'Be strong, be strong and be strengthened!'
Thursday, November 30, 2006
KEEP YOUR EYES ON JESUS; DO NOT WATCH THE WAVES
November 30
KEEP YOUR EYES ON JESUS; DO NOT WATCH THE WAVES
Psalms 42:7-8 Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me. (8)Yet the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.
In the days of Noah, all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened (Gen 7:11). Deep then called unto deep in order to destroy every living substance (Gen 7:4) from the face of the earth, except for the inhabitants of the Ark. All the creatures that lived on the earth were destroyed except for Noah’s family on whom God had commanded His lovingkindness. Noah knew and believed God’s Words, that even if the whole earth were engulfed in water, God’s command of protection was upon him in the daytime and in the nighttime. If he worried, all he had to do was to remember God’s Words.
There are times when life seems to be a constant struggle for survival and staying afloat. There are times when it feels like the one side of hell has called onto the other one to help it drown you in a sea of problems that defer you from the main focus of your life, and it’s all you can do to try to keep up--times when billows of discouragement follow waves of problems, and there is no way to stop the incoming flood.
It is at such times that we need to remember God’s command of goodness towards us. It is at such times that we need to command our soul to remember God’s promises so we leave behind the pit of despair.
It is when Peter took his eyes off Jesus and noticed the waves that threatened to overcome him that he started to drown. Today we have the person of Jesus-Christ to look upon, but we have His Words of promise, I will not leave thee nor forsake thee (Joshua 1:5).
Matthew 14:30-31 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. (31) And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
PLAY THE GLAD GAME
November 29
PLAY THE GLAD GAME
Psalms 42:6 O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar.
What is the best way to lift our soul out of the dumpster of discouragement and doubt? What is the best antidote against the devilish lies that cause our spirit to be cast down?
Let’s sit now and play the ‘Glad Game Let’s bring to our mind all the wonderful things that we have. Now let’s imagine them all gone. Now bring them back again. Don’t we feel better already?
How often do we thank God for our gift of sight? I read this story the other day about a group of visitors at a summer resort who watched the sunset from the gallery of the hotel. A fat, unromantic-looking man had lingered until the last glow faded, & had seemed thrilled through & through by the beauty of it all. One guest, more observant than the rest, wondered about this, & so at supper she said to this man, who sat next to her, "You certainly did enjoy that sunset, Mr. B. Are you an artist?" "No, Madam, I'm a plumber," he responded with a slow grin. "But I was blind for five years."
Oh, but to remember the Lord in a spirit of thankfulness is not the natural inclination of man’s complaining and insatiable nature. It takes a conscious effort to command our soul to stop whining, and to rather remember all of His goodness towards us. Every step we take without falling is a miracle of God’s creation. It is even more of a miracle when we take those steps in the right direction: away from your sinful condition.
May we remember His goodness everyday by choosing to thank Him for all that we have-- for every aspect of the conditions of our life. By the same token, may we choose to ignore what we think is denied to us and that makes us grumble and complain. Will not this different frame of mind bring our soul back from the slough of self-pity? A grateful and thankful heart is the key out of the dungeon of despair.
Philippians 4:11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
PLAY THE GLAD GAME
Psalms 42:6 O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar.
What is the best way to lift our soul out of the dumpster of discouragement and doubt? What is the best antidote against the devilish lies that cause our spirit to be cast down?
Let’s sit now and play the ‘Glad Game Let’s bring to our mind all the wonderful things that we have. Now let’s imagine them all gone. Now bring them back again. Don’t we feel better already?
How often do we thank God for our gift of sight? I read this story the other day about a group of visitors at a summer resort who watched the sunset from the gallery of the hotel. A fat, unromantic-looking man had lingered until the last glow faded, & had seemed thrilled through & through by the beauty of it all. One guest, more observant than the rest, wondered about this, & so at supper she said to this man, who sat next to her, "You certainly did enjoy that sunset, Mr. B. Are you an artist?" "No, Madam, I'm a plumber," he responded with a slow grin. "But I was blind for five years."
Oh, but to remember the Lord in a spirit of thankfulness is not the natural inclination of man’s complaining and insatiable nature. It takes a conscious effort to command our soul to stop whining, and to rather remember all of His goodness towards us. Every step we take without falling is a miracle of God’s creation. It is even more of a miracle when we take those steps in the right direction: away from your sinful condition.
May we remember His goodness everyday by choosing to thank Him for all that we have-- for every aspect of the conditions of our life. By the same token, may we choose to ignore what we think is denied to us and that makes us grumble and complain. Will not this different frame of mind bring our soul back from the slough of self-pity? A grateful and thankful heart is the key out of the dungeon of despair.
Philippians 4:11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
CONVERSATION WITH THE SOUL
November 28
CONVERSATION WITH THE SOUL
Psalms 42:5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted in me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.
What happens to a child who never gets the firm coaching and directing of loving concerned parents? What happens to a seedling that grows without a lead? What happens to a soul who never gets wholesome direction from the conviction of the Holy Spirit?
We need to communicate and converse with our soul. At the end of the day, we need to take stock of it, ask it to render account of its feelings. We need at times to question our heart. We need to know if its inner conversations are solidly based on the firm unwavering rock of the Word of God, or if they are on the unpredictable lying sand of emotion. We need to sometimes check our soul and scold it, correct it. We certainly cannot let it run wild to its own devices like a spoiled child.
When we feel down, we need to tell our soul “look up”. When we feel discouraged, we need to remind it of the wonders of God’s provision and protection. When we feel directionless, we need to turn the ears of our heart towards the never stopping flow of the heavenly channel. When our soul has lost hope, we need ignore its feelings of self-pity and bring it to the light and truth in the closet of praising prayer.
Hebrews 6:19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;
CONVERSATION WITH THE SOUL
Psalms 42:5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted in me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.
What happens to a child who never gets the firm coaching and directing of loving concerned parents? What happens to a seedling that grows without a lead? What happens to a soul who never gets wholesome direction from the conviction of the Holy Spirit?
We need to communicate and converse with our soul. At the end of the day, we need to take stock of it, ask it to render account of its feelings. We need at times to question our heart. We need to know if its inner conversations are solidly based on the firm unwavering rock of the Word of God, or if they are on the unpredictable lying sand of emotion. We need to sometimes check our soul and scold it, correct it. We certainly cannot let it run wild to its own devices like a spoiled child.
When we feel down, we need to tell our soul “look up”. When we feel discouraged, we need to remind it of the wonders of God’s provision and protection. When we feel directionless, we need to turn the ears of our heart towards the never stopping flow of the heavenly channel. When our soul has lost hope, we need ignore its feelings of self-pity and bring it to the light and truth in the closet of praising prayer.
Hebrews 6:19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;
Monday, November 27, 2006
FROM OBEDIENCE TO HAPPINESS
November 27
Psalms 42:4 When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday.
David here utters a melancholic cry as he remembers good times of worshipping God in the congregation during religious feasts. There are times in life when God allows our enemies in the form of adversarial circumstances to overcome us and as a result, we lose many of the spiritual blessings God had so freely given us. This usually (but not always) happens as a result of our willful disobedience to Him. One may wonder, “How can we do this; how can we willfully and voluntarily sabotage ourselves out of what seems a wholesome and near perfect situation or life?”
This is the history of mankind. Adam and Eve were not content in the perfect happiness of the Garden of Eden and voluntarily chose out. The same is true of many people today. They, of their own choice, decide to leave wholesome and healthy conditions to adopt a lower lifestyle. They mostly do it because they refuse to have to yield to some ‘rules’. Like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, their happy condition was conditional to their obedience to one rule (Genesis 2:16,17). Jesus illustrated this point by saying, men loved darkness rather than light (John 3:19).
It is one thing to never have experienced wholesome, beautiful healthy living in the Spirit of God, but oh, what a dreadful predicament it is to have freely received it, only to later lose it through sin or personal sabotage.
It has been said that we never appreciate what we have until we lose it.
Lord, help us to be thankful; to count our blessings and realize how good we have it--to know that even our unansered prayers are fopr our benefit and eventual happiness.
Psalms 119:71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.
Psalms 42:4 When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday.
David here utters a melancholic cry as he remembers good times of worshipping God in the congregation during religious feasts. There are times in life when God allows our enemies in the form of adversarial circumstances to overcome us and as a result, we lose many of the spiritual blessings God had so freely given us. This usually (but not always) happens as a result of our willful disobedience to Him. One may wonder, “How can we do this; how can we willfully and voluntarily sabotage ourselves out of what seems a wholesome and near perfect situation or life?”
This is the history of mankind. Adam and Eve were not content in the perfect happiness of the Garden of Eden and voluntarily chose out. The same is true of many people today. They, of their own choice, decide to leave wholesome and healthy conditions to adopt a lower lifestyle. They mostly do it because they refuse to have to yield to some ‘rules’. Like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, their happy condition was conditional to their obedience to one rule (Genesis 2:16,17). Jesus illustrated this point by saying, men loved darkness rather than light (John 3:19).
It is one thing to never have experienced wholesome, beautiful healthy living in the Spirit of God, but oh, what a dreadful predicament it is to have freely received it, only to later lose it through sin or personal sabotage.
It has been said that we never appreciate what we have until we lose it.
Lord, help us to be thankful; to count our blessings and realize how good we have it--to know that even our unansered prayers are fopr our benefit and eventual happiness.
Psalms 119:71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.
