in the house of God or to dwell  on His holy mountain.

- Our walk in life would be blameless

- We would  always speak the truth

- We would never slander others

- We would do no wrong to neighbours

- we would never cast slurs on other people

These attributes are centered around personal integrity and the unwillingness  to injure other people.

Amen.

5

OUR FATHER FORTELLS THE FUTURE THROUGH HIS PROPHETS BEFORE HE DOES ANYTHING

The book of Ezekiel chapter 12 verses 10 - 14, which records the prophet Ezekiel giving the explanation for his enactment of an exile leaving Jerusalem, says this;

Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: These actions contain a message for King Zedekiah in Jerusalem and for all the people of Israel.’ Explain that your actions are a sign to show what will soon happen to them, for they will be driven into exile as captives.

“Even Zedekiah will leave Jerusalem at night through a hole in the wall, taking only what he can carry with him. He will cover his face, and his eyes will not see the land he is leaving. Then I will throw my net over him and capture him in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Babylonians, though he will never see it, and he will die there. I will scatter his servants and warriors to the four winds and send the sword after them.

Because the people of Israel  were rebels and were described by the Lord as having eyes and refusing to see and having ears but refusing to hear, the Lord had directed Ezekiel to publically carry out the actions of a person going into exile so that they could understand that they were going into captivity in the near future.

The object lesson was still not compreshensible to them so the Lord told Ezekiel to tell the people in plain language that the terrible judgement was about to befall them.

Amen.

2

OUR FATHER WHO COUNTERS FALSE PROPHETS

The book of Ezekiel chapter 11 verses 2 - 4 says this (NLT);

The Spirit said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who are planning evil and giving wicked counsel in this city. 

They say to the people, ‘Is it not a good time to build houses? This city is like an iron pot. We are safe inside it like meat in a pot.’

Therefore, son of man, prophesy against them loudly and clearly.”

This passage describes a journey that the prophet Ezekiel was taken on by the Holy Spirit.

On this journey, he was taken to the temple area in Jerusalem where he saw 25 prominent men of the city giving bad advice to the people.

The Spirit of God told Ezekiel that this counsel being dispensed by these men was wicked and wrong because they were telling people that they were safe in the city of Jerusalem because the city was like a pot and they were secure while they remained in it.

Because of this false advise that offered the people false comfort, the Spirit of God instructed Ezekiel to loudly and clearly prophecy against those 25 men because they were obscuring the fact that the invading army was shortly going to overun Jerusalem and destroy it and take the people as captives.

The Lord wanted to counter the false narrative that was being generated by the prominent people in the city and Ezekiel was the one to speak up against the evil deception.

Amen.

10

OUR FATHER WHO HAS DONE GREAT THINGS FOR US

Psalm 77 verse 10 says this;

Then I thought, “To this I will appeal: the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand.

The psalmist, in a time of distress, had called upon the Lord and Lord could not be reached.

The question that was posed was whether the Lord had abandoned him forever and would never reconnect with him again.

He was concerned that in anger, the Lord had brushed aside His compassion and would not feel mercy on him.

Reaching this point of dispair, it occured to the psalmist that he should try another tact to relate to the Lord

Instead of groaning and fearing, he would instead think of the astonishing things that the Lord had already done for him and for his people.

He would recall the great power that the Lord had displayed in their midst.

He would think of these things and as a result, he is not overwhelmed but rather is filled with faith and hope.

Amen.

3

 OUR FATHER WHO HEARS US

From Psalm 5;

Hear my cry, my God and King

For to You do I pray

With joy and reverence do I sing

For You have made a way

Lead me Lord in righteousness

Surround me with Your great love

In the morning hear my voice

I bow before Your temple above

8

OUR FATHER WHO MADE ALL THINGS

From Psalm 33;

Unto the Lord, sing joyfully

Make music to His name 

On harps and lyres play skillfully 

To Him who all things made

We wait in hope for our help and shield

In Him our hearts rejoice

For we trust in His holy name

May His love ever be with us

The word of God is right and true

The earth's full of His love

He promised He'd make all things new 

He's faithful in all he does

2

OUR FATHER WHO HEARS OUR PRAYERS

From Psalm 44 and Psalm 88;

Rise up oh God and rescue us

Because of Your unfailing love

For it is not by our strength Oh God

But by Your arm and Your light

You are the God who saved us

We call to You every day

May our requests come before You

Lord hear us when we pray

In God we  boast all day long

We lift our hearts together

In God we  boast in joyful song

We will praise Your name forever

3

OUR FATHER WHO REQUIRES SINCERE OBEDIENCE

King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that had vexed him so he demanded an interpretation  of the dream from the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers who served in his court.

