By His Spirit - Daily Watchword

God is Before Us and Behind Us

nospam@example.com (Rev. Bevon White) — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 18:41:05 -0700

The Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard. Isaiah 52:12

Isaiah speaks of Israel’s redemption from captivity by the Babylonians. This involves their return to Jerusalem and their reuniting with the brothers and sisters there. The history of Egyptian captivity and their redemption is drawn upon as a reminder of the power of the God they served. There was no reason to doubt the ability of God. Rather Israel could begin to rejoice and worship because all the nations around would witness God at work on their behalf. God would lead them out of captivity and reunite them with the land of promise. They could go n confidence knowing that He who led them also had their backs. They were fully protected.

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Comfort Makes a Difference.

nospam@example.com (Rev. Bevon White) — Wed, 22 May 2013 20:04:01 -0700

The Lord has sent me to comfort all who mourn. Isaiah 61: 1, 2.

Bombing, shooting, kidnappings and tornadoes are but a few of the disastrous ways in which lives have been lost or adversely affected in recent times. We face disasters daily, some as acts of nature and others as acts of human beings. Often we are unsure how to respond to these many occurrences. People will turn to God for answers and for comfort or will simply turn away from God and what God offers. The word of God offers a source of comfort for those who mourn during these times. Isaiah 61 is the sixth of the “Servant Songs” of Isaiah. It helps in the understanding of the Servant’s role and the results of his ministry. The servant is sent by God as a comforter for all who mourn. Jesus would own this role at the beginning of his public ministry in Luke 4. "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." Luke 4: 21. Not only did Jesus identify himself as the servant but also those to whom he would minister; the poor, the broken hearted, the captives and those that mourn.

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God’s Faithfulness and Man’s Wickedness.

nospam@example.com (Rev. Bevon White) — Wed, 15 May 2013 19:34:48 -0700

You have been just in all that has come upon us, for you have dealt faithfully and we have acted wickedly. Nehemiah 9: 33.

This chapter of Nehemiah displays a good understanding of the story of the Hebrew people, especially as recorded in the Old Testament. Its focus is the life of the people of God and God’s involvement in it as well as their response this leading. The passage calls for a response from the hearers and readers. When we understand the workings of God in our lives, we are left with no choice but to respond in praise. Not that we are forced into it, but that God’s actions towards us pulls praises out of us. Our text comes in a section (v 5 – 37) which some regard as the longest prayer in the Bible while others see it in the same light as the Psalms. The writer highlights God’s faithfulness of the past toward His chosen people and begins to look to the future with hope. There is confidence and hope that the God who has brought then through the past of their lives will be faithful to them for the future. Any failure has not been God’s but theirs.

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Meditate On God’s Word.

nospam@example.com (Rev. Bevon White) — Wed, 08 May 2013 16:43:58 -0700

I’m back! Finished my course (Seminary that is) and will graduate on Saturday. We will continue to meet for Tuesday’s Meditations. For those who do not know, I am now serving as Pastor of Faith Moravian Church of the Nation’s Capital, Washington DC. Continue to pray for me as a new stage of life and ministry is entered into.

You shall meditate on the book of the law day and night, so that you may be careful to act in accordance with all that is written in it. Joshua 1:8

To meditate in a Christian manner is to reflect on, or to contemplate. It is deep thinking on spiritual matters. The process of meditation involves reflection, theologizing, questioning, and studying. Today when we speak of meditation we think of it as belonging to other religions. When we read the Bible however we come across the term meditate fourteen times and meditation six times (King James Version).
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Time to Trust God!

nospam@example.com (Rev. Bevon White) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 10:04:28 -0700

The Lord is the strength of His people. Psalm 28: 8

Psalm 28 is described as a ‘prayer for help and thanksgiving for it’ by an individual (believed to be David) who is being persecuted in some way by members of the community. The individual also prays that the judgment that God will bring against the community will not affect him or her in any way. There is the feeling that this judgment is not only deserved, but certain to take place, hence the thanksgiving when it does happen. Friends there are times when we as Christians are on the receiving end of persecution by the community we serve. In these last days the church has been the most peaceful in her history, pursuing peaceful ways of witnessing, and being more involved in assisting individuals to get a better quality of life. At the same time, there is a heightened level of persecution by those who would rather have a churchless society. I don’t believe that it is the church that people are against. It is the Christian morals and principles that have become problematic in a world that is driven by self-indulgence and gratification.

