Salt & Light Blog

Psalm 71 You, Yes You, are the Light of the World!

7/31/2015

Ponce Inlet Lighthouse by Donna Campbell

The Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse in Ponce Inlet, Florida has been a beacon of safety since 1883 Photo by Donna Campbell

Psalm 71

Are you a lighthouse leading people to the safety and salvation of The Lord, or are you a signal, warning people away from Him? Jesus told us we are the Light of the World. (Matthew 5:14-16). A light can be a beacon, a symbol of hope and a shining example of Jesus. Or it can be a caution signal, alerting people to stay away. We can shine our light brightly, let it flicker dimly, hide it, or let it die. It is often our response to life, to our enemies, and our blessings which either glorify The Lord and make people want Him in their own lives, or make them hate Christians and label us haters and hypocrites and so want nothing to do with our Lord.

How do we shine brightly? When troubles come or needs arise do you Trust God, pray, and lean on Him, or do you lean on your own strengths, complain, and look for help from everywhere but God? Calling on God venerates Him for the world and terrifies the enemy. Verses 1-4 read,

“In you, O Lord, do I take refuge;
    let me never be put to shame!
2 In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;
    incline your ear to me, and save me!
3 Be to me a rock of refuge,
    to which I may continually come;
you have given the command to save me,
    for you are my rock and my fortress.

4 Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,
    from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man.”

David was the king of Israel, a man after God’s own heart, a worshipper, and a prophet. But when troubles came, he didn’t rely on his wealth, gifts, talents, or power. He cried out to God for his deliverance. Everyone knew David depended on and was protected by God Almighty. And David’s continued trust in God was a guiding light for others to call on The Lord as well as a warning to his enemies to leave him alone. If David had depended on his own strength, even as the king of Israel for refuge from his enemies, they would have scoffed and attacked all the harder, and his friends might have praised David, but they wouldn’t have thought much of his God.

Do you remember truly how much you need God? It is because of God that we breathe. Our salvation is all due to Him. From conception to birth to calling to eternal life, it is God. We can praise Him and give Him all the credit or we can stay quiet and let our light glimmer weakly against the dark. Verses 5-11 reads,

“For you, O Lord, are my hope,
    my trust, O Lord, from my youth.
6 Upon you I have leaned from before my birth;
    you are he who took me from my mother's womb.
My praise is continually of you.

7 I have been as a portent to many,
    but you are my strong refuge.
8 My mouth is filled with your praise,
    and with your glory all the day.
9 Do not cast me off in the time of old age;
    forsake me not when my strength is spent.
10 For my enemies speak concerning me;
    those who watch for my life consult together
11 and say, “God has forsaken him;
    pursue and seize him,
    for there is none to deliver him.”

David could have leaned on his position as king and let the people of Israel put all their hope in him. He could have glorified his own military strength and let his enemies tremble at his name. But instead David called on God, clung to God, and glorified God. God therefore exalted and prospered David. People did look to him and in looking to David they looked to The Lord. Can people look toward us and be led to Jesus? Are our lights inviting people to love Jesus or leading them astray?

Living a life of worship means continual acknowledgement of God’s sovereignty and constant thankfulness expressed as praise so that God is glorified, the church is edified, and the lost can see Jesus revealed in you, in the works of God, and in His creation. Verses 12-16 read,

“O God, be not far from me;
    O my God, make haste to help me!
13 May my accusers be put to shame and consumed;
    with scorn and disgrace may they be covered
    who seek my hurt.
14 But I will hope continually
    and will praise you yet more and more.
15 My mouth will tell of your righteous acts,
    of your deeds of salvation all the day,
    for their number is past my knowledge.
16 With the mighty deeds of the Lord God I will come;
    I will remind them of your righteousness, yours alone.”

In Christ, we are never put to shame. When we do the right and good thing there is never a reason for disgrace or guilt. And Jesus’ righteousness means we have no more guilt and no more shame. Romans 8:1-3 read,

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,”

Jesus is life to us but the law is death to the lost. What brings us freedom and honor brings them condemnation and shame. (Romans 5:12-21). Everyone has the opportunity for salvation in Christ. Those who have never heard His name can look at life, science, the earth, and the sky and see that there must be one All-Powerful God and Creator. (Romans 1:18-20).

Most of us have heard about Jesus from our childhoods. Many of us have had the privilege of learning about Jesus as we grew older, and once we gave our lives to Christ, the Spirit continued to teach us and reveal The Lord to us. How can we keep quiet? Don’t we want others to learn about God’s love and grace too? Verses 17-21 say,

“O God, from my youth you have taught me,
    and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.
18 So even to old age and gray hairs,
    O God, do not forsake me,
until I proclaim your might to another generation,
    your power to all those to come.
19 Your righteousness, O God,
    reaches the high heavens.
You who have done great things,
    O God, who is like you?
20 You who have made me see many troubles and calamities
    will revive me again;
from the depths of the earth
    you will bring me up again.
21 You will increase my greatness
    and comfort me again.”

No matter what, God stays with us. None of us is as unwaveringly strong, faithful, and loving as God, yet He is steadfastly faithful to us. He not only doesn’t give up on us, but He strengthens us, matures us, and makes us more like Jesus through every trouble. He makes us aware of those sufferings so we can develop the strength and character He wants for us. No matter how bad things are, God is greater than worst of our troubles and we will never lose our hope, Jesus Christ.

Believer I encourage you to praise God exuberantly. I encourage you to depend on God obviously. I encourage you to cry out to Him vigorously. Be the light Jesus said you are. Be a beacon of hope to the lost and a signal of terror to the enemy. Verses 22-24 read,

“I will also praise you with the harp
    for your faithfulness, O my God;
I will sing praises to you with the lyre,
    O Holy One of Israel.
23 My lips will shout for joy,
    when I sing praises to you;
    my soul also, which you have redeemed.
24 And my tongue will talk of your righteous help all the day long,
for they have been put to shame and disappointed
    who sought to do me hurt.”

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Psalm 70 Our Prayers Bless the Lord, Us, and All Who Hear.

7/30/2015

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Psalm 70:4-5 on Photo of Ponce Inlet Lighthouse by Donna Campbell

May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you! May those who love your salvation say evermore, “God is great!” But I am poor and needy; hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O Lord, do not delay! Psalm 70:4-5

Psalm 70

In this Psalm David used words he had previously used in Psalm 40:13-17. He didn’t keep the words exactly the same there are changes. We do sometimes use words and prayers we have heard and prayed before, especially when we pray scripture.

This Psalm by David was written to be prayed with the memorial offering described in Leviticus 2:9-10 as a part of the grain offering described in Leviticus 16:14-23. The offering was a voluntary one of worship that normally accompanied the burnt offering which was another voluntary offering made to atone for unintentional sins. The memorial offering was the portion of the grain offering not given to the priests but burned up to be a pleasing aroma to The Lord. It was meant for Israel to remember who God is and what He has done. It was meant to be complete worship to bless The Lord.

