Know my Heart

Saturday, December 31, 2011, 4:39 a.m. – The Lord woke me with the song, “Search Me, O God,” playing in my mind. Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Psalm 7 (NIV 1984):

A shiggaion of David, which he sang to the LORD concerning Cush, a Benjamite.
1 O LORD my God, I take refuge in you;
save and deliver me from all who pursue me,
2 or they will tear me like a lion
and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue me.

3 O LORD my God, if I have done this
and there is guilt on my hands—
4 if I have done evil to him who is at peace with me
or without cause have robbed my foe—
5 then let my enemy pursue and overtake me;
let him trample my life to the ground
and make me sleep in the dust.
Selah

6 Arise, O LORD, in your anger;
rise up against the rage of my enemies.
Awake, my God; decree justice.
7 Let the assembled peoples gather around you.
Rule over them from on high;
8 let the LORD judge the peoples.
Judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness,
according to my integrity, O Most High.
9 O righteous God,
who searches minds and hearts,
bring to an end the violence of the wicked
and make the righteous secure.

10 My shield is God Most High,
who saves the upright in heart.
11 God is a righteous judge,
a God who expresses his wrath every day.
12 If he does not relent,
he will sharpen his sword;
he will bend and string his bow.
13 He has prepared his deadly weapons;
he makes ready his flaming arrows.

14 He who is pregnant with evil
and conceives trouble gives birth to disillusionment.
15 He who digs a hole and scoops it out
falls into the pit he has made.
16 The trouble he causes recoils on himself;
his violence comes down on his own head.

17 I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness
and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.

My Understanding: David was being pursued by an enemy, so he called upon Almighty God to deliver him from all who pursue him, for he took refuge in the Lord. If God did not deliver him, David feared that his enemies would tear him like a lion tears his prey; and that he would be ripped to pieces with no one to rescue him. David was praying for physical deliverance from physical enemies. Yet, we know in reading the New Testament that Jesus was not rescued physically from his physical enemies, and neither were many of the apostles or prophets before them. We know that Jesus Christ told his followers that they would be treated like he was treated, and Paul often shared in his writings the sufferings that he went through, including false accusations, wrongful imprisonments, persecutions, beatings, etc., and all for the sake of the name of Jesus, and for the sake of the gospel, of which he was a herald. As well, the book of Revelation tells us a time is coming when all believers in Jesus Christ throughout the world will be severely persecuted, falsely accused, wrongfully imprisoned and/or killed for their faith in Christ. So, God does not always promise us physical deliverance from actual physical enemies.

Yet, what the Lord does promise us is that he will be with us during those trying times in our lives, that his grace will sustain us, and that he will strengthen us and give us peace within, if we are truly trusting in him as our Lord (master; ruler) and Savior (from sin) of our lives. He will deliver us within so that we don’t fear our enemies, or what they might do to us, even if all hell is breaking loose all around us. And, this is the greatest deliverance there is! This kind of deliverance within comes coupled with a realization that our true enemy is not man, but is Satan, who just uses men as his instruments. When we realize that the true battle is a spiritual battle for our minds, hearts and souls, and not a physical one with actual physical enemies, then we can begin to pray for the kind of deliverance that will give us victory over Satan, over sin, and over the fear of man, so that we can be at peace within even in the midst of great difficulties, persecutions and numerous trials. God is absolutely in control. We just have to put our faith and trust in him and in his divine providence and wisdom for our lives. He will work out all things according to his plan and purpose for our lives and for his glory. God is not finished with us yet.

Yet, although Jesus Christ was not rescued from death at the hand of his physical enemies, but he had to die a painful death, and more painful than we can possibly imagine, because he took upon himself the sins of the entire world, still that was not the end of the story. God the Father raised Jesus Christ, his Son, from the dead, in conquering death, hell, Satan and sin, so that we could go free. So, when we come to faith in Jesus Christ via repentance and obedience to Christ and his commands (by God’s grace alone), we are given that same hope of a resurrected life, free from the ultimate penalty and control of sin over our lives, so that sin no longer has to have dominion over us. And, that is true freedom! And, because of what Jesus Christ did for us in his death and resurrection, we can have that hope of eternal life with God forever. So, even if we face troubles, hardships, persecutions and even death for the sake of the gospel while we are on this earth, that is not the end of the story for us, either, for we will live on with God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – forever!

Search Me, O God

When David came up against this hot pursuit of his enemies against him, though, he did not respond in arrogance or conceit, thinking he was completely in the right and his enemies in the wrong. He willingly examined his heart and mind before Almighty God to see if there was anything in his own life that needed to be cleansed. He willingly submitted himself to God’s justice if God should determine that David was in the wrong. He humbled himself before Almighty God, being willing for God to show him his wrong. And, that needs to be the attitude of our hearts, too, when we are being pursued by anyone we deem as an enemy, or when we feel we are being treated unjustly. We need to do a careful examination of our own hearts and minds before God to allow God to show us the wickedness in our own hearts, and for him to cleanse us of such wickedness, so that we are in a right relationship with Jesus Christ, and thus we can come to God in confidence, seeking his deliverance. We cannot be delivered within if we are still holding on to sin in our lives. We cannot expect God to come to our aid if our hearts are not clean before God. So, anytime we feel that we are under attack from the enemy of our souls, it should bring us to our knees in humility and in honest heart examination so that we make certain we are right with God/Jesus Christ.

David called upon God for his justice to prevail. Yet, justice does not always happen immediately. God allows sin in sinful man to continue for a time. He allows evil in this world of ours. And, the innocent are often targets of that evil, too. So, when we see injustice, our hearts may cry out for God to act immediately, but he may not, at least not in the way we hope he will. This may trouble our hearts and minds. Yet, what if God always acted immediately with justice in all of our lives? Where would grace be? Where would mercy be? The Bible says that none of us is without sin. No one is righteous, no not one. We are all guilty of sin. And, that is why Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, so that we could go free from the ultimate penalty of sin (eternity in hell) and so we could go free from the control of sin over our lives. God is very patient with us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance, so he gives us plenty of opportunities to willingly come to him in repentance before he acts with justice, because he is a merciful God. Yet, he will not let the guilty go unpunished forever. He will act with justice in his timing.

Pregnant with Evil

Then, David addressed the subject of those who are pregnant (weighed down; expectant) with evil, and those who conceive (create; devise) trouble. They eventually give birth to failure and defeat. The trouble that they cause others will eventually come back around and bite them. If it does not happen in this life, it will happen in the final judgment of God against them, if they are not in Christ through faith in what Jesus Christ did for them on the cross in freeing them from their sins. It never pays to play with sin, because it is a lot like playing with a snake. We cannot afford to allow sin in our lives to take hold, because sin destroys lives. That is why God hates sin so much, because of how much it hurts his people. That is why he came to set us free! So, if you are holding on to sin or are playing with sin and are counting on the odds that God will not notice, will not care, and will not judge you, because of his grace, then think again. God takes sin very seriously and he disciplines those whom he loves. So, I pray for all who are reading this today that you will search your hearts and minds before God/Jesus Christ in prayer, and that you will turn from your sins so that Jesus Christ can set you free and give you the kind of deliverance that is for eternity!

I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness
and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.

I pray this for myself, as well, and hope you will pray with me:

Search me, O God / James E. Orr 1936

Search me, O God, and know my heart today,
Try me, O Savior, know my thoughts, I pray;
See if there be some wicked way in me;
Cleanse me from every sin, and set me free.

I praise Thee, Lord, for cleansing me from sin;
Fulfill Thy word and make me pure within;
Fill me with fire, where once I burned with shame;
Grant my desire to magnify Thy name.

Lord, take my life, and make it wholly Thine;
Fill my poor heart with Thy great love divine;
Take all my will, my passion, self and pride;
I now surrender, Lord, in me abide.

O Holy Ghost, revival comes from Thee;
Send a revival, start the work in me;
Thy Word declares Thou wilt supply our need;
For blessings now, O Lord, I humbly plead.

http://library.timelesstruths.org/music/Search_Me_O_God/

For His Glory

Friday, December 30, 2011, 8:26 a.m. – I woke a second time this morning to the song, “Lord, Move Me,” playing in my mind. Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Psalm 3-4 (NIV 1984):

A psalm of David. When he fled from his son Absalom.

1 O LORD, how many are my foes!
How many rise up against me!
2 Many are saying of me,
“God will not deliver him.”
Selah

3 But you are a shield around me, O LORD;
you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.
4 To the LORD I cry aloud,
and he answers me from his holy hill.
Selah

5 I lie down and sleep;
I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.
6 I will not fear the tens of thousands
drawn up against me on every side.

