Salt & Light Blog

Psalm 40 Your Life is a Testimony to Your Lord.

6/30/2015

Psalm 40

One of the few Christianese sayings I like says, “If you were arrested for being a Christian would there be enough evidence to convict you?” I hope that anyone, especially a lost person who looks at my life for more than five minutes would conclude that I am a Christian, or at the very least there is “something” different about me. Of course there are times when someone looking at me or listening to me would conclude that I’m as lost as the next guy. But you and I, Brother we are supposed to look, sound, and act like Jesus. We are filled with the Holy Spirit and He should be conforming us to Christ’s image. Our lives are supposed to bear witness to Him by the traits we call the fruit of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-23).

David agreed and this Psalm of praise to The Lord speaks about it as well. Children of God, trust Him and wait patiently for Him instead of struggling without Him. Verses 1-2 read,

“I waited patiently for the Lord;
    he inclined to me and heard my cry.
2 He drew me up from the pit of destruction,
    out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
    making my steps secure.”

God is our rock, our foundation, and our cornerstone. He rescued us from Hell and He gives us a new and solid path to walk as we follow Him. Our salvation alone is reason enough to praise Him for eternity. In our new state of grace, He even gives us the praises to sing to Him and the way to worship Him. Just as we read yesterday in James 3:5-12 the tongue is powerful. And one of the most powerful things it can do is praise God, not only in private or in church but always. People hear us praise The Lord and He uses our praise to call the lost to Him. Verses 3-5 puts it like this,

“He put a new song in my mouth,
    a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
    and put their trust in the Lord.

4 Blessed is the man who makes
    the Lord his trust,
who does not turn to the proud,
    to those who go astray after a lie!
5 You have multiplied, O Lord my God,
    your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;
    none can compare with you!
I will proclaim and tell of them,
    yet they are more than can be told.”

Our lives are testimonies to our souls. Our lives lived following Jesus, anointed by the Father, and filled with the Spirit testify to the beauty of God. He gives us peace and joy. He blesses us, provides for us, and showers us with good gifts. People notice, particularly when we relish and use the gifts God gives. We are not meant to keep our salvation to ourselves. We are not meant to hoard His gifts and not share them with the world. Those gifts and blessings have purpose. When we use them we get more. When we exercise them, they grow. I used to long for the gift of prophecy. So I prayed and asked The Lord to grant me that gift. He had given me the gifts of encouragement and discernment. And I recognized those gifts and used them often. So my Father, The Creator of the Universe gave me the gift of prophecy, and I exercise it often. I use it to encourage people. It has grown in me. God gave me a message the other night for a woman who was visiting our church while on vacation. It moved her. She was in awe of God and His love. Whatever that word meant to her, God used it to move her toward healing her broken heart. Had I kept that gift to myself, she may have left the church in the same state she entered.

Christianity is not like other religions. It is not about rituals, rules, and rigidity. It is a relationship with the Lord God Almighty. It is about love, receiving God’s love, reciprocating that love, loving others as He loves us, and emanating His love in tangible and purposeful ways. One of my favorite verses is Hosea 6:6, Jesus quoted it at least twice (as recorded in Matthew 9:3 and 12:7 and ). It says,

“For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,
    the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.”

Salvation doesn’t come from following rules or performing rituals. Salvation comes from faith. It comes from, The Father’s call to us, The Son’s sacrifice for us, and The Spirit’s conforming us. All you have to do to be saved is acknowledge that you have done wrongs in your life, repent (regret and stop) from those wrongs, and ask Jesus to forgive you and be your Lord. There is nothing else required. Once you do that you are brought into a relationship with God Himself and He nurtures it as you submit to Him. We change because God changes us. We are new creations, born again spiritually. We no longer have to live like we did before. Verses 6-8 read,

“In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted,
    but you have given me an open ear.
Burnt offering and sin offering
    you have not required.
7 Then I said, “Behold, I have come;
    in the scroll of the book it is written of me:
8 I delight to do your will, O my God;
    your law is within my heart.”

We just can’t keep that awesome gift to ourselves! God is great! God is love! God is good! We are meant to tell people with our mouths, hearts, and actions. Verses 9-10 say,

“I have told the glad news of deliverance
    in the great congregation;
behold, I have not restrained my lips,
    as you know, O Lord.
10 I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart;
    I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation;
I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness
    from the great congregation.”

We aren’t perfect. We are still going to slip up but we are forgiven. We have The Lord’s grace and mercy. He sees us as righteous, sets us apart as holy, and uses us to call others to Him.

But we will not go through life without suffering. In fact, some people will hate us merely because we are called by Jesus’ name and filled with His Spirit. The spirit of the enemy cannot abide the Holy Spirit of God. The enemy gets upset when we live our lives as a testimony to God. He doesn’t want to lose more souls to Heaven. But in Christ we are protected, sealed, and delivered from the enemy. The more he tries to hurt us, the more we know we are living boldly for Jesus. We can have faith in our Lord. Verses 11-15 read,

“As for you, O Lord, you will not restrain
    your mercy from me;
your steadfast love and your faithfulness will
    ever preserve me!
12 For evils have encompassed me
    beyond number;
my iniquities have overtaken me,
    and I cannot see;
they are more than the hairs of my head;
    my heart fails me.

13 Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me!
    O Lord, make haste to help me!
14 Let those be put to shame and disappointed altogether
    who seek to snatch away my life;
let those be turned back and brought to dishonor
    who delight in my hurt!
15 Let those be appalled because of their shame
    who say to me, “Aha, Aha!”

Remember Believer, You are God’s child with all the privileges and honors that entails. You can live your life confidently and courageously but not arrogantly. Without Jesus you are destitute. Without the Spirit you are a sinner. Without the Father you are an orphan. David says it this way in verses 16-17,

“But may all who seek you
    rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who love your salvation
    say continually, “Great is the Lord!”
17 As for me, I am poor and needy,
    but the Lord takes thought for me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
    do not delay, O my God!”

So ask yourself that question today, “if you were arrested for being a Christian would there be enough evidence to convict you?” Do you sing a new song? Are you a new creation? Do your actions speak of Jesus? Do you love others as Jesus loves you? Are you filled with the Spirit and do you emanate love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control?

