Of old You laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You will endure; Yes, they will all grow old like a garment; Like a cloak You will change them, And they will be changed. But You are the same, And Your years will have no end.
(Psalms 102:25-27)
I drove by my old neighborhood the other day when I was coming home from the doctor. It had changed. I have all these great memories from that neighborhood, memories of growing up, and none of it looks the same. The house I used to live in looks different. There is a big play set built where second base used to be in my yard, and the trees in “right field” are gone. (As I kid I thought about my yard in terms of a baseball field)
It’s a fact, everything in this life changes… nothing stays the same. We read here in this Psalm that even the heavens will one day grow old, and the Lord will change them like you or I change clothes. CRAZY!!!
In the midst of this changing world, we serve a God who NEVER CHANGES! That fact is one of the greatest truths about our God. He is never going to grow old, or get tired; He will be the same for all of eternity. Unlike my old neighborhood, I can trust that God will always be the same… faithful, true, available to you and I. My friends, be thankful today that our God NEVER CHANGES!
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
Psalm 101
I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not cling to me.
(Psalms 101:3)
So, what kinds of things are you guys and girls setting before your eyes? What are the things that you are watching on TV, looking at in magazines, or even observing in the world? The Psalmist here says that he will not set any wicked thing before his eyes. From time to time we have inappropriate things cross our line of vision and have no control over it. That is not what the Psalmist is talking about. He is talking about what we choose to take in through our eyes. Those things affect us much more than we think!
Do we take pleasure in watching people do things we would never do? If we do, then we don’t really “hate the work of those who fall away”. The psalmist alludes to the fact that if we don’t hate the sinful behaviors of the world, those same behaviors will affect us. As he describes it here, they will CLING TO US.
So my friends be careful today about what you allow to pass through your eyes into your hearts. Ask yourself today, do I really hate sin, or am I allowing it to cling to me?
Friday, September 26, 2008
Psalm 100
Psa 100:2 Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before His presence with singing.
Here is a sweet little Psalm. It reminds us to tak the focus off us and put it on the Lord. Its instructions are simply: serve the Lord with gladness.
I hope that your relationship with God is not a strenuous one. God wants your offerings from the willingness of your own heart. He wants you to do devotions, because you are devoted. He wants you to serve because you love. He wants you to serve because you are glad and have something to share.
If you are not experiencing the joy of the Lord in your service, stop. Take a break. Just spend some time with the Lord. After spending time in His presence, He will be faithful to put the joy back in your life.
Here is a sweet little Psalm. It reminds us to tak the focus off us and put it on the Lord. Its instructions are simply: serve the Lord with gladness.
I hope that your relationship with God is not a strenuous one. God wants your offerings from the willingness of your own heart. He wants you to do devotions, because you are devoted. He wants you to serve because you love. He wants you to serve because you are glad and have something to share.
If you are not experiencing the joy of the Lord in your service, stop. Take a break. Just spend some time with the Lord. After spending time in His presence, He will be faithful to put the joy back in your life.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Psalm 99
Psa 99:8 You answered them, O LORD our God; You were to them God-Who-Forgives, Though You took vengeance on their deeds.
God is holy. We can spend a lifetime simply talking about the holiness of God. He is so holy, we could not have communion with Him without the blood of Jesus Christ. He is so holy that to look upon Him would spell death for anyone. He is so holy that to His box proves fatal.
God is to be worshiped because He is holy. Nevertheless, there are more attributes of God that are equally as dominant as His holiness. God is love. God is merciful. God is forgiving.
Think about what our relationship with the Lord would be like if He were not loving and forgiving. I often say, I respect God for His holiness, but love God for His grace. His perfect power and strength is met with an extreme desire for relationship. He desires to meet with us. He desires to spend time with us. He desires to forgive us our sins.
Praise the Lord for He is worthy to be praised (He is holy). Praise the Lord because He has forgiven you. Most importantly, do not take advantage of God's forgiveness. He has forgiven you that He might meet with you. Meet with Him, and spend time with your Savior.
God is holy. We can spend a lifetime simply talking about the holiness of God. He is so holy, we could not have communion with Him without the blood of Jesus Christ. He is so holy that to look upon Him would spell death for anyone. He is so holy that to His box proves fatal.
God is to be worshiped because He is holy. Nevertheless, there are more attributes of God that are equally as dominant as His holiness. God is love. God is merciful. God is forgiving.