The astrologers asked the king to tell them what the dream was about so that they could render an interpretation.

The king, responding to the request for a description of his dream, refused to tell it to them because he reasoned that whatever power the astrologers were going to invoke to interprete the dream would necessarily have to have access to the dream itself and therefore, failure to correctly identify the dream would be proof that their claim to have the ability to interprete dreams was fraudulent and thus punishable by death.

The astrologers, taken aback by the demand, again asked for the dream and the king's response is captured this way in the book of Daniel chapter 2 verses 8 - 9;

Then the king answered, “I am certain that you are trying to gain time, because you realize that this is what I have firmly decided:

If you do not tell me the dream, there is only one penalty for you. You have conspired to tell me misleading and wicked things, hoping the situation will change. So then, tell me the dream, and I will know that you can interpret it for me.”

King Nebuchadnezzar, determined to get  a legitimate interpretation of his dream, put the entire court of astrologers, magicians, enchanters and sorcerers into a crisis by pronouncing a death sentence over them if they failed to tell him his dream and its meaning.

Sometimes, when asked to do something by the Lord that we are reluctant to undertake, we sometimes drag our feet hoping that the delay will allow time for the situation to change and we can be let of the hook.

We avoid fulfilling the obligation quickly so that we can potentially get out of needing to execute the requirements without directly refusing to do so.

However, if Nebudchanezzar was able to perceive the motives of his astrologers and pronounce judgement on them, then the Lord is certainly able to detect the thoughts and intentions of our hearts and knows whether our responses are sincere. He is able to judge us accordingly.

Let us be prompt in fulfilling our obligations to the Lord and avoid slow- walking any of the requirements laid upon us.

As Deutronomy chapter 23 verse 21 says;

If you make a vow to the LORD your God, do not be slow to pay it, for the LORD your God will certainly demand it of you and you will be guilty of sin.

Amen.

OUR FATHER WHO GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON

Psalm chapter 71 verses 10 - 11 says this;

For my enemies speak against me; those who wait to kill me conspire together.

They say, “God has forsaken him; pursue him and seize him, for no one will rescue him.”

This passage is part of a Psalm that in many ways sounds like the words of the Lord Jesus when He contended with the political, religious and spiritual enemies towards the end of His earthly ministry.

These two verses foretel the time in Jesus' life when the pharisees and other religious leaders  were plotting together in order to discredit Him and kill Him. They even paid Judas 30 pieces of silver to help them find Him and identify Him.

During the time of Jesus' ministry, His enemies saw that His organization was small and because they felt that they had grounds to accuse him of blaspheme, they concluded that He could be easily disposed of with no repercussions. 

The psassage, in verse 11, foretels their reasoning, this way;

They say, “God has forsaken him; pursue him and seize him, for no one will rescue him.”

Jesus, to fulfil what He had been sent to do, gave Himself into the hands of those were conspiring to kill Him and they proceeded to have Him, an entirely sinless man,  executed as a  criminal and thus in this manner He died to pay for the sins of the whole world.

Amen.

OUR FATHER WHO IS THE JUDGE

The book of Ecclesiates chapter 11 verse 10 says this;

So then, banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of your body,  for youth and vigor are meaningless.

Aimed at those who are in their youth, this verse counsels us to remember that the energy and drive of youth are fleeting and in fact will be the basis on which we will be judged by God and so we would be wise to keep away from angst and stress. 

As well, we must not obsessively concern ourselves with our physical appearance and health for these things, when measured against the backdrop of eternity, are meaningless.

Amen.

2

OUR FATHER WHO CAN STOP THE WICKED

Psalm chapter 10 verses 3 - 5, captures the Psalmist speaking to the Lord and referring to an arrogant and wicked man who preyed on the weak while remaining confident that he would suffer no retribution. The passage says this;

He boasts about the cravings of his heart;

he blesses the greedy and reviles the Lord.

In his pride the wicked man does not seek him;

in all his thoughts there is no room for God.

His ways are always prosperous;

your laws are rejected by him;

he sneers at all his enemies.

This wicked man proudly announces the dark desires of his heart. He speaks highly of greed and shows contempt for the Lord.

Being proud, he never searches for God  and his mind has no consideration for Him.

He always pursues a path that yields the maximal benefit for himself even if doing so disregards the laws of God.