7 Arise, O LORD!
Deliver me, O my God!
Strike all my enemies on the jaw;
break the teeth of the wicked.

8 From the LORD comes deliverance.
May your blessing be on your people.
Selah

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of David.

1 Answer me when I call to you,
O my righteous God.
Give me relief from my distress;
be merciful to me and hear my prayer.

2 How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame?
How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?
Selah

3 Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself;
the LORD will hear when I call to him.

4 In your anger do not sin;
when you are on your beds,
search your hearts and be silent.
Selah

5 Offer right sacrifices
and trust in the LORD.

6 Many are asking, “Who can show us any good?”
Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD.
7 You have filled my heart with greater joy
than when their grain and new wine abound.
8 I will lie down and sleep in peace,
for you alone, O LORD,
make me dwell in safety.

My Understanding: This is a prayer of David for physical deliverance from his physical foes. I believe it is to be applied to our lives today in the spiritual realm, rather than the physical realm, though God may also bring physical deliverance from actual physical enemies, too. The Bible teaches us, though, that our real enemy is Satan, not man (see Ephesians 6:10-20), and that the true battle is won on a spiritual level, not on a natural level. And, the way God delivers us from our true enemy, Satan, is through his strength and mighty power at work within us in battle, and through the use of the spiritual weapons of warfare which he provided for us in order for us to fight off all evil attacks of Satan:

• The belt of truth buckled around your waist (arming ourselves with the truth)
• The breastplate of righteousness in place (being in a right relationship with God)
• Feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace
• The shield of faith, with which to extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one
• The helmet of salvation (to protect our minds from Satan’s accusations)
• The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (fight lies with truth of word)
• Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests
• Be alert (watchful; discerning), and always keep on praying for all the saints

We are to be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power at work within us, and we are to daily put on his full armor so that when the day of evil comes, we may be able to stand our ground in the face of great opposition of enemy forces. The real battle against Satan is won or lost in our minds and hearts. So, going back to Psalm 3, we must understand that our true deliverer is God, not man and not human resources (the weapons of this world). God is our true shield of protection against the evil one, through our faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord (master) and Savior of our lives. Involved in this faith is repentance (turning from sin) and obedience to Christ and his commands, and God, as well, gives us this kind of faith and repentance and ability to obey, as we willingly cooperate with his work of grace in our lives.

When we are in a right relationship with Jesus Christ through this kind of faith, and when we are daily putting on his full armor, with which to fight against the forces of evil coming against us, then we can lie down and sleep in peace, knowing that God is sustaining us. We have no reason to fear even tens of thousands rising up against us, because we can rest in knowing that God is in control, and that he will deliver us spiritually, and perhaps physically, as well, so that we don’t fear man, or cave to the fear of man, thinking we have to resolve our own problems and difficulties.

If we are repentant, honest, and in a right relationship with God through true faith in Jesus Christ, then we can be at peace, even if all hell is breaking loose all around us, because we are confident in the Lord and in our relationship with him, that he will deliver us from the enemy’s attacks against us. Yet, again, the real deliverance takes place in our minds and hearts as we rest securely in our Lord Jesus. And, this is where true freedom takes place, as well. We can be in a physical prison, and be free spiritually, or we can be free physically, and still be in prison in our minds and hearts. True freedom is thus spiritual, not physical.

So, when David prayed, as recorded in Psalm 4, for God to answer him when he called, and for God to give him relief from his distress, and to be merciful to him, it was understood that David was in a right relationship with God, because of his next statements where he asked the questions of men, “How long will you turn my glory into shame? How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?” David was confident of his right relationship with God, which is why he could also pray with confidence for God to deliver him. Yet, his enemies were obviously attacking his relationship (his glory) with God, mocking him, and doubtful of God’s deliverance. That is because they were placing their confidence in other gods that were not God, i.e. they were placing their trust in the gods of men.

Then, David spoke again with confidence and assurance in his God, and in his deliverance, when he stated that he knew God has set apart the godly for himself, and that the Lord would hear the godly when they call to God. The “godly” is often a reference to those who are devoted to God/Jesus Christ, obedient to him, and faithful in their commitment to him; those who are in a right relationship with Jesus Christ; holy; and steadfast, i.e. unwavering, unfaltering, resolute and firm in their commitment to follow the Lord Jesus in obedience.

David then called upon his listeners (or readers) to not sin in their anger, and that when they are on their beds to search their hearts and be silent before God. When we are being oppressed by the enemy, who uses human instruments, too, our human nature may want to flare up, and we may want to do something out of anger, so this is an encouragement to us to not let our emotions get the best of us, and to not respond to our emotions by doing what our flesh may desire, and for us to search our own hearts and to make sure we are in a right relationship with God through confession and repentance and faith. I believe this is very sound and wise advice for us who are going through times of great distress.

David then coupled that advice with the counsel for us to offer right sacrifices to the Lord, and to place our trust in the Lord to work in our circumstances. When I think of “right sacrifices,” the main passage of scripture that always comes to my mind is Rom. 12:1-2:

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Trusting in the Lord means that we take all our troubles, heartaches and difficult circumstances to the Lord in prayer, in confession, in humility, and we seek him with all of our hearts for his wisdom, guidance and direction instead of allowing fear or worry to overcome us, and instead of us reacting in fear and feeling as though we must resolve our troubles ourselves with our own human resources. This kind of trust recognizes the sovereignty (rule) of God over our lives, and that nothing can happen to us, but what God has allowed it, and he has allowed it for a purpose in our lives, and for his glory. So, I believe the Lord is encouraging my heart today, and I hope yours, as well, for us to follow this wise counsel of David, and to put our unfailing trust in the Lord for him to deliver us out of all our troubles as we daily put on his full armor in our lives and we rely upon his strength and power within us to work out our situations for his purposes and for his glory.

Lord, Move Me / An Original Work / October 16, 2011

Be my desire, my heart set on fire,
Lord, move me to worship You only, I pray.
Fill with Your Spirit, my heart overflow.
Lord, may I long for You; Your word to know.
Teach me to walk with You, Lord, in Your power,
And may I serve You, Lord, right now in this hour.

Lord, how I want to obey You forever.
Help me to hear You, Lord, so I will not stray.
Teach me to love You; adore You always.
Envelope me, Lord, with Your grace today.
Meet me in my need, and show me Your mercy.
Forgive me for all things, as I humbly pray.

Counsel me, lead me, direct me, and guide me,
So I follow You, Lord, where’er You lead now.
I love to hear You speak Your words to me.
I am so grateful that You set me free.
Wash me, and cleanse me, and make me like You, Lord,
And I will live with You for eternity.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5K-0kezkuEg

Willful Rebellion

Friday, December 30, 2011, 2:48 a.m. – The Lord woke me with the song, “Lord, Move Me,” playing in my mind. Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Psalm 2 (NIV 1984):

Why do the nations conspire
and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth take their stand
and the rulers gather together
against the LORD
and against his Anointed One.
“Let us break their chains,” they say,
“and throw off their fetters.”

The One enthroned in heaven laughs;
the Lord scoffs at them.
Then he rebukes them in his anger
and terrifies them in his wrath, saying,
“I have installed my King
on Zion, my holy hill.”

I will proclaim the decree of the LORD:

He said to me, “You are my Son;
today I have become your Father.
Ask of me,
and I will make the nations your inheritance,
the ends of the earth your possession.
You will rule them with an iron scepter;
you will dash them to pieces like pottery.”

Therefore, you kings, be wise;
be warned, you rulers of the earth.
Serve the LORD with fear
and rejoice with trembling.
Kiss the Son, lest he be angry
and you be destroyed in your way,
for his wrath can flare up in a moment.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

My Understanding: The LORD is God, and his anointed one is Jesus Christ, God’s Son, and our Messiah and King:

But about the Son he says,

“Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever,
and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom.
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
by anointing you with the oil of joy.”

He also says,

“In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands (Heb. 1:8-10 NIV ’84).

We, as his followers, are also anointed because we have Christ living within us:

“Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come” (2 Co. 1:21-22 NIV ’84).

“But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth” (I Jn 2:20-21 NIV ’84).

Jesus often stated that what we do to his children we do it as unto him. He told Saul (Paul), who was on the road to Damascus to arrest believers in Jesus Christ, that he was persecuting Jesus Christ, because he was persecuting Christ’s followers. And, Jesus, as well, often told his followers that they would be treated just like he was treated, because they are his followers, and because they obey him.