Sunday, November 26, 2006
HIS OFFENSE, MY PAIN
November 26
HIS OFFENSE, MY PAIN
Psalms 42:3 My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?
We can come to such a place in our life when weeping lamentations supplant the voice of laughter. Sorrow and pain can take its toll on our being and send us in such a state of depression that we do not care anymore to tend to our basic needs such as food, sleep or even safety. Such was the state of the mighty King in this verse. His state of offense was so great, his sorrow so immense, that he could not eat. He fasted and wept in the desolation of his heart.
What was the offense that so disturbed the King? What was the sin, the impertinence that caused him such grief? Was it his family situation? After all, his only daughter was killed by one of his sons, who in turn was murdered by another one of his sons who constantly stood in rebellion against him. He also carried the weight of the repentance of his own sins, which caused the sword to never depart from his house (2 Samuel 12:10).
No! His grief and depression had nothing to do with ungrateful and selfish complaints pertaining to his personal conditions. Even when he was in bad health, he continually praised the Lord for His goodness, protection, provision, grace and mercies. His deep grievance was the blasphemous insults of the unbelievers against his God.
Beloved, if we are to complain and be vexed about anything, let it not be about His goodness towards us. Rather, let us be offended at the insults that are hurled at Him by the insolent incredulous world. Each unbelief, each doubt, each denial of His presence is an insult and an offense to His Name. As proud children, let us defend the honor of our Father even when don’t understand Him. As a proud ‘bride, let us stand with love , trust and honor at the sides of our ‘Husband’ knowing that whatever others may say to belie Him, He is true.
1Peter 4:14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
HIS OFFENSE, MY PAIN
Psalms 42:3 My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?
We can come to such a place in our life when weeping lamentations supplant the voice of laughter. Sorrow and pain can take its toll on our being and send us in such a state of depression that we do not care anymore to tend to our basic needs such as food, sleep or even safety. Such was the state of the mighty King in this verse. His state of offense was so great, his sorrow so immense, that he could not eat. He fasted and wept in the desolation of his heart.
What was the offense that so disturbed the King? What was the sin, the impertinence that caused him such grief? Was it his family situation? After all, his only daughter was killed by one of his sons, who in turn was murdered by another one of his sons who constantly stood in rebellion against him. He also carried the weight of the repentance of his own sins, which caused the sword to never depart from his house (2 Samuel 12:10).
No! His grief and depression had nothing to do with ungrateful and selfish complaints pertaining to his personal conditions. Even when he was in bad health, he continually praised the Lord for His goodness, protection, provision, grace and mercies. His deep grievance was the blasphemous insults of the unbelievers against his God.
Beloved, if we are to complain and be vexed about anything, let it not be about His goodness towards us. Rather, let us be offended at the insults that are hurled at Him by the insolent incredulous world. Each unbelief, each doubt, each denial of His presence is an insult and an offense to His Name. As proud children, let us defend the honor of our Father even when don’t understand Him. As a proud ‘bride, let us stand with love , trust and honor at the sides of our ‘Husband’ knowing that whatever others may say to belie Him, He is true.
1Peter 4:14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
Saturday, November 25, 2006
FROM PARCHED DRYNESS OF TRADITIONS TO LIFE GIVING QUENCHING LIVING WATERS
November 25
FROM PARCHED DRYNESS OF TRADITIONS, TO LIFE GIVING QUENCHING LIVING WATERS
Psalms 42:2 My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?
David had the commandments and the ordinances. David had the Ark. David had the sacrifices. David had the prophets Nathan and Samuel at his service to give him God’s Word. David even had within himself a gift of prophecy that uncontrollably flowed out of him and yet he confessed that his soul thirsteth for the living God.
David spoke of God’s protection with faith, of God’s provision with anticipation, of God’s redemption with assurance, but yet he said my soul thirsteth for the living God.
Many of us can be satisfied with less than the best. Many of us claim to worship a God that is the creator and King of the universe and yet, act as if He was an impotent, deaf, dumb, irrational and indifferent deity that lives so far away from them that He has no clues about their needs and heart cries.
David believed in a God that was alive, free, attentive to his needs--big or small. He believed in a God that is close to us, relevant, dedicated to our welfare. Believing in such a God as this, he could not be satisfied with the mediocrity of religious rituals, with shadow-pictures, with the rehearsals pertaining to future bounty and salvation, nor with anything that put God in a box that made Him less than the All-in-All. David’s soul required more for its satisfaction than the offices of religious duties, dead rituals and traditions couldn’t quench his spiritual thirst.
In our discovery of God, may we not stop at the mediocre, at the mere emulations of life and truth projected by earthly elements. The emptiness, the hunger, the dissatisfaction that is within us cannot, will not be filled with anything pertaining to this earth, nor with any type of religious function. The only thing that will ever fill us to the fullest is the Living God himself, the great I Am that I Am (exodus 3:14). So let us appear before Him daily in prayer. He waits for us, not just to hear the sound of our voice, but also to speak to us, to fill our heart with the fullness of His everlasting Water of Life.
Hebrews 10:1 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.
FROM PARCHED DRYNESS OF TRADITIONS, TO LIFE GIVING QUENCHING LIVING WATERS
Psalms 42:2 My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?
David had the commandments and the ordinances. David had the Ark. David had the sacrifices. David had the prophets Nathan and Samuel at his service to give him God’s Word. David even had within himself a gift of prophecy that uncontrollably flowed out of him and yet he confessed that his soul thirsteth for the living God.
David spoke of God’s protection with faith, of God’s provision with anticipation, of God’s redemption with assurance, but yet he said my soul thirsteth for the living God.
Many of us can be satisfied with less than the best. Many of us claim to worship a God that is the creator and King of the universe and yet, act as if He was an impotent, deaf, dumb, irrational and indifferent deity that lives so far away from them that He has no clues about their needs and heart cries.
David believed in a God that was alive, free, attentive to his needs--big or small. He believed in a God that is close to us, relevant, dedicated to our welfare. Believing in such a God as this, he could not be satisfied with the mediocrity of religious rituals, with shadow-pictures, with the rehearsals pertaining to future bounty and salvation, nor with anything that put God in a box that made Him less than the All-in-All. David’s soul required more for its satisfaction than the offices of religious duties, dead rituals and traditions couldn’t quench his spiritual thirst.
In our discovery of God, may we not stop at the mediocre, at the mere emulations of life and truth projected by earthly elements. The emptiness, the hunger, the dissatisfaction that is within us cannot, will not be filled with anything pertaining to this earth, nor with any type of religious function. The only thing that will ever fill us to the fullest is the Living God himself, the great I Am that I Am (exodus 3:14). So let us appear before Him daily in prayer. He waits for us, not just to hear the sound of our voice, but also to speak to us, to fill our heart with the fullness of His everlasting Water of Life.
Hebrews 10:1 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.
COME TO THE OASIS
November 23
COME TO THE OASIS
Psalms 42:1-2 As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. (2) My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?
O brother, O sister; do you hear the longing of your soul towards its Creator and God? Do you hear it crying day and night to you for mercy? We fill our lives with so much care that our soul is parched for lack of His Spirit. We content ourselves with so much duty that our soul starves for the milk of His Word. We try to satisfy ourselves with so many religious duties and rituals that we ignore the good part of sitting at His feet, and feeding from Him (Luke 10:42). The soul of our spirit cries and groans for mercy under the slavery of our self-induced works.
How long, O how long, will we continue to vex your soul in this manner? Does not the Lord see it? Does not the Lord acknowledge it? Will not the Lord take account of it in the day when the rewards are handed out (Matthew 25:21)?
Let’s stop for just a moment; let’s stop our feverish activities. Let’s stop and listen to the cry of our soul longing, panting, dying for daily communion with the God that created it. Let our heart be touched by its desperate cry; bring it to the oasis and see it revive. Let’s repent; change your ways, and like the flowers in our garden, let’s not forget the daily feeding and watering of our soul.
Jeremiah 29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
COME TO THE OASIS
Psalms 42:1-2 As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. (2) My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?
O brother, O sister; do you hear the longing of your soul towards its Creator and God? Do you hear it crying day and night to you for mercy? We fill our lives with so much care that our soul is parched for lack of His Spirit. We content ourselves with so much duty that our soul starves for the milk of His Word. We try to satisfy ourselves with so many religious duties and rituals that we ignore the good part of sitting at His feet, and feeding from Him (Luke 10:42). The soul of our spirit cries and groans for mercy under the slavery of our self-induced works.
How long, O how long, will we continue to vex your soul in this manner? Does not the Lord see it? Does not the Lord acknowledge it? Will not the Lord take account of it in the day when the rewards are handed out (Matthew 25:21)?
Let’s stop for just a moment; let’s stop our feverish activities. Let’s stop and listen to the cry of our soul longing, panting, dying for daily communion with the God that created it. Let our heart be touched by its desperate cry; bring it to the oasis and see it revive. Let’s repent; change your ways, and like the flowers in our garden, let’s not forget the daily feeding and watering of our soul.
Jeremiah 29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
HE WHO REDEEMS
November 23
HE WHO REDEEMS
Psalms 34:22 The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.
Our human choices have brought us from an edenic eternal paradise to this temporal corruptible dimension of earth. The decisions we made placed us in a position of submission to our environment, and to the internal and external constitution of its elements. We were made to rule the planet, but over the millennia, the indulgent nature of our humanity has led us rather to use the planet to answer to the slavery of our personal desires. Unbeknownst to our illusions of freedom, we have forged with our own hands the chains of conformity that bind us.