Verses1-3 read,

“Make haste, O God, to deliver me!
    O Lord, make haste to help me!
2 Let them be put to shame and confusion
    who seek my life!
Let them be turned back and brought to dishonor
    who delight in my hurt!
3 Let them turn back because of their shame
    who say, “Aha, Aha!”

So why would a Psalm of worship and thanksgiving begin with a plea to be delivered from one’s enemies? Because our prayers while blessing All-Knowing and Almighty God are also meant to edify us and those who hear them. 1 Corinthians 14:13-19 says,

“Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful. 15 What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also. 16 Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say “Amen” to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying? 17 For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up. 18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 19 Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue.”

When we pray thanks to the Lord for His great deeds and when we ask Him to do great things for us, we remember who God is, what He has done, and what He is capable of. He already knows. We are the ones who need to be reminded and therefore our faith is strengthened and the people who listen are encouraged. God knows our needs, we do not always realize them. Our prayer reminds us.

And for those of us who are saved, we are already delivered from the enemy but praying for our enemies, the enemies of Christ, and those people who need deliverance reminds us of who we used to be. We don’t recall our old selves in order to be the way we were but to grasp the awesome miracle God has done in us through salvation. He made us new. He didn’t just make us better but He made us completely new. It is up to us to remember that each day and to choose to be the new creation instead of our old dead selves. (Colossians 3:5-11).

2 Corinthians 5:16-21 puts it like this,

“From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

We are new. We are delivered. We are saved. This is such an astonishing miracle. We have reason to praise, sing, and worship. Verse 4 reads,

“May all who seek you
    rejoice and be glad in you!
May those who love your salvation
    say evermore, “God is great!”

Our praise glorifies God. God’s glory is like a beacon to the lost, calling them to salvation. And that salvation brings eternal life, not one day in the far off, not after we physically die, not after our resurrection but now. The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Life gives us that life through Jesus and by the Father. (John 6:60-71).

John 3:33-36 describes eternal life,

“Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true.34 For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. 35 The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”

We live in the Kingdom of God now and forever. Look at the tense of John 3:36 it does not say, ‘Whoever believes in the Son will have eternal life.’ It says, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life” It also says, “whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”

What does that mean? The first, the most crucial thing a person does in obedience to The Lord is to repent and be baptized. Acts 2:36-39 says it like this,

“Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”

We have to admit we need God by admitting we are sinners. We have to acknowledge and confess that we have done wrongs in our lives. But we don’t leave it like that. What good is conceding a fault without reparation? Would it do any good to say, ‘I need to lose weight’ yet not eat healthy and exercise? No! And so confessing our sins does not forgive them or give us eternal life. It is the obedience to repent, to ask Jesus for His salvation, and believe that He is the Lord that gives us eternal life. So David cried out to God often remembering his sin and God’s grace. Verse 5 reads,

“But I am poor and needy;
    hasten to me, O God!
You are my help and my deliverer;
    O Lord, do not delay!”

I encourage you today to worship The Lord by remembering who He is and what He has done. Of all the awesome, wonderful, loving, and miraculous deeds He has done, salvation is the most awesome, wonderful, loving, and miraculous.

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Psalm 69 Suffering for Jesus is not Fun but it is Good

7/29/2015

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Psalm 69

Although Jesus promised us we would be hated for His sake, (Matthew 10:21-25) He didn’t say we wouldn’t feel the sting of that animosity. Suffering for Jesus is not called suffering because it’s enjoyable. David felt overwhelmed with the enmity and hostility of his enemies. Verses 1-5 read,

“Save me, O God!
    For the waters have come up to my neck.
2 I sink in deep mire,
    where there is no foothold;
I have come into deep waters,
    and the flood sweeps over me.
3 I am weary with my crying out;
    my throat is parched.
My eyes grow dim
    with waiting for my God.

4 More in number than the hairs of my head
    are those who hate me without cause;
mighty are those who would destroy me,
    those who attack me with lies.
What I did not steal
    must I now restore?
5 O God, you know my folly;
    the wrongs I have done are not hidden from you.”

We know God is with us, yet sometimes at the height of suffering we can wonder if we will ever reach the end of it. We can wonder if The Lord will ever deliver and avenge us. If faith we easy or automatic everyone would have faith. The enemy lies to us and about us. The world of haters finds false reasons and flawed assumptions to hate us. But we know we do not need to hide our wrongs from The Lord and we couldn’t if we wanted to. It is futile to hide our shortcomings from the world. If they think we haven’t ever fallen as they do, then they wouldn’t see how God has saved us and how He can save them too.

That doesn’t give license to sin. We are citizens of Heaven, representatives of God, and ambassadors of the church. We live and walk in obedience to Christ. We don’t hide our sin, but we also live in a manner that honors our Father’s name and doesn’t shame our Brothers and Sisters. Verses 6-12 say,

“Let not those who hope in you be put to shame through me,
    O Lord God of hosts;
let not those who seek you be brought to dishonor through me,
    O God of Israel.
7 For it is for your sake that I have borne reproach,
    that dishonor has covered my face.
8 I have become a stranger to my brothers,
    an alien to my mother's sons.

9 For zeal for your house has consumed me,
    and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.
10 When I wept and humbled my soul with fasting,
    it became my reproach.
11 When I made sackcloth my clothing,
    I became a byword to them.
12 I am the talk of those who sit in the gate,
    and the drunkards make songs about me.”

The deeper our passion for Jesus, our fervor for The Father, and our zest for The Spirit the more the world will despise us and be repulsed by us. They will call us fools, the will shake their heads and think we are ridiculous. Even our blood families will talk about us with derision. They see our behavior and it is peculiar. It makes no sense to them that we would submit to God, one another, or them. It makes no sense that instead of fighting back we would offer ourselves for more beatings. But we are meant to stand out from the world.

We are meant to look, act, and sound like Jesus. It isn’t always easy to be the butt of the joke but we know the Truth. We just can’t be like the world imprisoned to lies and ignorant of the chains and oppression they are under. For us, suffering is temporary. It is knowing that which allows us to make it through. For the believer, suffering for righteousness’ sake has purpose and that purpose is great. We can rejoice and continue to live as Jesus lived with love and virtue. We do not earn salvation through our uprightness, we are saved because we have faith in Jesus. Romans 5:1-6 says,

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.”

We know that suffering is necessary and good. We know that The Holy Spirit uses it to conform us to Christ’s image. And in Him we can tell the world about how wonderful He is, how He saved us and can save them too. Those awesome purposes mean that there are times when we may suffer longer than we would like. But faith reminds us that misery and affliction will end at the perfect time. Verses 13-18 read,

“But as for me, my prayer is to you, O Lord.
    At an acceptable time, O God,
    in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness.
14 Deliver me
    from sinking in the mire;
let me be delivered from my enemies
    and from the deep waters.
15 Let not the flood sweep over me,
    or the deep swallow me up,
    or the pit close its mouth over me.

