A is for All Things
By Mrs. Rick Jackson
A is for All Things!
PRAYER
As I was praying about where to begin our study for this year, and doing my personal Bible study, the Lord seemed to impress me with this thought about the recurrence in the Bible of “all things.” This phrase is found in the Old Testament nearly 50 times, with probably the most familiar verse quoted frequently this time of year: Jeremiah 17:9 – “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” In the New Testament, the phrase, all things, is found some 168 times, with a very familiar passage in Romans 8:28 – “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” So what is it we can learn tonight about all things?
- God is the Creator of All Things
It is the foundation of our faith to know and understand that the worlds were created by God. I love teaching this in Sunday School to our little ones before they are corrupted by school, which, believe me, happens all too quickly. But what about us? Have we been corrupted by the infiltration of the world around us? It is all too easy to be lazy and be influenced by the subtle teachings of evolution that is pushed at every corner. We must remember: “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” – John 1:3, and Colossians 1:16 & 17 – “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.” Acts 14:15 – “And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:” Finally, Revelation 4:11 – “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” We must remember all things were created by God. All things. Don’t let the influence of the world creep into your way of thinking. This is the foundation of our faith. All things were created by Him!
- God is the Giver of All Things
You know, I told you I’m in my second year of reading the Bible like reading books. It’s become an interesting study for me. Last year it was just a matter of sitting and reading a whole book of the Bible at one time. I would read it at once, but my absorption was not necessarily matched to the achievement of completing the task. This year, I know I’m up to the task, now I’m able to retain more as I read. This month I read 1 Chronicles and instead of finding it a challenging task, I found it to be fascinating! 1 Chronicles is filled with the details of the Israelites fulfilling David’s dream of building a temple for the Lord. It was in David’s heart for so long to have a permanent place to worship the God he so loved, but, you’ll remember, the Lord denied David this honor, reminding David that he had been a man of war. So David had to sit back and watch as Solomon, his son, took on the task of gathering the materials and making all things ready to build this wondrous place of worship! In 1 Chronicles 29, David now is near the end of his life, well aware that his days are numbered, but he sees that his son is doing a good job, the nation that he has ruled is willingly and happily up to the task of making all things ready. They’ve all contributed the things necessary to make this beloved project come to pass and this is what David says shortly before Solomon is crowned king, beginning in verse 10, “Wherefore David blessed the LORD before all the congregation: and David said, Blessed be thou, LORD God of Israel our father, for ever and ever. (11) Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all. (12) Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. (13) Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name. (14) But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee. (15) For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding. (16) O LORD our God, all this store that we have prepared to build thee an house for thine holy name cometh of thine hand, and is all thine own. (17) I know also, my God, that thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of mine heart I have willingly offered all these things: and now have I seen with joy thy people, which are present here, to offer willingly unto thee. (18) O LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their heart unto thee: (19) And give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart, to keep thy commandments, thy testimonies, and thy statutes, and to do all these things, and to build the palace, for the which I have made provision.
You see, David knew, that even though the people had contributed from what they had, all that they had was given to them of God. All that we have, all that you see around you here tonight, was given to us from God. We must never forget – God is the Giver of all things!
Because of that, it behooves us always, to be thankful! Ephesians 5:20 -- Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
- Jesus Christ Knows All Things
It’s a simple truth, but we sometimes live our lives as though we’ve forgotten: Jesus knows everything about us! When Jesus spoke with the woman at the well and witnessed to her, she slowly realized that He knew everything about her! She didn’t reveal her whole life to him, but it was clear to her that He already knew. Let’s look at John 4:7 together, because I think this one is so much better read than paraphrased by me:
(7) There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. (8) (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) (9) Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. (10) Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. (11) The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? (12) Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? (13) Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: (14) But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. (15) The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw. (16) Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. (17) The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: (18) For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly. (19) The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. (20) Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. (21) Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. (22) Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. (23) But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. (24) God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. (25) The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. (26) Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he. (27) And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her? (28) The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, (29) Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?
How many times have we acted like we were all alone? Like no one knew us? Or we felt that way? Now be honest! We’re all women here – I know how we get! I feel that way at times! No one understands me! My husband doesn’t get it! I have no one to talk to. We all get frustrated. Am I right? We live that way and we call ourselves Christians and we read our Bibles and right in front of us is the answer! Jesus knows every part of us! Is not this the Christ? Do we believe this? Come, see a man which told me all things that ever I did! Jesus knows every fiber of our being, every thought, right or wrong, every care, every wounded spirit. Do we “cast all our cares on Him?” Have we truly tried to do so, or would we much rather try to get sympathy from others? 1 Peter 5:7 -- Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Let’s trust the One who knows all things!
- The Holy Spirit Teaches All Things
If we keep our hearts and minds in tune to the Holy Spirit, we will have what we need when we need it. It’s a simple, but often overlooked truth. Matthew 21:22 -- “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” Mark 9:23 -- “Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.” Mark 10:27 – “And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.” John 14:26 – “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” 1 Corinthians 2:10 – “But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.”
- “All Things” Guides Our Way of Living
As I was searching the Scriptures, I noticed that there were quite a few in the New Testament which actually guide us in a positive path of living the way of ALL THINGS:
Matthew 7:12 – “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.”
Matthew 19:26 – “But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.”
2 Corinthians 5:17 – “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
Colossians 3:20 – “Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.”
This, by no means, exhausts the verses of “all things,” but it is “food for thought.” Let us remember that A is for All Things! Jeremiah 42:5 says, “Then they said to Jeremiah, The LORD be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not even according to all things for the which the LORD thy God shall send thee to us.” May that be our prayer tonight.
No comments:
Post a Comment