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Psalm 39 Be Mindful of Your Short Life

6/29/2015

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Psalm 39

Recently my pastor encouraged the church to be mindful, to be aware and present during all activities during the day whatever it is we do, be it driving, washing dishes, or drinking and eating so that we could worship The Lord in everything and through everything. So as I drink my tea I think about the tea, the satisfaction of it, and the source of it. I reflect about how thankful I am to have this tea and the time to enjoy it. And I praise God for my morning, my tea, and my life. This is one way to making one’s life a life of worship.

This mindfulness or awareness not only leads believers to a life of worship it also helps us to walk in the Spirit rather than the flesh. Attentiveness to our deeds helps us to choose right over wrong, good over bad, virtue over sin. This Psalm of David encourages us to be alert to our actions and walk. Verses 1-3 read,

“I said, “I will guard my ways,
    that I may not sin with my tongue;
I will guard my mouth with a muzzle,
    so long as the wicked are in my presence.”
2 I was mute and silent;
    I held my peace to no avail,
and my distress grew worse.
3     My heart became hot within me.
As I mused, the fire burned;
    then I spoke with my tongue:”

The tongue is one of the most powerful tools we possess. With that tongue we can praise the Lord, we can bless, testify, and encourage, or we can curse, hate, and destroy. James 3:5-12 says,

“So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.”

Most of my sins occur via my mouth. David was aware of that same problem, so his wise choice and good advice was to not speak when he was in the midst of his enemies. He wanted to stay silent in his ire rather than let loose, sin, and give those witnesses pleasure over his iniquity.

It wasn’t easy. He burned with a desire to answer them, to defend himself, and to pay them back with the kind of pain they inflicted on him. He knew what was right and he wanted to tell them, even though he knew they wouldn’t hear it. He wanted to shame them the way they shamed him. But he knew that would lead to sin. It would lead to destroying his testimony to the goodness, greatness, and awesomeness of The Lord.

But he was human and he let go and satisfied the burning desire of the flesh and sinned. He wasn’t patient enough to wait on The Lord for his justice. In his repentance God reminded him how short our time in this earth is. We live only 120 years at the longest, most never get close to that age. That is nothing compared to eternity. A year or a decade may seem eons to us, but they are specks compared to forever. God is bigger than time. He made time. He has already been to the future. He has already conquered the enemy. When we choose not to give in to temptation we are trusting God to be God for us. Verses 4-6 read,

“O Lord, make me know my end
    and what is the measure of my days;
    let me know how fleeting I am!
5 Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths,
    and my lifetime is as nothing before you.
Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! Selah
6 Surely a man goes about as a shadow!
Surely for nothing they are in turmoil;
    man heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather!”

When we look at our lives in comparison to eternity it becomes easier to let God be God. Vengeance belongs to Him. (Deuteronomy 32:35). He vindicates us. (Psalm 17:2). He is our Salvation, our Refuge, and our Strength. We are free to rest in Him. It is in leaning on Him, waiting on Him that our lives testify to Him, our Peace and our Joy, even through the worst of suffering. Verses 7-11 read,

“And now, O Lord, for what do I wait?
    My hope is in you.
8 Deliver me from all my transgressions.
    Do not make me the scorn of the fool!
9 I am mute; I do not open my mouth,
    for it is you who have done it.
10 Remove your stroke from me;
    I am spent by the hostility of your hand.
11 When you discipline a man
    with rebukes for sin,
you consume like a moth what is dear to him;
    surely all mankind is a mere breath! Selah”

David’s failures, his sin ate at him. He became physically ill because of the turmoil his sin caused him. The Lord’s conviction and discipline caused him deep sorrow. He didn’t wallow in the conviction, though. He let the discipline teach him. He knew The Lord was still his Hope and Deliverer. He praised God for forgiving him, instead of cursing God for chastising him. He recognized that the correction he got was not the punishment he deserved. He allowed discipline to lead him to repentance. Verses 12-13 say,

“Hear my prayer, O Lord,
    and give ear to my cry;
    hold not your peace at my tears!
For I am a sojourner with you,
    a guest, like all my fathers.
13 Look away from me, that I may smile again,
    before I depart and am no more!”

Discipline is not fun. It causes sorrow in us. But we don’t stay stuck in the muck of misery. We let God convict us and we repent. We make amends and we learn. And the next time we are faced with that temptation, we are stronger for it, we can use God’s strength and we can choose to trust God rather than sin. And though discipline is not fun we can rejoice in it, because we know The Holy Spirit is growing us to be more Christ-like. We know it is for our good. We know Discipline means our Father loves us. We know that discipline results in a richer life, treasures for this life and treasures in Heaven. Proverbs 3:11-14 says,

“My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline
    or be weary of his reproof,
12 for the Lord reproves him whom he loves,
    as a father the son in whom he delights.

13 Blessed is the one who finds wisdom,
    and the one who gets understanding,
14 for the gain from her is better than gain from silver
    and her profit better than gold.”

My precious loved brothers and sisters I encourage you today to let God be your Defender, keep silent rather than open your mouth and sin. I encourage you to pay attention to your life and live a life worship. I encourage you to be aware of your walk to avoid sinning. I encourage you to take note and appreciate God’s chastisement and grow.

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Psalm 38 The Memorial Offering and the Burden of our Sin

6/28/2015

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Psalm 38

David wrote this penitent psalm as song to be sung for the memorial offering. The memorial offering was the part of the grain offering brought to The Lord voluntarily to show devotion to Him. While most of the grain offering was given to the priests to eat, the memorial offering was burned on the altar as a pleasing aroma to The Lord. (Leviticus 2). It was not an offering to pay for sin, it as an offering of gratitude, devotion, and praise. Every week an offering was made of twelve loaves of bread and placed in the tabernacle as the showbread. Each week a portion of the grains and oil used to make those loaves was burnt as a memorial to The Lord. (Leviticus 24). These offerings, both the grain offering and the showbread were offerings which resulted in fellowship, an invitation to friendship with God and unity among His people. Today we still practice this offering as The Lord’s Supper.