16 Answer me, O Lord, for your steadfast love is good;
    according to your abundant mercy, turn to me.
17 Hide not your face from your servant;
    for I am in distress; make haste to answer me.
18 Draw near to my soul, redeem me;
    ransom me because of my enemies!”

The lost are headed toward the eternal pit. They are not aware of why they might suffer. But The Lord uses their suffering to bring them to a place where they realize they can only call out to Jesus to be saved. He uses us, our entire lives including our suffering and our response to suffering to demonstrate His saving power to the world.

When we suffer, we call out to The Lord, we don’t try to numb or relieve the pain by our own strength. We do not seek the answers or provisions of the world. We seek the Kingdom of God, His will, provision, strength, healing, and joy. When we seek God first, everything else falls into place and worry about our distress becomes foreign to us, the children of Almighty God. (Matthew 6:25-34).

We can’t look to the world for compassion, provision, or anything we should be receiving from The Lord. They hate us because they hate Jesus. They hated Him so completely and utterly that they wanted to murder Him in the most horrific and tortuous way a person could be killed. But they didn’t take Jesus’ life, He gave it. We like Jesus must be ready to do the same. We must be willing to suffer for Jesus’ sake which is the sake of the whole world. Verses 19-21 read,

“You know my reproach,
    and my shame and my dishonor;
    my foes are all known to you.
20 Reproaches have broken my heart,
    so that I am in despair.
I looked for pity, but there was none,
    and for comforters, but I found none.
21 They gave me poison for food,
    and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.”

Verse 21 presages Jesus’ agony on the cross. He endured that torture for us. When He cried out that He was thirsty they gave him sour wine, vinegar instead of wine. First mixed with gall and myrrh to decrease his pain, but Jesus refused it. (Matthew 27:34). Then later he accepted sour wine without the gall to prolong his suffering. (Matthew 27:48). Neither was to slake his thirst. The world may offer us money, power, and revelry, but none of it is for our true benefit. Let them seek their profit from the world, eventually all their wealth, all their rich foods, and all their false power will be a stumbling block. They will either fall on their knees before Jesus or be thrown into the pits of Hell. We cannot be like them and therefore send them to Hell ourselves. Verses 22-28 describe it.

“Let their own table before them become a snare;
    and when they are at peace, let it become a trap.
23 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see,
    and make their loins tremble continually.
24 Pour out your indignation upon them,
    and let your burning anger overtake them.
25 May their camp be a desolation;
    let no one dwell in their tents.
26 For they persecute him whom you have struck down,
    and they recount the pain of those you have wounded.
27 Add to them punishment upon punishment;
    may they have no acquittal from you.
28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living;
    let them not be enrolled among the righteous.”

The sinner will never be counted with the righteous. Only those made good and holy by Jesus’ blood will be in the Book of Life. Everyone starts out with the opportunity to be saved. God, our Father has chosen that all can be saved by Jesus. But many will not listen to the urgings of The Holy Spirit. Many will close their ears and harden their hearts against Him and so they will be blotted out of the Book of Life and instead die eternally.

For us who humble ourselves before The Lord, admit our sin, and let God be our God, He saves us. He keeps us and carries us through the suffering. He won’t save someone who won’t admit they need saving. He helps those who ask for His help and rescue. Verses 29-33 read,

“But I am afflicted and in pain;
    let your salvation, O God, set me on high!

30 I will praise the name of God with a song;
    I will magnify him with thanksgiving.
31 This will please the Lord more than an ox
    or a bull with horns and hoofs.
32 When the humble see it they will be glad;
    you who seek God, let your hearts revive.
33 For the Lord hears the needy
    and does not despise his own people who are prisoners.”

So Believer, do not be afraid to suffer. Do not be afraid to call out to The Lord for deliverance. Call out to Him and praise Him for His Salvation. Let the world know how great our Lord is. Let the church know how good The Lord is. Verses 34-36 read,

“Let heaven and earth praise him,
    the seas and everything that moves in them.
35 For God will save Zion
    and build up the cities of Judah,
and people shall dwell there and possess it;
36     the offspring of his servants shall inherit it,
    and those who love his name shall dwell in it.”

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Psalm 68 The Lord of Angel Armies Brings Us Victory

7/28/2015

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Psalm 68

We praise the Lord because he defeats the enemy and He saves His people. This Psalm is a song of military victory for Israel as she sang The Lord’s acclaim and glorified Him. But more so this Psalm is a song of spiritual victory, a messianic prophecy of Jesus’ victory over Satan, sin, and death. Verses 1-6 read,

“God shall arise, his enemies shall be scattered;
    and those who hate him shall flee before him!
2 As smoke is driven away, so you shall drive them away;
    as wax melts before fire,
    so the wicked shall perish before God!
3 But the righteous shall be glad;
    they shall exult before God;
    they shall be jubilant with joy!

4 Sing to God, sing praises to his name;
    lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts;
his name is the Lord;
    exult before him!
5 Father of the fatherless and protector of widows
    is God in his holy habitation.
6 God settles the solitary in a home;
    he leads out the prisoners to prosperity,
    but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.”

God is our Almighty Lord of Hosts, He is pictured here marching out in lead Israel to defeat the enemy. As Israel left Mt. Sinai and trekked through the wilderness toward The Promised Land they sent the Ark of the Covenant three days ahead of them to secure their safety in the dangerous terrain. And each time they set off Moses said, “Arise, O Lord, and let your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate you flee before you.” And when they camped for the Ark rested and so did they behind it he said, “Return, O Lord, to the ten thousand thousands of Israel.” (Numbers 10:33-35).

He is extolled as the triumphant military champion. In Judges Chapter 5 Deborah and Barak sang a song of praise for the victory over the Hazinite army who were swept away by a river, and Sisera their commander who fled in terror and was killed by Jael, a woman. Many verses in their song are echoed in this song.

The Lord is praised as our Justice and Avenger. He is the Father to fatherless, Defender of the widow. He lifts up the humble and humbles the prideful. He fights for the ones who depend on Him. He is our strength. He gives the sojourner a home in Him. And He frees the prisoners and leads them to the Promised Land while all those who oppress and fight His children shall thirst and suffer without Him. Verses 7-10 recall the great things God has done for His people.

“O God, when you went out before your people,
    when you marched through the wilderness, Selah
8 the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain,
    before God, the One of Sinai,
    before God, the God of Israel.
9 Rain in abundance, O God, you shed abroad;
    you restored your inheritance as it languished;
10 your flock found a dwelling in it;
    in your goodness, O God, you provided for the needy.”

