Sunday, December 16,
2012, 8:58 a.m. – the Lord Jesus woke me with the song “I Will Lift My Eyes” playing in my mind. Speak, Lord, for your
servant is listening.
Blessed is he
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the man
whose sin the Lord does not count against
him
and in whose spirit is no deceit.
When I kept silent,
my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
For day and night
your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was sapped
as in the heat of summer. Selah
Then I acknowledged my
sin to you
and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, “I will
confess
my transgressions to the Lord”—
and you forgave
the guilt of my sin. Selah
Therefore let everyone
who is godly pray to you
while you may be found;
surely when the mighty
waters rise,
they will not reach him.
You are my hiding
place;
you will protect me from trouble
and surround me with songs of deliverance.
Selah
I will instruct you
and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you and watch over you.
Do not be like the
horse or the mule,
which have no understanding
but must be controlled
by bit and bridle
or they will not come to you.
Many are the woes of
the wicked,
but the Lord’s unfailing love
surrounds the man who trusts in him.
Rejoice in the Lord
and be glad, you righteous;
sing, all you who are upright in heart!
Forgiveness
I am so thankful for the Lord’s forgiveness of my sins. I
know that heaviness of guilt that the psalmist spoke about, concerning when sin
is unconfessed and continued willfully in our lives against God’s laws and
rules for holy living. We are continually under the conviction of the Holy
Spirit, and we cannot walk about in freedom as long as we hold on to sin in our
lives. And, that is the most miserable place to be ever!
Yet, we have two ways out from under this guilt: 1)
Acknowledge our sin before God, and turn from it and toward God in a conscience
effort of our wills to walk in faithful obedience to Christ and to his
commands, or 2) Suppress the guilt, and quench the Spirit of God in our lives,
and sear our own consciences to where we no longer feel guilt over our sin.
I don’t believe a true child of God can truly ever sear his
own conscience to the point of entirely shutting out the Holy Spirit’s voice,
and to where he or she no longer feels any guilt. I just can’t imagine that. If
we are true children of God, and the Holy Spirit of God lives within us, his
hand will be heavy on us until we repent of our sin and we get our hearts right
with God. He will send us his messengers and/or he will speak to us through
whatever means he has available at his disposal in order to let us know that he
loves us, and that he wants us back in fellowship with him. I am so thankful he
never gave up on me!
My Hiding Place
I can tell you from personal experience that there is no
better place to be on this earth than in the arms of Jesus, walking in
fellowship with Him, obeying his commands, doing what he says, serving him with
all our hearts, minds and strength, and loving others with the love of God,
instead of living for ourselves, for sin and self-pleasure. There is nothing
sweeter than to hear his voice speak to my heart each day and for him to lead
me in his ways and in his truth. There is no better place to be than to be free
of the weight and guilt and bondage of sin, and to be free to walk daily in
obedience to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. There is safety in his arms of
love and mercy – not necessarily safety from physical harm or hardship or
persecution, but safety in the sense of knowing that there is nothing that can
befall me but what God has allowed it, and for a purpose, and that his grace
and strength will see me through every storm that comes my way.
I love this part where the psalmist said, “(You) surround me
with songs of deliverance.” Every day the Lord Jesus wakes me with songs, and
all throughout the day he puts songs in my heart and mind, and many, many times
the words are just what I need to hear, and sometimes they are the answer to my
prayers, voiced or just thought in my mind. God speaks to me daily through his
word and through his word in song. Music really speaks to my heart in ways that
just words will never be able to speak, because the music conveys the emotion
of the message, as well, and that touches my heart and often is used to move me
toward obedience. I love so many of the old hymns because they are so rich in
truth. Yet, music itself should never be used as a replacement for God’s holy
word through which the Spirit of God speaks his truths to our hearts.
Through God’s holy word, and through the witness of the Holy
Spirit of God within us, God instructs us in the way we should live out our
daily lives. He shows us the path chosen for us so that we might walk in it.
Through his word, and through his Spirit, and through song and through all of
God’s creation, God speaks, he counsels us, convicts us of sin, and he moves us
toward obedience. This is why it is essential for our Christian lives and walks
of faith that we are firmly grounded in the word of God, that we are listening
with willing ears and hearts to hear what God has to say to us, and that we are
faithfully walking in the light of his truth that he shows us. It is also
essential, and must coincide with our times with God each day, that we not
purposefully, willfully and knowingly (or unknowingly) take into our hearts and
minds what is opposed to God and to his will, plan and purposes for our lives,
for what goes in is often what comes out in thought, behavior, and attitude.
Sing
I love how often the psalms and the New Testament, as well,
speak of singing, rejoicing, praising and giving thanks to God. Singing is
great medicine for what ails our hearts! I cannot recount the number of times
God would get me up, even in the night, to have me sing songs to him, and songs
in worship of him, in order to calm my troubled mind or heart during a time of
hardship, pain or sorrow. There is just something about singing - even if we
don’t have great voices - that is healing to our souls. The New Testament says
we should sing spiritual songs, hymns and songs to one another. This is not
about performance or about music that is of professional quality and sound, but
it is about encouraging one another and strengthening one another in the faith.
I love to hear the voice of even a tone deaf person sing if he sings from his
heart.
Rejoice in the Lord
and be glad, you righteous;
sing, all you who are upright in heart!
I Will Lift My Eyes
/ An Original Work / December 12, 2012
Based off Psalms 121-125
I will lift my eyes
To my Lord Most High.
My help comes from
Him,
Who saved me from sin.
He will not let your
foot slip, and
He who watches will
not sleep.
Our Lord watches over
you, and
Your life He will
keep.
I will lift my eyes
To my Lord Most High.
My help comes from
Him,
Who saved me from sin.
I give thanks to Him.
I will lift my eyes
To my God in heav’n.
I look to the Lord.
My sins, He’s
forgiv’n.
Because of His great
love for us,
He made us alive with Christ.
Through the kindness
of our Savior,
He gave us new life.
I will lift my eyes
To my God in heav’n.
I look to the Lord.
My sins, He’s
forgiv’n.
My home now in heav’n.
Praise be to the Lord,
Who is on our side.
Our help found in Him.
He gives peace within.
Those who trust will
ne’er be shaken.
God will supply all we
need.
Our Lord has done
great things for us.
He’s our friend,
indeed!
Praise be to the Lord,
Who is on our side.
Our help found in Him.
He gives peace within.
I can count on Him.
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