When coming to The Lord for fellowship, when faced with the magnificence of who He is, David felt the weight of his sins on him. Today, when we come before the Lord to share His Communion, Lord’s Supper, or Love Feast, whichever name you give it, we too contemplate the greatness of our sins and our knowledge that we deserve punishment for them but because of God’s wonderful grace we are forgiven. Verses 1-4 read,

“O Lord, rebuke me not in your anger,
    nor discipline me in your wrath!
2 For your arrows have sunk into me,
    and your hand has come down on me.

3 There is no soundness in my flesh
    because of your indignation;
there is no health in my bones
    because of my sin.
4 For my iniquities have gone over my head;
    like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me”

Our sins are too numerous to count. It is in our nature to respond by the flesh and therefore respond with sin. When we lean on ourselves we tend to sin. We consider ourselves before our neighbor, we lie, we covet, we curse, and we steal. But before each offering to the Lord, David and all of Israel considered their sins and confessed them to God. The only way to achieve a relationship with God is through a blood offering. Before Christ came, Israel had to make offerings regularly from sin offerings to forgive their iniquities to grain offerings for worship. But in the new covenant we have Jesus, our Savior whose one sacrifice is sufficient to forgive all our sins, past present and future. We have The Holy Spirit in us and we can respond with God’s nature rather than our own. We remember Jesus’ sacrifice by practicing the Lord’s Supper often. We memorialize that awesome gift of grace to us. Our sins separate us from The Lord and from one another. Sin is harmful to the unity we experience with God and with the body of Christ. Verses 9-11 read,

“O Lord, all my longing is before you;
    my sighing is not hidden from you.
10 My heart throbs; my strength fails me,
    and the light of my eyes—it also has gone from me.
11 My friends and companions stand aloof from my plague,
    and my nearest kin stand far off.”

Today we ponder our sin because we know there is no way we can pay the debt ourselves, and it gives us great reason to praise the Lord. Jesus gave us peace with God. We reflect on our sin, not because we need forgiveness but because of the rift it causes between us. Paul wrote to the church in Corinth exhorting them to take the Lord’s Supper more seriously. 1 Corinthians 11:17-26 reads,

“But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. 18 For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part, 19 for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized. 20 When you come together, it is not the Lord's supper that you eat. 21 For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk. 22 What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, I will not.

23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”[ 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

Paul then gave the church instructions on how they should conduct themselves during this memorial offering to The Lord. 1 Corinthians 11:27-32 reads,

“Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord.28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. 31 But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.”

Just as David weighed his iniquity then, we still judge ourselves, we pray and ask the Lord to reveal our sin and divisions to us. And we do something about it. Jesus talked about the memorial offering this way in Matthew 5:23-24,

“So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”

We are not good people. We have no goodness, except what is given to us by God. It is the Father who chooses us, Jesus who gives us His righteousness, and the Holy Spirit who cultivates His nature in us. Every time we have the Lord’s Supper, our memorial offering, we remember that it is by Jesus’ sacrifice that we have peace with God and unity with our brothers and sisters. Without God we are bereft, orphans with no Father, Husband, or brothers. We are destitute sinners. We recognize that with each confession of sin. We don’t confess in order to gain forgiveness but to acknowledge and appreciate the miracle of salvation. We confess in order to bring our sins to the light and therefore stop them. Verses 15-18 read,

“But for you, O Lord, do I wait;
    it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer.
16 For I said, “Only let them not rejoice over me,
    who boast against me when my foot slips!”

17 For I am ready to fall,
    and my pain is ever before me.
18 I confess my iniquity;
    I am sorry for my sin.”

Confession is another way we achieve unity and help one another. How can we pray for one another well if we don’t know each other’s needs? James 5:13-16 says it like this,

“Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”

It is the true Love of the Lord that even in His perfection and holiness that He saves us, forgives us, brings us near to Him, and cultivates us to be holy like Him. David acknowledged that in verses 21-22.

“Do not forsake me, O Lord!
    O my God, be not far from me!
22 Make haste to help me,
    O Lord, my salvation!”

Have you ever conceded your sin and confessed them to The Lord? Have you ever asked for His forgiveness and Salvation? If not, I encourage you to do so right now. Ask Him to be the Lord of your life. Give Him your burdens. Ask Him to remove your sin and make you a new person, born again as His beloved holy child. If you are unsure what to do or say I encourage you to contact me or a Believer you trust for help. Then find a Bible believing Spirit filled, Jesus preaching church and become a part of it.

Believer, do you take seriously the Lord’s Supper, remembering what Jesus did for you? Do you weigh the heaviness of your sins and praise God they are not your affliction any longer? Do you confess your sins to your brothers and sisters? I encourage you to do so.

The Salvation of the Lord is yours for the asking. The Salvation of the Lord is yours for the living.

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Psalm 37 The Righteous Have Eternity, the Lost have Only This Life

6/27/2015

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Psalm 37

Does it sometimes seem like bad people have all the good stuff? They get rich. They have cushy lives and everything they want is theirs, even if they have to break the backs of the poor to have it. Believer, you do not have to want what they have. What we have is so much better. Verses 1-4 read,

“Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
    be not envious of wrongdoers!
2 For they will soon fade like the grass
    and wither like the green herb.

3 Trust in the Lord, and do good;
    dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

Exodus 20:17 tells us,

“You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.”

Those evil people do not have eternal life. All the joy they will ever experience will be during their 120 years on earth, and most of them won’t ever get to a full 120. David encourages us, not to concern ourselves with all they have but instead continue trusting God, living the life He has ordained for us and remaining faithful. He says that when we enjoy our relationship with The Lord, He’ll give us the desires of our hearts.

So does that make you ask why you aren’t driving a Maserati, living in a 16 room mansion with a super-model spouse and 2.3 perfect children? Are those really the desires of your heart if you are seeking God with all your heart? The desires of the heart of a person who delights or relishes, savors, and basks in The Lord doesn’t seek worldly material satisfaction. She seeks a closer relationship with God. She wants to be more like Jesus. She would like to commune closely with The Holy Spirit. She yearns for the Kingdom of God to be bigger. She desires God’s will on earth as it is in Heaven. And our Loving Father fulfills those wishes gladly and plentifully for His children who truly appreciate the greatness of it.

If we don’t yet have that full Spirit filled, Jesus glorifying life, David says, don’t worry, commit yourself to The Lord, stay faithful, and wait for Him. He will make you more like Jesus and He will not only align your will and His but fulfill that will. Verses 5-7 put it like this,

“Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him, and he will act.
6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
    and your justice as the noonday.