God doesn’t have to help those who help themselves. He wouldn’t force His assistance on anyone. He helps those of us who need Him. Those who call on Him for righteousness, for justice, and redemption. God, our Deliverer rescues those who are humble enough to need His deliverance. Even the weakest among the Lord’s people are victorious conquerors. The strong man of the enemy cannot defeat the frailest woman or smallest child of God. In Judges Chapter 4 Deborah, a woman led the Israelite army, and Jael, a woman killed the commander of the enemy’s army. They relied on the Lord for their strength and He brought them victory. Verses 11-14 read,

“The Lord gives the word;
    the women who announce the news are a great host:
12     “The kings of the armies—they flee, they flee!”
The women at home divide the spoil--
13     though you men lie among the sheepfolds--
the wings of a dove covered with silver,
    its pinions with shimmering gold.
14 When the Almighty scatters kings there,
    let snow fall on Zalmon.”

Zalmon means dark, it is a forested hill near Shechem. (Judges 9:46-49). To have a snow fall on a black forested hill gives us the picture of God’s pure holiness overcoming the evil dark of the enemy, Jesus’ blood washing us white as snow.

Verses 15-18 further give us a picture of Jesus’ salvation.

“O mountain of God, mountain of Bashan;
    O many-peaked mountain, mountain of Bashan!
16 Why do you look with hatred, O many-peaked mountain,
    at the mount that God desired for his abode,
    yes, where the Lord will dwell forever?
17 The chariots of God are twice ten thousand,
    thousands upon thousands;
    the Lord is among them; Sinai is now in the sanctuary.
18 You ascended on high,
    leading a host of captives in your train
    and receiving gifts among men,
even among the rebellious, that the Lord God may dwell there.”

Mount Sinai is the mountain where God visited Moses and gave him the Law. It is the place that represents Zion our eternal home with God where He dwells with us face to face. The enemy cannot hope to go there. God’s enemies can only seek home and shelter in lesser places which will one day be burned up. (Hebrews 12:18-24). This Psalm as it describes our Lord of Hosts describes Jesus Christ. He is our Redeemer, our Deliverer, and The Rider on the white horse. (Revelation 19:11-16). Jesus came down to earth before and He will come again. He saves those who call on Him and makes us victorious with Him. But until he comes again, He has given us gifts. He gave us The Holy Spirit. He gives us abilities such as prophecy, teaching, evangelism, healing, and mercy to edify the church, glorify Him by making us like Him, and bring the lost to Him. Paul described it in Ephesians 4:1-16, he even quoted verse 18 of this Psalm in Ephesians 4:8. Verses 10-13 of Ephesian 4 read,

“He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,”

It is not by our own strength we are saved. It is not by our own gifts, skills, and abilities we walk in Jesus. It is by The Lord. Our Father chose and anointed us. (Ephesians 1:3-5). Jesus is the propitiation the appeasement and payment of our sin so we can be saved. (1 John 2:1-2). The Holy Spirit transforms us to be holy, He teaches and guides us. (Romans 8:29-30). It’s not us who makes us conquerors, it is The Almighty God, Lord of Hosts who conquers for us. That is why we praise Him. That is how the whole world hears. Verses 19-27 read,

“Blessed be the Lord,
    who daily bears us up;
    God is our salvation. Selah
20 Our God is a God of salvation,
    and to God, the Lord, belong deliverances from death.
21 But God will strike the heads of his enemies,
    the hairy crown of him who walks in his guilty ways.
22 The Lord said,
    “I will bring them back from Bashan,
I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,
23 that you may strike your feet in their blood,
    that the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from the foe.”

24 Your procession is seen, O God,
    the procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary--
25 the singers in front, the musicians last,
    between them virgins playing tambourines:
26 “Bless God in the great congregation,
    the Lord, O you who are of Israel's fountain!”
27 There is Benjamin, the least of them, in the lead,
    the princes of Judah in their throng,
    the princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali.”

We can trust the Lord to defeat the enemy because when Jesus gave up His life on the cross, it was done. When Jesus rose from the dead the enemy was crushed. When Jesus ascended to Heaven, His people were equipped for the war. And When Jesus returns the enemy will know he is defeated and will be chained up and powerless. The enemy has no power over Believers. (1 John 5:18-19). He tries to chain us and oppress us. But we are free in Christ. We cannot be chained against our will. We are more than conquerors. The enemy cannot touch us without our approval. But he still fights us. He still tries. He doesn’t want us releasing any of his prisoners and bringing them into their new royal status as citizens of Heaven.

One day we will all sing our praises to Jesus forever. One day we will celebrate victory eternally. One day we, the true kings will be with our Sovereign, the King of kings for all time. Verses 32-35 read,

“O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God;
    sing praises to the Lord, Selah
33 to him who rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens;
    behold, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice.
34 Ascribe power to God,
    whose majesty is over Israel,
    and whose power is in the skies.
35 Awesome is God from his sanctuary;
    the God of Israel—he is the one who gives power and strength to his people.
Blessed be God!”

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Psalm 67 God Blesses You So That You Can Bless Others

7/27/2015

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Psalm 67

This Psalm of praise to the Lord speaks about the blessings of the Lord. It is amended from The High Priest’s prayer of blessing given to Aaron by the Lord to bless Israel. (Numbers 6:22-27). We know all scripture is given to us by God. (2 Timothy 3:16-17). This scripture is both a prayer and a song of praise which was given by the Lord in order to bless people. Verses 1-3 read,

“May God be gracious to us and bless us
    and make his face to shine upon us, Selah
2 that your way may be known on earth,
    your saving power among all nations.
3 Let the peoples praise you, O God;
    let all the peoples praise you!”

God blesses us, not so we can keep all his gifts and joy to ourselves but so we can bless others. In our love for God, we wish for all others to experience God’s grace. We wish for others to know the joy of having God shine His face upon us, of having His attention on us and our needs. If He is looking at us, listening to us, and smiling at us the way a Father who loves His child smiles as He spends time listens, and watches over him, He will certainly meet our needs and give us the good things we request.

We want the Lord and His Way, His Life, and The Truth to be known. We want every person to know God’s saving power. Salvation through Jesus Christ is the greatest blessing God gives us. What an amazing miracle, a perfect gift and a great joy Salvation is. We can’t help but praise the Lord. And when we do more people see the greatness and graciousness of God. We wish well for others and the best most wonderful blessing they can receive is Jesus.

Salvation is not only for some, it is for everyone. The Lord, our God, our Maker, and Savior is a God of justice. He has no bias. He judges everyone on the same criterion. He doesn’t love Billy Graham more than He loves Charles Manson. He judges everyone regardless of race, age, gender, or ability on one thing, is he covered by Jesus’ blood. Verses 4-5 say,

“Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
    for you judge the peoples with equity
    and guide the nations upon earth. Selah
5 Let the peoples praise you, O God;
    let all the peoples praise you!”

God wants all people to have reason to praise Him. He wants every person to know Him and experience His blessings. Isaiah 30:18 reads,

“Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you,
    and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you.
For the Lord is a God of justice;
    blessed are all those who wait for him.”

