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Day 4 – God of Sacrifice, God of Reward, God of Mercy

I AM GOD OF SACRIFICE

1 Corinthians 10: 13

"No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also
make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it."

Isaiah 30: 18

"Therefore the LORD will wait, that He may be gracious to you; and therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait
for Him."

Nelson's Bible Dictionary

"Those sentenced to death on a cross in the Roman period were usually beaten with leather lashes-a procedure that often resulted in severe loss of blood. Victims were then generally forced to carry the upper crossbeam to the execution site, where the central stake was already set up.

After being fastened to the crossbeam on the ground with ropes-or, in rare cases, nails through the wrist-the naked victim was then hoisted with the crossbeam against the standing vertical stake. A block or peg was sometimes fastened to the stake as a crude seat. The feet
were then tied or nailed to the stake.

The recent discovery near Jerusalem of the bones of a crucifixion victim suggests that the knees were bent up side by side, parallel to the crossbeam, and the nail was then driven through the sides of the ankles. Death by suffocation or exhaustion normally followed only after a long period of agonizing pain."

Matthew 10:38-39

"And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it."

Mark 10:21

"Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, 'One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me."'

Luke 14:27

"And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple."

Philippians 2:8-11

"He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord ... "

Colossians 2: 14

"And [Jesus] has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross."

I AM GOD THE REWARD9+0

Genesis 15: 1

"After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, 'Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward."'

2 Corinthians 12:9

"My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness."

2 Corinthians 12: 1 0

"Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

Hebrews 11:6

"But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."

Below are a number of verses from the Bible which outlines exactly how God interacts with us.
Read each of the passages below, and then write a one-word description of the reward each one presents us. Don't just write the word; really think about what the reward might represent.

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning." (James 1: 17)

REWARD:

"Then Amaziah said to the man of God, 'But what shall we do about the hundred talents which I have given to the troops of Israel?' And the man of God answered, 'The LORD is able to give
you much more than this."' (2 Chronicles 25:9)

REWARD:

"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over." (Psalm 23:5)

REWARD:

"A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon." (Song of Solomon 4: 15)

REWARD:

"Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: 'I am the LORD your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way you should go."' (Isaiah 48:17)

REWARD:

"In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you." (John 14:2)

REWARD:

"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him." (James 1 :5)

REWARD:

"The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to turn one away from the snares of death." (Proverbs 14:27)

REWARD:

God of Mercy

God’s mercy is one of the most powerful themes running through the Bible. God is not sometimes full of wrath and at other times full of mercy showing kindness to those who do not deserve it. God is always merciful. He is rich in mercy.

Matthew 5:7 "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. ESV

Luke 6:35-36

But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. 36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. ESV

Proverbs 19:17

Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed. ESV

Matthew 23:23-24

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. ESV

Psalm 145:8-9

The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made. ESV

Psalm 116:5-7

Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; our God is merciful.

The Lord preserves the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me.

Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you. ESV

2 Samuel 22:26-28

"With the merciful you show yourself merciful; with the blameless man you show yourself blameless; with the purified you deal purely, and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.

You save a humble people, but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them down. ESV