That I May Know Him

This is an excerpt from Day by Day by Grace Bob Hoekstra

To live by grace, one must trust in the Lord. David urged others to trust in the Lord. "Trust in the LORD…feed on His faithfulness…Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him" (Psalm 37:3, 5). David himself trusted in the Lord. "In God I have put my trust." Part of trusting in the Lord involves holding His word in an exalted place (trusting in it, honoring it, praising it). David proclaimed, "I will praise His word." This is an inherent part of living by grace, since it is "the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance" (Acts 20:32).

God's word is so trustworthy, so praiseworthy. David proclaimed the unique character of God's word, which gives the word its incomparable effectiveness. "The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul" (Psalm 19:7a). God's word is fully sufficient. The Lord has left nothing out of it that we need for spiritual development. Therefore, it can transform lives into what God wants them to be.

Furthermore, "The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple" (Psalm 19:7b). The Scriptures are absolutely reliable. They provide God's indisputable insights into life on earth, as well as necessary preparation for heaven. Consequently, they bring the Lord's wisdom to those who humbly admit that they need it.

Additionally, "The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart" (Psalm 19:8a). The Bible alone is irrefutably correct. Man's perspectives, opinions, systems, and theories are riddled with inaccuracies and fallacies. What a joy this brings to the inner man, knowing that there is a place to find the Lord's absolute realities..

Moreover, "The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes" (Psalm 19:8b). God's word is holy and untainted. Man's words are polluted with sin and self and all sorts of unrighteousness. When people feed on the contaminated words of humanity, their eyes become dull and lifeless. Contrastingly, when the words of the Lord are consistently taken in, one's eyes shine with heaven's light.