7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
    fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
    over the man who carries out evil devices!”

We do not have to stoop to hurting other people to get material gain. We don’t ever have to envy the wicked. We should really pity them. They only have this lifetime to enjoy, we have eternity. They only have themselves to count on, we have The Lord God Almighty. David tells us not to bother getting angry. He says not to throw wrath out the window. The acts of those people will be punished, they will be cut off from The Lord eternally when they die. But we will have eternity to bask in His love and worship Him. We won’t even remember the lost. Their lives will be as if they never happened. (Verses 8-11).

The wicked hate us. They judge us as hypocrites and constantly accuse us of being judgmental. They do that because their moral codes are based on lies, they don’t know any better. While they attack and constantly try to hurt us as they charge us with hatred and prejudice, we don’t have to fight back or defend, because God’s got this. We don’t have to fight them because we know that even through their schemes, assaults, and hatred, God loves them and wants them to know Him. We can love them and pity them because if they never humble themselves to acknowledge what Christ did for them, they will die and go to Hell forever separated from the perfect redeeming love of God.

There is nothing to be envious of. We do not have to covet what they have, because it is all temporary. We can revel in the greatness of what we have in Jesus. Verses 16-20 read,

“Better is the little that the righteous has
    than the abundance of many wicked.
17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
    but the Lord upholds the righteous.

18 The Lord knows the days of the blameless,
    and their heritage will remain forever;
19 they are not put to shame in evil times;
    in the days of famine they have abundance.

20 But the wicked will perish;
    the enemies of the Lord are like the glory of the pastures;
    they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.”

As long as we put our trust in God rather than money, as long as we lean on the Lord’s strength rather than our own, as long as we have faith in Jesus’ righteousness instead of our feeble attempts we do not need to covet the wealth or power of men. This life is short. It is temporary. It is a tiny speck in the eternal timeline of God.

There is hope for the lost as long as they breathe. They can turn to Jesus, they can repent, and they can have the hope of eternity. How will they ever know unless our lives exemplify our Lord? Verses 27-31 read,

“Turn away from evil and do good;
    so shall you dwell forever.
28 For the Lord loves justice;
    he will not forsake his saints.
They are preserved forever,
    but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.
29 The righteous shall inherit the land
    and dwell upon it forever.

30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,
    and his tongue speaks justice.
31 The law of his God is in his heart;
    his steps do not slip.”

Our concern with the wicked should not be with why they have “everything.” We know they don’t, because they do not have Jesus. They watch us, they look for any chance to prove us evil. Because they keep so close an eye on us, we can let our lives be a testimony to the greatness, goodness, and love of God. It isn’t we who should envy them, it is they who should want what we have. Verses 32-34 put it this way,

“The wicked watches for the righteous
    and seeks to put him to death.
33 The Lord will not abandon him to his power
    or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial.

34 Wait for the Lord and keep his way,
    and he will exalt you to inherit the land;
    you will look on when the wicked are cut off.”

The wicked may be at war with us, but our war is not with them, it is with Satan. The Lord of Hosts, Jesus Christ leads the fight. We are safe against every attack in Him, our refuge. He already won the war and one day, Satan and all those who follow him, ignorantly or not will perish with him. Verses 37-40 say,

“Mark the blameless and behold the upright,
    for there is a future for the man of peace.
38 But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed;
    the future of the wicked shall be cut off.

39 The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
    he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.
40 The Lord helps them and delivers them;
    he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
    because they take refuge in him.”

What are the desires of your heart? Do you want your children to be known for their faith? Do you want The Kingdom of God to expand? Do you want to be like Jesus? Do you want your life to be pleasing to The Lord? God will give you all that and more. That is so much better than a mansion built on the backs of the poor. Eternal life begins now and it surpasses the temporary pleasures of this world. Don’t hate the evil, instead pity them and love them enough to follow Jesus and be like Jesus. They have nothing worth your envy. You have everything worth theirs.

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Psalm 36 The Steadfast Love of the Lord

6/26/2015

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Psalm 36

Can you remember back to before you were saved? Did you enjoy sinning? Did you choose to sin sometimes even when you knew it was wrong? Although, you probably still choose to do the wrong thing on occasion, hopefully now The Holy Spirit convicts you and He makes it not so enjoyable. Verses 1-4 describe the state of the sinner increasing his sin without remorse.

“Transgression speaks to the wicked
    deep in his heart;
there is no fear of God
    before his eyes.
2 For he flatters himself in his own eyes
    that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated.
3 The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit;
    he has ceased to act wisely and do good.
4 He plots trouble while on his bed;
    he sets himself in a way that is not good;
    he does not reject evil.”

Why does he sin? Because it intrinsically speaks to his desires and he enjoys it. Because he has no respect for God as Lord. Because he thinks he is above the moral standards he sets for everyone but himself and think no one knows his wrongdoing. Because he is a liar and a fool who pretends to be good and wise. And because sin is such a part of him that he even meditates on it, therefore committing more and more sins.

It is or should be the opposite for the Believer. It is not sin that speaks to us, but God, our Awesome Holy Spirit. We respect God as sovereign King and Lord. We know we have sinned and don’t deserve the wonderful gift of salvation. We have the ability to speak life to people in the Gospel. And we meditate on the Word of God. The Spirit grows in us and we bear His fruit. It is not from our own ability, goodness, or faith. It is because of God’s great and untiring love for us. We can’t measure God’s love. It cannot be contained. Verses 5-9 say,

“Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens,
    your faithfulness to the clouds.
6 Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;
    your judgments are like the great deep;
    man and beast you save, O Lord.

7 How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
    The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
8 They feast on the abundance of your house,
    and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
9 For with you is the fountain of life;
    in your light do we see light.

His love is so immense that it makes Him perfectly awesomely righteous. He judges with His love by giving us His righteousness, because we have none on our own. He saves us both physically and spiritually. His love is so tremendous that He keeps us safe and gives us rest. He provides our needs and fills us with joy. He shines a light into our hearts and shows us our iniquity. But He doesn’t leave us there, He saves us and makes us righteous. He is our Salvation because He loves us so well.