So, when the nations (governments), the people of the world, and the kings and rulers of the earth (the shepherds of the people) conspire, plot, and take their stand against God and against his anointed one, this is realized not only in how they treat God the Father and Jesus Christ, God the Son, but in how they treat the Lord’s true servants; his followers; his disciples, who are walking in obedience to Jesus Christ.

The nations, people and rulers, together, comprise the people of the world (all people). When people decide in their hearts to ignore God and his laws, to put his words behind them, and to reject him, his Son, and his words, they are conspiring, plotting against and are taking a stand against God the Father and against Jesus Christ, the Son. They are rebelling against the Lordship of Christ Jesus over their lives, and they are trying to break away from his kingship (rule) over their lives. And, this is not a casual rejection of God and of his truths, either. This is speaking of willful rebellion against God and against his laws.

Following suit, with this conspiring against God, is that those who willfully rebel against God will often, as well, rebel against his servants who are bringing them the truths of God’s word, i.e. those followers of Christ who are taking a stand for God and against sin, and who are sharing the truths of the gospel, and/or those who stand for righteousness. Jesus said this would be the case, as did the apostles. As well, the book of Revelation tells us how the beast, the false prophet and the dragon will persecute, imprison and kill true followers of Jesus Christ. People throughout the world have had to endure this kind of persecution for generations. We just have not had to face this kind of persecution in the USA yet. But, it will come, because the Bible says it will come.

Yet, the Lord laughs and scoffs at those who think they can come against God and against his anointed. Man may kill our bodies, but if we are truly in Christ Jesus, they cannot kill our souls. They cannot take from us our faith in Jesus Christ unless we let them, which then would mean that our faith was, perhaps, not really founded in Jesus Christ. Man’s efforts to destroy the gospel from spreading through the persecution of Christ’s followers often backfires, as persecution often is a catalyst to the spreading of the gospel of Jesus Christ, even more so, to the onset of great revivals, and to the increase in the number of those who believe in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ and his truth cannot be thwarted.

God may allow man to follow his own ways and to reject God for a time, because he is a patient God, waiting for man to willfully choose to follow him. But a time comes when God says “Enough!” and he rebukes man in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, letting them know that he is God and that Jesus Christ is King, that Jesus Christ will rule the earth, and he will come against the world in judgment on the day appointed by God.

Therefore, God calls for wisdom as a response to his warnings of judgment. He calls upon the rulers and kings (though most certainly all people are included in his warnings and his calls for wisdom and repentance) to serve the Lord with fear (respect and honor), and to rejoice with trembling. Basically, he is calling upon the people of the world to respond favorably to his warnings against rebellion against God, and his warnings of judgment to come upon them, should they persist in their rebellion. He is giving them a chance to repent of their sins, to come to the Lord Jesus in humility, and to follow the Lord Jesus faithfully in obedience from this day forward. If they do not repent, and they do not turn to the Lord Jesus in faith and obedience, then they will most certainly face the judgment to come, and no one knows when that will come, either.

Yet, the psalmist concludes this psalm on a positive note: “Blessed” (joyful and peaceful) “are all who take refuge in him.” If we only would take God seriously, and take sin seriously, and we would respond to his warnings in humility, repentance, faith and obedience, and we would place our full trust in him for our lives from this point on, even if our circumstances all around us might have its ups and downs, we then can be at peace within ourselves, and have the joy of the Lord and his strength to sustain us, because we chose to take refuge in him and to cease going our own selfish ways. I pray that all of us today would heed this warning to take God seriously, to repent of our sins, and for us to turn our hearts and lives over to Jesus Christ in complete surrender and obedience to his commands.

Lord, Move Me / An Original Work / October 16, 2011

Be my desire, my heart set on fire,
Lord, move me to worship You only, I pray.
Fill with Your Spirit, my heart overflow.
Lord, may I long for You; Your word to know.
Teach me to walk with You, Lord, in Your power,
And may I serve You, Lord, right now in this hour.

Lord, how I want to obey You forever.
Help me to hear You, Lord, so I will not stray.
Teach me to love You; adore You always.
Envelope me, Lord, with Your grace today.
Meet me in my need, and show me Your mercy.
Forgive me for all things, as I humbly pray.

Counsel me, lead me, direct me, and guide me,
So I follow You, Lord, where’er You lead now.
I love to hear You speak Your words to me.
I am so grateful that You set me free.
Wash me, and cleanse me, and make me like You, Lord,
And I will live with You for eternity.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5K-0kezkuEg

Delights in the Word

Thursday, December 29, 2011, 1:32 p.m. – The song, “Your Word,” is playing in my mind. Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. The Lord led me to read Psalm 1:

Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.

Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

My Understanding: Joyful and peaceful is the person who does not grow, develop and advance in his or her life in the counsel, guidance and direction of the wicked (evildoers). Nor does he (or she) position or posture himself, nor take upon himself the attitudes and viewpoints of those who live sinful lifestyles. Nor does he rest, convene or situate himself in the seat (place) of mockers, i.e. those who ridicule and scoff at God and reject his words.

Instead, he or she delights, and finds enjoyment, pleasure and happiness in the word (law) of the Lord, and on that word he or she meditates day and night. Because this person does not walk in the ways of the wicked, but instead finds his delight in the word of God, and in obeying God’s word, he is like a fruitful tree. She has abundant spiritual provisions from Almighty God for her daily life. She has streams of living water of the Spirit of God flowing from within her. And, this person will yield his fruit in season, i.e. in God’s perfect timing. His foliage (spiritual outgrowth of his life) will not wither, weaken, decline or fade away. Whatever she does prospers, i.e. it flourishes, thrives and will succeed spiritually to produce spiritual fruit.

Yet, that is not the case with the wicked (evildoers). They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Chaff is considered to be something that is worthless, useless and unusable. The slightest wind can blow it away. In other words, this person is unstable in all he or she does. She is of no use to God, because she is not rooted in Christ or in his word. He will not be able to stand in the judgment, because he is not upright before Almighty God. Nor will he or she be able to stand up under the scrutiny of those who honor God and who live their lives according to God’s will.

The Lord watches over (guards), looks after, takes care of, and leads and guides the way, path, course and direction of the righteous (through faith in Jesus Christ), but the course of life chosen by the wicked will perish (die). Oh, how very sad for those who choose wickedness over righteousness, and who continue on a wicked path.

The following song is a song the Lord gave me to write based off Psalm 119. It is a prayer to God, expressing the way of the righteous who have chosen to delight in the law of God. I pray for all who read this that you will make sure today, if you have not done so before, which path you are following, and to make sure you are following the way of righteousness.

Your Word / An Original Work / December 27, 2011

Based off Psalm 119

Praise You with an upright heart as
I learn of Your righteousness.
I seek You with all my heart;
Do not let me stray from Your law.
I have hidd’n Your word in my heart
That I might not sin against You.
Open my eyes that I may see
Wonderful things in Your word.
I am a stranger on earth.

I have chosen the way of truth;
My heart is set on Your word.
I will walk about in freedom,
For I have sought out Your truth.
Teach me knowledge and good judgment,
For I believe in Your law.
Your hands made me, and they formed me;
Give me understanding, Lord.
I put my hope in Your word.

Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light unto my path.
You are my shield and my refuge;
In Your word I put my hope.
My heart trembles at Your word, Lord.
May my lips o’erflow with praise.
May my tongue sing of Your truth, Lord.
Your salvation, Lord, long I.
Your word, Lord, is my delight.

http://youtu.be/PoekdVclmGM

You Thought

Thursday, December 29, 2011, 3:55 a.m. – The Lord woke me early this morning with the song, “Lord, Move Me,” playing in my mind. He also woke me with a quote from a passage of scripture in my mind: “…you thought I was altogether like you” (Ps. 50:21b). Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Psalm 50 (NIV 1984):

A psalm of Asaph.
The Mighty One, God, the LORD,
speaks and summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets.
From Zion, perfect in beauty,
God shines forth.
Our God comes and will not be silent;
a fire devours before him,
and around him a tempest rages.
He summons the heavens above,
and the earth, that he may judge his people:
“Gather to me my consecrated ones,
who made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”
And the heavens proclaim his righteousness,
for God himself is judge.
Selah

“Hear, O my people, and I will speak,
O Israel, and I will testify against you:
I am God, your God.
I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices
or your burnt offerings, which are ever before me.
I have no need of a bull from your stall
or of goats from your pens,
for every animal of the forest is mine,
and the cattle on a thousand hills.
I know every bird in the mountains,
and the creatures of the field are mine.
If I were hungry I would not tell you,
for the world is mine, and all that is in it.
Do I eat the flesh of bulls
or drink the blood of goats?
Sacrifice thank offerings to God,
fulfill your vows to the Most High,
and call upon me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”

But to the wicked, God says:

“What right have you to recite my laws
or take my covenant on your lips?
You hate my instruction
and cast my words behind you.
When you see a thief, you join with him;
you throw in your lot with adulterers.
You use your mouth for evil
and harness your tongue to deceit.
You speak continually against your brother
and slander your own mother’s son.
These things you have done and I kept silent;
you thought I was altogether like you.
But I will rebuke you
and accuse you to your face.