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Happiness is Forgiveness.

nospam@example.com (Rev. Bevon White) — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 05:06:43 -0700

Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Psalm 32:1

Churches today seem to be offering so many paths to true happiness. For some true happiness comes through financial well-being. For others it comes through doing good to others, especially those who are less fortunate, and far away. Still for others it comes through a particular denomination or a way or place of worship. We have been led to believe that if we follow he teachings of our denominations then all will be well with us. That should be so, denominational teachings have been known to move away from Biblical principles. Today’s text then is a pleasant reminder of what it truly takes to bring long and lasting happiness.

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…And To Walk Humbly With God!

nospam@example.com (Rev. Bevon White) — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 18:27:45 -0700

He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8

The Lord’s requirement of us is what is good. Nothing less is being asked for. To live a life in pursuit of justice and mercy can be time consuming and demands everything one has to give. Many however will happily do this with no remorse because it gives a good feeling to do justice and to be kind. Often we become so focused on the justice and kindness aspects of service that we totally forget or neglect the final part of Micah’s statement. ‘and walk humbly with God’. The importance of this part of the statement can be so easily overlooked. Some may see it as separate and apart from the rest of it, as something else that you do.

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Half-Truths and False Hopes.

nospam@example.com (Rev. Bevon White) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 19:50:15 -0700

From the least to the greatest of them, everyone is greedy for unjust gain; and from prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely. They have treated the wound of my people carelessly, saying, “Peace, peace,” when there is no peace. Jeremiah 6:13-14

Jeremiah peered over the edge of the gulf created between his people and God. It was a giant wound that they thought to cover with a quick fix. They had forgotten God and turned to their own desires. Sadly even those authoritative figures in the church are indicted of this sinfulness. Even sadder was the fact that these unfaithful people were full of false hope. Jeremiah pointed out to them that the approaching Babylonian army was God’s hand against them for their evil deeds. They would pay dearly for their sin. Nothing they sought to do at this last moment would help. Last moments can help in some cases, but I wouldn’t advise anyone to wait for the last moment when it comes to securing their salvation. Half-truths bring false hope and lead to certain disappointment and disruption.

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Give God His Accolades.

nospam@example.com (Rev. Bevon White) — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 18:24:13 -0700

I am the Lord your God, who teaches you for your own good, who leads you in the way you should go. Isaiah 48: 17

Israel had been in exile in Babylon for a long time (some sources say 52 years others 70). Finally, after all that time away from their homeland there is news of a gentile king, Cyrus the Great, who is about to liberate them from Babylon. Babylon had been their punishment, and now Persia would be their liberation. God lets them know however that in the same way that Babylon was His tool in punishing them, so also Cyrus was His tool in liberating them. They may be hailing Cyrus as their liberator, but they were not to forget to whom was due the ultimate praise. I watched part of the Grammy Awards on Sunday and something dawned on me. It was reflective of how our society has changed. I remember as a child watching the Grammy’s and those who were awarded would have a long list (sometimes written out) of the people they wanted to thank. I remember that most would go through the list and would close by giving thanks to God. Do you remember those days? That has changed today.

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Let Others Know That You Know!

nospam@example.com (Rev. Bevon White) — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 21:34:25 -0700

I will sing of your steadfast love, O Lord, forever; with my mouth I will proclaim your faithfulness to all generations. Psalm 89: 1

Psalm 89 is attributed to Ethan the Ezrahite. Ethan is a good name, meaning strong and optimistic, solid and enduring, one who will stay the whole course or who will always be there, the strong one. By the time of Solomon he had gained a reputation as a wise and Godly man. Only Solomon was reputed to be wiser than Ethan. [1 Kings 4: 31 For he was wiser than all men, than Ethan the Ezrahite]. I believe that this was the grandson of Judah, in 1 Chr. 2. He is listed among his brothers as wise men. It is fitting friends that this wise, godly man, whose name described him as one who was dependable, would point to God as faithful and steadfast.

