Learning to Give Thanks

Posted on December 12, 2018 by Tim Farley

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Reading the Word

Psalm 136:17–26 (ESV)

17 to him who struck down great kings,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
18 and killed mighty kings,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
19 Sihon, king of the Amorites,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
20 and Og, king of Bashan,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
21 and gave their land as a heritage,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
22 a heritage to Israel his servant,
for his steadfast love endures forever.

23 It is he who remembered us in our low estate,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
24 and rescued us from our foes,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
25 he who gives food to all flesh,
for his steadfast love endures forever.

26 Give thanks to the God of heaven,
for his steadfast love endures forever.

Understanding and Applying the Word

In verses 4-9, we are told to give thanks to God who is our Creator. In verses 10-16, we are reminded that it was God who led the Hebrew people out of slavery in Egypt. And now, in verses 17-26, we are called on to give thanks to the Lord because he brought the people into the Promised Land and conquered the powerful kings who resided there.

This psalm reflects on the history of the nation of Israel in the Old Testament. However, it also speaks of to Christians today. We should give thanks to God who is our Creator. He is also the one who has delivered us from slavery to sin and death through his Son, Jesus Christ. And he has promised that we will inherit the true promised land, a new heaven and new earth where sin and death will be no more. We will dwell in that land for all of eternity and the Lord himself will be there with us. We have much to be thankful for!

**Shaped by the Word is a daily Bible reading devotional. Please use the links at the bottom to subscribe to this page. You can also share this post with your friends through social media using the buttons below. Thanks for reading!

Let Creation Rejoice

Posted on September 1, 2018 by Tim Farley

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Reading the Word

Psalm 98:7–9 (ESV)

⁷ Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who dwell in it! ⁸ Let the rivers clap their hands; let the hills sing for joy together ⁹ before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.

Understanding and Applying the Word

All of creation is called on to sing for joy. This includes the sea, the rivers, the hills, and all of the world and those who dwell in it. This means all of creation, including mankind. Why? Because the Lord comes to judge the earth with righteousness and equity.

The Bible tells of a day when God will judge the world. In that day, sin will be dealt with once and for all and will be no more. God’s people, who have repented of their sin and trusted in Jesus Christ, will then dwell with him forever. When we speak of our eternal home with God, we often refer to it as “heaven”. We might even imagine a cloudy scene with angels and harps. The Bible has a different picture for our eternal home. It is described as a “new heaven and new earth”. It is a new creation without sin and its consequences. This is why all of creation joins in singing for joy in this psalm. All of creation rejoices at its release from bondage to the curse of sin (Romans 8:21). We look forward to that day when we will inhabit a new creation without sin. What a joyous day that will be!

Glorious Things of You Are Spoken

Posted on August 1, 2018 by Tim Farley

Reading the Word

Psalm 87:1–7 (ESV)

¹ On the holy mount stands the city he founded; ² the Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwelling places of Jacob. ³ Glorious things of you are spoken, O city of God. Selah ⁴ Among those who know me I mention Rahab and Babylon; behold, Philistia and Tyre, with Cush— “This one was born there,” they say. ⁵ And of Zion it shall be said, “This one and that one were born in her”; for the Most High himself will establish her. ⁶ The Lord records as he registers the peoples, “This one was born there.” Selah ⁷ Singers and dancers alike say, “All my springs are in you.”

Understanding and Applying the Word

This psalm pictures a day when not only Israel, but all the nations, look to Zion (i.e. Jerusalem) as their spiritual home. Jew and Gentile alike look to the city and speak glorious things about it. Even nations that were the enemies of the Jewish people are listed: Rahab (i.e Egypt), Babylon, Philistia, Tyre, and Cush (i.e. Ethiopia). When the people are registered, it will be recorded “This one was born there,” to show that they are all the people of God.

Scripture tells us of a day when all the nations of the earth will gather in the New Jerusalem and worship God. Those who have trusted in Jesus Christ will be counted among the people of God. Those who belong to God will be bound together by their shared faith. Even now, we get a glimpse of this future when we look at the Church, which is made up of every nation, tribe, and tongue. What a beautiful city God is building!

Better Is One Day in Your Courts

Posted on July 26, 2018 by Tim Farley

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Reading the Word

Psalm 84:9–12 (ESV)

⁹ Behold our shield, O God; look on the face of your anointed! ¹⁰ For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. ¹¹ For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. ¹² O Lord of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you!

Understanding and Applying the Word

There is a well-known Christian song based on this psalm called Better Is One Day. The chorus takes the words of verse 10: “Better is one day in your courts, better is one day in your house, better is one day in your courts than thousands elsewhere.” The song, as well as the psalm, reflect on the supreme value of living in the presence of the Lord. Nothing else even comes close!