Upon consideration of the unparalleled character and ability of God's word, it is no surprise that the Spirit of God inspired David to exclaim, "You have magnified Your word above all Your name."
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So when I read this it brings so much peace to me,and I hope I can live it and that it becomes alive in me,the very nature of Christ.
But this word is so true, and when I read this it reminded me of a song my family sings when we get together, it is melody with the word of God. You cant help from closing your eyes and softly sing this word it is precious all together . The lord showed me his word the spoken word is like a force an invisible yet present force standing all about us it stands with Gods life in it, ready to perform upon our declaration of Faith in it. This word is sure and steadfast to us and for us, Jesus when he was at the weakest time of his life, the forty days of fasting just before he began his ministry. The devil came, not at the beginning, but at the end when he was weak from lack of food and water, Isa 58:5 KJV - Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? [is it] to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes [under him]? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD?
Isa 58:6 KJV - [Is] not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? and his flesh was suffering. The devil came to him, the same devil that comes to us in our weakest times,it may be physical weakness it may be when your faith is being tried but he wants to take you when you are at a very low point. The carnal man is very demanding he demands you serve him first,when you neglect him he will let you know. The word says that the flesh is against God, Jam 4:4 KJV - Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. It is very plain here is it not, So then we say why did God make us this way, great question think that if God is and he will share his glory with no MAN then it means our father has a great plan for us. Rom 9:17 ASV - For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, For this very purpose did I raise thee up, that I might show in thee my power, and that my name might be published abroad in all the earth.
Rom 9:18 ASV - So then he hath mercy on whom he will, and whom he will be hardeneth.
Rom 9:19 ASV - Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he still find fault? For who withstandeth his will?
Rom 9:20 ASV - Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why didst thou make me thus?
Rom 9:21 ASV - Or hath not the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor?
Rom 9:22 ASV - What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering vessels of wrath fitted unto destruction:
Rom 9:23 ASV - and that he might make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy, which he afore prepared unto glory,
Rom 9:24 ASV - [even] us, whom he also called, not from the Jews only, but also from the Gentiles? The word said God formed Adam from the dust of the earth and so we to after Adam are made in the likeness of his flesh, the word says where Adam brought death to this flesh, Christ brought the spirit of life to the soul. we shall never die in our spirit but this old man has an appointment to keep. Flesh and blood will not enter the kingdom of God, but a mans spirit will live for ever it will never die your spirit or soul will never die, so where will it live in the end of time, eternity. Is there a hell is there a place of judgment for those that do not believe his word. When people question this they don't believe the word of God, they do not know the word therefore they don't believe . Jesus spoke many times of the coming judgments coming upon this earth. So when the word calls us to attention and demands us to commit ourselves to this word, Gen 3:1 ASV - Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which Jehovah God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of ANY TREE of the garden? To listen to the devil is where Eve went wrong 2Cr 10:5 KJV - Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
and then to converse with him is where she fell, He is the father of lies
Gen 3:2 ASV - And the woman said unto the serpent, Of the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat: Doubt was already creeping in, he twisted the word of God and put doubt in her
Gen 3:3 ASV - but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. The word of God says only of one tree do not eat. God said they could eat from any tree but one including the tree of life, why do you suppose they never got around to the tree of life why would they not partake of this tree,I think because the devil told her that she would be wise if she ate from the tree of knowledge, and so it was, it was about her and her flesh not God. There is remedy here for us, Jesus spoke to the devil in the day of his fast, but he spoke only the word of God it is written he spoke only the word of God. The only thing the devil has in common with us is our flesh, it is his tool to destroy us, He cannot stand light the light of Gods word, this word makes him run, this word makes him flee. Jam 4:7 ASV - Be subject therefore unto God; but resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Have you ever wondered why the people in the old testament never fought against the devil ,they never resisted this devil that we know about. Why because they were a living example in their flesh, they were living out the life of Gods people in the future. So when you read it again (the old testament) they were fighting in the flesh the things we fight in the spirit, types and shadows of the new. They were fighting against their wills, their own flesh, to surrender, to believe and submit to Gods word. Their lives were contrary to what God said. So they were actually fighting their own flesh.I hope I do not lose you or confuse you. 1Jo 2:15 ASV - Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1Jo 2:16 ASV - For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the vain glory of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
1Jo 2:17 ASV - And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. The Jordan was a crossing over from the old to the new, the water was a separating of the flesh and the spirit, God told Joshua to take twelve stones out of the Jordan, the water of separation, twelve men twelve stones, the men represents the apostles and the true doctrine, the gospel of Christ. and the stones was Jesus, the rock of offense, the stone of stumbling , they walked through the water out of the flesh and into the spiritual world. Jericho is a type of our flesh a strong city a fortified city. A city God said to destroy completely (David had to destroy Goliath a type of OUR flesh, and cut off its head,denying our self and putting on the mind of Christ, having the mind of Christ, his very nature. The word says for the perfecting of the saints, Through this glorious word we CAN BE MADE PERFECT in Christ.) everything must die. He told Joshua not to take anything out of this city but the gold and silver and these things had to be sanctified by fire and cleansed , Gold is a type of God and silver is a type of the blood of Christ and brass is a type of man. No man must bring anything out of the city but the precious metal .And it belonged to God. So now we come to Achan the sin of Achan Jos 6:21 ASV - And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, both young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword. Rom 8:13 ASV - for if ye live after the flesh, ye must die; but if by the Spirit ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live. Gal 5:19 ASV - Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]: fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Gal 5:20 ASV - idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousies, wraths, factions, divisions, parties,
Gal 5:21 ASV - envyings, drunkenness, revellings, and such like; of which I forewarn you, even as I did forewarn you, that they who practise such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
The sword is the word of God Hbr 4:12 ASV - For the word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and quick to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart. We can see here than that Achan represents our flesh the carnal man in us, Jesus says to lose our life now if we are going to find our life in the end. Sin and disobeying the word of God is the devoted things in our life's. God gives us the gold and the silver and we give it back by laying down our life's to him Rom 12 :1-2. There is a devoted thing in the midst of thee, O Israel; thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the devoted thing from among you. Read this passage and see the whole story, Jos 7:24 ASV - And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the mantle, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them up unto the valley of Achor.
Jos 7:25 ASV - And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? Jehovah shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones; and they burned them with fire, and stoned them with stones. Because of Achans sin thirty six men died and all of Achans house everything he had was burned and stoned. Luk 20:17 KJV - And he beheld them, and said, What is this then that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner?
Luk 20:18 KJV - Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
Jos 7:13 ASV - Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow: for thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, There is a devoted thing in the midst of thee, O Israel; thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the devoted thing from among you. With sin in our life we can not defeat the enemy , sin is disobedience to the whole word of God. I know salvation is a walk, we walk daily in the truths that God gives us, he sent his word to heal us.And he is just 1Jo 1:7 ASV - but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
1Jo 1:9 ASV - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
And we walk by faith that he is faithful and he will see us through if we remain faithful 1Th 5:24 ASV - Faithful is he that calleth you, who will also do it.
2Ti 2:13 ASV - if we are faithless, he abideth faithful; for he cannot deny himself. So Jericho is a type of our flesh and Achan is a type of our old sinful nature. And God took them out of the wildness and into the promise land Rom 9:24 ASV - [even] us, whom he also called, not from the Jews only, but also from the Gentiles?
Rom 9:25 ASV - As he saith also in Hosea, I will call that my people, which was not my people; And her beloved, that was not beloved. We must conquer the land ( our flesh) and take possession of our promised land the perfection through Christ. This water called Jordan went all the way back to a city called Adam the washing water of the word. He has made us a way of escape Jos 3:16 ASV - that the waters which came down from above stood, and rose up in one heap, a great way off, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan; and those that went down toward the sea of the Arabah, even the Salt Sea, were wholly cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho. By faith Rahab saved her life and her family's , but Achen through disobedience lost his life and his whole family's life's.
Jam 4:7 ASV - Be subject therefore unto God; but resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
1Jo 2:16 KJV - For all that [is] in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. The Spirit of God inspired David to exclaim, "You have magnified Your word above all Your name."
Hbr 10:22 ASV - let us draw near with a true heart in fulness of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience: and having our body washed with pure water,Rom 6:5 ASV - For if we have become united with [him] in the likeness of his death, we shall be also [in the likeness] of his resurrection;
Rom 6:6 ASV - knowing this, that our old man was crucified with [him], that the body of sin might be done away, that so we should no longer be in bondage to sin;

Isa 62:12 ASV - And they shall call them The holy people, The redeemed of Jehovah: and thou shalt be called Sought out, A city not forsaken.

Hsa 2:23 ASV - And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them that were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, [Thou art] my God.
GOD BLESS YOU ALL