Aaron was the first high priest of Israel and the Lord gave him this blessing, re-written as a Psalm by David, to bless His people, to remind them His blessings and His Salvation were not only for them but for everyone. Jesus is our ultimate High Priest. He is the Way and the Truth and The Life. It is through Him that all nations, all peoples, are blessed. It is through Jesus that we experience God’s grace, the undeserved forgiveness of our sins. The Lord gave Aaron this blessing but He perfected in Christ.

While the Lord Judges all of us equally, He provides with favor. The Lord takes care of people who depend on Him. He blesses His children with provision of our needs and more. As others see how God cares for us, feeds us and gifts us they realize He is real. They can come to understand that He is great and awesome God and maybe they will turn to Him as well. Verses 6-7 read,

“The earth has yielded its increase;
    God, our God, shall bless us.
7 God shall bless us;
    let all the ends of the earth fear him!”

So let us be a blessing to the world because God blesses us and wants to bless all of us. As the Lord bless us, we bless others. Let’s not keep those blessings to ourselves.

My prayer for you is this, God’s prayer for you given to Aaron the first high priest of Israel.

“The Lord bless you and keep you;
25 the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
26 the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.”

Numbers 6:24-26

An addendum here: I did a devotional of Psalm 67 on February 4th 2015 you can read by clicking here

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Psalm 66 Why Do We Praise The Lord?

7/26/2015

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Psalm 66

There is always a reason to praise God. We praise Him for what He has done. We extol Him for Who He is. We magnify Him for what He is doing and for what He has told us He will do. God is great, He is awesome, mighty, tremendous, faithful, splendid, merciful, and loving. Verses 1-4 incite the entire earth to praise Almighty God.

“Shout for joy to God, all the earth;
2     sing the glory of his name;
    give to him glorious praise!
3 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
    So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you.
4 All the earth worships you
    and sings praises to you;
    they sing praises to your name.” Selah”

Praise to The Lord is glorious. God becomes known to the world, He is made famous to all those who hear the praise of the saints. His name is exalted, His works are celebrated, and He is lauded by our praise and worship. There will be a day when every person will come before The Lord for judgement. On that day the every person will bow to Jesus, and that includes His enemies. The people whose hearts are hard and filled with rage at the idea of The King of kings, who are to prideful to acknowledge Him will bend their knees to Him and proclaim that Jesus is the Lord of lords, King of kings, and God of the Universe. (Isaiah 45:22-25, Philippians 2:1-11). They will wince and shudder, because they will see the Truth, and it will be too late, too late to choose Him and too late to know Him.

What has God done? How has The Almighty God shown His love to His children? Verses 5-12 read,

“Come and see what God has done:
    he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.
6 He turned the sea into dry land;
    they passed through the river on foot.
There did we rejoice in him,
7     who rules by his might forever,
whose eyes keep watch on the nations--
    let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah

8 Bless our God, O peoples;
    let the sound of his praise be heard,
9 who has kept our soul among the living
    and has not let our feet slip.
10 For you, O God, have tested us;
    you have tried us as silver is tried.
11 You brought us into the net;
    you laid a crushing burden on our backs;
12 you let men ride over our heads;
    we went through fire and through water;
yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance.”

God brought Israel into Egypt where their numbers grew from 70 people to a strong and mighty numerous, and were eventually made slaves. (Genesis 46:26-27, Exodus 1:7-8). But the Lord brought them out of Egypt, divided the Red Sea so Israel walked safely through it, brought them through the wilderness, brought them into The Promised Land, and made them a nation.

The Lord has done the same for us today. We were slaves to sin, we were in the chains of the enemy. God loved us so much He sent His Son Jesus to us. He stepped out of Heaven, He lived, died and rose from the dead for us. Holy Perfect Jesus who never sinned was made sin so that we who were the slaves of sin were made to be righteous and holy. (2 Corinthians 5:16-21). Now we are a nation. 1 Peter 2:9-10 reads,

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

Our response is to rightly worship, praise, and glorify Him to magnify His Holy Name to every nation and person. Our response is to obey Him, to love Him above all with everything we have and are, and to love the people He made as He loves them. Verses 13-15 say,

“I will come into your house with burnt offerings;
    I will perform my vows to you,
14 that which my lips uttered
    and my mouth promised when I was in trouble.
15 I will offer to you burnt offerings of fattened animals,
    with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams;
I will make an offering of bulls and goats. Selah”

Our response in that love and in love others as He loves is to tell the world what God has done and who He is, the Savior Jesus, our Lord. Verses 16-20 read,

“Come and hear, all you who fear God,
    and I will tell what he has done for my soul.
17 I cried to him with my mouth,
    and high praise was on my tongue.
18 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,
    the Lord would not have listened.
19 But truly God has listened;
    he has attended to the voice of my prayer.

20 Blessed be God,
    because he has not rejected my prayer
    or removed his steadfast love from me!”

The Gospel is so simple that it is too simple for some. They just cannot accept that all we have to do is repent from our sins by asking the Lord God to forgive us and that He does. We do not have to earn His favor, he already chose us. We do not have to work for His reward, He gives us eternal life just by our faith.

There is no magic in the words of the sinner’s prayer. If we simply repeated the words yet treasured sin and never planned to obey the Lord then the prayer meant nothing, just as if it had never been said. God hears and knows our sincerity. He knows our hearts. When we pray with remorse for our wrongs and with faith that Jesus is the Christ, He hears, He listens, He attends, and He saves.

We have so much reason to praise the Lord! He has done great things. He created the world. He chose to love us and save us. He brought us from slavery to freedom. He wants to save every person in every nation. They can know the awesome Love of God by that praise.

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Psalm 65 Jesus is our Salvation

7/25/2015

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Psalm 63:5-8 on photo of Cross at sunset by Donna Campbell

By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness, O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas; the one who by his strength established the mountains, being girded with might; who stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples, so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs. You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy.” Psalm 63:5-8

Psalm 65

The Lord is our Salvation in every sense of the word. Believers, we are all tempted. And sometimes we all give in to those temptations. But God Who Saved Us, is still our Salvation. We are human, He is The LORD God. We have needs. We can’t live without food and water. We can’t survive exposed to the elements without relief. But God is Righteousness, Worthy, and, Able. God is our Creator and Sustainer. He is the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. Like all of us, David also gave in to temptation at times. In fact some of his sins were so grievous that we might wonder how this man could be called a man after God’s own heart. He committed adultery and had a man killed so that he could have the object of his lust for himself. That’s the stuff of a Lifetime movie. But He asked the Lord for forgiveness. And God forgave him and restored him. Verses 1-4 read

“Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion,
    and to you shall vows be performed.
2 O you who hear prayer,
    to you shall all flesh come.
3 When iniquities prevail against me,
    you atone for our transgressions.
4 Blessed is the one you choose and bring near,
    to dwell in your courts!
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,
    the holiness of your temple!”