Think about what our relationship with the Lord would be like if He were not loving and forgiving. I often say, I respect God for His holiness, but love God for His grace. His perfect power and strength is met with an extreme desire for relationship. He desires to meet with us. He desires to spend time with us. He desires to forgive us our sins.
Praise the Lord for He is worthy to be praised (He is holy). Praise the Lord because He has forgiven you. Most importantly, do not take advantage of God's forgiveness. He has forgiven you that He might meet with you. Meet with Him, and spend time with your Savior.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Psalm 98
Psa 98:1 A Psalm. Oh, sing to the LORD a new song! For He has done marvelous things; His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory.
David often tells us to sing to the Lord a new song. Immediately my mind jumps to exhortation toward the church at Ephesus. In Revelation 2 the Lord says that the church of Ephesus had left their first love. Everything ha grown kind of stale. Nothing was new.
We pay a lot to have something new. A new car often loses $2000 dollars worth of value the moment it is driven off the lot. Sometimes people get tired of a relationship because it loses that new and exciting stage.
All this to say that our relationship with Jesus is to be new every morning. You should not be living off that same relationship you had 5 years ago. Instead, you should be singing new songs. You should be learning new things. You should be experiencing who God is in a new way. Your relationship should be fresh.
People leave their first love because it stops being new. Jesus desires a fresh new relationship with you every day. Meet with Him and draw close. Be blessed!
David often tells us to sing to the Lord a new song. Immediately my mind jumps to exhortation toward the church at Ephesus. In Revelation 2 the Lord says that the church of Ephesus had left their first love. Everything ha grown kind of stale. Nothing was new.
We pay a lot to have something new. A new car often loses $2000 dollars worth of value the moment it is driven off the lot. Sometimes people get tired of a relationship because it loses that new and exciting stage.
All this to say that our relationship with Jesus is to be new every morning. You should not be living off that same relationship you had 5 years ago. Instead, you should be singing new songs. You should be learning new things. You should be experiencing who God is in a new way. Your relationship should be fresh.
People leave their first love because it stops being new. Jesus desires a fresh new relationship with you every day. Meet with Him and draw close. Be blessed!
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Psalm 97
The LORD reigns; Let the earth rejoice; Let the multitude of isles be glad! Clouds and darkness surround Him; Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.
(Psalms 97:1-2)
So often the rulers of this world and it’s systems of government build their authority on lies, distortion, and unjust actions. In the midst of all of the spin and rhetoric, it can be hard to find the truth. We end up feeling like we can’t trust those in authority, like maybe we are being lied to or used. I have good news for you today: there is a leader who can be trusted. His kingdom is not of this world, yet it is intimately involved in the details of this life. It transcends borders, countries, and continents. This leader is the LORD Jesus Christ!
We are told here that the LORD; not Putin, or Osama, or McCain, or Obama, or Palin, or Bush, or Biden, or Hussein, or Blair, or Arafat, or Hitler, or Mussolini; the LORD, the God who created the universe, reigns! What should the response be? LET ALL THE EARTH REJOICE!!! Not just this country or that country, this party or that party, but ALL OF THE EARTH. Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, is the only one who has the right to claim the throne. We need to remember this. No matter who is in leadership here or anywhere else, we know this; the LORD is on the throne!
What makes the Lord’s leadership so great? It’s His platform… He isn’t campaigning to please one group or another… no; we read here that RIGHTEOUSNESS and JUSTICE are the FOUNDATION of His throne. Not just righteousness, or justice alone, but the 2 working in concert. Moral excellence, coupled with a stance of love toward all, and a promise to see justice served; this is what makes the Lord’s leadership so wonderful. I think I just might write in Jesus 4 president in ’08!
Friday, September 19, 2008
Psalm 96
Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth.
(Psalms 96:9)
There are many things in this life that I find beautiful. My wife is beautiful. My daughter is beautiful. My mom and my sister are beautiful. I think it’s beautiful when fresh snow blankets everything, transforming our world into a different place. I think sunsets and sunrises are beautiful. Thunderstorms are beautiful. Riding in a convertible at the beach is beautiful. The ocean is beautiful. If I’m honest, I would have to say that LIFE is beautiful. I love life, and I’m kinda sappy, so I tend to see almost everything that still has the mark of our Creator on it as beautiful.