Have we heard the good news yet? Have we heard the Good News of redemption; of the deliverance by the Son of God from this cruel slavery to the gods of this world and of our own poor attempts to happiness? As in the days of Moses, there is a lamb Egypt whose blood speaks for the redemption of our hearts.
There is a wealthy British legislator who uses her personal wealth to “buy” persecuted Sudanese Christian who have been captured and enslaved because of their religion. She buys them, only in order to set them free. The slave traders bring the slaves to her because she offers a good price. When she arrives she sometimes can only buy half the slaves brought to her. There was also a German businessman who touched by the plight of the German Jews during WW 2 “bought” with his own money the Jewish workers of his factory so they wouldn’t be sent to death camps. When he had spent all he had redeeming as many as he could, he cried with regret for his past foolish expenditures, money which he saw now, could have been much better spent.
Jesus on the contrary has infinite wealth. He has enough to buy us all from the slavery created by our foolish decisions. Jesus offers a good price to the devil, the slave trader of this world: the price of His own blood. Jesus can and will spare us from the enslaving of our own desires. There is neither limit nor end to the flow of His bleeding grace shed with tears, love and sincere empathy. He redeems all those of us who come to Him, paying with the full price of His blood as if we were the only one. We may only see it by faith now, but in the end, the whole world will know whose we are (1 Corinthians 13:12).
1 Peter 1:18-19 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; (19) But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
HE WHO REDEEMS
Psalms 34:22 The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.
Our human choices have brought us from an edenic eternal paradise to this temporal corruptible dimension of earth. The decisions we made placed us in a position of submission to our environment, and to the internal and external constitution of its elements. We were made to rule the planet, but over the millennia, the indulgent nature of our humanity has led us rather to use the planet to answer to the slavery of our personal desires. Unbeknownst to our illusions of freedom, we have forged with our own hands the chains of conformity that bind us.
Have we heard the good news yet? Have we heard the Good News of redemption; of the deliverance by the Son of God from this cruel slavery to the gods of this world and of our own poor attempts to happiness? As in the days of Moses, there is a lamb Egypt whose blood speaks for the redemption of our hearts.
There is a wealthy British legislator who uses her personal wealth to “buy” persecuted Sudanese Christian who have been captured and enslaved because of their religion. She buys them, only in order to set them free. The slave traders bring the slaves to her because she offers a good price. When she arrives she sometimes can only buy half the slaves brought to her. There was also a German businessman who touched by the plight of the German Jews during WW 2 “bought” with his own money the Jewish workers of his factory so they wouldn’t be sent to death camps. When he had spent all he had redeeming as many as he could, he cried with regret for his past foolish expenditures, money which he saw now, could have been much better spent.
Jesus on the contrary has infinite wealth. He has enough to buy us all from the slavery created by our foolish decisions. Jesus offers a good price to the devil, the slave trader of this world: the price of His own blood. Jesus can and will spare us from the enslaving of our own desires. There is neither limit nor end to the flow of His bleeding grace shed with tears, love and sincere empathy. He redeems all those of us who come to Him, paying with the full price of His blood as if we were the only one. We may only see it by faith now, but in the end, the whole world will know whose we are (1 Corinthians 13:12).
1 Peter 1:18-19 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; (19) But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
TRUE VINDICATION
November 21
TRUE VINDICATION
Psalms 34:21 Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.
Our natural world has its unbreakable laws of physics. These can be cruel sometimes in their merciless indifference to our feelings and desires. If a child defies the laws of gravity in bending over a balcony, gravity will not reason that it would break its parent’s hearts if the child died, or that it will ruin his life if the injuries incurred by the fall would cripple him for the rest of his life. These laws will resiliently allow mankind to reap the results of its own careless foolishness with no questions asked for love, justice or mercy.
God has also established spiritual principles, which are equally immutable. From the beginning of times in the Garden of Eden as well as with the first set of children ever born on this earth, the evil one has hated the righteous and has tried to kill him. Things have not changed very much indeed. The devil still hates those who follow God and tries to lure them away from their loyalties by using every trick in the book, and sad to say, if it were not for the eventual supernatural intervention of the Lord (Revelations 19:11), he would be succeeding. But we know the devil’s end--that he will be desolate. That his own evil will repay him and the same goes for all those who follow him in his wicked deeds against God’s people.
Let us not worry about fighting against the forces of evil. They are doomed to self-defeat. Let that be an encouragement for us; let it cheer us up. The enemy of our soul has already been defeated a long time ago by the blood of Jesus. We will surely watch him receive the full measure of his rewards hanging on the gallows of his own evil purposes (Esther 9:25).
Let us therefore just cling to Jesus. Let us obey His Words and be faithful to Him. Let us call upon His name and upon His blood of redemption shed for us, and in the end my brother, my sister, we will see total vindication.
Psalms 37:39-40 But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble. (40) And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.
TRUE VINDICATION
Psalms 34:21 Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.
Our natural world has its unbreakable laws of physics. These can be cruel sometimes in their merciless indifference to our feelings and desires. If a child defies the laws of gravity in bending over a balcony, gravity will not reason that it would break its parent’s hearts if the child died, or that it will ruin his life if the injuries incurred by the fall would cripple him for the rest of his life. These laws will resiliently allow mankind to reap the results of its own careless foolishness with no questions asked for love, justice or mercy.
God has also established spiritual principles, which are equally immutable. From the beginning of times in the Garden of Eden as well as with the first set of children ever born on this earth, the evil one has hated the righteous and has tried to kill him. Things have not changed very much indeed. The devil still hates those who follow God and tries to lure them away from their loyalties by using every trick in the book, and sad to say, if it were not for the eventual supernatural intervention of the Lord (Revelations 19:11), he would be succeeding. But we know the devil’s end--that he will be desolate. That his own evil will repay him and the same goes for all those who follow him in his wicked deeds against God’s people.
Let us not worry about fighting against the forces of evil. They are doomed to self-defeat. Let that be an encouragement for us; let it cheer us up. The enemy of our soul has already been defeated a long time ago by the blood of Jesus. We will surely watch him receive the full measure of his rewards hanging on the gallows of his own evil purposes (Esther 9:25).
Let us therefore just cling to Jesus. Let us obey His Words and be faithful to Him. Let us call upon His name and upon His blood of redemption shed for us, and in the end my brother, my sister, we will see total vindication.
Psalms 37:39-40 But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble. (40) And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
TROUBLES DON’T BREAK US
November 21
Psalms 34:20 He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.
The Child of God can truly count all his bones. If we earnestly keep our eyes on our Lord and Savior, neither persecution nor tribulation will be able to negatively affect any part of our soul’s basic element’s fabric. They can vex, offend and howl at us. They can tear, maim, torture and kill our flesh, but the basic structure of our soul remains intact because all they can do is affect the flesh. They cannot maim or injure our fundamental ‘bone” structure’, the skeleton of our soul, (Matthew 10:28). Jesus’ flesh was bruised and bloodied, but His physical bone structure remained intact.
Katherine Bevis illustrated this point one day when from among all the students at a well-known college, she pointed out to a young man who had to get about on crutches. He had an unusual talent for friendliness and optimism and so won the deep respect of his classmates. One day a student asked him what had caused his deformity. "Infantile paralysis," he replied briefly, not wishing to elaborate on his difficulties.
"With a misfortune like that, how can you face the world so cheerfully?" inquired his classmate.
"Oh," replied the young Christian, smiling, "the disease never touched my heart.”
Let’s keep our eyes on Jesus and like Peter, walk with assurance on the waters of uncertainty. Let’s keep our faith on the promises of his wonderful words and like the martyrs of old, refuse deliverance from physical anguish to attain the reward of a better resurrection. Let’s keep our heart on our crucified Lord, God and Savior, and the cares and wounds of this world will vanish in the body of His resurrection.
Psalms 35:10 All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto thee, which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him?
Psalms 34:20 He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.
The Child of God can truly count all his bones. If we earnestly keep our eyes on our Lord and Savior, neither persecution nor tribulation will be able to negatively affect any part of our soul’s basic element’s fabric. They can vex, offend and howl at us. They can tear, maim, torture and kill our flesh, but the basic structure of our soul remains intact because all they can do is affect the flesh. They cannot maim or injure our fundamental ‘bone” structure’, the skeleton of our soul, (Matthew 10:28). Jesus’ flesh was bruised and bloodied, but His physical bone structure remained intact.
Katherine Bevis illustrated this point one day when from among all the students at a well-known college, she pointed out to a young man who had to get about on crutches. He had an unusual talent for friendliness and optimism and so won the deep respect of his classmates. One day a student asked him what had caused his deformity. "Infantile paralysis," he replied briefly, not wishing to elaborate on his difficulties.
"With a misfortune like that, how can you face the world so cheerfully?" inquired his classmate.
"Oh," replied the young Christian, smiling, "the disease never touched my heart.”
Let’s keep our eyes on Jesus and like Peter, walk with assurance on the waters of uncertainty. Let’s keep our faith on the promises of his wonderful words and like the martyrs of old, refuse deliverance from physical anguish to attain the reward of a better resurrection. Let’s keep our heart on our crucified Lord, God and Savior, and the cares and wounds of this world will vanish in the body of His resurrection.
Psalms 35:10 All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto thee, which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him?
Monday, November 20, 2006
THE DIFFERENCE
November 21
Psalms 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.
