Category: The Joshua Code

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,  for they will be satisfied.” Matthew 5:6

Note that it is not those who are hungering and thirsting after happiness who are being satisfied. It is those who strive for the righteousness of Christ in their own lives. Soul satisfaction is something that only God can give. We live in a world where people hunger and thirst for fame, fortune, success, love, sex, or happiness. But we read about people all the time that have these but do not have what their soul really hungers for. That’s because they are looking for satisfaction in all the wrong places.

Until people look to God they will never find what they are looking for. And the theme song of their desperate lives will be the theme song of a generation past as expressed by Mick Jagger and The Rolling Stones… “I can’t get no satisfaction though I try and I try and I try and I try.”

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,  for they will be satisfied.”

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)

“And we know..”

This is a great promise for believers. But it is foolishness to those who do not believe – who see no real purpose in history and have no explanation for sudden death, sickness, or tragedy. It’s like a family secret that only the family of God can share together because intuitively, by the Spirit of God, we know that God has everything under control even when life seems out of control.

“all things work together for good”

This does not mean that everything that happens is good. However it does mean that God can take the good, the bad, and the ugly and work them together for our good and for His glory. The classic illustration goes like this:

You would never eat flour or shortening or baking soda by themselves. Each would taste very bad. But mix them all together in the right proportions under the supervision of a cook who knows what he/she is doing and you end up with yummy biscuits.

“to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose”

The promise is conditional. Believers understand that God’s ways are not our ways; His purposes are not our purposes. For example, His purpose for us is not to be happy but to be holy. Sometimes His purposes involve pain or persecution, or poverty. Those who love God and are called according to His purposes understand how these can be used of God to bring about His greater purpose of exalting His great Name.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. (Psalm 23:1)

Before David was ever a king, he was a shepherd boy in the fields of Bethlehem. Only a shepherd could have penned the depth of meaning we find in the six short verses that make up the 23rd Psalm. The first 5 words of verse 1 hold the key and form the foundation of the entire Psalm. These words tell us much about our relationship with this good and great Shepherd.

He is preeminent: “The LORD is my shepherd” – There is only one LORD! the Hebrew word translated LORD here in Psalm 23 is Yahweh. The Jews regarded this name as so holy, and stood in such awe of it, that they would not even speak it publicly. Thousands have given their lives through the ages because they insisted on the truth of these first two words in this Psalm, The LORD. They were convinced that Jesus was Lord and they would bow to no other. Our God is still preeminent. He is the one and only LORD!

He is present: The LORD IS my shepherd” – This is not past tense. It does not say, “The LORD was my shepherd.” He is present – “The Lord IS my shepherd. He is with us at this very moment to meet our present needs. Unlike other religions, we do not have a leader who has long since departed the scene. He is the great “I AM,” not the great “I WAS.” As David would later say in Psalm 46:1, “God is our refuge and our strength, a very present help in trouble.”

He is personal: “The LORD is MY shepherd” – There is a huge difference in saying “The LORD is a shepherd” and saying “The LORD is MY shepherd.” The fact that the God of the universe is concerned about me personally gives purpose and meaning to my short sojourn on this small planet hung in His vast expanse.

He is protective: “The LORD is my SHEPHERD” – The nature of a shepherd is to be protective. The shepherd keeps a constant vigil for wild animals or other dangers that might harm his sheep. A good shepherd goes after the sheep that stray from the fold. Without a shepherd sheep are virtually helpless. They are not prepared for flight or fight. They need the protective leadership of their shepherd. In John 10:11 Jesus says “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” 

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” Ephesians 2:8

Salvation Is God’s Work – Our salvation is NOT in response to any good works that we may or may not have done. The Father did not send the Lord Jesus to die for us because we kept begging and pleading with Him to do so.  It was by His grace alone.

Salvation Is God’s Work In God’s Way – Faith is the channel through which salvation flows from God to us. It is like an aqueduct through which the living water of God’s saving grace flows to us. No amount of human effort or good deeds or giving of our resources can buy God’s favor. It is, pure and simply, a gift. An incredible gift that is absolutely free. And yet it came at a great cost.

Salvation Is God’s Work In God’s Way, According To God’s Will – A look at verse 10 tells us that God has created us with indescribable  uniqueness and value. We have not improved ourselves by taking on a new set of morals and standards. We are new creations in Christ. The Christian life is not simply a changed life but an exchanged life.

When believers begin to understand the concept of GRACE, we go from being religious people who are trying to earn God’s favor through good works to being grateful people who live obediently and love lavishly in response to what He has already DONE!

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

My guess is that if you know any verse in the Bible then you know this one. But let the truth of what it says really sink in.

Salvation’s Cause – The motivating factor behind God’s redemptive plan is His love for us. And He not only loves us… He SO loves us. Have you grasped just how much you are loved by God?

Salvation’s Cost – Our salvation did not come without cost. Freedom is never free; it is always bought with blood. Our salvation came with a terrible and terrific cost: God GAVE! Have you pondered deeply what Christ did for you when He went to the cross on your behalf?

Salvation’s Condition – Salvation is not spelled “d-o”, but “d-o-n-e”. Salvation is already purchased for us with the blood of Christ. Our part is to believe – to transfer our trust from ourselves to His finished work on the cross: whosoever BELIEVES. Have you placed your faith in Christ and received  salvation and been adopted into His family?

We live in country of easy believism. I’m not sure that you can really believe in a way that saves you and sanctifies you UNTIL you 1) grasp how much you are “so loved” and 2) grasp what Christ really did for you on the cross.

Salvation’s Consequence – What a promise! We will not perish but will have ETERNAL LIFE. And not just eternal life but also abundant life while we journey through this world (John 10:10).

You can’t have a solid foundation without understanding this “brick”. Don’t let its familiarity keep you from thinking deeply about it and embracing the truths personally.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1

O.S. Hawkins’ says “The simple fact is that one’s worldview can be determined by one’s response to the first five words of the Bible…. If we believe these five words, then we will view our world through the lens of Scripture that does not change. If we do not, then we will continue to view our world through the lens of culture that continually changes.”

So what exactly is a worldview? A worldview comprises one’s collection of presuppositions, convictions and values from which a person tries to understand and make sense out of the world. It is basically a working philosophy of life.

Let’s take a quick look at these words…

“In the beginning” – Long before what we refer to as the “beginning”, the glory of God existed. “Now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had before the world was.” (John 17:5) We were created for the glory of God. Believing this should have a huge impact on our life.

“God” – This is the Hebrew word Elohim, which appears in its plural form – hinting to us in the initial verse of the Bible that God is pictured as three: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The doctrine of the Trinity is one of the great truths and great mysteries of the Bible. It is the Father’s creating work, the Son’s saving work, and the Spirit’s sanctifying work that enables us to know and enjoy Him.

“created” – The Hebrew word here carries with it the connotation that something is created out of nothing. The physical universe was spoken into existence by God Himself. We are not products of time and chance (evolution). We were created with intentionality and and for a purpose.

If this verse defines your worldview then you have the beginnings of a great foundation upon which to base your life brick by brick. If, however, you let the culture we live in define how you view the world then you are basing your life on shifting sand. And you would have good reason not only to worry but to be scared.