“Consider this, you who forget God,
or I will tear you to pieces, with none to rescue:
He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me,
and he prepares the way
so that I may show him the salvation of God.”.”

My Understanding: God made a covenant with his people of old, and he made a covenant with his people again (the new covenant), after he had sent his Son to the earth to die on the cross for our sins, and to be resurrected back to life in conquering death, hell, Satan and sin. Under the new covenant, we come into relationship with God the Father by God’s grace and through faith in his Son, Jesus Christ. This faith has two main components: 1) Repentance – turning from sin - and 2) Obedience to Christ’s commands. Yet, even the faith to believe and the ability to repent and to obey God are gifts from God, and are the working of the Holy Spirit within our lives in transforming us into new creatures in Christ Jesus, as we choose to willingly cooperate with his work of grace in our hearts and lives. So, those who have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and as Savior are now God’s consecrated ones.

We read in the book of Revelation, and in other books in the Bible, that a time is coming when God will judge the earth and the people on the earth. Revelation 2-3 contains letters to seven churches, which I believe represent the church as a whole, in which God has either words of praise or words of rebuke, or both, for his church. Where there are words of rebuke, there is also always a call for repentance and obedience to Christ’s commands, in order to have a restored relationship with God the Father, and with his Son, Jesus Christ. And, where repentance is not evident by changed lives, the Lord promises judgment. So, it is not difficult here to apply, Biblically, this passage in Ps. 50 to the church today. God still requires, of his covenant people, repentance and obedience to his commands. And, he still brings judgment, and not just during the time of tribulation to come upon the earth, either.

God Speaks

Here, in Psalm 50, God Almighty speaks and summons the earth. God shines forth in all his beauty and majesty and holiness. And, he comes to speak to his people and to confront them with their sins. God has been silent a long time, because he is a gracious and loving God, slow to anger, patient, and not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Yet, many mistook his silence as a free license to continue in sin. Now God is summoning the heavens above and the earth, that he may judge his people. And, so he gathers his consecrated ones, who entered into a covenant relationship with him by faith, so that he may speak to them.

God is speaking to his people, and he is testifying against them and is rebuking them. He says he is not rebuking them for their sacrifices, which at that time had to do with animal sacrifices. Applied to today, sacrifices have to do with things we do for God out of some sense of religious duty, and oftentimes in place of true obedience. Many people go through forms of worship or they are involved in various church activities thinking that their “sacrifices” are pleasing to God, all the while they do not honor God, they do not repent of their sins, and they do not obey him in all things. God is not in need of our religious rituals, our forms of worship, or the things we choose to give up or do for him.

His rebuke of his people has to do with them not sacrificing thank offerings to God, not honoring God as holy, and not fulfilling their vows to God. When I think of this in New Testament terms, the main passage of scripture that comes to mind is Rom. 12:1-2 (NIV):

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

This is the sacrifice that God requires of his new covenant people – to offer our entire beings to him as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. He doesn’t want the things we can do for him out of our own choosing. He wants us unreservedly given over to him in full obedience to his will for our lives. He desires that we no longer be conformed to the pattern of this world of sin, but that we allow him to transform us in our thinking, attitudes and behavior. Jesus said that if we are to follow him, we must die daily to ourselves and to our own selfish wills, and we must follow Christ Jesus in all that we do. He said that if we want to save our own lives, i.e. if we want to hold on to the lives we have chosen for ourselves, we will lose our lives for eternity. Yet, if we are willing to die to our own flesh and our own selfish desires for his sake, then we will live for eternity with him.

He is also calling for his new covenant people to fulfill their vows to him. When we enter into relationship with Jesus Christ by God’s grace and through faith, we are entering into a covenant relationship with Jesus Christ, not unlike our marriage covenants to our spouses, especially that covenant relationship of a bride to her groom. When we get married, we promise to be faithful to one person – our marriage partner. We promise to love, cherish, submit to one another out of love, and to accept the Biblical guidelines God has set forth for a marriage relationship between a husband and a wife. The Bible, as well, compares our relationship to Jesus Christ as that of a bride to her husband. So, just as we take marriage vows in a wedding ceremony where we promise faithfulness, etc., when we enter into relationship with Jesus Christ we take vows of faithfulness, too. We promise to leave our old lives of “singleness” behind us, and we promise to follow Jesus Christ with our lives, to obey him, and to go wherever he leads us. Yet, many of his covenant people have broken faith.

Yet, God is still giving his covenant people the opportunity to repent, to call upon him in their day of trouble (hardship; divine discipline; difficulty), to fulfill their vows to him, and to become the living sacrifices that God requires and desires of his covenant people. He says that if we do this, he will deliver us, and we will honor him. 2 Chronicles 7:13-15 says this on this subject:

“When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place…”

To the Wicked

Then, God addresses the wicked, yet the wicked here appear to be those who claim to have a relationship with him, yet in form only. They speak as though they know God, yet they hate God’s instructions and they cast his words behind them. Not only that, but they are easily led into sin for when they see someone else sinning, they join in with him. The Lord singles out several sins here – theft (cheating or stealing); adultery; speaking evil; deceit; and slander. The Lord says that these sins have not escaped his notice, even though he has been silent a long time. Because of his silence, though, the wicked hypocrites decided that God was like them, and that, because of his grace, he would just ignore their sins. But God is not like us. He does not think like we do. He is a holy, righteous and just God, and he will not let the guilty go unpunished forever. He has a day of judgment planned for us when he will rebuke the guilty and accuse them to their faces.

Yet, he is still appealing to his covenant people, who have forgotten their God, to consider everything he is saying here and for them to acknowledge him and honor him as God, to repent of their sins, and to turn to him in faith and obedience, or else he will come in judgment with none to rescue. And, he is still appealing to the wicked who are Christians in name only and who are only believers in Jesus in pretense, but not in reality, to repent of their sins before God comes in judgment and accuses them to their faces. He is appealing to them to consider that the ones who sacrifice “thank offerings” to him are the ones who honor him and they are the ones who will receive the salvation of God. So, if you know that you are living in sin and/or that you are being hypocritical in your relationship with Jesus Christ, I appeal to you on the basis of God’s holy word to get your heart right with God today while you still have today, because judgment will most certainly come, and we don’t know when it will come, either. Repent of your sins and choose to follow Jesus today.

Lord, Move Me / An Original Work / October 16, 2011

Be my desire, my heart set on fire,
Lord, move me to worship You only, I pray.
Fill with Your Spirit, my heart overflow.
Lord, may I long for You; Your word to know.
Teach me to walk with You, Lord, in Your power,
And may I serve You, Lord, right now in this hour.

Lord, how I want to obey You forever.
Help me to hear You, Lord, so I will not stray.
Teach me to love You; adore You always.
Envelope me, Lord, with Your grace today.
Meet me in my need, and show me Your mercy.
Forgive me for all things, as I humbly pray.

Counsel me, lead me, direct me, and guide me,
So I follow You, Lord, where’er You lead now.
I love to hear You speak Your words to me.
I am so grateful that You set me free.
Wash me, and cleanse me, and make me like You, Lord,
And I will live with You for eternity.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5K-0kezkuEg

A Strong City

Wednesday, December 28, 2011, 8:24 a.m. – The Lord woke me with the song, “Your Word,” playing in my mind. Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. The Lord led me to read Isaiah 26:

A Song of Praise

1 In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:
We have a strong city;
God makes salvation
its walls and ramparts.
2 Open the gates
that the righteous nation may enter,
the nation that keeps faith.
3 You will keep in perfect peace
him whose mind is steadfast,
because he trusts in you.
4 Trust in the LORD forever,
for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.
5 He humbles those who dwell on high,
he lays the lofty city low;
he levels it to the ground
and casts it down to the dust.
6 Feet trample it down—
the feet of the oppressed,
the footsteps of the poor.