God is so good! He is holy. He is loving. He is righteousness. When we contritely ask for forgiveness, He freely forgives. In the Old Covenant the priest had to offer sacrifices for sin, guilt, and thanks. Those sacrifices were Israel’s part of the bargain. Today, we are forgiven once and for all when we ask. And when we recognize our sin, our penitent prayer reminds us of God’s deep merciful love. He draws us closer to Him as we praise Him and worship him in thanksgiving for all our needs, including forgiveness, provision, protection, and healing,

Two nights ago, I got angry about two different issues. I did not take those angry thoughts captive. I let the anger grow, I mulled it and molded it. I opened myself up to the lies of the accuser, our enemy. And that stewing anger simmered and became bitterness and hopelessness. Last night I found myself contemplating the lies of the enemy to the point of such deep despondency that I wanted to act on it. I gave in to temptation and fed my depression. This morning I woke up and prayed for forgiveness even though I still felt the misery. And God my Salvation spoke to me. He reminded me of James 7-10.

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.”

He had already forgiven me but my repentance allowed me to acknowledge and appreciate the sin and God’s mercy and grace. And in my sorrow over my sin I can praise Him. And He is there in my praise. (Psalm 22:3-5). And He replaces my mourning with His joy, the ugliness of my sin with the beauty of His grace, and the remnants of my act to His glory.

We sin, but God still loves. We couldn’t hold up our end of the bargain and keep the law. So God in His profound love sent Jesus. Jesus lived perfectly, not by being religious, but by perfectly loving and never falling short. He never sinned and so He could be our propitiation, our Mercy Seat. He died and paid the price for our wrongs, our imperfections. And He rose again and conquered sin, death, and Satan. That is truly AWESOME! Verses 5-8 describe Jesus,

“By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness,
    O God of our salvation,
the hope of all the ends of the earth
    and of the farthest seas;
6 the one who by his strength established the mountains,
    being girded with might;
7 who stills the roaring of the seas,
    the roaring of their waves,
    the tumult of the peoples,
8 so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs.
You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy.”

Jesus is God our Salvation. He is our hope. In Him we have salvation, eternal life, and the Kingdom of Heaven. The entirety of creation was made by, through, and for Jesus, and He sustains all of it. (Colossians 1-15-17). Creation answer to Jesus. He spoke and healed. He spoke and forgave. He spoke and brought peace. He spoke and calmed the wind and the seas just as He, our God spoke and created the world. (Mark 4:35-41). Everyone who saw and heard Him, even those who refused to acknowledge His divinity we in awe of His miracles, teaching, and words. There is not a person far enough east or far enough west that will not see the greatness of the Lord, who will not hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ, nor see the might of His work. Isaiah 45:22-24 says,

“Turn to me and be saved,
    all the ends of the earth!
    For I am God, and there is no other.
23 By myself I have sworn;
    from my mouth has gone out in righteousness
    a word that shall not return:
‘To me every knee shall bow,
    every tongue shall swear allegiance.’

24 “Only in the Lord, it shall be said of me,
    are righteousness and strength;
to him shall come and be ashamed
    all who were incensed against him.”

Salvation is the greatest of God’s works. And it is not His only awesome deed. He created the world He gives life, and He sustains life. He makes the sun shine, the rain fall and the earth produce, not only for the saved but for the lost, not only for the rich but for the poor, not only for the king but for the commoner. Verses 9-13 read,

“You visit the earth and water it;
    you greatly enrich it;
the river of God is full of water;
    you provide their grain,
    for so you have prepared it.
10 You water its furrows abundantly,
    settling its ridges,
softening it with showers,
    and blessing its growth.
11 You crown the year with your bounty;
    your wagon tracks overflow with abundance.
12 The pastures of the wilderness overflow,
    the hills gird themselves with joy,
13 the meadows clothe themselves with flocks,
    the valleys deck themselves with grain,
    they shout and sing together for joy.”

God’s creation speaks to His splendor and might, even if we do not. (Romans 1:19-20, Job 12:7-12, Psalm 19:1-6). But how can we keep His love, mercy and greatness within us? He created the world. He created each of us uniquely and amazingly. He made a way for us to know Him and to love Him. He lived, died, and resurrected for us. He gave us eternal life.

Do not let sin keep you from Him. Remember you are forgiven, humble yourself and repent. Then praise Him. Shout with joy. Don’t leave to the rocks and trees. Praise the Lord, your Salvation, Creator, Sustainer, and Peace.

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Psalm 64 Why Do Evil Men Prosper?

7/24/2015

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Psalm 64

Does it seem sometimes, as Jeremiah complained that evil men prosper? Jeremiah 12:1-2 says what so many of us think from time to time.

“Righteous are you, O Lord,
    when I complain to you;
    yet I would plead my case before you.
Why does the way of the wicked prosper?
    Why do all who are treacherous thrive?
2 You plant them, and they take root;
    they grow and produce fruit;
you are near in their mouth
    and far from their heart.”

We look up from walking our difficult road in choosing right to see people who don’t care about God or beneficence or goodness, running past us toward money, power, and an easy life. It can be discouraging. But we are not alone in this grievance. And we are not seeing the whole picture either. When we take our eyes of The Lord and compare ourselves to the people around us, we can become blinded by faithlessness. David’s enemies sometimes seemed to be winning in their quest to destroy him. He like Jeremiah complained about it in Verses 1-6 of the Psalm.

“Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint;
    preserve my life from dread of the enemy.
2 Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked,
    from the throng of evildoers,
3 who whet their tongues like swords,
    who aim bitter words like arrows,
4 shooting from ambush at the blameless,
    shooting at him suddenly and without fear.
5 They hold fast to their evil purpose;
    they talk of laying snares secretly,
thinking, “Who can see them?”
6     They search out injustice,
saying, “We have accomplished a diligent search.”
    For the inward mind and heart of a man are deep.”

Our enemy the Liar and his followers bitterly hate us. Their hate comes out in vicious words accusing us of many wrongdoings. The enemy lies in wait for us and even though we are forgiven and righteous in Christ, he attacks us. He is determined to destroy our walk with Jesus, our testimony, and our effectiveness. Our enemy thinks we are stupid and won’t recognize his attacks. Sadly many Christians do fall for his lies, accusations, and schemes. They do not know who they are in Christ. They forget who The Lord really is. And they succumb to Satan’s attacks. They are not wearing the full armor of Christ because they don’t understand their identity in Him well enough to wear that noble armor. Paul encouraged us in Ephesians 6:10-13,

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.”