He feels indestructible and mocks those who challenge him.

For the grief and misery that such a man inflicts on the helpless, the psalmist calls on the Lord to stop the wicked man so that he never strikes terror into the hearts of men again.

Amen.

OUR FATHER WHO GIVES COUNSEL TO WHOMEVER ASKS

The book of Ecclesiastes chapter 9 verses 10 - 11 says this;

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.

I have seen something else under the sun:

The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.

The writer of Ecclessiastes, having reflected earlier on the fate of all men whether rich or poor, good or bad,  clean or unclean, concluded that they all end up in the same place from which no one is exempt namely, death, which renders all our activities meaningless.

However, in this passage, he counsels that inspite of  the certain fate we all face, whatever we find to do while we live on the earth, we should do it with all our strength and all our vigor because we can do these things only while we live. Once we cross into the realm of the dead, there is no work, no plans, no knowledge and no wisdom.

In considering the fate of mankind, the writer advises that, whatever our advantages are in this world, the swift, the strong, the wise, the brilliant and learned are subject to the same vagaries of time and chance as everyone else.

Amen.

4

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

2

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

2

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.

3

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.

3 

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.

1

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.

3

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.

5

OUR FATHER WHO IS GRACIOUS UNTO US

From psalm 67;

May God turn to us and be gracious

May He bless us and shine His face on us

That His ways may be known to every nation

So the whole earth would hear of His salvation 

May the people be glad and joyfully sing

May they ever praise their righteous and holy King

He rules in goodness, justice and equity 

May His grace be upon us for all eternity

4

OUR FATHER WHO HEARS MY CRY

From Psalm 6;

Turn, Lord, and deliver me

Because Your love remains forever

Lord hear my cry for mercy

By grace accept my humble prayer

Heal me Lord, I am in anguish

All night long I am in tears

O Lord, my God, don't let me perish

That I may ever proclaim Your praise

2

OUR FATHER REVEALS THE CORRUPT  MOTIVATION FOR THE PERPETUATION OF OPPRESSION AND INJUSTICE IN A KINGDOM

The book of Ecclessiates chapter 5 verse 9 says this;

The increase from the land is taken by all; the king himself profits from the fields.

The produce of agricultural land supplies sustenance for everyone but in kingdoms where oppression and injustice are found, a system of corruption has entrenched itself where the hierachy of rulership takes portions of the produce and the king himself, at the top, skims from everyone.

Tellingly, when there is a famine in the land, those who benefitted from the land when it was productive do not repay those from whom they took a portion.

In order to maintain this system that benefits those in political power, any people who object are oppressed and injustice is imposed and rights are denied to the poor to ensure that they perpetually supply the system with voiceless effort.

Such is the nature of corrupt kingdoms.

OUR FATHER WHO WARNS OF DOCTRINAL CORRUPTION

The book of 1 Timothy chapter 4 verses 1 - 3 says this;

The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 

Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. 

They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth.

The Apostle Paul, writing to Timothy, warns him that the Spirit of God had expressly warned of an approaching time when some people would turn away from the faith and begin to heed the leadings of deceiving spirits and the doctrines of demons.

The instruments through whom these false teachings come through would be lying hypocrites who had burned their consciences numb.

These fake teachers would spread wrong doctrines like forbidding people to marry and setting up  mandatory dietary restrictions which, in correct doctrine, do not apply to believers.

To avoid the infestations of these teachings that would lead people astray, Timothy was instructed by Paul to point these things out to brothers and sisters in Christ, to diligently watch his own life and doctrine and to set a good example for everyone in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.

As mentioned in 1 Timothy chapter 4 verse 16,

Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

Amen.

OUR FATHER WHOSE DAY OF VENGEANCE IS FORETOLD 

The book of Isaiah chapter 63 verse 4 says this;

It was for me the day of vengeance;  the year for me to redeem had come.

This verse, prophesied as the words of the Lord by prophet Isaiah, speaks of the day of retribution by the Lord.

The day had come when the nations would be trampled underfoot and when the winepress would be trodden in wrath. 

The appointed day of vengeance had arrived and with it also came the year of redemption. 

Amen.

1

OUR FATHER WHO SHOULD BE FEARED FAR MORE THAN MEN AND THE REALM OF DARKNESS

The book of Isaiah chapter 14 verse 17, referring to the king of Babylon and the spiritual king above that kingdom, describes what the former rulers of this world pondered as they watched him fall  into the pit after he had once made them all fear.  He was described as;

the man who made the world a wilderness, who overthrew its cities and would not let his captives go home?”