Once we are saved, He doesn’t leave us as orphans but He leads us, matures us, and keeps us safe from sin. We do not take pride in ourselves and how good we are, because we know all our goodness is from Jesus. Verses 10-12 read,

“Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who know you,
    and your righteousness to the upright of heart!
11 Let not the foot of arrogance come upon me,
    nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.
12 There the evildoers lie fallen;
    they are thrust down, unable to rise.”

Pride is our enemy and pride is what keeps sinners sinning. They think they are greater than God or gods themselves. They think they are all-powerful. The world commends those proud people and puts them on pedestals. But the Lord condemns them. In Christ though, there is no condemnation. Instead we are commended and promised crowns in Heaven. Until the sinner can humble himself, he will stay as he is, lost.

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Psalm 35 The Mighty Lord Fights for You

6/25/2015

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Psalm 35

What greatness is it that The Lord fights for us? How awesome is it that He defends us? He doesn’t take lightly when people mess with His children. When countries made war with Israel and took her captive, even when God used that war and captivity to discipline Israel, he still punished the countries in question.

Years ago, I was a nurse for a residential medical care home for severely disabled people. For some reason two of the other day nurses didn’t like me. Not only didn’t they like me, they maliciously planned to hurt me, to catch me at some wrongdoing and trip me up so that I would lose my job. Every time I turned around they were giving some false report to our supervisor. It was very difficult to go to work in such a stressful hate-laden atmosphere.

I have an anxiety disorder which often makes me cry when I try and speak in stressful situations. So when they would bring their attacks on me and we would try to settle it, I would sob. Not because I wanted to, and certainly not to get sympathy, but they used that against me as well, even stooping to childish name calling. That crying kept me from being able to speak for myself. But God was there. He spoke for me. He spoke to the nurse supervisor and opened her eyes to the situation. They went above the supervisor’s head to the administrator when they decided she was biased. But God kept defending me. The administrator got very tired of their juvenile antics and told the middle-aged women to grow up.

This Psalm, given to me by one of the techs on my team was a Godsend.

Verses 1-3 read,

“Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me;
    fight against those who fight against me!
2 Take hold of shield and buckler
    and rise for my help!
3 Draw the spear and javelin
    against my pursuers!
Say to my soul,
    “I am your salvation!”

A buckler is a type of shield, one used in combat and just as much a weapon as a protection. The Lord not only protects us but with the shield and buckler and spear and javelin He fights for us. Up close and long distance He is both an offensive and defensive fighter. He fights for us and He defends us. How glorious is that? And through it, He reminds us He is our salvation.

I don’t know if the two nurses, who were best friends and 25 years my senior ever felt the guilt of their acts. I did try and befriend them, but they were not interested. I wanted them to admit their wrongdoing and hate but they refused. They just looked at me with disdain. I wanted so much for them to feel at least convicted. But I don’t know if they ever did. They felt justified in their war on me. But both women claimed to be Christians, and I know if they were, the Lord would deal with them, because He disciplines those He loves, and if they weren’t then they would eventually pay for their acerbic accusations and spiteful schemes.

David also asked The Lord to make His enemies feel the shame of their evil. He wanted to see them punished. Verses 4-6 read,

“Let them be put to shame and dishonor
    who seek after my life!
Let them be turned back and disappointed
    who devise evil against me!
5 Let them be like chaff before the wind,
    with the angel of the Lord driving them away!
6 Let their way be dark and slippery,
    with the angel of the Lord pursuing them!”

I think when someone is so viciously attacking us, it is easy to call down judgement on them. But it is better and easier on the soul to let God be God. We can trust Him to hold us, we can trust that Judgment Day will come for everyone. He does punish those who hurt His children. He also loves people enough to want salvation for them.

After the tech gave me this Psalm, I read it and then God’s conviction filled me. I immediately prayed for those two women. I would go to their houses (at work) during my breaks and pretend I didn’t know they hated me. I was kind to them. I even prayed with them on a few occasions. I left the war up to my Lord and I loved those women. Whether it was the administrator’s admonishments to them, or my manifesting the fruit of The Spirit toward them, or The Lord’s conviction of them, I do not know, but they stopped making war on me. We didn’t become best buddies, but they decided to keep their disdain of me between the two of them.

Because someone is hateful to us, doesn’t give us the right to be hateful to them. Something is not improved by crouching down to the level of rabid dogs and joining in the evil. Something is made right by reaching up to the Lord, being like Him and giving it to Him. Verses 11-16 read,

“Malicious witnesses rise up;
    they ask me of things that I do not know.
12 They repay me evil for good;
    my soul is bereft.
13 But I, when they were sick--
    I wore sackcloth;
    I afflicted myself with fasting;
I prayed with head bowed on my chest.
14     I went about as though I grieved for my friend or my brother;
as one who laments his mother,
    I bowed down in mourning.

15 But at my stumbling they rejoiced and gathered;
    they gathered together against me;
wretches whom I did not know
    tore at me without ceasing;
16 like profane mockers at a feast,
    they gnash at me with their teeth.”

God’s love is unconditional. He loves our enemies just as much as He loves us. If Jesus doesn’t pay for their sins, then they will. We don’t have to worry about vengeance. We can love them with God’s unconditional love, even while they mock, hit, and hurt. If we respond to them with the hate they shower on us, how will they witness Jesus in us? How will they see the awesomeness of The Spirit in us? How will they ever hear The Father calling their names?

I wanted those women to feel every bit of shame and pain they threw on me. But then I looked at them with God’s heart and eyes. I looked at myself too with His heart and I knew I could leave it all to Him. I could pray for my enemies, I could love them sincerely, even if they always looked down their noses at me. I stopped worrying about them. I left them to The Lord. I instead gave my energy to celebrating the awesomeness of God by giving Him that burden. There were plenty of people in my life who also chose to revel in The Lord. Verses 27-28 read,

“Let those who delight in my righteousness
    shout for joy and be glad
    and say evermore,
“Great is the Lord,
    who delights in the welfare of his servant!”
28 Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness
    and of your praise all the day long.”

I encourage you today, to let God be God to you. Trust Him. It is a faithful person who can trust The Lord for her complete welfare and love those who don’t deserve it. Remember, none of us deserve this awesome Salvation. It is a gift from God. He doesn’t withhold any good thing from us. We have no right to withhold His love and testimony from others.