About 400 years before the birth of the Messiah, the prophet Malachi prophesied that the Lord will come to purge the priests of His temple that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness (Malachi 3:1-3).
‘Purging’ creates in us what fire creates in gold: it makes us better vessels for Him. Jesus had to learn obedience through the things that He suffered (Hebrews 5:8), David claimed that his afflictions taught him God’s statutes (Psalms 119:71), and the Apostles Paul and James told us to rejoice in times of tribulation and to count temptation as a joy. (Romans 5:3; James 1:2)
This is what keeps the righteous ‘righteous’--their many tribulations.
The Lord has not promised to take afflictions from us, only to deliver us from them, and as we go through them, we grow and mature!
This is the difference between the righteous and the unsaved. In times of tribulations, the righteous have the everlasting promise of deliverance, the assurance that there is an end, and that their afflictions purify them even more. The unsaved fall in their woes to never rise again.
Proverbs 24:16 For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.
Psalms 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.
About 400 years before the birth of the Messiah, the prophet Malachi prophesied that the Lord will come to purge the priests of His temple that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness (Malachi 3:1-3).
‘Purging’ creates in us what fire creates in gold: it makes us better vessels for Him. Jesus had to learn obedience through the things that He suffered (Hebrews 5:8), David claimed that his afflictions taught him God’s statutes (Psalms 119:71), and the Apostles Paul and James told us to rejoice in times of tribulation and to count temptation as a joy. (Romans 5:3; James 1:2)
This is what keeps the righteous ‘righteous’--their many tribulations.
The Lord has not promised to take afflictions from us, only to deliver us from them, and as we go through them, we grow and mature!
This is the difference between the righteous and the unsaved. In times of tribulations, the righteous have the everlasting promise of deliverance, the assurance that there is an end, and that their afflictions purify them even more. The unsaved fall in their woes to never rise again.
Proverbs 24:16 For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.
Sunday, November 19, 2006
THE ENGRAVING OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
November 19
THE ENGRAVING OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
Psalms 34:17-18 The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. (18) The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
Jesus-Christ, in one of his most famous sermons tells us that the poor in spirit, the meek and they that mourn are blessed. He teaches us that they are blessed because through their poverty, meekness and sorrow, they have obtained the virtues that are imbedded in the spirit of righteousness (Matthew 5:3-5). Our dear lord instructs us that these people are blessed because of the humility of their spirit, and of the contriteness of their heart.
The righteousness that draws us nigh unto the Lord and the Lord nigh unto us comes at the price of the humbling of our spirit, of the drowning our ambitions, of the disillusionment of our ideals, of the failing of our strength, and of the breaking of our hearts. These all contribute to impart unto us the attitude of dependence on Him that brings us to the reality that when all is gone but Jesus, we suddenly realize that Jesus is more than enough.
Lord Jesus, when our ships come home with broken sails; when our best friends ignore me; when our dearest dreams turn to nightmares; when it seems that all is lost to no avail; help us to realize that beyond the sound of the devil’s gleeful snickering, the sweet cooing of the voice of your eternal Word engraves in our souls the principles of being ultimately yours in utter dependence to you.
Psalms 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
THE ENGRAVING OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
Psalms 34:17-18 The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. (18) The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
Jesus-Christ, in one of his most famous sermons tells us that the poor in spirit, the meek and they that mourn are blessed. He teaches us that they are blessed because through their poverty, meekness and sorrow, they have obtained the virtues that are imbedded in the spirit of righteousness (Matthew 5:3-5). Our dear lord instructs us that these people are blessed because of the humility of their spirit, and of the contriteness of their heart.
The righteousness that draws us nigh unto the Lord and the Lord nigh unto us comes at the price of the humbling of our spirit, of the drowning our ambitions, of the disillusionment of our ideals, of the failing of our strength, and of the breaking of our hearts. These all contribute to impart unto us the attitude of dependence on Him that brings us to the reality that when all is gone but Jesus, we suddenly realize that Jesus is more than enough.
Lord Jesus, when our ships come home with broken sails; when our best friends ignore me; when our dearest dreams turn to nightmares; when it seems that all is lost to no avail; help us to realize that beyond the sound of the devil’s gleeful snickering, the sweet cooing of the voice of your eternal Word engraves in our souls the principles of being ultimately yours in utter dependence to you.
Psalms 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
Saturday, November 18, 2006
THE LITMUS TEST
November 18
THE LITMUS TEST
Psalms 34:15-16 The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. (16) The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find? asked King Solomon in Proverbs 20:6. Anyone can claim to be righteous; anyone can claim to have God on his or her side, but it is the end that tells the beginning. Not just the end of the paragraph or even of the particular story in the chapter, but the end of the book of our life--and that end will not be until the Great White Throne judgment at the end of the Millennium (Revelations 20:11-15).
The righteous are those who has been redeemed, and are owned by the righteous Lord Jesus Christ. They shall never see death nor corruption in this world nor in the next no matter what. The remembrance of those that do evil is to be cut off from the earth, The proof, the litmus test of God’s vindication and acceptance of a man is that His ears are open unto his cry, and that He preserves them forever. Because corruption and annihilation is his fate (Revelations 20:10), the enemy of our soul loves to use the many trials and test of this life in an attempt to make us forget that.
So, redeemed by His righteous saving merciful grace, let us not fret not when we don’t see nor understand the way He leads us on. Let us not fear the many turns and curves on the mountain path. Let’s remember that we are made for God’s purpose to bring us to the fulfillment of His promise of eternal life. We need to just trust Him and follow His leading day by day.
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
THE LITMUS TEST
Psalms 34:15-16 The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. (16) The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find? asked King Solomon in Proverbs 20:6. Anyone can claim to be righteous; anyone can claim to have God on his or her side, but it is the end that tells the beginning. Not just the end of the paragraph or even of the particular story in the chapter, but the end of the book of our life--and that end will not be until the Great White Throne judgment at the end of the Millennium (Revelations 20:11-15).
The righteous are those who has been redeemed, and are owned by the righteous Lord Jesus Christ. They shall never see death nor corruption in this world nor in the next no matter what. The remembrance of those that do evil is to be cut off from the earth, The proof, the litmus test of God’s vindication and acceptance of a man is that His ears are open unto his cry, and that He preserves them forever. Because corruption and annihilation is his fate (Revelations 20:10), the enemy of our soul loves to use the many trials and test of this life in an attempt to make us forget that.
So, redeemed by His righteous saving merciful grace, let us not fret not when we don’t see nor understand the way He leads us on. Let us not fear the many turns and curves on the mountain path. Let’s remember that we are made for God’s purpose to bring us to the fulfillment of His promise of eternal life. We need to just trust Him and follow His leading day by day.
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Friday, November 17, 2006
THE ELM
November 17
Psalms 34:14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
How simple are the instructions of the Lord. The ‘simplicity’ of the Lord is wiser than the complicated theses of men. In the previous verse, the psalmist asks how to live a good abundant life. He finds the answer in applying to his life the simplest principles ‘keep your tongue from evil’, ‘do not speak guile’, ‘depart from evil’, ‘seek and pursue peace’.
James from the New Testament of the Bible tells us that even as great ships are ‘turned about’ by a very small helm, we, as people, are also turned by a small organ: our tongue (James 3:4). It is a fact that once we learn to keep our tongue from evil and guile, we are ready to depart from evil, and do good; seek peace and pursue it. If we first we take care of our tongue, (which, let us not forget, speaks from the abundance of the heart (Matthew 12;34)), then the proper executive action takes place.
We need to be led by the words from His tongue, not ours. Therefore, starting with bringing our tongue under your control, let us depart from evil. Let us not just go around it, let’s just go away from it altogether. Let’s not just take your hands off of it, but our whole self too. Let’s not even live near it; let’s avoid it; leave it; set a great distance between us and “it” and leave no forwarding address. And do good; we need to be pragmatic, energetic, actively persevering in the good. Virtue overcomes ill. He who does good is sure to avoid evil (Romans 12:21). Seek peace; let’s not merely prefer it, but rather seek it with ardent zeal. Peace with God, peace with our own heart, with our friends, relatives and co-workers in the Lord. Let’s seek after peace as the merchantman sought after the pearl of great price (Matthew 13:46).
James 4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
Psalms 34:14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
How simple are the instructions of the Lord. The ‘simplicity’ of the Lord is wiser than the complicated theses of men. In the previous verse, the psalmist asks how to live a good abundant life. He finds the answer in applying to his life the simplest principles ‘keep your tongue from evil’, ‘do not speak guile’, ‘depart from evil’, ‘seek and pursue peace’.
James from the New Testament of the Bible tells us that even as great ships are ‘turned about’ by a very small helm, we, as people, are also turned by a small organ: our tongue (James 3:4). It is a fact that once we learn to keep our tongue from evil and guile, we are ready to depart from evil, and do good; seek peace and pursue it. If we first we take care of our tongue, (which, let us not forget, speaks from the abundance of the heart (Matthew 12;34)), then the proper executive action takes place.
We need to be led by the words from His tongue, not ours. Therefore, starting with bringing our tongue under your control, let us depart from evil. Let us not just go around it, let’s just go away from it altogether. Let’s not just take your hands off of it, but our whole self too. Let’s not even live near it; let’s avoid it; leave it; set a great distance between us and “it” and leave no forwarding address. And do good; we need to be pragmatic, energetic, actively persevering in the good. Virtue overcomes ill. He who does good is sure to avoid evil (Romans 12:21). Seek peace; let’s not merely prefer it, but rather seek it with ardent zeal. Peace with God, peace with our own heart, with our friends, relatives and co-workers in the Lord. Let’s seek after peace as the merchantman sought after the pearl of great price (Matthew 13:46).