One thing that I will confess that I never used to think of as beautiful was holiness. I used to think of holiness as something frightening, alarming, something deadly to human touch. A few years ago, the Lord used this verse and a couple of others like it to change how I viewed holiness. It went from something that was FEAR inspiring; to something that was AWE inspiring. You see, God’s holiness is everything that makes him different from the stuff of this earth. He is altogether separate, and though we see glimpses of His character in His creation, His essence is totally different than anything we see here. My friends, the Lord is beautiful, and it is in part His holiness that makes Him beautiful. Where this world brings trouble, the Lord brings peace. Where there is hurt, the Lord offers solace and comfort. Where things here are broken and deficient, the Lord is perfect and complete.
When the psalmist said “worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness”, some commentators say he was referring to the temple. That is really interesting to me. The temple was a manifestation of the beauty and holiness of the Lord; a place where people could go to meet with the Lord, and to worship Him. Today, WE are the temple of the Holy Spirit… God does not reside in a building, but in us, the hearts and lives of His people. We are called to live holy lives. To “Be Holy as He is Holy”. So, when we read these words, “worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness” it doesn’t just mean “worship the Lord because his holiness is beautiful”… it literally can mean, “Worship the Lord by stepping into the beauty that is His holiness, allow him to separate you from the world, to draw you unto Himself, worship Him there in that beautiful place where you are set apart for Him alone”.
Today my friends, allow the Lord to make your life beautiful with HIS HOLINESS. Set yourself apart today, and worship the Lord. It’s a beautiful thing!
(Psalms 96:9)
There are many things in this life that I find beautiful. My wife is beautiful. My daughter is beautiful. My mom and my sister are beautiful. I think it’s beautiful when fresh snow blankets everything, transforming our world into a different place. I think sunsets and sunrises are beautiful. Thunderstorms are beautiful. Riding in a convertible at the beach is beautiful. The ocean is beautiful. If I’m honest, I would have to say that LIFE is beautiful. I love life, and I’m kinda sappy, so I tend to see almost everything that still has the mark of our Creator on it as beautiful.
One thing that I will confess that I never used to think of as beautiful was holiness. I used to think of holiness as something frightening, alarming, something deadly to human touch. A few years ago, the Lord used this verse and a couple of others like it to change how I viewed holiness. It went from something that was FEAR inspiring; to something that was AWE inspiring. You see, God’s holiness is everything that makes him different from the stuff of this earth. He is altogether separate, and though we see glimpses of His character in His creation, His essence is totally different than anything we see here. My friends, the Lord is beautiful, and it is in part His holiness that makes Him beautiful. Where this world brings trouble, the Lord brings peace. Where there is hurt, the Lord offers solace and comfort. Where things here are broken and deficient, the Lord is perfect and complete.
When the psalmist said “worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness”, some commentators say he was referring to the temple. That is really interesting to me. The temple was a manifestation of the beauty and holiness of the Lord; a place where people could go to meet with the Lord, and to worship Him. Today, WE are the temple of the Holy Spirit… God does not reside in a building, but in us, the hearts and lives of His people. We are called to live holy lives. To “Be Holy as He is Holy”. So, when we read these words, “worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness” it doesn’t just mean “worship the Lord because his holiness is beautiful”… it literally can mean, “Worship the Lord by stepping into the beauty that is His holiness, allow him to separate you from the world, to draw you unto Himself, worship Him there in that beautiful place where you are set apart for Him alone”.
Today my friends, allow the Lord to make your life beautiful with HIS HOLINESS. Set yourself apart today, and worship the Lord. It’s a beautiful thing!
Psalm 95
Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the LORD our maker, for He is our God. We are the people He watches over, the flock under His care. If only you would listen to His voice today!
(Psalms 95:6-7)
Who is our God? Who is the one that we worship, the only one worthy of praise? The Lord our Maker… that’s who! In our world, people worship God’s of all sorts, and most of those God’s are things that they have MADE. People worship their jobs, their cars, their homes, their husbands/wives/boyfriends/girlfriends; they give all they have to the pursuit of things that are man made and broken in nature.
In Philippians 3:19, Paul tells us that some of the people around us have a really strange God. He says “Their God is their BELLY”! This means that they worship their flesh and its desires; they spend all of their time and energy feeding the lusts of their flesh, and in essence, they are worshipping themselves.
We are told here that we are not to worship anything that has been created; instead our worship belongs solely to the creator of all things. Whether created by us, mankind, or God; nothing we can find in this world is worthy of our worship. We are told here that we should WORSHIP, BOW DOWN and KNEEL before the Lord who made us… He alone is our God. He watches over us, cares for us; like a shepherd and His sheep, we are His flock, and he tends to our every need.