The rulers who looked upon the dreaded central figure of darkness while he entered the pit, are astonished at how fearful they were of him while he was tormenting them and yet here he lay, powerless in the face of the Lord as His body decayed among the worms. His judgment was heaped upon him without remedy.

We who live on the earth are innordinately fearful of men and the powers of darkness but these can only destroy the body. The scriptures say that we should instead fear the Lord our God much more as stated by the Lord Jesus in Mathew chapter 10 verse 28 which reads;

And fear not them that kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear Him that is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

 Amen.

2

OUR FATHER WHO WILL GATHER HIS PEOPLE

The book of Isaiah chapter 43 verses 4 - 6 says this;

Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life.

Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west.

I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’

Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth—

This passage records the Lord speaking to the children of Israel in loving and protective terms where He tells them that they are precious and honoured in His sight and that He loves them and He will protect them and redeem them.

The Lord tells them that He will gather the children from the far reaches of the earth back into the land of their inheritance.

In the subsequent verse 7, the Lord generalizes the group of people who are the children of Israel to include everyone who is called by the Lord's name whom He created for His Glory. It reads this way;

everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

The Lord will gather to Himself all His people and will shield them from floods and flames. 

Amen.

1

OUR FATHER WHO SHINES FORTH

From Psalm 50;

The Mighty One, God, the Lord,

Summons the heavens and the earth

From the rising of the sun

To where it sets again He says;

Gather to me this consecrated people

Who made a covenant with Me by my sacrifice

Giving offerings of thanks honors Me

And the blameless I will show my salvation

1

OUR FATHER WHO IS GREAT IN ZION

From Psalm 99;

The Lord reigns

Let the nations quake

He sits enthroned between the cherubim

Let the whole earth shake

Great is the One in Zion

Holy is the Lord

Let's worship at His holy mountain

Exalt our awesome God

See the great King He is mighty

In Him alone we trust

For the Lord our God He is holy

And All His ways are just

2

OUR FATHER WHO QUESTIONS CREATING AND PROMOTING THE USE OF IDOLS

The book of Isaiah chapter 44 verses 9 - 10 says this;

All who make idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless.

Those who would speak up for them are blind; they are ignorant, to their own shame.

Who shapes a god and casts an idol, which can profit nothing?

The Lord, in this passage, puts the idol making industry to shame. 

Those who make idols, as they try to confer value on the idols they make, are themselves rendered valueless.  They try to cherish worthless things and then try to induce other people to  value the things that are valueless.

Even the people who promote the adoption of these idols are blind and ignorant and bear their responsibility for doing so.

The question posed by the Lord  is, who, in their right mind would engage in such an enterprise which profits nothing?

Amen.

2

OUR FATHER WHOSE WORD DOES NOT RETURN TO HIM VOID

The book of Isaiah chapter 55 verses 10 - 11 says this;

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish,  so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth:

 It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire  and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

A word that is uttered by God purposefully goes out to achieve His will and intention.

 In the same way that rain falls from heaven and waters the earth and facilitates life to flourish and new seeds to be created and food for people to eat before evaporating back  to heaven, the word of God goes forth to cause life to spring forth in dry hearts and to be planted as seeds in the hearts of men to germinate in due time and to be bread as food for the souls of men.

The word of the Lord does not return to Him void but every place the word reaches, it fulfils its function and returns to the Lord.

Amen.

2

OUR FATHER WHOSE PEOPLE WILL BE PERSECUTED FOR HIS NAME'S SAKE

The book of Isaiah chapter 66 verses  5 -6 says this;

Hear the word of the Lord, you who tremble at his word:

“Your own people who hate you, and exclude you because of my name, have said,

‘Let the Lord be glorified,  that we may see your joy!’  Yet they will be put to shame.

This verse echoes the words of the Lord Jesus where He says in Matthew chapter 10 verse 22;

You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.

In Isaiah, the people who are persecuting God's people believe they are serving God by persecuting them. These, as the scripture says, will be put to shame.

Then, as verse 6 says, they will face judgement from the Lord;

Hear that uproar from the city, hear that noise from the temple!

It is the sound of the Lord repaying his enemies all they deserve.

Those who fought the Lord's people will face the anger of God as He metes out the judgement on those who persecuted His people and they will be put them to shame.

Have mercy on us O Lord.

Amen.