James 4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
THE SECRET OF A LONG ABUNDANT LIFE
November 16
Psalms 34:11-13 Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD. (12) What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? (13) Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.
Is this not the heart cry of the souls of this generation, the desire for a happy long life that sees ‘good’? ? Do not many people spend their substance on physicians for it? Is it not the yearning heard in many heart touching songs, poems and stories?
It seems to be a secret that none can find; a treasure bound in the spiritual caves of the earth. While some look for it in foul darkness, others cover it with the discouraged cloak of cynicism. Yet, the worst are those who cowardly run from it.
The psalmist-prophet tells us that keeping our tongues from evil and our lips from speaking guile are the keys leading to the secret of an abundant happy life.
If we are ardently looking for the abundant life promised by the Savior (John 10:10), do we also have the courage to learn about the evil our tongue unleashes? Do we have the strength to face the guile our lips utter? Oh, but to realize that these are the things that keep away from us this life abundant. Let’s not run from their realities; let’s not cover them with an air of foolishness, but face them with the power and might of the Holy Spirit that God has promised to give us (Luke 11:13) to teach us is ways.
Psalms 19:12-13 Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.
Psalms 34:11-13 Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD. (12) What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? (13) Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.
Is this not the heart cry of the souls of this generation, the desire for a happy long life that sees ‘good’? ? Do not many people spend their substance on physicians for it? Is it not the yearning heard in many heart touching songs, poems and stories?
It seems to be a secret that none can find; a treasure bound in the spiritual caves of the earth. While some look for it in foul darkness, others cover it with the discouraged cloak of cynicism. Yet, the worst are those who cowardly run from it.
The psalmist-prophet tells us that keeping our tongues from evil and our lips from speaking guile are the keys leading to the secret of an abundant happy life.
If we are ardently looking for the abundant life promised by the Savior (John 10:10), do we also have the courage to learn about the evil our tongue unleashes? Do we have the strength to face the guile our lips utter? Oh, but to realize that these are the things that keep away from us this life abundant. Let’s not run from their realities; let’s not cover them with an air of foolishness, but face them with the power and might of the Holy Spirit that God has promised to give us (Luke 11:13) to teach us is ways.
Psalms 19:12-13 Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
THE GUARANTOR OF THE PROMISES
November 15
Psalms 34:10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.
The young of the pride are dependant on the hunting of the adult females to survive. They howl, moan, lament and let their hunger be known. Sometimes, their crying is long, until such a time when the female returns with sustenance. If the hunting fails, if the drought withheld the rains, even those mighty ones will have to go without and be subject to the death and disease of the common beast, as even for the mighty lion, there is no guaranty of survival.
So are the mighty and powerful of this world. If the guaranty and strength of their sustenance and power lies in their own hands and ability, from its genesis it is doomed to whither and fade. There is not a single purpose of the quiver of the pride of man that will not come to naught. Every mountain shall be brought low (Luke 3:5). The apostle James told the rich and wealthy ‘lions’ of his generation, Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away (James 4:14).
But the cry of the child of God is never in vain. His Father is at his side where, every prayer is heard, every whimper is tended to, and every wish is acknowledged. In His goodness He discards the foolish requests, or teaches us by their being granted (Psalms 106:15) and for the rest, He is be faithful to keep us alive for His purpose (1 Timothy 6:8).
In order to fulfill His promise to those who seek Him, He has protected the seed of Abraham from annihilation, famines, barrenness and persecutions through millennia. Later, that promise was fulfilled through the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. So forever He will keep alive those who seek Him and His will, until His purpose be accomplished, and all good things are granted to them if not in this world, in the next. He is the guarantor of this promise.
“Cheer up, ye saints of God--there's nothing to worry about--
Nothing to make you feel afraid--Nothing to make you doubt!
Our God has never failed, so why not trust Him and shout!
You'll be glad you trusted Him tomorrow!"
Psalms 145:18 The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.
Psalms 34:10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.
The young of the pride are dependant on the hunting of the adult females to survive. They howl, moan, lament and let their hunger be known. Sometimes, their crying is long, until such a time when the female returns with sustenance. If the hunting fails, if the drought withheld the rains, even those mighty ones will have to go without and be subject to the death and disease of the common beast, as even for the mighty lion, there is no guaranty of survival.
So are the mighty and powerful of this world. If the guaranty and strength of their sustenance and power lies in their own hands and ability, from its genesis it is doomed to whither and fade. There is not a single purpose of the quiver of the pride of man that will not come to naught. Every mountain shall be brought low (Luke 3:5). The apostle James told the rich and wealthy ‘lions’ of his generation, Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away (James 4:14).
But the cry of the child of God is never in vain. His Father is at his side where, every prayer is heard, every whimper is tended to, and every wish is acknowledged. In His goodness He discards the foolish requests, or teaches us by their being granted (Psalms 106:15) and for the rest, He is be faithful to keep us alive for His purpose (1 Timothy 6:8).
In order to fulfill His promise to those who seek Him, He has protected the seed of Abraham from annihilation, famines, barrenness and persecutions through millennia. Later, that promise was fulfilled through the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. So forever He will keep alive those who seek Him and His will, until His purpose be accomplished, and all good things are granted to them if not in this world, in the next. He is the guarantor of this promise.
“Cheer up, ye saints of God--there's nothing to worry about--
Nothing to make you feel afraid--Nothing to make you doubt!
Our God has never failed, so why not trust Him and shout!
You'll be glad you trusted Him tomorrow!"
Psalms 145:18 The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
FIRST LOVE
November 14
Psalms 34:9 O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.
When our life is in ‘want’, when it is it in need of comfort, soothing, love, care, provision, direction, and fulfillment, there is a promise of total satisfaction for the soul that gives the Lord respect and reverence.
We may wonder how reverence and respect for our Lord brings to our life the satisfaction that our soul seeks. We cannot see that everything we need is enclosed within the secret intimacy of the love relationship that we bear for our Lord. Even human love can be so strong that one can feel totally satisfied and at peace when in the arms of their beloved companion. During such moments of earthly endearments, one feels like the world could stop and come to an end and you would still feel at peace, as long as you are near that person that seems to fulfill you in every way. How much more will our soul be fulfilled and at peace when in His arms, close to Him, our hearts beating as one!”
Do we really know the love of our Lord? Have we personally tangibly experienced his warmth, his beauty, and his caring heart for us? Do we ever get spiritually enraptured while with him in the intimacy of the ‘closet’? When we truly experience his abundant love, we are also sincerely able to say, that in the fear of the Lord there is no want.
The real question to ask ourselves is, is He our first love? Is He your all in all? Is He the One, our soul longs for? Is He the desire of our heart?
Psalms 42:1-2 As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. (2) My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?
Psalms 34:9 O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.
When our life is in ‘want’, when it is it in need of comfort, soothing, love, care, provision, direction, and fulfillment, there is a promise of total satisfaction for the soul that gives the Lord respect and reverence.
We may wonder how reverence and respect for our Lord brings to our life the satisfaction that our soul seeks. We cannot see that everything we need is enclosed within the secret intimacy of the love relationship that we bear for our Lord. Even human love can be so strong that one can feel totally satisfied and at peace when in the arms of their beloved companion. During such moments of earthly endearments, one feels like the world could stop and come to an end and you would still feel at peace, as long as you are near that person that seems to fulfill you in every way. How much more will our soul be fulfilled and at peace when in His arms, close to Him, our hearts beating as one!”
Do we really know the love of our Lord? Have we personally tangibly experienced his warmth, his beauty, and his caring heart for us? Do we ever get spiritually enraptured while with him in the intimacy of the ‘closet’? When we truly experience his abundant love, we are also sincerely able to say, that in the fear of the Lord there is no want.
The real question to ask ourselves is, is He our first love? Is He your all in all? Is He the One, our soul longs for? Is He the desire of our heart?
Psalms 42:1-2 As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. (2) My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?
Monday, November 13, 2006
THE IMAGE OF GOD
November 13
Psalms 34:8 O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him.
Have you ever met a man who trusts in the Lord? Have you ever met someone who has inner peace in spite of anguish and tribulation? Have you ever seen one who is assured of the loving care and grace of his God, when all the while in need himself? This sort of man is easy to recognize, because this sort of man is blessed. He is blessed because he has tasted that the Lord is good. One who lives in such a state of blessedness does not need to advertise his faith in any tangible way for people to see it. He does not need to wear jewelry that announces his beliefs. He does not need a bumper sticker to let the world know that he is ‘in the way’. His face, his eyes, his countenance and his words of praise are the constant unshakable witnesses of his blessedness.
When a man has tasted of the Lord, when he has received of His bounty, spiritual or physical, when his soul had been nourished, satisfied and filled with the sustenance from the tree of life, a glow of inner beauty emanates from his eyes, peace vibrates from his inner being and an assurance of pure love seems to flow from his visage. It is because of these that one may ask him “the reason of the hope” that is within him 1 Peter 3:15.
May we at all times, as the children of the Most-High God, reflect his image to the world. May we be so full of his spirit that we portray his peace, his love, his care his grace in our daily countenance and conversation.
Psalms 42:11 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
Psalms 34:8 O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him.