As we worship the LORD, the one who made heaven and earth, the one who made US; there is something we are told we should be doing on a daily basis. The psalmist says, “LISTEN TO HIS VOICE TODAY!” Friends, the Lord, the one who made you wants to speak to you today. He wants to guide and direct your steps; He wants to lead you in the paths of righteousness. He doesn’t lead with a bit and bridle, or a cattle prod… He does it with his voice. So my friends LISTEN TO THE LORD TODAY!
(Psalms 95:6-7)
Who is our God? Who is the one that we worship, the only one worthy of praise? The Lord our Maker… that’s who! In our world, people worship God’s of all sorts, and most of those God’s are things that they have MADE. People worship their jobs, their cars, their homes, their husbands/wives/boyfriends/girlfriends; they give all they have to the pursuit of things that are man made and broken in nature.
In Philippians 3:19, Paul tells us that some of the people around us have a really strange God. He says “Their God is their BELLY”! This means that they worship their flesh and its desires; they spend all of their time and energy feeding the lusts of their flesh, and in essence, they are worshipping themselves.
We are told here that we are not to worship anything that has been created; instead our worship belongs solely to the creator of all things. Whether created by us, mankind, or God; nothing we can find in this world is worthy of our worship. We are told here that we should WORSHIP, BOW DOWN and KNEEL before the Lord who made us… He alone is our God. He watches over us, cares for us; like a shepherd and His sheep, we are His flock, and he tends to our every need.
As we worship the LORD, the one who made heaven and earth, the one who made US; there is something we are told we should be doing on a daily basis. The psalmist says, “LISTEN TO HIS VOICE TODAY!” Friends, the Lord, the one who made you wants to speak to you today. He wants to guide and direct your steps; He wants to lead you in the paths of righteousness. He doesn’t lead with a bit and bridle, or a cattle prod… He does it with his voice. So my friends LISTEN TO THE LORD TODAY!
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Psalm 94
How long, O LORD? How long will the wicked be allowed to gloat? How long will they speak with arrogance? How long will these evil people boast? They crush Your people, LORD, hurting those You claim as Your own. They kill widows and foreigners and murder orphans. "The LORD isn't looking," they say, "and besides, the God of Israel doesn't care." Think again, you fools! When will you finally catch on? Is He deaf—the One who made your ears? Is He blind—the One who formed your eyes? He punishes the nations—won't He also punish you? He knows everything—doesn't He also know what you are doing?
(Psalms 94:3-10)
JUSTICE – It is a word that gets thrown around a lot, but something that we rarely, if ever, see practiced here in this world. In fact, if we look around us, the thing that obviously exists is INJUSTICE, and it often goes completely unpunished. All over the world people are doing horrible things to other people as if no one cares, as if nothing can stop them.
We see in this passage that God’s heart is for the oppressed… He loves the orphan, the widow, the stranger… He has a heart for those who the world pushes aside, those that we refer to today as being “marginalized”. These people are mistreated all over the world today in some of the most unimaginably ugly ways. The things that people do to them are indescribably evil, and are things that should NEVER take place.
We are reminded in this passage that God knows all of this, and He is watching. The psalmist reminds us… God can hear it all, and He can see it all… no one will get away with anything. There is a day coming when all the evil and depravity in this world will be overturned… Every wrong will be made right, and Jesus himself will be the first truly Just ruler this world has ever seen.
We can escape His judgment only by accepting the price He has already paid for our sins. He died so that we could live, and the life He has given us is one that should be used to serve Him, not to further damage the world through sin and injustice. Remember this today… the Lord sees everything we do, and He is coming back soon to make all things right… May we be found serving Him and the world He loves, and not hurting or harming those He has called His own!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Psalm 93
The floods have risen up, O LORD. The floods have roared like thunder; the floods have lifted their pounding waves. But mightier than the violent raging of the seas, mightier than the breakers on the shore—the LORD above is mightier than these!
(Psalms 93:3-4)
The ocean can definitely be a mighty thing. This last week at the beach, Emma Bell realized just how mighty for the first time in her life. The surf was a little rough, but not too bad to play in last week, and the kids were having fun holding our hands and jumping the waves. Out of nowhere, a wave quite a bit larger than the rest came and nailed all of us. It knocked several of the kids over, and as mike reached out and grabbed onto Jake to keep him from being sucked out into the surf, the wave tore his shorts right off of him. As we quickly regrouped and made sure everyone was alright, our eyes all settled on the same thing.