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Channels of God’s Blessings.

nospam@example.com (Rev. Bevon White) — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 20:47:21 -0700

God is with you in all that you do. Genesis 21:22

Today’s text is a statement made by Abimelech as he approached Abraham to form a covenant between their two families. Abimelech was a king of the Philistines. Abraham settled outside of Gerar, his city, and told them that Sarah was his sister. The king took her and wanted to marry her but God intervened on Abraham’s behalf and Abimelech sought to make amends with Abraham by giving him many gifts. Abimelech was guided by the fact that in everything that happened it had become evident to him that God was on Abraham’s side. He had learnt that when God is on someone’s side there was nothing anyone could do to harm them or to derail God’s plan for them. Paul puts it beautifully in Romans 8: 31 If God is for us, who can be against us?’

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Do Good!

nospam@example.com (Rev. Bevon White) — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 16:18:20 -0700

Learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed. Isaiah 1: 17.

The last phrase of the verse before our text tells us: ‘Cease to do evil.’ It’s one thing to stop doing something that we know we shouldn’t be doing but something totally different to replace it with the right thing. This is the call of the watchword. Do not only stop doing what is evil but instead begin to do what is good. That is the result of the transformation we should go through. We stop doing what is evil so that we can begin to do what is good. The mistake that is often made is that we stop doing evil and become idle. There is a need for us to be always doing. Do good, seek peace and show mercy. Doing good is a learning process. We become better at it the more we do it. It is important to be conscious of the reason for doing good. This will help us to do the best we possibly can. Doing good should become second nature to every child of God. should not be a duty but our nature.

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The Law is Good, but Grace Abounds.

nospam@example.com (Rev. Bevon White) — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 20:51:34 -0700

By the ordinances of the Lord is your servant warned. Psalm 19: 11

Laws are important to every society. Each has its own sets of rules and regulations which keeps it going. They serve the purpose of warning would be offenders of the possible consequence to them of breaking the law. They therefore set the boundaries for acceptable behavior in any society. Obedience to the law will always lead to limited harm to others. In our text, the Psalmist is more than pleased with the laws of God. They reflect God’s perfection and are perfect in themselves. In other words, the person who is able to follow the laws of God to the letter will be a perfect person. It would be easy to think from this that God’s purpose for giving the laws is to make us perfect. That however was not the case. God’s laws are a warning to God’s people. Blessings follow the obedience of the laws and curses follow its disobedience. (Deuteronomy 28)

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Tough Times Demand Tough Praying.

nospam@example.com (Rev. Bevon White) — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 20:44:35 -0700

You, O Lord, are in the midst of us, and we are called by your name; do not forsake us! Jeremiah 14:9

There is a well-known saying that ‘tough times demand tough people’. The text speaks of the reaction of the prophet Jeremiah to a severe drought that the Israelites were experiencing. The devastation of the drought led to the suffering of the people. They had lost their comfort and the pleasures they so loved. The prophet Jeremiah takes onto himself the responsibility of intercessor for the people. When the going gets tough, the tough gets going. Jeremiah does hard or tough praying for the people of Israel. Jeremiah’s prayer is what is described as a tough prayer and it served the purpose of inspiring the people to pray for themselves.

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Happy 2013!

nospam@example.com (Rev. Bevon White) — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 08:04:48 -0700

Happy new year to you! May this 2013 be a prosperous year to you and yours. Thanks for allowing these weekly reflections into your sacred space. I pray they have added to the sacredness of the moment as you read and reflect. Continue to pray for me even as I pray for your blessings and continued sustenance. From my home to yours, my family to yours, a happy and blessed new year!

Today’s Watchword: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear. They will say of me, “In the Lord alone are righteousness and strength.” Isaiah 45:23-24 (NIV)

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