Have you ever met a man who trusts in the Lord? Have you ever met someone who has inner peace in spite of anguish and tribulation? Have you ever seen one who is assured of the loving care and grace of his God, when all the while in need himself? This sort of man is easy to recognize, because this sort of man is blessed. He is blessed because he has tasted that the Lord is good. One who lives in such a state of blessedness does not need to advertise his faith in any tangible way for people to see it. He does not need to wear jewelry that announces his beliefs. He does not need a bumper sticker to let the world know that he is ‘in the way’. His face, his eyes, his countenance and his words of praise are the constant unshakable witnesses of his blessedness.
When a man has tasted of the Lord, when he has received of His bounty, spiritual or physical, when his soul had been nourished, satisfied and filled with the sustenance from the tree of life, a glow of inner beauty emanates from his eyes, peace vibrates from his inner being and an assurance of pure love seems to flow from his visage. It is because of these that one may ask him “the reason of the hope” that is within him 1 Peter 3:15.
May we at all times, as the children of the Most-High God, reflect his image to the world. May we be so full of his spirit that we portray his peace, his love, his care his grace in our daily countenance and conversation.
Psalms 42:11 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
PRAYER ANGELS
November 12
Psalms 34:7 The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
Francis, a young missionary in Nigeria, went on his monthly journey from his village in the bush onto the bank at the nearby city. This journey through the jungle to pick up money sent by his supporters would usually take him a day and a half. On such a journey, while at the bank, he noticed a couple of shady looking characters watching him. This was a poor country, and Francis was well aware of the possibility that those people watching this white foreigner coming out of a bank could have the intent to rob him from the money he had just picked up.
Nightfall caught up with our young traveler. He made a small camp and tried to get some sleep. As Francis was falling asleep, he heard some ruffling in the trees. Not knowing whether to expect robbers or a wild animal, he committed his life to the Lord in strong desperate prayer during which he fell asleep. Francis resumed his journey back home early the next morning safe and sound.
A few days later, he was called to the bedside of a sick local man who asked him the following question: “A few days ago, you crossed the jungle from the city to the village, I followed you as I wanted to rob the money I saw you withdraw from the bank. But when I arrived near you in the middle of the night, there were 26 strong looking men holding a sword up in front of them surrounding you facing outward. Who were these men?
Francis answered, “There was no one with me that night!”
A few months later, Francis went on furlough. He recounted this event to his father. His father asked for the date of it happened. On that same date, Francis’s father had a strong urge to lead a prayer meeting for his missionary son in Africa, that night, 26 men showed up to stand with him in prayer for his son.
Could our prayer be the angel ‘encamping’ round about to protect those on the frontline of mission work?
1Sa 12:23 Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way:
Psalms 34:7 The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
Francis, a young missionary in Nigeria, went on his monthly journey from his village in the bush onto the bank at the nearby city. This journey through the jungle to pick up money sent by his supporters would usually take him a day and a half. On such a journey, while at the bank, he noticed a couple of shady looking characters watching him. This was a poor country, and Francis was well aware of the possibility that those people watching this white foreigner coming out of a bank could have the intent to rob him from the money he had just picked up.
Nightfall caught up with our young traveler. He made a small camp and tried to get some sleep. As Francis was falling asleep, he heard some ruffling in the trees. Not knowing whether to expect robbers or a wild animal, he committed his life to the Lord in strong desperate prayer during which he fell asleep. Francis resumed his journey back home early the next morning safe and sound.
A few days later, he was called to the bedside of a sick local man who asked him the following question: “A few days ago, you crossed the jungle from the city to the village, I followed you as I wanted to rob the money I saw you withdraw from the bank. But when I arrived near you in the middle of the night, there were 26 strong looking men holding a sword up in front of them surrounding you facing outward. Who were these men?
Francis answered, “There was no one with me that night!”
A few months later, Francis went on furlough. He recounted this event to his father. His father asked for the date of it happened. On that same date, Francis’s father had a strong urge to lead a prayer meeting for his missionary son in Africa, that night, 26 men showed up to stand with him in prayer for his son.
Could our prayer be the angel ‘encamping’ round about to protect those on the frontline of mission work?
1Sa 12:23 Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way:
Saturday, November 11, 2006
ONLY TO HIM BE CREDIT
November 11
ONLY TO HIM BE CREDIT
Psalms 34:6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
David gives here His own testimony of deliverance. He vehemently testifies that it is the Lord, and only the Lord that delivered him. David had an army that could have fought for him. After all, he was a mighty hero whose prowesses were honored even beyond that of the king. The maidens in the streets sang to David that he slew his ten thousands, while King Saul had only slain his thousands (1 Samuel 18:7). David could also have given credit to his own self, to his own strength and cunningness for the victories won.
God said: Thou shalt have no other gods before Me (Exodus 20:3). He does not like to share His glory. If when in time of needs we call on several means of rescue, when the answer comes, how do we know which one really helped? Because David only trusted God’s help, there was no doubt in his mind as to whom delivered him. His heart was unadulterated, so he could see God working in his life.
Is God the only one we lean on for our financial well being; for our health; safety and security? Or do we in fact lean on ourselves, relying on a little bit of help from God? Maybe we also mostly rely on God, with just a little bit of help from ourselves? Can we then give Him all the glory?
Romans 13:7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.
ONLY TO HIM BE CREDIT
Psalms 34:6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
David gives here His own testimony of deliverance. He vehemently testifies that it is the Lord, and only the Lord that delivered him. David had an army that could have fought for him. After all, he was a mighty hero whose prowesses were honored even beyond that of the king. The maidens in the streets sang to David that he slew his ten thousands, while King Saul had only slain his thousands (1 Samuel 18:7). David could also have given credit to his own self, to his own strength and cunningness for the victories won.
God said: Thou shalt have no other gods before Me (Exodus 20:3). He does not like to share His glory. If when in time of needs we call on several means of rescue, when the answer comes, how do we know which one really helped? Because David only trusted God’s help, there was no doubt in his mind as to whom delivered him. His heart was unadulterated, so he could see God working in his life.
Is God the only one we lean on for our financial well being; for our health; safety and security? Or do we in fact lean on ourselves, relying on a little bit of help from God? Maybe we also mostly rely on God, with just a little bit of help from ourselves? Can we then give Him all the glory?
Romans 13:7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.
Friday, November 10, 2006
BATHE IN HIS LIFE-GIVING LIGHT
November 10
Psalms 34:5 They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.
John introduced us to the Messiah, Lord and Savior of mankind, in these unique words In Him was life; and the life was the light of men (John 1:4).
A long time ago, when our planet was in chaos, the face of the Lord shined upon it, and brought order (Gen 1:2,3). One day, our Savior’s face will shine again upon our world, upon its chaos and will again separate the ‘Light’ from the ‘darkness’.
Be they social, political or economic, the problems of our planet are very easy to solve. If we could bring our world to bathe for a single moment in the Light of the face of God, everything would resolve of itself. Why don’t we do it?
People today are afraid of the Light. The Light of God exposes our true self as we really are, and it is sometimes hard to take. Jesus said, For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved (John 3:21). John said that because of this, the Messiah’s countrymen, His Own, did not receive Him as that Light. The narration of John’s gospel quotes, And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. John 1:5,11.
Let us fearlessly bathe in the Light of God. Let’s allow him to burn the unessentials of our lives and get us in balance with His Spirit. It is easy to forgive a child who is afraid of the dark, but the real tragedy of life is when grown men are afraid of sthe light.
“Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow.”
Helen Keller, deaf dumb and blind.
Psalms 36:9 For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.
Psalms 34:5 They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.
John introduced us to the Messiah, Lord and Savior of mankind, in these unique words In Him was life; and the life was the light of men (John 1:4).
A long time ago, when our planet was in chaos, the face of the Lord shined upon it, and brought order (Gen 1:2,3). One day, our Savior’s face will shine again upon our world, upon its chaos and will again separate the ‘Light’ from the ‘darkness’.
Be they social, political or economic, the problems of our planet are very easy to solve. If we could bring our world to bathe for a single moment in the Light of the face of God, everything would resolve of itself. Why don’t we do it?
People today are afraid of the Light. The Light of God exposes our true self as we really are, and it is sometimes hard to take. Jesus said, For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved (John 3:21). John said that because of this, the Messiah’s countrymen, His Own, did not receive Him as that Light. The narration of John’s gospel quotes, And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. John 1:5,11.
Let us fearlessly bathe in the Light of God. Let’s allow him to burn the unessentials of our lives and get us in balance with His Spirit. It is easy to forgive a child who is afraid of the dark, but the real tragedy of life is when grown men are afraid of sthe light.
“Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow.”
Helen Keller, deaf dumb and blind.
Psalms 36:9 For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
HEARD AND DELIVERED
November 9
Psalms 34:4 I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
So many of us call out to Our Father, while all along we act like orphans. But, oh, what a blessed peace is found when we call upon our blessed Lord with the assurance of being heard. What deliverance we receive then from the fears that would daily swallow us.
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill is known to have said, “The only thing to fear is fear itself” What Goliath can intimidate us when we know that our God stands by our side? What army can make us tremble once we have kneeled and sought the help of the Lord of hosts, the Maker of every force in the universe?