Just out of reach of the surf stood Emma Bell. She looked absolutely terrified. Her mouth was wide open, her eyes were as big as saucers, and she was letting out one long continuous cry. It was comical, but also heartbreaking. For the first time, she had seen just how powerful the water was. We asked her what was wrong and she said she was scared for Jake. The rest of the week Emma panicked whenever one of us got in the water… she was scared of what it might do to us.
In the scriptures, waves, floods, and waters are often used as metaphors for the trials that we experience. In our own lives, things can often happen that leave us in the same condition Emma found herself in; terrified, paralyzed, unable to move forward. In this Psalm we are told that our Lord is far more powerful than all of these things. The waves, the floods, the storms… they have nothing on Jesus Christ. So, the next time you feel overwhelmed by the “floods” in your life, remember this: Jesus is greater!
(Psalms 93:3-4)
The ocean can definitely be a mighty thing. This last week at the beach, Emma Bell realized just how mighty for the first time in her life. The surf was a little rough, but not too bad to play in last week, and the kids were having fun holding our hands and jumping the waves. Out of nowhere, a wave quite a bit larger than the rest came and nailed all of us. It knocked several of the kids over, and as mike reached out and grabbed onto Jake to keep him from being sucked out into the surf, the wave tore his shorts right off of him. As we quickly regrouped and made sure everyone was alright, our eyes all settled on the same thing.
Just out of reach of the surf stood Emma Bell. She looked absolutely terrified. Her mouth was wide open, her eyes were as big as saucers, and she was letting out one long continuous cry. It was comical, but also heartbreaking. For the first time, she had seen just how powerful the water was. We asked her what was wrong and she said she was scared for Jake. The rest of the week Emma panicked whenever one of us got in the water… she was scared of what it might do to us.
In the scriptures, waves, floods, and waters are often used as metaphors for the trials that we experience. In our own lives, things can often happen that leave us in the same condition Emma found herself in; terrified, paralyzed, unable to move forward. In this Psalm we are told that our Lord is far more powerful than all of these things. The waves, the floods, the storms… they have nothing on Jesus Christ. So, the next time you feel overwhelmed by the “floods” in your life, remember this: Jesus is greater!
Monday, September 15, 2008
Psalm 92
You thrill me, LORD, with all You have done for me! I sing for joy because of what You have done.
(Psalms 92:4)
It doesn’t take much to get me excited. At the beach last week, I got totally stoked about $0.50 paratroopers. For those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, let me educate you on one of the simple pleasures of this life. These are tiny little rubber army men that have plastic parachutes attached to their backs. If you wrap the chute right, you can throw them way up in the air and watch them float down. For children, and weird dudes like me, this can provide hours of entertainment. Now that I’m a grown up, I have to pretend like I’m buying them for Amelia, or someone else’s kids… but I’m not; they are really for me.
So, at the beach my friends and I (who are also weird and think these little dudes are extremely cool) picked up 5 of these guys before we took the kids to fly kites. My friend Matt figured out a way to connect his parachute man to the kite string, and as the parachute man went sliding UP 500 FEET OF STRING I begin yelling things like, “WHOOO, YEAAAAAH!!! OH YEAH, WHOOO-WHOOO!!!” Needless to say, I was excited.
It would be accurate to say that at that moment, the little parachute man (all fifty cents of him) thrilled me. I know that sounds really lame, but I’m being honest here… give me a break! (Cheap thrills are a lot easier on the wallet than things like sky-diving and bungee-jumping). As I read Psalm 92 this morning, I couldn’t help but think how lame it is that I get thrilled by the silly passing pleasures of this life, but rarely allow the work and person of Jesus Christ to thrill me. The Psalmist declares here that the thing that thrilled him was all that the Lord had done for Him. In fact, when He says “I sing for joy because of what you have done”, it literally means “I shout loudly because of what you have done”. I was shouting loudly about the silly paratrooper… but how often do I get that excited about Jesus? How often does the work of God in my life make me respond with a “WHOOOOOOOOOOO-HOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”? My friends, if we are not thrilled by the work of God, the problem is simple: We don’t really understand what God has done/is doing in our lives.
So, here is your challenge for today. Take a few minutes and think about all that the Lord has done for you, all the blessings He has sent your way, and get THRILLED! (If your parents ask why you’re hoopin’ and hollerin’ you can blame it on me.)