7 The path of the righteous is level;
O upright One, you make the way of the righteous smooth.
8 Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws,
we wait for you;
your name and renown
are the desire of our hearts.
9 My soul yearns for you in the night;
in the morning my spirit longs for you.
When your judgments come upon the earth,
the people of the world learn righteousness.
10 Though grace is shown to the wicked,
they do not learn righteousness;
even in a land of uprightness they go on doing evil
and regard not the majesty of the LORD.
11 O LORD, your hand is lifted high,
but they do not see it.
Let them see your zeal for your people and be put to shame;
let the fire reserved for your enemies consume them…

My Understanding: Isaiah began this section of his writing with the usage of the phrase “In that day” to denote a day of God’s divine judgment on God’s people because of their sins against God. And, the rest of this chapter is to be understood within that context of divine judgment of God on his people, for the divine purpose of bringing them back into a right relationship with God Almighty. And, that is what the judgment produced. So, it reached its desired result in the lives of God’s people.

The City of God

Today God’s people comprise the true church, i.e. true believers in Jesus Christ who have received Jesus Christ as Lord (master; boss) and Savior of their lives, by God’s grace and through faith - repentance and obedience to Christ and to his commands, which are also gifts from God. It is the Holy Spirit of God who transforms hearts and who works repentance and obedience to Christ Jesus in our lives as we cooperate with his work.

God also promises judgment on his disobedient church today for sins of idolatry, spiritual adultery, disobedience to God’s commands, ignoring their Lord and Savior, and for not honoring God as holy and righteous, but instead going their own way, and following their own evil desires and paths of unrighteousness. The letters to the seven churches in the book of Revelation describe God’s call to his church for repentance, and if they do not repent, God will send some type of judgment against them. And, then the rest of Revelation describes the judgments of God on the earth and on mankind. Since the Bible says this will take place, and since God has said this will happen, we know we can take it to the bank.

Yet, the divine purpose of judgment against God’s people is the same as it was in the time of the prophets of old. Through judgment, God will restore his people to a right relationship with their God. He will strengthen their spiritual city of God (the true church). We know this is speaking of a spiritual city and not a physical one, because God makes salvation its walls and ramparts (fortification). Jesus described this city in Matthew 5:14-15:

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.”

Hebrews 12:22-24 also describe this city that has salvation as its walls:

But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

Open the Gates

Through judgment the gates of this city (the true church) will be opened wide for God’s righteous people – those made righteous through the blood of Jesus Christ – to enter in. I believe that the purpose of judgment is to revive the church, which will then, in turn, bring about the salvation of many, many lives, because the church will then be spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is why, through judgment, these gates will be opened wide. These who are righteous are those who keep the faith. The Bible has much to say on this subject of true faith being faith that continues and that endures to the end. Many will profess to know Jesus Christ, but true faith must be proved to be genuine faith, and it must endure. True faith is also faith that is repentant and obedient to Christ’s commands.

These will be trying times for us in judgment, yet the Lord will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast (not wavering back and forth), because he trusts in the Lord to do what he says he will do, and because he does not give way to fear of man. Man will fail us, so we should not place our trust in man. God will never fail us, so he is completely trustworthy. Jesus is our solid Rock. On him we can take our stand. Yet, for those who place their trust in mankind and/or in themselves, and who think they can rule their own lives and destiny, he will bring them low, and it will be because of those the lofty have oppressed.

The Way of Truth

Yet for the righteous, i.e. for those who have made Jesus Christ Lord and Savior of their lives, the Lord makes a level and smooth path. This does not mean the righteous will not face difficulties, persecutions, trials and tribulations, for they most certainly do and will, but this means that the Lord makes a path for us free from the control of sin over our lives so that we don’t have to live lives that are given over to sin and rebellion any longer, or that are controlled by our own fleshly desires and wills, but we can live in peace with our Lord by rejecting sin and by choosing to walk humbly in obedience to our Lord Jesus.

This level and smooth path he provides for us is a path of truth, of his laws (commands) and is a path that follows his word in all its fullness. Through following this path of righteousness we learn to wait for the Lord to do what he says he will do in our lives, and in the lives of those we love, even though waiting may be difficult and filled with numerous trials. Through walking this path in the way of his laws (truth; word), we grow in our love relationship with God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – so that He becomes the desire of our hearts. Walking in this way of truth also places within us a yearning for our Lord during the watches of the night and in the light of a new day dawning, so that our souls long for the Lord day and night.

Isaiah then quickly moved from this subject of walking in the light of the truth of God’s word back to the subject of divine judgment. He said that when God’s judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness, yet there is an exception here, because he then stated that, even though grace is shown to the wicked, they do not learn righteousness. So, not everyone on the earth will be moved to repentance when judgment comes. Some will reject God’s grace and will continue in their wickedness. Even though revival is being poured out on a nation under the judgment of God, and even though many people come to salvation through Jesus Christ, and the wicked are surrounded by the righteous, they will go on doing evil and will give no regard to God. How very sad! And, even though God’s hand is lifted high, perhaps signifying more judgments to come, the wicked do not see it. So, the prayer of Isaiah here is that the wicked will be shown, in judgment, God’s zeal for his people (the true church), and will be put to shame.

Honest Confession

Lastly (not quoted above), Isaiah expressed a prayer of confession to the Lord for his nation. First he gave all praise, honor and glory to Almighty God for all God had done to establish his peace in their hearts and lives. Then, he confessed that they, as a nation, had allowed other gods and lords to rule over them previously, but that now the name of God was the only one that they honored. Other gods can include sinful attitudes and behaviors - willful rebellion, self, pride, envy, bitterness, fear, adultery, gluttony, etc. Other gods can also include people we hold in high esteem who we honor and value above God by making them the lords over our minds and hearts instead of Jesus Christ being our only Lord. Or, other gods can include our activities and/or possessions that we worship by how we give of our hearts, time and devotion to them, and to do so for our own honor and glory. Yet, Isaiah confessed that through judgment God had wiped out all memory of these other gods out of the lives of his people; that the Lord had now spiritually enlarged this spiritual “nation;” and that God Almighty was now the one who had gained the glory for himself.

As part of this confession, Isaiah also confessed that the people of God had been way slack in sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with a world in need of the Savior. They had not brought salvation to the earth, and thus the people of the world had not been given spiritual birth. Yet, that had now all changed, I believe, due to God’s judgments on his people in order to spiritually awaken them so that they did walk in obedience to their Lord God, so that they cast aside all their idols and “other gods,” and so they were now walking in the path of the word (truth) of God. And, the path of his word is what leads us, too, in the ways of his righteousness so that we, also, will walk humbly in obedience to Christ for his glory.

Your Word / An Original Work / December 27, 2011

Based off Psalm 119

Praise You with an upright heart as
I learn of Your righteousness.
I seek You with all my heart;
Do not let me stray from Your law.
I have hidd’n Your word in my heart
That I might not sin against You.
Open my eyes that I may see
Wonderful things in Your word.
I am a stranger on earth.

I have chosen the way of truth;
My heart is set on Your word.
I will walk about in freedom,
For I have sought out Your truth.
Teach me knowledge and good judgment,
For I believe in Your law.
Your hands made me, and they formed me;
Give me understanding, Lord.
I put my hope in Your word.

Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light unto my path.
You are my shield and my refuge;
In Your word I put my hope.
My heart trembles at Your word, Lord.
May my lips o’erflow with praise.
May my tongue sing of Your truth, Lord.
Your salvation, Lord, long I.
Your word, Lord, is my delight.

Song Lyrics @ Public Domain

Audio, song lyrics and sheet music (free):
https://sites.google.com/site/psalmshymnssongs2/home/songs/your-word

Song on Video:
http://youtu.be/PoekdVclmGM

Lying Lips

Wednesday, December 28, 2011, 3:32 a.m. – The song, “Fit for Service,” was playing in my mind when I awoke this morning. Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Psalm 120-121:

A song of ascents.
I call on the LORD in my distress,
and he answers me.
Save me, O LORD, from lying lips
and from deceitful tongues.

What will he do to you,
and what more besides, O deceitful tongue?
He will punish you with a warrior’s sharp arrows,
with burning coals of the broom tree.

Woe to me that I dwell in Meshech,
that I live among the tents of Kedar!
Too long have I lived
among those who hate peace.
I am a man of peace;
but when I speak, they are for war.

A song of ascents.
I lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.

My Understanding: The Psalmist was in distress over lies that were being spread or told about him; false accusations intended, evidently, to discredit him. So, he called out to the Lord in prayer for the Lord to save him from lying lips and deceitful tongues.

