Malachi 4:2

But for you who fear My name (with awe-filled reverence) the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go forward and leap (joyfully) like calves (released) from the stall.  

When we revere the Lord, we will heed His word and lead in our lives. We will fear reverently for His teachings because we understand God and His ways. The Lord will protect us with His healing wings and keep us safe. God will bring joy to our lives as we follow Him and believe.

Proverbs 22:5

Thorns and snares are in the way of the obstinate (for their lack of honor and their wrong-doing traps them); He who guards himself (with godly wisdom) will be far from them and avoid the consequences they suffer.

When we keep our ears open and our hearts soft to hear direction from God, we avoid trouble. The trouble starts when we start to think we know better than God or we reason out the situation. Being stubborn shouldn’t be a point of pride because being obstinate toward God means we may get in the way of our breakthroughs.

Ezekiel 12:2-3

Son of man, you live among a rebellious house, who have eyes to see but do not see, who have ears to hear but do not hear; for they are a rebellious people. 

God’s commands of right and wrong are simple and easy to follow. When people rebel, they want something that is against those commands. They have closed off their ears to hearing the truth and stop recognizing evil. Pray for their repentance so their eyes can open and they can start to acknowledge the truth of Jesus.

Isaiah 60:1-2

Arise (from spiritual depression to a new life), shine (be radiant with the glory and brilliance of the Lord), for your light has come, and the glory and brilliance of the Lord has risen upon you. For in fact, darkness will cover the earth and deep darkness will cover the peoples; but the Lord will rise upon you (Jerusalem) and His glory and brilliance will be seen on you.

Now is the time to remind ourselves of God’s promises to His people. As Israel goes through this time of darkness, God reminds us that His light will come. God will protect and keep His people even through darkness. It is a time to draw nearer to God, look to His light, and focus on Him. 

Mark 2:17

When Jesus heard this, He said to them, “Those who are healthy have no need of a physician, but (only) those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners (who recognize their sin and humbly seek forgiveness).

Jesus was building a relationship with the sinner and making repentance approachable. Sometimes, a sinner may think their sins are too terrible to be forgiven, which is why Jesus came. Jesus creates a bridge to redemption, and salvation is not for the righteous few.  

Mark 1:23-24

Just then there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit; and he cried out saying, “What business do You have with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who You are- the Holy One of God!”

It is a blindness and rebellion not to believe that God exists and that Jesus is His son. The demons and unclean spirits knew Jesus as the Son of God. A man struggles because of a lack of knowledge, offense, or pride, which causes rebellion against God. God can still change man’s heart; we must keep praying for the lost.

Luke 8:14

The seed that fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, but as they go their way they are suffocated with the anxieties and riches and pleasures of this life, and they bring no fruit to maturity.

A line must be walked, and not letting the cares of this world choke out our hearing the word is one of them. If we are busy and can’t hear ourselves think, then any word from God doesn’t have a chance. What grabs and holds our attention will be the direction our heart goes.   

James 3:17

But the wisdom from above is first pure (morally and spiritually undefiled), then peace-loving (courteous, considerate), gentle, reasonable (and willing to listen), full of compassion and good fruits.  It is unwavering, without (self-righteous) hypocrisy (and self-serving guile).

The revelation wisdom from God and His word is pure for our hearts.  It is God’s truth for our lives and enables us to be peace-loving and avoid strife in our lives.  Wisdom doesn’t have an agenda and is not selfish but is for the elevation of our lives.  We can all have the wisdom of God; when we ask for it, God will give it to us freely.

Mathew 12:33,35

Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is recognized and judged by its fruit.  The good man, from his (inner) good treasure, brings out good things; and the evil man, from his (inner) evil treasure, brings out evil things.

Our spiritual life matters because what we believe, trust, and focus on we will express in word and deed.  That is why time matters when it comes to spending it on the word of God.  The word transforms any darkness and confusion into light and helps us walk as light.  

Daniel 7:17-18

These four great beasts are four kings who will arise from the earth.  But the saints (believers) of the Most High (God) will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, for all the ages to come.  

God had a plan for salvation, which means that God has always had a plan for us.  God’s plan existed clear back from Adam to Daniel to now and beyond.  It doesn’t matter what the world is doing. It matters what God has done and is doing now.   Our reassurance and safety come from God.