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Psalm 34 Taste and See The Lord is Good

6/24/2015

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Psalm 34

David was described as a man after God’s own heart in1 Samuel 13:14 and Acts 13:22. It is the person after God’s own heart that the Lord anoints (separates for a holy responsibility or chooses for distinction). Like David, you and I are people after God’s own heart, or at least we ought to be. It means we want to know God personally, it means we take after Him in His nature, and that we want what He wants.

Have you ever been in a dire situation and had no idea how you would be delivered from it? David was in that kind of trouble more than once. The Lord always rescued Him. Because David was a man after God’s own heart, when he was in one of those harrowing predicaments he was able to listen to The Lord and trust Him. Such was the case in 1 Samuel chapter 21 when David was brought to Achish the king of Gath. The king’s servants exclaimed what a great warrior David was. The Lord impressed on David the danger of the circumstances as the king would likely kill him in his vulnerable state and gave him a plan. David began acting as if he had lost his mind. The king saw that David was no threat and let him go. This psalm was written in celebration of The Lord’s deliverance of David. Verses 1-7 read,

“I will bless the Lord at all times;
    his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
    let the humble hear and be glad.
3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
    and let us exalt his name together!

4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me
    and delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant,
    and their faces shall never be ashamed.
6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
    and saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps
    around those who fear him, and delivers them.”

David praised the Lord, not only sometimes, not only when things were good but in every circumstance. He intended his words to always bless The Lord. That means that David never wanted his speech to bring displeasure or disagreement to God but to please Him and show others how great God was.

Notice that when David was in trouble he didn’t lean on his own strength or wit, but he sought God. God delivered him every time. Even if The Lord chose to let Him continue in his dilemma, he still gave David peace and took his fears away. God does that for us too. He may choose to allow us to go through trials, tribulations, and tests, but we do not have to fear because He is with us, surrounding us, protecting us, and delivering us from sin and death. Even in the worst of times we can smile, we can shine as we faithfully radiate the peace and love of The Lord.

It is that radiance which testifies to God’s greatness. The world can’t fathom how or why we don’t freak out. They can’t grasp how we can have such calm through the calamities we face. Philippians 4:4-7 describes it like this,

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Our lives are testimonies to God. Our lives call out to people. “Hey you oughta give this a try!” People not only wonder at our peace and joy, but at our contentment and provision. Verses 8-10 read,

“Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
    Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
9 Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints,
    for those who fear him have no lack!
10 The young lions suffer want and hunger;
    but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.”

Your life is a testimony to God and it should make people curious to know Him. You have the opportunity and the obligation to share Jesus with them. Verses 11-14 put it this way,

“Come, O children, listen to me;
    I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
12 What man is there who desires life
    and loves many days, that he may see good?
13 Keep your tongue from evil
    and your lips from speaking deceit.
14 Turn away from evil and do good;
    seek peace and pursue it.”

To seek a relationship with God, to call Jesus Lord, and to repent from sin is all anyone needs to do to be saved. Yes, God delivers us from many bad situations. But the worst situation He rescues us from is that of slavery to sin and eternal death in Hell. Once that is done, there is nothing to fear in this world. God’s got us in His strong hands. He keeps in His loving heart. He leads us with His awesome Spirit. Verses 15-18 read,

“The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous
    and his ears toward their cry.
16 The face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
    to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears
    and delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
    and saves the crushed in spirit.”

He wants to do this for us, but we have to call out. We have to realize we need Him. We have to recognize our desperate situation and let it break our hearts. We can call out to friends, the government, and the bank, but the help we might get from them is temporary and still leaves us bereft and in slavery to sin. But calling out to Jesus means He will set us free, He will save us.

We will suffer, but we will go through those tribulations with the assurance and peace of The Lord God Almighty. We go through it with the hope of eternal life. We go through it knowing we will see Jesus face to face one day. The lost on the other hand will suffer eternal death and while we celebrate in New Jerusalem we will not even remember them, it will be as if they never existed. We know The Spirit, God Himself is not only with us surrounding us but inside us as we are in Him. Jesus died on the cross to give us that gift. He rose from the dead to claim victory and freedom for us. He ascended to Heaven to give us the guarantee of salvation through The Holy Spirit. Verses 19-22 say,

“Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
    but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
20 He keeps all his bones;
    not one of them is broken.
21 Affliction will slay the wicked,
    and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
22 The Lord redeems the life of his servants;
    none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.”

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Psalm 33 The Steadfast Love of The Lord

6/23/2015

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Psalm 33

God’s love is real. It is tangible, evidenced by the earth itself and revealed by those who trust Him. In what ways do we see The Lord’s steadfast love manifested? We see God’s love in our response to that same love. When we thank the Lord, praise Him and worship Him, His love reflected back to Him is experienced by all those worshipping and seen by the witnesses surrounding us. Verses 1-5 read,

“Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous!
    Praise befits the upright.
2 Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre;
    make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!
3 Sing to him a new song;
    play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.

4 For the word of the Lord is upright,
    and all his work is done in faithfulness.
5 He loves righteousness and justice;
    the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.”

When we sing Him a song it is because of His love we can do so. When we prophesy (speak His message and word to another) it is through His love. When we praise Him for His great works and thank Him for what He has done for us, it is by way of His love. When we pray for someone it is due to God’s love. When we do a kindness for someone or help them it is because of God’s love. God loves us deeply, consistently and continually. Because He loves us, we love Him. Because we love Him, we love others. Because we love others they see the love of God and they might fall in love with Him too. God’s love is a never ending circle of palpable love given and received.

God’s love is evidenced by creation itself. In His greatness He made this world. He did it by speaking it out of nothingness. Verses 6-9 say,

“By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
    and by the breath of his mouth all their host.
7 He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap;
    he puts the deeps in storehouses.

8 Let all the earth fear the Lord;
    let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!
9 For he spoke, and it came to be;
    he commanded, and it stood firm.”

God’s word is powerful. He spoke and created the heavens and the earth and everything in it. He speaks and His word makes it so. When God speaks His will becomes real. Jesus, the Son of God is called The Word of God. He is God’s will manifested in the flesh. It is through Jesus, the Word of God that the whole earth was created. John 1:1-3 puts it this way,

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.”