A lie is an untruth, a falsehood and/or something that somebody makes up either to protect himself or herself, often to cover up something he or she has done that is sinful, and for which he or she does not want to be found out; and/or to willfully cause harm to another, perhaps to cause harm or to discredit someone who has discovered this person’s sin.

Deceit is even more sinister than a lie, because deceit involves treachery (betrayal), trickery (scamming; conning; cheating), pretense, duplicity (a double-minded man, unstable in all he does), fraud, misleading and dishonesty (lies). So these lies are intended to misdirect, mislead and to cause great harm to another person; used as a weapon of war against another for the purpose of trying to discredit the person and to bring him or her down. Wow! Proverbs 6:16-19 says this about lying lips and deceitful tongues:

There are six things the LORD hates,
seven that are detestable to him:
haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that shed innocent blood,
a heart that devises wicked schemes,
feet that are quick to rush into evil,
a false witness who pours out lies
and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.

And, James 3:3-8 says this about the tongue:

“When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.”

The Psalmist, in Psalm 120, spoke of how God would judge the deceitful tongue. He would punish the deceitful tongue with a warrior’s sharp arrows, with burning coals of the broom tree. I find it interesting here that the judgment of God against the deceitful tongue appears to parallel the manner in which the deceitful tongue caused great harm, i.e. the tongue is compared to a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body; it sets the whole course of the person’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell; it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. And, God will judge the deceitful tongue for the harm that it caused.

And I Peter 3:9b-11 says this about the tongue:

“Whoever would love life
and see good days
must keep his tongue from evil
and his lips from deceitful speech.
He must turn from evil and do good;
he must seek peace and pursue it.”

The Psalmist, in Psalm 120, said he was a man of peace but that those who were speaking lies against him were for war, i.e. they were using their lies and deceit against him as weapons of war in order to try to defeat him. This is one of Satan’s greatest weapons against believers in Jesus Christ, too. As well, true peace is not the kind of peace that the world often speaks of, i.e. it is not necessarily the absence of conflict or some euphoric state of mind, but true peace comes from being in a right relationship with Jesus Christ and thus at peace with God through repentance, faith and obedience to Christ and to his commands. All hell could be breaking loose on the outside and the believer can still experience true peace within, i.e. resulting from his faith and trust in the Lord, and in God’s sovereignty over the circumstances of his life.

Going back to the beginning, the Psalmist was in distress over the lies which were being spread about him, so he called on the Lord to save him from lying lips and deceitful tongues. I believe Psalm 121 continues this theme of praying for some type of deliverance from God, because of the strong pursuit of an enemy. The Psalmist recognized that his source of help and deliverance came from God and from God alone. He is the only one who can keep our feet from slipping, i.e. from us falling into the devil’s trap and/or into sin. When the enemy of our souls is in hot pursuit and is breathing out lies and violence against us to try to bring us down, we must remain faithful to God and to his word, and we must not cave to the enemy of our souls by allowing his attacks on our character to defeat us.

The way in which we remain strong and faithful during such times as these is by understanding God and his sovereignty over our lives, and by accepting these trials and tests of our faith as from the hand of God intended to humble us and to purify us. As well, we are able to remain true to God and to his word when we do not cave to Satan’s lies, which often try to tell us that God doesn’t care or that he has abandoned us, but we fight off his lies with the truth of God’s word which teaches us that our Lord Jesus will never leave us or forsake those who are truly his, but he is paying attention, he does care, and he is watching over us to see us through these difficult times, and to bring us safely into his eternal kingdom. Yet, God does not promise us that we won’t have to go through such trials, but what he does promise us is that he will lead and guide us through these times.

The “harm” he is most concerned about is not necessarily the harm to our reputations, but the harm he intends to keep us from is the type that might destroy our relationship with him, i.e. he watches over us to keep us from falling into the devil’s trap and to keep us from falling into sin due to despair and discouragement. These trials come to test our faith, so he watches over us to keep us from falling away from our faith on account of these kinds of persecutions. As well, it is his will for us that we experience peace and joy within even when all is going wrong on the outside. Paul said this about trials in 2 Corinthians 1:8-11:

We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.

God often allows such trials into our lives to test our faith so that we might not rely on ourselves but on God. He uses these times of great difficulty and/or persecutions in order to strengthen our faith and resolve to follow him in all things, and to get us to place our absolute trust in him, knowing full well that there is nothing we can do in our own flesh and will to combat these attacks of the enemy. Only in the strength of the Lord, and through his loving and protecting hand in our lives, can we endure such opposition and still come out strong and determined to keep following the Lord Jesus. So, the Lord may not deliver us from the trial, though he may, but he will most certainly deliver us through the trial by increasing our faith, by keeping us from falling, and by making us even more determined to follow him wherever he leads us, and more resolved, too, to obey him in all things.

Fit for Service / An Original Work / October 5, 2011

Holy Spirit, come within us.
Cleanse our hearts,
and from sin free us.
Make us holy vessels fit
for service to the King.
Fill us with Your love and power.
Anoint us within this hour
To be living witnesses
For Jesus Christ, our King.
Our praise to Him bring.

Father God, our heart’s desire,
Come and speak to us in power.
Revive our hearts to obey You;
Live for You always.
May we love and serve You only,
Walking with You;
Not a phony.
May we always tell the truth,
And show integrity.
Your true servants be.

Jesus, Savior, sanctify us.
Purify our hearts within us;
Be transformed into Your likeness,
Holy unto You.
May we always listen to You
Speaking Your words
Now within us.
May we heed Your counsel to us;
Follow You today.
Do all that You say.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3BcCHKADr4

Your Word

Throughout my day today, the Lord encouraged me much through his word and through songs. One of the passages of scripture that he led me to read was Psalm 119. Over the years since receiving my Bible as a gift from my children, I have underlined, and even dated, many sections of this passage of scripture, because the Lord had spoken to me through them. Again these words of David came alive to my heart, as the Lord Jesus was speaking many, many words of comfort and hope to my heart. The Lord had already given me a tune earlier in the day, and I sensed after reading Psalm 119 that he wanted me to put this Psalm, in abbreviated form, to this music he had given to me. The song is about the word of God that I have hidden in my heart so that I might not sin against God. Jesus is the Word, so the Word is in my heart, and the written word, as well, is in my heart through study and application of its truths to my heart, and through obedience to those truths.


Your Word / An Original Work / December 27, 2011

Based off Psalm 119

Praise You with an upright heart as
I learn of Your righteousness.
I seek You with all my heart;
Do not let me stray from Your law.
I have hidd’n Your word in my heart
That I might not sin against You.
Open my eyes that I may see
Wonderful things in Your word.
I am a stranger on earth.

I have chosen the way of truth;
My heart is set on Your word.
I will walk about in freedom,
For I have sought out Your truth.
Teach me knowledge and good judgment,
For I believe in Your law.
Your hands made me, and they formed me;
Give me understanding, Lord.
I put my hope in Your word.

Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light unto my path.
You are my shield and my refuge;
In Your word I put my hope.
My heart trembles at Your word, Lord.
May my lips o’erflow with praise.
May my tongue sing of Your truth, Lord.
Your salvation, Lord, long I.
Your word, Lord, is my delight.

Song Lyrics @ Public Domain

Audio, song lyrics and sheet music (free)

Song on Video

My Hope and Freedom

Tuesday, December 27, 2011, 5:51 a.m. – The song, “Adonai,” was playing in my mind when I awoke this morning. Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.

Adonai /Artist: Avalon

…Adonai, I lift up my heart and I cry
My Adonai
You are the Maker of each moment
Father of my hope and freedom
Oh, my Adonai
…One trembling heart and soul
Becomes a servant bold and courageous
…And today You're making miracles in me

http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Adonai-lyrics-Avalon/DCF5643E830CB31048256E630005257F

The Lord then led me to read Psalm 27 (NIV 1984) for my quiet time with him:

The LORD is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?
When evil men advance against me
to devour my flesh,
when my enemies and my foes attack me,
they will stumble and fall.
Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then will I be confident.

One thing I ask of the LORD,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple.
For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle
and set me high upon a rock.
Then my head will be exalted
above the enemies who surround me;
at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the LORD.

Hear my voice when I call, O LORD;
be merciful to me and answer me.
My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”
Your face, LORD, I will seek.
Do not hide your face from me,
do not turn your servant away in anger;
you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
O God my Savior.
Though my father and mother forsake me,
the LORD will receive me.
Teach me your way, O LORD;
lead me in a straight path
because of my oppressors.
Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
for false witnesses rise up against me,
breathing out violence.