What beloved, do we then fear? Don’t we see the Father at your side upholding us with His angel (Psalms 34:7)? Don’t we see Elijah’s armies ready to silence the voices of spiritual dissent (2 Kings 6:17)? Let’s take the time now to close our eyes-- take a moment to look with the eyes of the spirit. Let’s marvel now and see that there are more with us than there are with them. Let us not sin by looking at our God with the understanding of our human frailty. One moment in his protecting arms, one look in his enlightening eyes, and the warmth of his love chases the shadows of fear and doubt.
1John 4:18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
Psalms 34:4 I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
So many of us call out to Our Father, while all along we act like orphans. But, oh, what a blessed peace is found when we call upon our blessed Lord with the assurance of being heard. What deliverance we receive then from the fears that would daily swallow us.
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill is known to have said, “The only thing to fear is fear itself” What Goliath can intimidate us when we know that our God stands by our side? What army can make us tremble once we have kneeled and sought the help of the Lord of hosts, the Maker of every force in the universe?
What beloved, do we then fear? Don’t we see the Father at your side upholding us with His angel (Psalms 34:7)? Don’t we see Elijah’s armies ready to silence the voices of spiritual dissent (2 Kings 6:17)? Let’s take the time now to close our eyes-- take a moment to look with the eyes of the spirit. Let’s marvel now and see that there are more with us than there are with them. Let us not sin by looking at our God with the understanding of our human frailty. One moment in his protecting arms, one look in his enlightening eyes, and the warmth of his love chases the shadows of fear and doubt.
1John 4:18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
FERVOR IN PRAISE
November 8
FERVOR IN PRAISE
Psalms 34:3 O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.
There is a time when praise and worship, verbalizing love and thankfulness to our Lord, is solely meant for personal edification, for the feeding and nurture of our relationship with him.
There is also a time when praise and worship is meant as a witness of God’s power to those who do not know Him; a conduit for them to realize that He is the never failing Rock on which we can stand steadfast and assured.
The second verse of this psalm claimed that the humble will hear and be glad when one “boasts” himself of his God. In the third verse, an invitation is extended to us to magnify and exalt the Lord with its author. To magnify, means to make greater; to exalt means to put higher. King David here invites the humble, the simple, those under his care who benefit from his blessings to come so he can share with them all the mighty acts and miracles God has done for him in delivering him from the hands of Abimelek, the king of Gath (1 Samuel 21:10-15). He wants to make sure to give the glory to God and use the event as a testimony for the humble, as if it were not for the Lord, they would have all been made prisoners.
It is good to give credit where credit is due, and the Lord is the one to be thanked for all His goodness to us. He performs His mighty acts of supply, provision and safety towards us so we acknowledge him to the world, as a testimony of his greatness. Acknowledging publicly of all the things the Lord does for us is one of the greatest form of witnessing one can do. How sad it must make Him when we either do not see, or realize all His benevolent acts towards us. How disappointed he must be when don’t thank him, but rather attribute our blessed state to ourselves or to our social environment.
Let us always put as much fervor and desperation in our thanking as we did in our asking.
“A clergyman included in his annual parochial report the item, "Nine persons lost at sea." When the congregation expressed shock & amazement, he said, "Well, eleven persons requested prayers for a safe voyage, & only two asked me to give thanks for a safe return, so I assume that the other nine were lost at sea."
1Thessalonians 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
FERVOR IN PRAISE
Psalms 34:3 O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.
There is a time when praise and worship, verbalizing love and thankfulness to our Lord, is solely meant for personal edification, for the feeding and nurture of our relationship with him.
There is also a time when praise and worship is meant as a witness of God’s power to those who do not know Him; a conduit for them to realize that He is the never failing Rock on which we can stand steadfast and assured.
The second verse of this psalm claimed that the humble will hear and be glad when one “boasts” himself of his God. In the third verse, an invitation is extended to us to magnify and exalt the Lord with its author. To magnify, means to make greater; to exalt means to put higher. King David here invites the humble, the simple, those under his care who benefit from his blessings to come so he can share with them all the mighty acts and miracles God has done for him in delivering him from the hands of Abimelek, the king of Gath (1 Samuel 21:10-15). He wants to make sure to give the glory to God and use the event as a testimony for the humble, as if it were not for the Lord, they would have all been made prisoners.
It is good to give credit where credit is due, and the Lord is the one to be thanked for all His goodness to us. He performs His mighty acts of supply, provision and safety towards us so we acknowledge him to the world, as a testimony of his greatness. Acknowledging publicly of all the things the Lord does for us is one of the greatest form of witnessing one can do. How sad it must make Him when we either do not see, or realize all His benevolent acts towards us. How disappointed he must be when don’t thank him, but rather attribute our blessed state to ourselves or to our social environment.
Let us always put as much fervor and desperation in our thanking as we did in our asking.
“A clergyman included in his annual parochial report the item, "Nine persons lost at sea." When the congregation expressed shock & amazement, he said, "Well, eleven persons requested prayers for a safe voyage, & only two asked me to give thanks for a safe return, so I assume that the other nine were lost at sea."
1Thessalonians 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
THE POWER OF WEAKNESS
November 7
THE POWER OF WEAKNESS
Psalms 34:2 My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.
It is easier for weak people to give glory to God. Anything they do requires reliance on God. They are conscious and aware of their weaknesses, so they have to learn to pray and depend on God. It is not the same for the man with a lot of natural abilities. Be they physical, mental or intellectual, he is more able to rely upon his own strength and more apt in forgetting to give God the glory for any victories in his life.
Regardless of his abilities, the true man of God does not exalt his own power. He does not promote his own goodness, nor does he push his own authority. The true Christ devotee does not project his own self in any way, but in all things is dependant on, and gives glory to his Lord. This in turn, becomes a great testimony to those around him who are of a humble nature, and who also seek to glorify God for His wonderful deeds, rather than to feed their human pride on man’s prowess’s.
As a good reminder of this principle, let us remember the end of the Israeli king who, after giving an anointed speech did not give the glory to God but to his own self:
Acts 12:21-23 And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them. And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man. And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.
THE POWER OF WEAKNESS
Psalms 34:2 My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.
It is easier for weak people to give glory to God. Anything they do requires reliance on God. They are conscious and aware of their weaknesses, so they have to learn to pray and depend on God. It is not the same for the man with a lot of natural abilities. Be they physical, mental or intellectual, he is more able to rely upon his own strength and more apt in forgetting to give God the glory for any victories in his life.
Regardless of his abilities, the true man of God does not exalt his own power. He does not promote his own goodness, nor does he push his own authority. The true Christ devotee does not project his own self in any way, but in all things is dependant on, and gives glory to his Lord. This in turn, becomes a great testimony to those around him who are of a humble nature, and who also seek to glorify God for His wonderful deeds, rather than to feed their human pride on man’s prowess’s.
As a good reminder of this principle, let us remember the end of the Israeli king who, after giving an anointed speech did not give the glory to God but to his own self:
Acts 12:21-23 And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them. And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man. And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.
Monday, November 06, 2006
BREAD THAT LOOKS LIKE STONE
November 6
BREAD THAT LOOKS LIKE STONE
Psalms 34:1 I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
It is so easy to be God’s fair weather friend. It is so easy to praise and thank Him when everything goes well in our lives. Looking at our daily lives, can we really say with King David that we bless the Lord at all times and that his praise is continually in our mouth? Our Lord longs for us to know that when we ask Him for bread that He will not give us a stone, or that if we ask for a fish, He will not give us a snake. Very often God’s opportunities are disguised as difficulties that blind to God’s purpose. We curse the difficulty and bypass the open door of service, or miss the lesson in our life.
In the following statement, Isaiah, the messianic prophet, tells us of the qualities of our Lord. He says, He shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall He judge the poor (Isaiah 11:3-4). Here we learn that the Lord doesn’t judge us by our physical frailties, appearances or poor expression, but that He judges us with the righteous judgment of the true motivation of our hearts. Should we learn from His gracious ways and do the same thing with Him? Should we give Him that same trust by believing that what looks like a stone or a snake in our lives, is actually the bread and the fish with which He fed the multitudes?
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
BREAD THAT LOOKS LIKE STONE
Psalms 34:1 I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
It is so easy to be God’s fair weather friend. It is so easy to praise and thank Him when everything goes well in our lives. Looking at our daily lives, can we really say with King David that we bless the Lord at all times and that his praise is continually in our mouth? Our Lord longs for us to know that when we ask Him for bread that He will not give us a stone, or that if we ask for a fish, He will not give us a snake. Very often God’s opportunities are disguised as difficulties that blind to God’s purpose. We curse the difficulty and bypass the open door of service, or miss the lesson in our life.
In the following statement, Isaiah, the messianic prophet, tells us of the qualities of our Lord. He says, He shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall He judge the poor (Isaiah 11:3-4). Here we learn that the Lord doesn’t judge us by our physical frailties, appearances or poor expression, but that He judges us with the righteous judgment of the true motivation of our hearts. Should we learn from His gracious ways and do the same thing with Him? Should we give Him that same trust by believing that what looks like a stone or a snake in our lives, is actually the bread and the fish with which He fed the multitudes?
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Saturday, November 04, 2006
A HUMBLE PRAYER
November 4
A HUMBLE PRAYER
Psalms 19:13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.
To ask God for His help in identifying error and sin in our lives in order to stay pure from transgressing His loving Laws is an absolute act of humility. It’s an acknowledgment and recognition of weakness, born of an innate need for God for the which, God is in turn more than willing to acknowledge through divine intervention.