(Psalms 92:4)
It doesn’t take much to get me excited. At the beach last week, I got totally stoked about $0.50 paratroopers. For those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, let me educate you on one of the simple pleasures of this life. These are tiny little rubber army men that have plastic parachutes attached to their backs. If you wrap the chute right, you can throw them way up in the air and watch them float down. For children, and weird dudes like me, this can provide hours of entertainment. Now that I’m a grown up, I have to pretend like I’m buying them for Amelia, or someone else’s kids… but I’m not; they are really for me.
So, at the beach my friends and I (who are also weird and think these little dudes are extremely cool) picked up 5 of these guys before we took the kids to fly kites. My friend Matt figured out a way to connect his parachute man to the kite string, and as the parachute man went sliding UP 500 FEET OF STRING I begin yelling things like, “WHOOO, YEAAAAAH!!! OH YEAH, WHOOO-WHOOO!!!” Needless to say, I was excited.
It would be accurate to say that at that moment, the little parachute man (all fifty cents of him) thrilled me. I know that sounds really lame, but I’m being honest here… give me a break! (Cheap thrills are a lot easier on the wallet than things like sky-diving and bungee-jumping). As I read Psalm 92 this morning, I couldn’t help but think how lame it is that I get thrilled by the silly passing pleasures of this life, but rarely allow the work and person of Jesus Christ to thrill me. The Psalmist declares here that the thing that thrilled him was all that the Lord had done for Him. In fact, when He says “I sing for joy because of what you have done”, it literally means “I shout loudly because of what you have done”. I was shouting loudly about the silly paratrooper… but how often do I get that excited about Jesus? How often does the work of God in my life make me respond with a “WHOOOOOOOOOOO-HOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”? My friends, if we are not thrilled by the work of God, the problem is simple: We don’t really understand what God has done/is doing in our lives.
So, here is your challenge for today. Take a few minutes and think about all that the Lord has done for you, all the blessings He has sent your way, and get THRILLED! (If your parents ask why you’re hoopin’ and hollerin’ you can blame it on me.)
Sunday, September 07, 2008
Psalm 91
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust."
(Psalms 91:1-2)
Did any of you have secret hideouts as a kid? Places you would go that only a select few individuals knew about? When I was in elementary school, we used to have these “forts” in the woods. They were secret places, and only I and my friends knew about them. They were made out of trees that had fallen on top of one another in the woods, and there were loads of nooks and crannies to climb in and out of. We would go and sit on them in the woods and just feel special. It was OUR place.
This verse tells us that the Lord has a secret place. A hidden “fort” if you will that we can go and hang out in. We are told in fact, that we can spiritually LIVE in this secret place. This secret place is the PRESENCE of GOD, and it is found in the heavenly HOLY of HOLIES. Through Jesus Christ, we can actually enjoy the presence of God ANYTIME, ANYWHERE.
This verse tells us that if we will spiritually live in the presence of God… if we will maintain awareness that God is indeed “with us”, then we will ABIDE constantly under the overshadowing protection of the ALMIGHTY GOD. My friends, God is with us. It is a fact, an indisputable fact. But, whether or not that fact will change the way we live is totally up to us. If we will just remember that God is with us, it will transform the way we see EVERYTHING else.
Remember the promise Jesus made his disciples…
and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
(Matthew 28:20)
(Psalms 91:1-2)
Did any of you have secret hideouts as a kid? Places you would go that only a select few individuals knew about? When I was in elementary school, we used to have these “forts” in the woods. They were secret places, and only I and my friends knew about them. They were made out of trees that had fallen on top of one another in the woods, and there were loads of nooks and crannies to climb in and out of. We would go and sit on them in the woods and just feel special. It was OUR place.
This verse tells us that the Lord has a secret place. A hidden “fort” if you will that we can go and hang out in. We are told in fact, that we can spiritually LIVE in this secret place. This secret place is the PRESENCE of GOD, and it is found in the heavenly HOLY of HOLIES. Through Jesus Christ, we can actually enjoy the presence of God ANYTIME, ANYWHERE.
This verse tells us that if we will spiritually live in the presence of God… if we will maintain awareness that God is indeed “with us”, then we will ABIDE constantly under the overshadowing protection of the ALMIGHTY GOD. My friends, God is with us. It is a fact, an indisputable fact. But, whether or not that fact will change the way we live is totally up to us. If we will just remember that God is with us, it will transform the way we see EVERYTHING else.
Remember the promise Jesus made his disciples…
and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
(Matthew 28:20)
Psalm 90
So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom.