I am still confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD.

My Understanding: The name “Adonai” means “Lord.” And, this Psalm of David begins: “The LORD is my light and my salvation…” And, “Lord” means “master; boss; ruler.” So, if Jesus is truly our Lord, then he is also the boss and master of our lives, and he is the one who calls the shots and decides for us what we are to do and who we are to become.

Because the Lord is my Lord and master, and because he is the one who has given me his light and truth and salvation, and because he is the stronghold (fortress; refuge) of my life, I have no reason to fear man or what man might do to me. Even if evil men advance against me for the purpose of devouring my flesh, or if I am attacked by those who stand opposed to me, and though an army besiege (overwhelm; surround) me, I will choose to not withdraw in fear, but to put my trust and confidence in the Lord Jesus to deliver me.

David only wanted one thing that he asked of the Lord. He just wanted to be with the Lord forever and to stand and rest always in his abiding presence, and to seek the Lord always. It is sad to say that adversity or trials often are what move us closer to our Lord and to our desire for him and for his presence with us. We can often be guilty of taking our Lord, his word and his abiding presence with us for granted in our lives when things are going well for us. The Bible teaches us that the Lord allows trials and difficulties in our lives to draw us closer to him, and to a greater dependence upon him in our lives, so that we will make him our Lord and master, and so we won’t keep trying to be the master of our own lives.

Then, David proclaimed truths in which he was confident in the Lord. When we are in trouble due to no sin of our own, the Lord will keep us safe in his dwelling, i.e. he will keep us close to his heart, and will fill us with his peace, even when all around us is not peaceful. He will hide us in the shelter of his tabernacle, i.e. he now dwells within those of us who are truly his, so we are hidden in him and in our relationship with him, and so we rest in him. Jesus is our Rock and our fortress, so our lives are set upon Jesus, the Rock, who is our firm and solid foundation for our daily walk with the Lord. And, our head, as well, is Jesus Christ, who is head over the church, his body, and he will be exalted above all his enemies who come against him and against us, his servants. So, we are able to sing and be joyful!

Then, David prayed a prayer for the Lord’s mercy in his life and for the Lord to hear him when he called. David was obviously being oppressed by his physical enemies. The Bible tells us in Ephesians 6:10-20 that our true enemies are not flesh and blood, but our real enemies are the spiritual forces of evil and darkness (of the devil) in the heavenly realms. Nonetheless, the devil and his evil forces do use human instruments to do their dirty work, so we, too, will have physical enemies who will war against us. Yet, our true enemy is the devil and the evil that is at work in their hearts and lives, not the people themselves. So, we don’t war against man with the weapons of this world, but we war against those evil forces with spiritual weapons the Lord has given to us to use, i.e. this spiritual armor that we must daily put on if we are going to be able to take our stand against the devil’s schemes, for truly he is scheming against those who are following the Lord Jesus in obedience.

When we go through great times of tribulation, it may often feel as though the Lord has forgotten us or that he has forsaken us, but he said he would never leave us or forsake us. So, even if he is silent, and we don’t hear his voice speaking to us in a given situation, we must rest in what we know of him, what we have been taught from his word concerning him, and we must rest in the hope of eternal life with him. Even though our own family members (represented here by “father and mother”) may forsake us, the Lord will receive those who truly have made him Lord and Savior of their lives. And, he will be our helper in time of need.

Then, David prayed for the Lord to teach him his ways because of David’s oppressors. We need the Lord daily to teach us his ways, and to lead us in a straight (upright) path, yet when we are being oppressed severely by our enemy, the devil, we need the wisdom of God like no other times before, and we need to know the right way to go so that we don’t give in to the enemy of our souls, and so we keep following that straight (upright) path of righteousness the Lord Jesus has given us to follow. Then, if we remain faithful to the Lord and we do not give in to our enemy, the devil, who desires to sift us as wheat, we will not be turned over to the desire of our foe, the devil, for truly his desire is that we not put our trust in the Lord Jesus, and his desire is to try to break us down so that we deny our Lord. So, even if our enemy should raise up false witnesses against us, we put on the armor of God and we stand on the truth, and if we stand on the truth, then the enemy is defeated.

David was confident that he would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living, i.e. he was confident that this attack of his enemy would not result in his death, but that he would live through this and would see the goodness of the Lord in how the Lord chose to intervene on his behalf. The Lord may not always come to our physical rescue, because he does allow his servants to be persecuted, imprisoned and even killed for their faith in Jesus Christ, but he will come to our spiritual rescue and he will give us the strength, courage and hope we need to stand up against the devil’s schemes against us, and he can turn any situation in our lives around for good so that his purposes are accomplished, and so that through our trials we will grow stronger in our faith, and, as well, he can use what we go through and how we respond to it in the lives of others, to bring about his purposes for their lives, too. Sometimes miracles hide in difficult situations, and the miracles for which we are praying and hoping are wrapped in trouble and hardship, yet within these troubling times we can experience the blessings of God that are hidden within the trials.

Finally David proclaimed that we should wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. We cannot fight these battles in our own strength. We must wait on the Lord for him to come to our rescue, to give us the strength and courage we need in our trials, and for him to accomplish all his purposes in our lives and in the lives of others that he had determined should take place through our difficult times. So, we need to hang tough in his strength, keep the faith, and wait for him to intervene on our behalf for his glory.

Fear No Evil

Monday, December 26, 2011, 6:05 a.m. – The Lord woke me with the song, “He Keeps Me Singing,” playing in my mind, and then he followed that song with the song, “Fear Not!”

He Keeps Me Singing / Luther B. Bridgers

There's within my heart a melody
Jesus whispers sweet and low:
Fear not, I am with thee, peace, be still,
In all of life's ebb and flow.

Though sometimes he leads through waters deep,
Trials fall across the way,
Though sometimes the path seems rough and steep,
See his footprints all the way.

Soon he's coming back to welcome me
Far beyond the starry sky;
I shall wing my flight to worlds unknown;
I shall reign with him on high.

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,
Sweetest name I know,
Fills my every longing,
Keeps me singing as I go.

I inquired of the Lord as to where he wanted me to read next in scripture. I had just finished reading the book of Acts. He had me read in Isaiah 53, Acts 8 (quoting from Isaiah 53) and Ps 118 last evening, and he had me reading Psalm 25 yesterday during the day, which is a Psalm of much encouragement and a prayer for guidance and direction. In it the Psalmist prayed to the Lord to be shown his ways, to be taught his paths, to be guided in the Lord’s truth, for his hope was in the Lord all day long. He proclaimed that God is good and upright; “therefore he instructs sinners in his ways, he guides the humble in what is right, and teaches them his way.” Here the Lord reminded me of the song he woke me with yesterday morning, “Bring Back the Glory,” which is a prayer for revival of the Lord’s people.

And, then then the Psalmist declared that “All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant,” and that God will instruct the man (or woman) who fears the Lord in the way chosen for him. As well, he proclaimed that “The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.” And, he concluded the Psalm with these words: “Guard my life and rescue me… May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you. Redeem Israel, O God, from all their troubles!” And, I added, as applied to spiritual Israel today: “Revive your church, O Lord!”

The Lord then led me this morning to read Psalm 23 for my quiet time with him:

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.

My Understanding: The Lord began my time with him this morning with two songs that say “Fear Not!” So, the Lord has a message here for me about not fearing, and about rejoicing in tribulation, which was the same message he was giving me throughout the day yesterday, too. Along with this primary theme of not fearing and of rejoicing is a subtheme concerning times of trouble, hardships, persecution, unjust treatment, and difficulties in life in which we are to see the hand of God in our lives, and through which we are to place our trust in the Lord. He will give us the strength, courage, determination to endure, joy, peace, and guidance and direction we need to lead us and to give us hope and healing during times of great suffering for the sake of his name, and for the sake of his gospel.

As well, Psalm 23 continues with that theme. David declared that the Lord was his shepherd. We learn in John 10 that Jesus Christ is the good shepherd who lay down his life for the sheep. He knows his sheep and his sheep know him. His sheep listen to his voice and follow him because they know his voice. Yet, they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from a stranger because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.

Jesus declared that he was not only the good shepherd but he was also the gate for the sheep, and that whoever enters through him will be saved. “He will come in and go out, and find pasture,” Jesus said. Jesus also said that he came that his sheep might have life, and have it to the full. Yet he also spoke of “thieves and robbers,” i.e. of false shepherds (the strangers). The true sheep do not listen to the false shepherds who come only to steal and kill and destroy the sheep. These false shepherds of the people will abandon the sheep and run away when they see a wolf coming, so that the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it, because these false shepherds care nothing for the sheep, but only for themselves.

