Vaclav's blog

In 2 Corinthians 1:12 - 2:4 Paul explains why he hasn't come to visit the Corinthians yet. His reason being is God's timing, and not wanting to come and cause them more pain over the painful issue they have been dealing with in the church. But Paul is so wise, and so passionate for the Corinthian church to grow through this hard time, that he digresses into a beautiful spiritual talk about God's faithfulness and his "Yes" to us in Christ Jesus, to do in us what God has promised to do.

In verses 18-21 we read -

James, the brother of the Lord, is writing to Christians scattered everywhere, who are in "trials of various kinds". At the beginning of the letter in verses 2,3 we read -

2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,
3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Faith is dependence, leaning, resting on another, our precious Lord Jesus. We run as a child to its parent, and stay safe.

In 2 Chronicles 30, Hezekiah summons the people of Israel and Judah, to come and celebrate the Passover together. It has been a long time since the people obeyed the LORD in keeping this ordinance. Passover was to be kept perpetually as a reminder of God's deliverance of Israel form the slavery in Egypt.

I was reading 2 Chronicles 28-29. Very sad at times to read about the kings of Judah and Israel. Sometimes a good king/father is not a guarantee for a good/God fearing son. But sometimes bad king will have a good son.

Like here in this passage, Ahaz did evil in burning his sons as an offering to idols. God chastised him in letting king of Syria to defeat him. So, Ahaz became distressed, angry and spiteful against the LORD, and setting up idols all over Jerusalem he provoked the LORD to anger against himself and the people.

In 1Timothy 1:12-17, Paul gives us a snapshot of his testimony, and his praise to God's saving mercy to him, for our encouragement -

12 "I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service,
13 though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief,
14 and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

In Hebrews 12:1-13 the Jewish Christians were encouraged not to grow weary or fainthearted in their trials and suffering, since they were surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, but mainly Jesus, who endured the cross, and such hostility from sinners.

But all this, is explained as the Heavenly Father's loving discipline for his own.

Therefore, we are not to be weary when reproved by him.

The reasons are these:

vs. 5,6 - his discipline is for those he LOVES.

vs. 7,8 - his discipline is only for his SONS.

"Absence of occupation is not rest. The mind that's vacant is a mind distressed". (William Cowper)

4 “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

In Ezra 7:9c we read -

"...for the good hand of his God was on him."

It is God's goodness/kindness that leads us to repentance. And it is the the same goodness of God that keeps us fixed on God. And knowing the goodness and the fear of the Lord we long to tell/teach others to know and serve our good and righteous God.
But two things MUST be in place, before one can teach God's people with God's blessing and power.

In Ezra 9:5-9 we read -

5 And at the evening sacrifice I rose from my fasting, with my garment and my cloak torn, and fell upon my knees and spread out my hands to the Lord my God,
6 saying:“O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens.

In 2Corinthians 7:8-13 Paul writes -

8 For even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it though I did regret it, for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while.
9 As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us.
10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.