(Psalms 90:12)
Most of you guys and girls that read this blog are pretty young. When you read a verse like the one above, it is easy to disregard it and think, “That doesn’t apply to me, I have my whole life ahead of me”. Well guess what… it does apply to you. Time flies, and not just when you’re having fun. Life is a blur. I can’t believe that it has been 4 ½ years since Melissa and I got married. I also can’t believe that it has been just over 7 years since I graduated from Bible College. I need so badly to see the importance of numbering my days. We don’t know how long we have. We need to live TODAY for the Lord, not just think about what we will do for Him tomorrow.
Wisdom is something that each one of us NEEDS. Here in this verse we are told that the heart of wisdom can only be gained when we are aware of how quickly life can pass us by. If we don’t give the brevity of life on earth a second thought, our existence will be by definition FOOLISH.
The New Testament puts it this way:
See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
(Ephesians 5:15-16)
The word “circumspectly” basically means that we make EVERY STEP COUNT. Friends, don’t wait another day… the days are truly evil, and the time we have here is short. Ask the Lord to help you “number your days” and gain His perspective on life. Ask Him to help you make every step count, to help you to buy up the opportunities that are all around you.
Remember the exhortation of Solomon…
Don't let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor Him in your youth before you grow old and say, "Life is not pleasant anymore." Remember Him before the light of the sun, moon, and stars is dim to your old eyes, and rain clouds continually darken your sky. Remember Him before your legs—the guards of your house—start to tremble; and before your shoulders—the strong men—stoop. Remember Him before your teeth—your few remaining servants—stop grinding; and before your eyes—the women looking through the windows—see dimly. Remember Him before the door to life's opportunities is closed and the sound of work fades. Now you rise at the first chirping of the birds, but then all their sounds will grow faint. Remember Him before you become fearful of falling and worry about danger in the streets; before your hair turns white like an almond tree in bloom, and you drag along without energy like a dying grasshopper, and the caperberry no longer inspires sexual desire. Remember Him before you near the grave, your everlasting home, when the mourners will weep at your funeral. Yes, remember your Creator now while you are young, before the silver cord of life snaps and the golden bowl is broken. Don't wait until the water jar is smashed at the spring and the pulley is broken at the well. For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.
(Ecclesiastes 12:1-7)
Remember Jesus today… and serve Him now, while you still have time!
(Psalms 90:12)
Most of you guys and girls that read this blog are pretty young. When you read a verse like the one above, it is easy to disregard it and think, “That doesn’t apply to me, I have my whole life ahead of me”. Well guess what… it does apply to you. Time flies, and not just when you’re having fun. Life is a blur. I can’t believe that it has been 4 ½ years since Melissa and I got married. I also can’t believe that it has been just over 7 years since I graduated from Bible College. I need so badly to see the importance of numbering my days. We don’t know how long we have. We need to live TODAY for the Lord, not just think about what we will do for Him tomorrow.
Wisdom is something that each one of us NEEDS. Here in this verse we are told that the heart of wisdom can only be gained when we are aware of how quickly life can pass us by. If we don’t give the brevity of life on earth a second thought, our existence will be by definition FOOLISH.
The New Testament puts it this way:
See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
(Ephesians 5:15-16)
The word “circumspectly” basically means that we make EVERY STEP COUNT. Friends, don’t wait another day… the days are truly evil, and the time we have here is short. Ask the Lord to help you “number your days” and gain His perspective on life. Ask Him to help you make every step count, to help you to buy up the opportunities that are all around you.
Remember the exhortation of Solomon…
Don't let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor Him in your youth before you grow old and say, "Life is not pleasant anymore." Remember Him before the light of the sun, moon, and stars is dim to your old eyes, and rain clouds continually darken your sky. Remember Him before your legs—the guards of your house—start to tremble; and before your shoulders—the strong men—stoop. Remember Him before your teeth—your few remaining servants—stop grinding; and before your eyes—the women looking through the windows—see dimly. Remember Him before the door to life's opportunities is closed and the sound of work fades. Now you rise at the first chirping of the birds, but then all their sounds will grow faint. Remember Him before you become fearful of falling and worry about danger in the streets; before your hair turns white like an almond tree in bloom, and you drag along without energy like a dying grasshopper, and the caperberry no longer inspires sexual desire. Remember Him before you near the grave, your everlasting home, when the mourners will weep at your funeral. Yes, remember your Creator now while you are young, before the silver cord of life snaps and the golden bowl is broken. Don't wait until the water jar is smashed at the spring and the pulley is broken at the well. For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.