God’s will is a relationship with us. God’s plan is salvation for us. God wants good for us. He has plans and those plans are promises that cannot and will not be broken. How much better it is to lean on God, to choose His will and His plans over our own or worse over the plans someone else has for us. God’s plans cannot be ruined. Verses 10-12 read,

“The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
    he frustrates the plans of the peoples.
11 The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
    the plans of his heart to all generations.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
    the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!”

It is an awesome blessing to be God’s chosen, to be able to rely on Him and know that regardless of what happens He holds our heart and soul in His capable and loving hands. We don’t have to rely on our own strengths. We don’t have to put our trust in the plans of men. We don’t hope in the armies or governments of any kingdom on earth. Ours is the Kingdom of God. Verses 13-17 put it like this,

“The Lord looks down from heaven;
    he sees all the children of man;
14 from where he sits enthroned he looks out
    on all the inhabitants of the earth,
15 he who fashions the hearts of them all
    and observes all their deeds.
16 The king is not saved by his great army;
    a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.
17 The war horse is a false hope for salvation,
    and by its great might it cannot rescue.”

It is God that created each person, it is He who made their hearts and ours. He is sovereign and though they are lost and try to fill their emptiness with wealth, fleshly desires, and earthly power they can’t be satisfied and they won’t be saved that way. No one will be saved depending on his own strength or means. The only way to salvation is Jesus Christ. For those of us who put our hope and faith in Him, there is salvation. No matter what we suffer on this earth God carries us through it. He is always with us. He is always The Lord God. He is always our Refuge, Provider, Healer, Savior, Comforter, and Father. Verses 18-22 read,

“Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him,
    on those who hope in his steadfast love,
19 that he may deliver their soul from death
    and keep them alive in famine.

20 Our soul waits for the Lord;
    he is our help and our shield.
21 For our heart is glad in him,
    because we trust in his holy name.
22 Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,
    even as we hope in you.”

Do you trust in God? Do you truly depend on Him or do you rely on your own strength before you turn to God in hopelessness? Do you understand what it is that He loves you? It is a profound and immeasurable love. God’s love is not lip service but real. God is love. He demonstrated His intense love for you by living perfectly, giving up His life to pay the price, and raising from the dead to overcome sin once and for all. His love is your salvation. His love reflected back to Him can be the salvation of those lost who watch you.

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Psalm 32 Salvation is Through Forgiveness of Sin by Jesus’ Blood

6/22/2015

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Psalm 32

This Psalm or maskil, a skillfully written contemplative poem celebrates salvation. Do you know how blessed, how privileged you are to be forgiven of your sins? Salvation is a real miracle. Because we are forgiven we get to have a relationship with The Lord, not just any relationship but an intimate one where we can really know one another, and where we are so united that nothing can come between us or divide us. Trying to separate us from the Love of God is like trying to take the cream out of the coffee after it has been poured in. Verses 1-2 read,

“Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
    whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity,
    and in whose spirit there is no deceit.”

Forgiveness, salvation is not an automatic. There are prerequisites to The Lord counting no iniquity against us. We can’t just say one day, “I am a Christian” and have it be true. Yet many people call themselves Christian who are not. What are the requirements to salvation? They are simple, Verse 1 tells us, “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.” What is our sin covered with? What does that mean? The sin of the person who is called righteous by God is covered by Jesus’ blood. Even in the days before Jesus came though, a relationship with the Lord was forged through the forgiveness of sin and faith in Him. It has always been faith that saves us. But under the Old Covenant sin was covered by the blood of sacrifices and offerings. In the New Covenant, Jesus is the only sacrifice we require.

But what does it take to ask Jesus to be your Lord? Why do we call on Him to redeem us? Why doesn’t He just automatically save everyone? Verses 3-5 tell us,

“For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
    through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
    my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah

5 I acknowledged my sin to you,
    and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
    and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. “

God calls us all and the guilt of our wrongdoings are heavy on us. Not everyone responds to God’s call. We have to acknowledge our sin and confess it. We have to realize our need of a way to God. In the Old Covenant the way was the burnt offerings, the peace offerings and the sin offerings when the people couldn’t keep the Law. They had to go through those rituals knowing that the blood of those animals was on their heads because of their sin. Today we admit our sins and accept Jesus’ perfect sacrifice as payment for our sin. We have faith in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection to make the way for us to God. Without confession and repentance we are not saved. No one is perfect. All have sinned. (Romans 3:23). Even our pastors, even the most saintly of people have sinned and need Jesus. As difficult as it may be to admit to God that we have sinned and ask for forgiveness, it is not so hard when we know that we are not the only people who sin and when we know that there is no shame and no condemnation when we are delivered from who we were in sin to who we are as forgiven. Forgiveness takes away the punishment, the price we would have faced. The price of sin is death. (Romans 6:23). Jesus paid that price for you. He is the only one who could because He is the only one who never sinned. (2 Corinthians 5:21). He laid down His life for you. (1 John 3:16). He rose from the dead for you. (1 Corinthians 15:4). He ascended to Heaven to be your advocate, your door to a relationship with God, and to send the Holy Spirit to you. (Romans 8:34, Acts 1:8).

Have you asked the Lord to forgive you? Have you confessed to Him that you are a sinner and need Him? Have you been waffling on the edge wondering if you can or should call on Jesus? Today is the day. Now is the moment. You have no idea what will happen tomorrow, in five hours, or in five minutes. Verses 6-7 read,

“Therefore let everyone who is godly
    offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;
surely in the rush of great waters,
    they shall not reach him.
7 You are a hiding place for me;
    you preserve me from trouble;
    you surround me with shouts of deliverance.”

The godly are not the pious religious who claim to live perfect sinless lives. The godly are those who recognize their need for God and depend on Him for forgiveness and trust Him to keep them. The moment we pray and ask Him to forgive us and be our Lord and Master, we become godly and He makes us more godly, more like Him every day. Verses 8-9 read,

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
    I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
9 Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
    which must be curbed with bit and bridle,
    or it will not stay near you.”

God doesn’t leave His sheep to the wolves. He teaches us, guides us, and develops us, not as if we are animals trained with pavlonian methods. He teaches us as sentient intelligent people. We spend time with Him and He opens up His heart and mind to us. We read His Word, the Bible. We pray and we listen. We become part of a body (a church) of believers and we teach each other. We go through life depending on Him and through it all He transforms and conforms us to His image, godliness.