Armor is protective. But it must be worn deliberately and properly to be effective. We have to put it on. We have to choose to know who we are and trust who God is to avail ourselves of God’s perfect protection. Paul described the armor in Ephesians 6:14-18,

“Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,”

When we know that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, (John 14:6) we can understand who we are in Him and combat every lie with the Truth. When we know who we are in Christ and what He has done for us we know we nothing can take the eternal life Jesus’ righteousness gave to us. When we understand who God our Redeemer is we are able to boldly be a testimony to Him, always ready with the Gospel which makes peace between God and man. When we know who Almighty God is we can have faith in Him, and then the lies and attacks of the enemy bounce off of our Shield unable to hurt us. When we know who we are in Christ, Salvation which can’t be taken from us protects our minds and souls and gives us the ability to fight back. We don’t fight with just any weapon, we don’t sling useless retorts at the enemy, we cut him down with the Word of God, the Scriptures and Jesus Christ whose very name holds immense and holy power. When we know who God is and who we are, we don’t worry, we pray in The Spirit for all the saints battling the enemy.

Satan doesn’t care about justice. He lies to people and blinds them to the consequences of sin and the cost of rejecting Christ. But our Lord God Elohim is our Justice and our Righteous Judge. He is The Truth and the Way. He is our Righteousness, our Shield, our Salvation, and our Sword. He is The LORD. Verses 7-9 describe The Justice of The Lord for us.

“But God shoots his arrow at them;
    they are wounded suddenly.
8 They are brought to ruin, with their own tongues turned against them;
    all who see them will wag their heads.
9 Then all mankind fears;
    they tell what God has brought about
    and ponder what he has done.”

God avenges us. He wounds the followers of the prince of this world. He gives them a chance to turn to Him. But whatever their choice, God’s mighty power and perfect love are demonstrated for the whole world to see. He is glorified. And more people can come to Him as we, wearing the readiness of the Gospel tell of the awesomeness of our Lord.

Why do evil men seem to prosper? So that when they fall the impact will be felt, seen, and heard by the multitudes. God will be glorified. And we will rejoice and glorify Him further. Verse 10 tells us to stop complaining and whining and rejoice instead because we know who The Lord is and we know who we are in Him.

“Let the righteous one rejoice in the Lord
    and take refuge in him!
Let all the upright in heart exult!”

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Psalm 63 My Soul Thirsts for Living Water

7/23/2015

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Psalm 63

Imagine you are in a land where all the crops have died, where there is no flowing water and you are starving and thirsty. Maybe that is too much for us in countries like America, Canada, and Great Britain. Most of us have never been as hungry or thirst as an orphan in a third world country. But try to imagine yourself at your hungriest and thirstiest, you empty stomach growling and your tongue and throat so dry you can’t speak. How badly would you want a glass of clean pure water to relieve your parched throat? How intensely would you want a piece of fresh warm bread to satisfy your growling stomach?

It that the way you yearn for God? Is that the way you long for The Lord? Do you pursue Him the same way you would search for water to alleviate your thirst? We have it so easy today. God is easy to find. I don’t know how accurate the research was but the statistic I found seems likely, the average American household has 4.7 Bibles. We have access to know God. Maybe because it is so easy for us, we don’t seek Him with the intense desperation of people in other countries. In some countries people must sneak in a Bible and worship God secretly in basements because if they are caught they will be tortured, imprisoned, or killed. But who is better off? Should we develop the desperation for God that Christians in China or India have? I think so.

David, the King of Israel who could enter the tabernacle and worship God anytime he liked had the deep desire to know God more. Verses 1-4 read,

“O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;
    my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
    as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
2 So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
    beholding your power and glory.
3 Because your steadfast love is better than life,
    my lips will praise you.
4 So I will bless you as long as I live;
    in your name I will lift up my hands.”

Even though David knew God well, he understood there was so much more of the Lord to know and experience. He didn’t take his access to the throne of God for granted. Perhaps because he was a king who understood what it meant to be royalty in a land of commoners, he understood the privilege.

When we desire God so profoundly, we act on it. We do not lay on our beds wishing we could know God more. A thirsty man doesn’t just sit feet from a spring wishing he could drink. He goes to the spring and drinks. We pray, we listen we consider all He has done, and all He has promised. We read His Word. We contemplate His love. And we praise and worship Him.

When we seek God, His kingdom, and His nature. He satisfies us. Though we yearn desperately, He gratifies completely, more than completely. David compare it to the man desperate for a crust of bread receiving a banquet fit for a king, rich flavorful fatty and nourishing foods. God does that for us. Verses 5-8 read,

“My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food,
    and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,
6 when I remember you upon my bed,
    and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
7 for you have been my help,
    and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.
8 My soul clings to you;
    your right hand upholds me.”

It is easy for the privileged, like those of us in nations where our poorest are richer than the rich of third world countries to forget to be grateful. We consider privileges to be our rights. We forget how actually blessed we are. David showed his thankfulness and appreciation to God by meditating on Him, by considering and contemplating the awesomeness of The Lord, his Provider, his Sovereign, his Redeemer, and his Almighty and Sufficient God.

David praised God for His unwavering love and His consistent ever-present help. He sang for joy in the shadow of God’s wings. The shadow of His wings refers to the wings of the cherubim on the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant. The shadow of his wings is God’s mercy and grace to us, our salvation. We rest in the shadow of His wings since we cannot earn His love which is freely given. We cannot warrant His favor since He is just. We cannot merit Salvation since Jesus died and rose for us before we took our first breath and while we were still lost. (Romans 5:6-9). The word for mercy seat means propitiation, the satisfaction of our debt to God. Propitiation is the gaining of favor, to appease and wipe away wrath. Jesus is our propitiation, He is our mercy seat. 1 John 2:1-6 reads,

“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.”

David clung to The Lord. To cling is to latch on, hold tightly like a baby latches on to the mother’s breast for life sustaining milk. But it was not only David who held tightly to God, God held David upright. God David’s Savior made it possible for him to be upright. The right hand of God, Jesus Christ our savior upholds us. Acts 5:29-32 reads,

“But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

Jesus saves those who call on His name for salvation. But to the enemy, his minions, and his prisoners of war, Jesus will defeat them and send them to the eternal fires of the pit of Hell. Verses 9-11 read,

“But those who seek to destroy my life
    shall go down into the depths of the earth;
10 they shall be given over to the power of the sword;
    they shall be a portion for jackals.
11 But the king shall rejoice in God;
    all who swear by him shall exult,
    for the mouths of liars will be stopped.”

The Lord promised this in His Word that Jesus, the Word of God would Judge and anyone not covered by His righteousness would go to the Lake of Fire. (Revelation 20). It is by the Word, the Sword of God, the living will of God that people will be judged. John 1:1-5 tells us Jesus is the Word, the living manifestation of God’s will. We will all be judged by the Word of God. Either we are covered by His righteousness or we are not. Those who reject Christ choose to be judge by the Law. And no one but Jesus was able to live up to the Law.

Hebrews 4:11-13 tells us that Scripture, the Word of God is a discerning judge.

“Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. 12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

And Revelation 19:11-16 describes Jesus,

“Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.”