(Ecclesiastes 12:1-7)
Remember Jesus today… and serve Him now, while you still have time!
Thursday, September 04, 2008
Psalm 89
I will sing of the mercies of the LORD forever; With my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations.
(Psalms 89:1)
God can use us in so many ways. He gives us various gifts and talents, and there are so many ways to express and use those things. But, with very few exceptions, the one thing we all have in common is the ability to talk. Almost every one of us can open our mouths and declare truth about the Lord. It is true, our actions often speak louder than our words, but if there are never any words to explain our actions, then we are falling short of the work that God has given us all to do. 2 Timothy 4:5 tells us that we are all called to “do the work of an evangelist”.
Here is Psalm 89, we see a person (we know him as Ethan the Ezrahite) using his mouth in two different ways to proclaim truth about our Lord.
1. He sings of God’s Mercy FOREVER – The first thing we note is that this guy sings. Now, you may feel like you lack in the area of being able to produce beautiful melodies with your voice… but God is chiefly concerned with the music of your heart. A great voice with a wrong heart sounds like noise in God’s ears; while someone whop is physically off-key, but spiritually in tune sounds beautiful to Him. Notice, the thing that this man chooses to lift his voice in song about is GOD’S MERCY. The mercy of God is something that should cause each and every one of us to lift our voices in praise. Notice, this is a subject the Psalmist says he will sing about FOREVER. What is the song on your lips today? Is it one rejoicing in the mercy of God, or is it one lifting you, or another potential idol up? Guys and gals, day in and day out, we should be making melodies in our hearts to the Lord…
2. He speaks of God’s faithfulness to ALL GENERATIONS – This guy talks. Because God is faithful, this guy can’t help but tell people about Him. We live in a world that is constantly changing. In this world, the Lord is the one thing that remains steadfast and secure. We need to tell people about God’s FAITHFULNESS, and we need to be willing to declare that faithfulness to young and old alike. Notice, this guy doesn’t say, “I talk about God’s faithfulness to MY generation”… he says “EVERY generation”.
So, as you go through your day today, tomorrow… everyday; ask yourself this: “What am I singing about and what am I talking about?” Is it God’s mercy and God’s faithfulness that flows freely from your mouth, or is it something else? Is it the Lord you long to think, sing, talk, and hear about, or is it the things of this world? I hope and pray that each one of us will dwell on the things of the Lord.
(Psalms 89:1)
God can use us in so many ways. He gives us various gifts and talents, and there are so many ways to express and use those things. But, with very few exceptions, the one thing we all have in common is the ability to talk. Almost every one of us can open our mouths and declare truth about the Lord. It is true, our actions often speak louder than our words, but if there are never any words to explain our actions, then we are falling short of the work that God has given us all to do. 2 Timothy 4:5 tells us that we are all called to “do the work of an evangelist”.
Here is Psalm 89, we see a person (we know him as Ethan the Ezrahite) using his mouth in two different ways to proclaim truth about our Lord.
1. He sings of God’s Mercy FOREVER – The first thing we note is that this guy sings. Now, you may feel like you lack in the area of being able to produce beautiful melodies with your voice… but God is chiefly concerned with the music of your heart. A great voice with a wrong heart sounds like noise in God’s ears; while someone whop is physically off-key, but spiritually in tune sounds beautiful to Him. Notice, the thing that this man chooses to lift his voice in song about is GOD’S MERCY. The mercy of God is something that should cause each and every one of us to lift our voices in praise. Notice, this is a subject the Psalmist says he will sing about FOREVER. What is the song on your lips today? Is it one rejoicing in the mercy of God, or is it one lifting you, or another potential idol up? Guys and gals, day in and day out, we should be making melodies in our hearts to the Lord…
2. He speaks of God’s faithfulness to ALL GENERATIONS – This guy talks. Because God is faithful, this guy can’t help but tell people about Him. We live in a world that is constantly changing. In this world, the Lord is the one thing that remains steadfast and secure. We need to tell people about God’s FAITHFULNESS, and we need to be willing to declare that faithfulness to young and old alike. Notice, this guy doesn’t say, “I talk about God’s faithfulness to MY generation”… he says “EVERY generation”.
So, as you go through your day today, tomorrow… everyday; ask yourself this: “What am I singing about and what am I talking about?” Is it God’s mercy and God’s faithfulness that flows freely from your mouth, or is it something else? Is it the Lord you long to think, sing, talk, and hear about, or is it the things of this world? I hope and pray that each one of us will dwell on the things of the Lord.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