Salvation is a privilege and a miracle. It is awesome. We cannot keep quiet about how wonderful our Lord is. The lost suffer but nothing comes of it. The lost have no purpose and they go through life filled with grief or trying to suppress the futility of life. But we have purpose! Life is not empty to us because we see God working, we know why we are here. We are here to have a relationship with God and to bring others to a relationship with Him too. We celebrate Christ. We rejoice in the transformation of the Holy Spirit in us. We revel in the Father’s amazing love. Verses 10-11 close the Psalm.

“Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
    but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.
11 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous,
    and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!”

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Psalm 31 The Lord Holds the Spirit of the Redeemed

6/21/2015

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Psalm 31

As believers we know that people of the world will hate us. Their spirits cannot abide The Spirit who is in us. They do not recognize their own sin and so when we manifest righteousness which opposes sin they judge it as disgusting, bigoted, and hateful. Jesus warned us in John 15:18-21.

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me”

It has always been true that the lost and especially those who considered themselves to be good people hated the children of God. David wrote many Psalms about the persecution his enemies flung at him. But through all that harassment and pursuit, he trusted The Lord. Verses 1-5 read,

“In you, O Lord, do I take refuge;
    let me never be put to shame;
    in your righteousness deliver me!
2 Incline your ear to me;
    rescue me speedily!
Be a rock of refuge for me,
    a strong fortress to save me!

3 For you are my rock and my fortress;
    and for your name's sake you lead me and guide me;
4 you take me out of the net they have hidden for me,
    for you are my refuge.
5 Into your hand I commit my spirit;
    you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.”

What did David do in the face of his torment? He prayed, “Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily!” And he trusted that God would rescue him and that He would be his refuge. His enemies didn’t stop David from following The Lord. God led David to righteousness, to living as a man after His own heart so that He, The Lord would be glorified and the lost recognize Him and His greatness in David. And David in response said, “Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.” He entrusted his soul, his salvation to The Lord and recognized that it was God who saved him, not his goodness, his trying, or his works, but The Lord his Redeemer. Jesus at his greatest distress on the cross as He was about to die uttered those words, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” The Lord guards our spirit for us. He seals us with His Spirit and He holds onto our spirit in protective and jealous love for us. The enemy cannot take us, he cannot have us. Our enemies our persecutors may hound us and cause pain but they cannot take us out of God’s loving and strong shelter.

Verses 6-13 describe David’s persecution from his enemies.

“I hate those who pay regard to worthless idols,
    but I trust in the Lord.
7 I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love,
    because you have seen my affliction;
    you have known the distress of my soul,
8 and you have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy;
    you have set my feet in a broad place.

9 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress;
    my eye is wasted from grief;
    my soul and my body also.
10 For my life is spent with sorrow,
    and my years with sighing;
my strength fails because of my iniquity,
    and my bones waste away.

11 Because of all my adversaries I have become a reproach,
    especially to my neighbors,
and an object of dread to my acquaintances;
    those who see me in the street flee from me.
12 I have been forgotten like one who is dead;
    I have become like a broken vessel.
13 For I hear the whispering of many--
    terror on every side!--
as they scheme together against me,
    as they plot to take my life.”

David didn’t hate his adversaries with retribution, he hated them on behalf of God. He hated that they hated The Lord by worshipping idols, when they knew better. He hated that they were following a path to destruction as God hated that they were going to Hell instead of reveling in Him. David felt like he had no one among his neighbors or acquaintances, they all seemed to believe his enemies instead of recognizing God in him. It seemed he had no one on his side. But He knew that He had God. Verses 14-18 say,

“But I trust in you, O Lord;
    I say, “You are my God.”
15 My times are in your hand;
    rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!
16 Make your face shine on your servant;
    save me in your steadfast love!
17 O Lord, let me not be put to shame,
    for I call upon you;
let the wicked be put to shame;
    let them go silently to Sheol.
18 Let the lying lips be mute,
    which speak insolently against the righteous
    in pride and contempt.”

We all have people who hate us if we follow Jesus, but we do not have to be concerned for ourselves. We can trust The Lord holds our hearts and spirits in His almighty hands. We can trust that God will avenge us and our enemies and the enemy will pay for their deeds unless they ask Jesus to save them. God is so wonderfully good, so awesomely great, and so tremendously sovereign. We don’t have to spend our time plotting against our enemy. We can rejoice in The Lord and delight in the blessings He gives us. Verses 19-22 read,

“Oh, how abundant is your goodness,
    which you have stored up for those who fear you
and worked for those who take refuge in you,
    in the sight of the children of mankind!
20 In the cover of your presence you hide them
    from the plots of men;
you store them in your shelter
    from the strife of tongues.

21 Blessed be the Lord,
    for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me
    when I was in a besieged city.
22 I had said in my alarm,
    “I am cut off from your sight.”
But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy
    when I cried to you for help.”

We have nothing to fear from our adversaries. We have nothing to fear from Satan or his minions. We are free to love the Lord our God, our Vengeance, and our Refuge. The world will hate us if we follow Jesus filled with The Spirit. Don’t reciprocate the hate. Love God by loving the lost even when they try to hurt, maim, or kill you. Remember who God is and who you are. Love God by depending on Him, leaving vengeance to Him, and having faith that you are in His tender hands.

Verses 23-24 read,

“Love the Lord, all you his saints!
    The Lord preserves the faithful
    but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride.
24 Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
    all you who wait for the Lord!”

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Psalm 40 Your Life is a Testimony to Your Lord.

Psalm 39 Be Mindful of Your Short Life

Psalm 38 The Memorial Offering and the Burden of our Sin

Psalm 37 The Righteous Have Eternity, the Lost have Only This Life

Psalm 36 The Steadfast Love of the Lord

Psalm 35 The Mighty Lord Fights for You

Psalm 34 Taste and See The Lord is Good

Psalm 33 The Steadfast Love of The Lord

Psalm 32 Salvation is Through Forgiveness of Sin by Jesus’ Blood

Psalm 31 The Lord Holds the Spirit of the Redeemed

Donna Campbell

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