Is your soul desperate for the Lord? Do you desire Him the way a man trekking through the desert longs for water? Is Jesus your oasis, your Living Water satisfying your thirst forever? (John 4:7-14). Jesus promises to satisfy our souls’ longing for Him. John 7:37-39 reads,

“On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

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Psalm 62 Who is Your Rock?

7/22/2015

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Psalm 62

Where does you hope sit? In whom does your faith rest? Do you put your confidence in money? Do you put your expectation on family? Do you look to the government to fulfill promises? Do you look for help in people or possessions? None of that can ever meet all your needs, hopes, and yearnings wholly. Only God can perfectly give you what you need, satisfy every promise He made, and give you the desires of your heart. He answers every request perfectly and in your best interest. There is only one God and He is enough.

David knew this. He had money, power, an army at his disposal, trusted friends, and women. But He didn’t depend on any of that to conquer his enemies, to satisfy his longings, or rule a nation. He looked to the One True and Living God. Verses 1-2 read,

“For God alone my soul waits in silence;
    from him comes my salvation.
2 He alone is my rock and my salvation,
    my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.”

Our prayers, our fellowship with the Lord shouldn’t be a one sided conversation. It should have sufficient time of silence, waiting for The Lord, listening to The Spirit’s counsel, and wordlessly giving The God of Justice our hearts. David had many enemies who viciously tried to remove him from his position, who fought against Israel, and who would want nothing more than see him dead.

We have one enemy and he prowls like a roaring lion hunting his prey. (1 Peter 5:6-11). The people he uses are not our enemy they are his prisoners in a war they are oblivious to. The devil makes them think we are their enemies. But it is only him and his minions, who are our true enemies. He is scheming. Verses 3-4 read,

“How long will all of you attack a man
    to batter him,
    like a leaning wall, a tottering fence?
4 They only plan to thrust him down from his high position.
    They take pleasure in falsehood.
They bless with their mouths,
    but inwardly they curse. Selah

Satan, our adversary attacks the children of The Lord ferociously. The stronger we are in Christ the more afraid he becomes and the harder he will attack. He wants us to be ineffectual. He wants us to forget who we are. We are royal priests, distinctive, and holy. We belong to Awesome God. (1 Peter 2:9-10). We are the children of Holy Mighty God. (John 1:12-13). We are citizens of Heaven. We are the bride of Christ. (2 Corinthians 11:2-3, Revelation 19:6-9).

The devil tries hard to knock us of the foundation of Christ. He lies to us about our identity. He accuses us of wrongs. He twists words and uses partial scripture out of context to try and hurt us. The devil is called the accuser (Revelation 12:9-12) and he is a liar! (John 8:42-45).

We don’t believe the devil. We do not listen to his lies and accusations. We don’t give in to the temptations he dangles to lead us astray. We depend on The Lord God. We know He is Our Victorious Lord of Angel Armies. He is awesome! So we can rest in Him as conquerors. Verses 5-8 read,

“For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,
    for my hope is from him.
6 He only is my rock and my salvation,
    my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
7 On God rests my salvation and my glory;
    my mighty rock, my refuge is God.

8 Trust in him at all times, O people;
    pour out your heart before him;
    God is a refuge for us. Selah”

What is it that God of Truth has told us? Who are we in Christ? We know we are a royal priesthood, distinctive citizens of Heaven, children of God, and the bride of Christ. But we are also victorious. We are conquerors with Jesus. United completely with Him and nothing can separate us from Him. He loves us deeply. He is our refuge and our firm foundation. Even the most turbulent earthquake cannot shake us off of the Rock on which we stand. (Romans 8:31-39).

The devil lies, he accuses us of horrible wrongs. But God doesn’t. He brings convicts the lost but then sets us free, He never again considers our sins. If someone is condemning us, accusing us, and filling us with guilt it is not The Lord. The Lord condemned sin and doomed the devil to eternal hell. He rescued believers and set us free. Romans 8:1-4 reads,

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit”

Our wealth or poverty means nothing in the Kingdom of God. Our power and position in the world have no bearing in the Kingdom of God. The world is temporary. Our physical lives are merely a breath compared to eternity. It is Eternal Holy God, our Savior, and our Wonderful Advocate who matters. Our brief life is an opportunity to glorify Him and effect the Kingdom of God by demonstrating the Love of God to everyone, rich or poor, prince or pauper, believer or prisoner. Verses 9-10 say,

“Those of low estate are but a breath;
    those of high estate are a delusion;
in the balances they go up;
    they are together lighter than a breath.
10 Put no trust in extortion;
    set no vain hopes on robbery;
    if riches increase, set not your heart on them.”

We will all be judged on the same criterion. It will not be how good or bad we were. It will not be how many people we led to Christ or how many people we killed. It will be only whether or not we covered by Jesus’ righteousness. Did we accept or reject Christ? That is the only measure that matters.

We can put our hope in money, but money cannot save us. We can put our faith in power but the power of the world is nothing compared to God. Seeking more worldly money, power, and influence gains us nothing. We set our hearts on God. We put our hope in Jesus. We set our feet firmly on the Rock. We let God be God. We are still and we know that He is God and we know who we are in Christ.

Verses 11-12 read,

“Once God has spoken;
    twice have I heard this:
that power belongs to God,
12     and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love.
For you will render to a man
    according to his work.”

Power is God’s. And the only thing that will matter when we face Him is did we make Jesus our Lord and did we put our faith in His resurrection. That is the choice that gives us eternal life or eternal hell. When we accept Christ, we enter God’s rest. We don’t worry. The enemy is defeated. He can’t hurt us unless we allow him to do so.

But there is another judgement. This judgement doesn’t affect salvation but it will show us how much we allowed the devil to keep us from God. This judgement tells us where we chose to store our treasures. Was it on Earth or in Heaven? 1 Corinthians 3-10-15 reads,

“According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.”

Trusting The Lord leads us to glorify Him and brings people to Him. It is by our dependence on Him and our unity with Him that we pour out His love on the desperate prisoners of war and on the suffering brothers who try to fight the enemy alone. Our works which depend on God lead to eternal treasures. Our dependence on self, money, and earthly power leads to unproductive and futile accomplishments that will burn away on The Day of Fire.

Where is your hope? Where are your treasures? Is your life glorifying God or pleasing Satan?

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Psalm 71 You, Yes You, are the Light of the World!

Psalm 70 Our Prayers Bless the Lord, Us, and All Who Hear.

Psalm 69 Suffering for Jesus is not Fun but it is Good

Psalm 68 The Lord of Angel Armies Brings Us Victory

Psalm 67 God Blesses You So That You Can Bless Others

Psalm 66 Why Do We Praise The Lord?

Psalm 65 Jesus is our Salvation

Psalm 64 Why Do Evil Men Prosper?

Psalm 63 My Soul Thirsts for Living Water

Psalm 62 Who is Your Rock?

Donna Campbell

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