In contrast, thus, to these false shepherds of the people is Jesus Christ, our good shepherd. Where the false shepherds come to destroy us spiritually by leading us into sin, and/or by leading us away from pure devotion to our Lord; and away from following him as our only Lord, and toward becoming followers of man and of a false gospel, Jesus, as our good shepherd, leads us in paths of righteousness, i.e. in following our Lord in obedience to his commands for our lives, as true followers of Jesus Christ. Whereas these false shepherds try to rob us of our close relationships with Jesus Christ and they try, instead, to instill in us the fear of man, the good shepherd supplies us with all we need for godly living.

Jesus Christ leads us to be contented and to rest securely in him, even in the direst of circumstances. He gives us all that we need for life and for service to him so that we can walk in obedience to him. We cannot do this in and of ourselves, for surely we will fail. We must be dependent upon the shepherd to supply us with all we need to live the Christian life in faith and in victory. Jesus leads us to rest quietly in him, especially in times of trouble. He provides all that we need to refresh our spirits, to revive our souls, and to give us peace of mind and heart so that we can live spiritually healthy lives for him and for the sake of his name.

So, even though we may walk “through the valley of the shadow of death,” i.e. through times of great tribulation that will try our faith, we don’t need to fear evil, for Jesus Christ overcame evil on the cross of Christ and through his resurrection back to life. We don’t need to fear whatever God may take us through, because Jesus is with us to give us hope, healing and comfort. He will use his rod (authority) to guide, rescue and protect us, though not necessarily to protect us physically, but to protect us spiritually through our difficulties. He will be our support (represented by his staff), and he will reassure us of his continued presence with us no matter what we may go through.

Even though man may reject us, our Lord will receive us at his table and will take us into his loving arms - his nurturing - and his words within us will offer us much encouragement and hope. And, he will do this in the presence of our enemies, showing how much he loves us. Whereas man may dishonor us and mistreat us, our Lord will honor us and will call us his own. Our lives will overflow with his many words of joy, comfort and assurances during times of distress and great sorrow, as he will continue to demonstrate his abiding grace and love for us over and over again. His goodness and love to us, in giving us his hope and peace, even in the face of trouble, hardship and distress, will be with us all our lives and for eternity, as we have the promise, if we are truly his, of dwelling in his eternal home forever.

Fear Not! / An Original Work / October 20, 2011

Based off of Philippians 4

Rejoice in the Lord!
Gentle be always.
The Lord is near you.
Fear not in all things.
But in ev’rything
By prayer, with thanksgiving,
Share your requests.
God will guard your hearts
With His peace always.

Think about these things:
Whate’er is honest;
Pure and is lovely;
And is praiseworthy.
Whate’er you have learned,
Or you have received, or
You heard from Christ,
Make it your practice.
God will be with you.

I can do all things
Through Him who gives strength.
Whate’er I go through,
Satisfied I’ll be.
My God will meet all
My needs according to
His riches in
Jesus Christ, my Lord.
Praise Him forever!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oZOuR7S8eY

Deprived of Justice

Sunday, December 25, 2011, 11:09 p.m. – The Lord woke me with the song, “Jesus, Lead Me,” playing in my mind. He also woke me with this phrase in my mind: “He was deprived of justice.” This is a quote from a passage of scripture in Acts 8:26-35 (NIV 1984):

Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”

Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.

“How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture:

“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,
and as a lamb before the shearer is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.
Who can speak of his descendants?
For his life was taken from the earth.”

The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.

This passage of scripture in Isaiah that the eunuch was reading is found in Isaiah 53 (NIV 1984):

… He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
And who can speak of his descendants?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was stricken.
He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.

Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
After the suffering of his soul,
he will see the light of life and be satisfied;
by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities…

As I was praying through what I read in Acts 8 and in Isaiah 53 concerning Jesus Christ, and how, in his humiliation, he was deprived of justice, and how we, too, as his followers, will sometimes be deprived of justice, because we are followers of Christ and not of man, the Lord brought to mind another phrase: “This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.” This is a quote from Psalm 118 (NIV 1984):

… In my anguish I cried to the LORD,
and he answered by setting me free.
The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?
The LORD is with me; he is my helper.
I will look in triumph on my enemies.

It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in princes.

… I was pushed back and about to fall,
but the LORD helped me.
The LORD is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation.

Shouts of joy and victory
resound in the tents of the righteous:
“The LORD’s right hand has done mighty things!
The LORD’s right hand is lifted high;
the LORD’s right hand has done mighty things!”

I will not die but live,
and will proclaim what the LORD has done.
The LORD has chastened me severely,
but he has not given me over to death.

Open for me the gates of righteousness;
I will enter and give thanks to the LORD.
This is the gate of the LORD
through which the righteous may enter.
I will give you thanks, for you answered me;
you have become my salvation.

The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone;
the LORD has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes.
This is the day the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.

O LORD, save us;
O LORD, grant us success.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD.
From the house of the LORD we bless you.
The LORD is God,
and he has made his light shine upon us.
With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession
up to the horns of the altar.

You are my God, and I will give you thanks;
you are my God, and I will exalt you.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever.

My Understanding: God does not promise us that the Christian life will be easy, or that we won’t face many hardships. In fact, he promises us just the opposite. Jesus, while he was still on the earth, informed his disciples concerning the sufferings and unjust treatment they should expect to experience as his followers. He told them that if he was hated that they would be hated, too. He told them that they would be treated just like he was treated. Isaiah 53 paints for us a very vivid description of how Jesus was treated, although he had done no wrong, and had only done good to people.

He was despised, rejected by men, a man of sorrows and one familiar with suffering. People even hid their faces from him. He was crucified on a cruel cross for our sins. He was oppressed and afflicted. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. He was deprived of justice. Yet, it was the will of God that he should die for the sins of the world. Yet, although he had no physical offspring, he has seen and will continue to see spiritual offspring. God the Father resurrected him back to life so that he lives forever and ever. And, as a result of his guilt offering for our sins and his resurrection, by God’s grace, and through faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, we can be set free from the ultimate penalty of sin (spiritual death; eternity in hell) and from the control of sin over our lives on a day-to-day basis.

Then, Psalm 118 continues this thought about Jesus Christ when it states that the stone the builders rejected has become the capstone and that the LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. So, this is the day the LORD has made and we should rejoice and be glad in it. Why? Because Jesus, although he had died a cruel death as though he was a common criminal, and even though he had been deprived of justice, God had a greater plan for him that man could not stop. From all appearances Jesus had failed in his earthly mission and that his work died with him. Yet, that was not the truth of the matter. His death served a greater purpose – so that it could bring life to us, who by faith have made Jesus our Lord and Savior. So, it appeared his life had ended, but in reality it had only begun, because through his death and resurrection many have come to faith in Jesus Christ and have been given new life in Christ Jesus, and so Jesus lives on through our lives, and we live because he lives within us. So, that is why we rejoice and are glad in that day.

Not only can we rejoice in Jesus’ victory over death, hell, Satan and sin, and in our salvation through faith in him, but we can rejoice even in our own afflictions and unjust treatment because when the Lord chastens us, even through unjust treatment, he has a greater purpose for allowing us to be crushed, and so we must trust in his sovereignty and his wisdom in doing in our lives what is best for us. And, we must not fear man or what man might do to us, because the Lord is with us, and because it is much better to take refuge and to trust in the Lord than to put our trust in man, because man will fail us, but God will never fail us, even though it may appear sometimes as though he has forgotten us.

If we truly place our trust in Jesus Christ, and we are walking humbly before him in obedience, he will be with us and will see us through whatever trials he might allow to come our way. He may not set us free from our circumstances, but he will set us free from the fear of what might come our way. And, he will be our strength and our song of victory even in our trials, because we trusted in the Lord and did not give way to the fear of man.

Jesus, Lead Me / An Original Work / July 22, 2011

Jesus, lead me all the way.
Be my hope and be my stay.
Gently lead me where I should go,
So Your Spirit, I want to know.
Open up my heart to You.
Fill me with Your love and truth.
Make my heart want to obey.
Be my Lord today. Gently lead always.

Jesus, lover of my soul,
Cleanse my heart, and make me whole;
Be transformed in my heart today,
As I turn from my sin and pray.
Make Your will known to my heart.
May I not from You depart.
How I long to hear You now,
As I humbly bow. Jesus, hear me now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTIM16o9ldg