Let it be our daily prayer. Let it be a prayer and a perpetual sacrifice on the brazen altar of God. Only God in His Word can help us identify sin in our lives, and only He can help us not to be overcome by it. From the Garden of Eden until today, the sole reason for sin is failure to call on God for His protection and help; King David seemed to be very aware of this as something he obviously had to learn. Even in the prayer that our Lord Jesus taught us to pray, this very notion is evident when He says, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil (Luke 11:4).
Little do we know that the little compromises of today may very possibly lead us in the great apostasy of tomorrow. It is the little foxes that spoil the vine! (Song fo Songs 2:15)
Luke 16:10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.
A HUMBLE PRAYER
Psalms 19:13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.
To ask God for His help in identifying error and sin in our lives in order to stay pure from transgressing His loving Laws is an absolute act of humility. It’s an acknowledgment and recognition of weakness, born of an innate need for God for the which, God is in turn more than willing to acknowledge through divine intervention.
Let it be our daily prayer. Let it be a prayer and a perpetual sacrifice on the brazen altar of God. Only God in His Word can help us identify sin in our lives, and only He can help us not to be overcome by it. From the Garden of Eden until today, the sole reason for sin is failure to call on God for His protection and help; King David seemed to be very aware of this as something he obviously had to learn. Even in the prayer that our Lord Jesus taught us to pray, this very notion is evident when He says, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil (Luke 11:4).
Little do we know that the little compromises of today may very possibly lead us in the great apostasy of tomorrow. It is the little foxes that spoil the vine! (Song fo Songs 2:15)
Luke 16:10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.
Friday, November 03, 2006
DAILY LIGHT, DAILY GROWTH
November 3
DAILY LIGHT, DAILY GROWTH
Psalms 19:12 Who can understand his errors? Cleanse thou me from secret faults.
Hopefully, with growth and age comes maturation and learning. The foolish dreams of childhood give way to more rational thinking; the thoughtless actions of youth are replaced by wiser conduct.
It is a sign of maturation when we can look at our past and see our errors. It is all the more commendable when after erring, we learn from our errors. By contrast, it is woefully pathetic when time and again, we continue erring in the mistakes, not learning the lessons life has in store for us.
The rolling of time is necessary for us to be able to properly reflect on the events of our lives and reap the harvest of wisdom that it has to offer us. On the heat of the moment, when we set ourselves as sole judges of our actions, we are like a blind man leading the blind. We truly don’t understand our errors. What action we think is “right” at the time, could be motivated by a secret fault that we will only understand as an error at a later date, when we harvest the fruits that particular action produced.
Along with the passage of life, daily feeding on the Words of God bring a light to our spirit that shines brighter and brighter every day, so that every time we look at the walls of our soul, we can see new “spots” to clean.
Proverbs 4:18 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
DAILY LIGHT, DAILY GROWTH
Psalms 19:12 Who can understand his errors? Cleanse thou me from secret faults.
Hopefully, with growth and age comes maturation and learning. The foolish dreams of childhood give way to more rational thinking; the thoughtless actions of youth are replaced by wiser conduct.
It is a sign of maturation when we can look at our past and see our errors. It is all the more commendable when after erring, we learn from our errors. By contrast, it is woefully pathetic when time and again, we continue erring in the mistakes, not learning the lessons life has in store for us.
The rolling of time is necessary for us to be able to properly reflect on the events of our lives and reap the harvest of wisdom that it has to offer us. On the heat of the moment, when we set ourselves as sole judges of our actions, we are like a blind man leading the blind. We truly don’t understand our errors. What action we think is “right” at the time, could be motivated by a secret fault that we will only understand as an error at a later date, when we harvest the fruits that particular action produced.
Along with the passage of life, daily feeding on the Words of God bring a light to our spirit that shines brighter and brighter every day, so that every time we look at the walls of our soul, we can see new “spots” to clean.
Proverbs 4:18 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
HIS ROD, OUR LIGHT
November 2
HIS ROD, OUR LIGHT
Psalms 19:11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.
Parents have the responsibility of foreseeing the danger that lies ahead due to bad decisions their children and teenagers make at times. Our children in turn often interpret our wise restrictions as unreasonable and as a lack of trust. They don’t like being restrained, they scream abuse and “bloody murder”; they try every trick in the bag, lash out at us in a flood of accusations used as emotional blackmail, all in an attempt to make us change our mind about dating a certain person, curfew hours, music or clothing. Hopefully, we as parents have matured from having almost drowned in these dangerous waters, and we are therefore apt to “share the wisdom”, standing strong and stoic until the storm is over.
In turn, God also gave His Laws and commandments on how we should and should not live. These go beyond obedience to the do’s and don’ts of the letter of the law. They rather try to curb attitudes such as selfishness, anger, indulgence, pride, revenge, unhealthy appetites, deceit and the likes. God warns us about these things, but oh, how we fight and try to absolve ourselves from guilt in our wise subtle and “excuse-making” ways, and often act no better than the unreasonable teenager mentioned above. It’s all so sad!
Lord, help us to look at your Word of commandment as the light that I need to direct my path, my hands and my thoughts in your ways, and to protect me from all evil. In Jesus’ Name!”
Psalms 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
HIS ROD, OUR LIGHT
Psalms 19:11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.
Parents have the responsibility of foreseeing the danger that lies ahead due to bad decisions their children and teenagers make at times. Our children in turn often interpret our wise restrictions as unreasonable and as a lack of trust. They don’t like being restrained, they scream abuse and “bloody murder”; they try every trick in the bag, lash out at us in a flood of accusations used as emotional blackmail, all in an attempt to make us change our mind about dating a certain person, curfew hours, music or clothing. Hopefully, we as parents have matured from having almost drowned in these dangerous waters, and we are therefore apt to “share the wisdom”, standing strong and stoic until the storm is over.
In turn, God also gave His Laws and commandments on how we should and should not live. These go beyond obedience to the do’s and don’ts of the letter of the law. They rather try to curb attitudes such as selfishness, anger, indulgence, pride, revenge, unhealthy appetites, deceit and the likes. God warns us about these things, but oh, how we fight and try to absolve ourselves from guilt in our wise subtle and “excuse-making” ways, and often act no better than the unreasonable teenager mentioned above. It’s all so sad!
Lord, help us to look at your Word of commandment as the light that I need to direct my path, my hands and my thoughts in your ways, and to protect me from all evil. In Jesus’ Name!”
Psalms 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
TRUE GOLD
November 1
TRUE GOLD
Psalms 19:10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
People have forsaken much for the prospect of wealth. During the gold rush, men left loved ones and traveled long distances to follow the trail potential future fortune. They invested their health, their principles, their scruples and even sometimes their faith (1 Timothy 6:10), for the precious prize. Day after day and in all seasons, for long hours, they sifted the metal from amidst the rocks. Every time they found a nugget, they got excited, they shouted and rejoiced.
The world has not changed very much. In very much the same spirit, people follow the same path of compromises for financial opportunities, higher paying jobs, or a more lucrative position in the company
The law, the testimony, the statute, the commandment, the fear and judgment of the Lord are worth more than any riches and any gold this world can offer. They are “more precious than gold, yea than much fine gold” (Psalms 19:10).
If we are serious about understanding God’s will, God’s Spirit, God’s principles, God’s love and all that pertains to him, just like with the person who invests his life in the pursuit of material wealth, it will take us a lifetime of exciting and enjoyable research. If we appreciates the “gold” of the spirit, we don’t find it a sacrifice to dedicate time and energy to sift for it amidst the “rocks” of man’s doctrines and teachings. We find a vein of precious truth and we follow it. We may lose it for a while, but in earnest faith we keep digging until we find it again, or discover a new one that takes us in a new and different direction. Every time we find a nugget, or a new vein, we rejoices as one who has found a great treasure. This great treasure not only makes us rich, but brings with it sweetness to our soul, rather that the bitterness and emptiness that comes with the pursuit of the riches of this world.
Haggai 1:6 Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.
Rom 11:29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
TRUE GOLD
Psalms 19:10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
People have forsaken much for the prospect of wealth. During the gold rush, men left loved ones and traveled long distances to follow the trail potential future fortune. They invested their health, their principles, their scruples and even sometimes their faith (1 Timothy 6:10), for the precious prize. Day after day and in all seasons, for long hours, they sifted the metal from amidst the rocks. Every time they found a nugget, they got excited, they shouted and rejoiced.
The world has not changed very much. In very much the same spirit, people follow the same path of compromises for financial opportunities, higher paying jobs, or a more lucrative position in the company
The law, the testimony, the statute, the commandment, the fear and judgment of the Lord are worth more than any riches and any gold this world can offer. They are “more precious than gold, yea than much fine gold” (Psalms 19:10).
If we are serious about understanding God’s will, God’s Spirit, God’s principles, God’s love and all that pertains to him, just like with the person who invests his life in the pursuit of material wealth, it will take us a lifetime of exciting and enjoyable research. If we appreciates the “gold” of the spirit, we don’t find it a sacrifice to dedicate time and energy to sift for it amidst the “rocks” of man’s doctrines and teachings. We find a vein of precious truth and we follow it. We may lose it for a while, but in earnest faith we keep digging until we find it again, or discover a new one that takes us in a new and different direction. Every time we find a nugget, or a new vein, we rejoices as one who has found a great treasure. This great treasure not only makes us rich, but brings with it sweetness to our soul, rather that the bitterness and emptiness that comes with the pursuit of the riches of this world.
Haggai 1:6 Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.
Rom 11:29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
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