There is nothing this world has to offer that is of greater value than knowing the Lord. He is better than fame and fortune. He is better than beauty and power. Let us seek him while there is still time and let us savor his goodness as we wait to dwell in his presence for eternity.

Wait for the Lord

Posted on February 19, 2018 by Tim Farley

Reading the Word

Psalm 27:7–14 (ESV)

⁷ Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me! ⁸ You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, Lord, do I seek.” ⁹ Hide not your face from me. Turn not your servant away in anger, O you who have been my help. Cast me not off; forsake me not, O God of my salvation! ¹⁰ For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in. ¹¹ Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies. ¹² Give me not up to the will of my adversaries; for false witnesses have risen against me, and they breathe out violence. ¹³ I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! ¹⁴ Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

Understanding and Applying the Word

What do you do when the world has turned on you? What if even father and mother turn on you (v. 10)? In this psalm, David calls out to God to not cast him away. He can bear all others turning on him, but not God. It is God’s face that David seeks. That is the one thing that he cannot bear to lose.

Like David, those who trust in God and long to see him will. God has promised that those who trust in his word and place their faith in Jesus Christ will have eternal life in the presence of God. Just as David says “I believe I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living”, believers today can confidently say the same. So, when the world is turned against us, let us remember that it is God’s face that we seek above all else and let us wait for the Lord who promises to save his people.

The New Jerusalem

Posted on December 29, 2017 by Tim Farley

Reading the Word

Revelation 21:9–21 (ESV)

⁹ Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” ¹⁰ And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, ¹¹ having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. ¹² It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed— ¹³ on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. ¹⁴ And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. ¹⁵ And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. ¹⁶ The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia. Its length and width and height are equal. ¹⁷ He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel’s measurement. ¹⁸ The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, like clear glass. ¹⁹ The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, ²⁰ the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. ²¹ And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

Understanding and Applying the Word

John is now transported to a high mountain where he gets a spectacular view of the new Jerusalem coming down from heaven to the new earth. The city is described as being beautiful and glorious, reflecting the glory of God. It is large and well-protected.

The vision of the new Jerusalem is a picture of God’s people living together in community in the presence of God. They are protected from the presence of sin and evil and the community lives in the presence of the glory of God. Such an amazing vision!

All Things New

Posted on December 28, 2017 by Tim Farley

Reading the Word

Revelation 21:1–8 (ESV)

¹ Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. ² And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. ⁴ He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” ⁵ And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” ⁶ And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. ⁷ The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. ⁸ But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

Understanding and Applying the Word

As we near the end of the God’s word, we are reminded of the beginning. Genesis 1:1 tells us that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. We are also told that God looked at all he had made and declared that it was “very good” (Genesis 1:31). Everything was as it was supposed to be.

However, in Genesis 3 things change. The first man and woman rebel against their Creator and eat of the forbidden fruit. As a consequence of their sin, suffering and death entered into God’s good creation. Through the rest of Scripture we read of God’s plan to deal with the sin of mankind and to redeem his creation.

When we get to Revelation 21, we see the end result of God’s redemptive plan: a new heaven and a new earth. A new creation where sin is no more. There is no more suffering and death. There is no more separation from God. He dwells with his people and will be with them forever! What an amazing thing to think about as we await that day!

Satan Thrown Down

Posted on December 13, 2017 by Tim Farley

Reading the Word

Revelation 12:7–12 (ESV)

⁷ Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, ⁸ but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. ⁹ And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. ¹⁰ And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. ¹¹ And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. ¹² Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”

Understanding and Applying the Word

One question the interpreter must answer about this passage is if it describes a future or past event. If past, this is a description of the original upheaval in heaven when Satan and his followers were cast out. From that time on, they work to deceive mankind.

Many, if not most, would interpret this passage as speaking not of Satan’s original fall, but of a future battle against the forces of heaven. In this view, Satan and his followers wage one last battle in heaven, but are defeated and cast out of heaven completely. However, Satan and his followers then work furiously to disrupt things on earth.

This passage tells us that Satan, the accuser of believers, will one day be defeated. He will have a time when he disrupts the world, but his time is short. God will end his ways once and for all at a future date and Satan and his angels will be cast into the lake of fire (cf. Revelation 20:7-10). God’s plans are set and the deceiver of this world’s days are numbered. Let us rejoice in that truth!

Shaped by the Word

A Bible Reading Devotional

Tag Archives: Heaven

Learning to Give Thanks

Let Creation Rejoice

Glorious Things of You Are Spoken

Better Is One Day in Your Courts

Wait for the Lord

The New Jerusalem

All Things New

Satan Thrown Down

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