2 

OUR FATHER WHO CLEANSES HIS PEOPLE AND THEN PLACES THEM UNDER HIS PROTECTION

The book of Isaiah chapter 4 verse 4, from the Amplified version,  says this;

When the Lord has washed away the [moral] filth of the daughters of Zion and has cleansed the bloodstains of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning,

The verse then continues into verse 5 saying this;

then the LORD will create over the entire site of Mount Zion and over her assemblies, a cloud by day, smoke, and the brightness of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory and brilliance will be a canopy [a defense, a covering of His divine love and protection].

At the time when the Lord cleanses the people of Zion from their immorality and their bloodshed with a fiery judgement, He will  create a system of protection like the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night that went ahead of the people of Israel as they left the bondage of Egypt behind and travelled to the promised land.

The people of God who are admitted into the kingdom of Zion will reside on mount Zion and there, the Lord will make a protective shield so that they are secure forever dwelling on Mount Zion the mountain of God.

Psalm chapter 15 lists the type of people who will be able to live on the holy mountain of God.

It reads this way;

Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain?

The one whose 

1- walk is blameless

2- who does what is righteous, 

3- who speaks the truth from their heart; 

4- whose tongue utters no slander, 

5- who does no wrong to a neighbor, and

6- casts no slur on others; 

7- who despises a vile person 

8-but honors those who fear the Lord; 

9-who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and does not change their mind; 

10-who lends money to the poor without interest; 

11-who does not accept a bribe against the innocent. 

Whoever does these things will never be shaken.

Amen.

3

OUR FATHER WHO UPHOLDS US

From Psalm 41;

Praise be to my Lord 

The God of Israel

Raise me up

Don't let me fall

Have mercy on me Lord

Be pleased with my song

Uphold me in your arms 

Forever and amen

3

 OUR FATHER WHO REDEEMED US

From Psalm 107;

Let the redeemed  of the Lord say so

Tell of how He saved us from danger 

Give thanks to the Lord our God  

For he is good His love endures forever

Some of us were thirsty, hungry and lost

Others were chained in darkness, terror and loss

Some of us were wandering, couldn't find a home

Others were afflicted, oppressed and alone

Then He turned the desert into flowing springs

And this why my heart rejoices and sings

4

OUR FATHER WHOM WE EXTOL

From Psalm 105

He is the covering cloud by day

A fire of light at night

Glory in His holy name

Praise Him with all your might

Let's sing praises joyful praises

Proclaim the things He's done

Let's extol and exalt Him always

Our God of Abraham

Longer version

OUR FATHER WHO GIVES WISDOM TO ANYONE WHO ASKS

The book of Ecclesiates chapter 7 verses 1 - 7, dispensing words of wisdom,  says this;

A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth.

This verse teaches that a good name is more enduring than expensive perfume. It brings to mind the verse in Mathew chapter 26 verses 12 - 13, where a woman, overcome with remorse, breaks a jar of costly perfume over the Lord's body.  The Lord made this statement when the people around commented on her actions;

When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

This gesture of humble adoration is an illustration of how the woman was willing to expend a whole bottle of perfume in exchange for a good name for all the coming ages when the Lord Jesus declared that she would be remembered throughout the world because of her action.

The next section advises that we should give preference to somber and solemn events rather than events marked by laughter, feasting and pleasure.

It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of everyone;  the living should take this to heart.

Frustration is better than laughter, because a sad face is good for the heart. 

The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,  but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.

The counsel given is that the hearts of the wise gravitate towards occasions of mourning while the hearts of the foolish are drawn to occasions of pleasure.

The section that follows speaks to the value to our lives that the wise and the foolish bring.

It is better to heed the rebuke of a wise person than to listen to the song of fools.

Like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of fools. This too is meaningless.

These verses advise us that qualitatively, it is better to hear the rebuke of a wise man than to listen to the  song of fools. Even though a rebuke sometimes difficult  and even painful to receive, it profits us far more than to listen to a pleasant song of fools. The songs and laughter of fools bring no gain to our lives but are like thorns crackling in a fire where they burn away and amount to nothing.

This verse speaks of two ways that people can be induced to perform certain tasks or to overlook some activity. A person could be extorted or person could be bribed; 

Extortion turns a wise person into a fool, and a bribe corrupts the heart.

This insight given here is that if a wise man is subjected to extortion, he is turned into a fool because every option he has to choose between yields a bad result. 

On the other hand, if a wise man is offered a bribe and he accepts it, his heart will get corrupted in a way that shapes how he percieves himself and how he is perceived by other people.

Amen.