Habakkuk 2

Then the Lord replied: "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay."

Friday, July 3, 2020

Our Help and Our Shield


Psalm 33:8-12 ESV

“Let all the earth fear the Lord;
    let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!
For he spoke, and it came to be;
    he commanded, and it stood firm.

“The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
    he frustrates the plans of the peoples.
The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
    the plans of his heart to all generations.
Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
    the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!”

Our Lord God is absolutely sovereign over all that he has made. Nothing can thwart his plans and his purposes. No human, no corporation, no country, no politician, no virus, and no army – nothing can defeat God!!

But this is not to say that God doesn’t allow evil people to exist, and that he doesn’t allow them to accomplish their evil purposes, for a time. He does. And, this is not to say that these evil people will not be able to conquer us, for a time, militarily or via deception. They will (See Rev 12-14).

For, God, all throughout history, has used even more evil people to judge his wicked, idolatrous, and adulterous people. And, he is doing it again. For, he promised he would, if his wayward people would not repent (Rev. 2-3). And, in America, not many have repented, but the majority have continued in their idolatry and in their wicked ways.

But I believe the Lord is allowing us to go through what our nation is now enduring to bring the wayward church back to the Lord in submission to him and in surrender to his will and to his purpose for their lives. So, good will come out of it all, for its purpose is to get the people of this earth to fear the Lord and to stand in awe of him, and to give him the honor he so deserves.

And, when the Lord has accomplished his purposes in the hearts of the people of this world, and in the hearts of his adulterous church, he will then turn on his divine instruments of judgment, and he will judge them.

And, one day soon he is coming back for us, his bride, to take us to be with him forever. So, although trials will come to test our faith, we should not lose hope, for we have an inheritance waiting for us with God in glory.

Psalm 33:13-17 ESV

“The Lord looks down from heaven;
    he sees all the children of man;
from where he sits enthroned he looks out
    on all the inhabitants of the earth,
he who fashions the hearts of them all
    and observes all their deeds.
The king is not saved by his great army;
    a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.
The war horse is a false hope for salvation,
    and by its great might it cannot rescue.”

Again, God is completely sovereign over all that he has made. Nothing surprises him. Nothing escapes his notice. He knows the end from the beginning. He sees everything that goes on.

So, don’t believe the lies which tell you that once you are “saved” that God no longer sees when you sin against him. For, if he couldn’t see our sin, there would not be much need for most of the New Testament.

God still sees what we do. He sees ALL our deeds. He sees everything you do when you think no one else is looking. He knows every lie that you tell, every secret sin you commit, and he knows every thought that you think, too, and every evil that you plot out against him and against his people.

So, he sees all those who are depending on their own strength to save them, or who are looking to other humans to rescue them from the evils of this world. He knows every futile attempt you make to try to rescue yourself. And, he knows every cover-up and every excuse and every justification for why you are still walking in darkness and not in the light of his truth, too.

And, he wants you to know that Jesus died to deliver you out of your addiction to sin so that you can now be his bondservant and a slave of his righteousness. And, he wants you to know, too, that you will be judged by your deeds, and that if you continue a sinful course, heaven is not your eternal destiny (Rom. 8:1-17; Gal. 5:16-21; Gal. 6:7-8; Rom. 2:6-8).

Psalm 33:18-22 ESV

“Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him,
    on those who hope in his steadfast love,
that he may deliver their soul from death
    and keep them alive in famine.

Our soul waits for the Lord;
    he is our help and our shield.
For our heart is glad in him,
    because we trust in his holy name.
Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,
    even as we hope in you.”

Amen! And, do you know what it means to fear the Lord? It means to respect, honor, and obey him. It means to take him and his word seriously, and to apply it to our lives. And, it means to not take God and his grace for granted, thinking we can sin now as much as we want without guilt now that we are under grace. Romans 6 alone dispels that theory.

If you want your soul delivered from death (eternity in hell), then you need to walk in the fear of the Lord. You must leave your lifestyle of sin behind you, and you must turn to the Lord Jesus to follow him in his ways from this day forward, until the end of time (Eph. 4:17-24; Rom. 8:1-17).

But, following our Lord Jesus in obedience to his commands isn’t just about being forgiven our sin, escaping hell, and being promised heaven when we die. For, when we put our hope and trust in Jesus Christ to be our Lord and Savior, we enter into an intimate relationship with Almighty God.

Now Jesus is our Lord and master, but he is also our friend, our comforter, our counselor, our helper, our companion, our husband, and our confidant. He is absolutely the best friend anyone of us could ever have, for he will never leave us or forsake us, he won’t lie to us or betray us, and he won’t cheat on us, but he will be faithful in all things at all times.

Jesus loves us like no human ever could or ever will. For, his love is absolutely pure and honest. His love for us always has in mind what is for our good, as God defines good. He wants us to live pure and holy lives committed to God because that is what is best for us. He wants us free from slavery to sin, because sin destroys us and it destroys others we know.

He knows that what is best for us is for us to walk in obedience to him and to follow him in his ways, for that is where we will find perfect peace and joy and purpose and direction for our lives. That is where we won’t have to fear what men may do to us, because we understand that all things work together for the good of those who love (obey) the Lord, who have been called according to his purpose and will for our lives.

So, trust in the Lord completely, especially during this time of national and global crisis. Find your strength and your help and your peace in God and not in the people or the things of this world which are going to die, and which will disappoint you and even betray you. Set your mind on things above, not on things on this earth, and follow the Lord Jesus wholeheartedly.

Let the Lord Jesus live his life out through you, too, as you minister his love and grace to the people of this world, and as you share with them the only hope for their salvation, and the only answer for what ails them. He alone is our peace! He alone can rescue us from evil! So, trust him fully!

Sing to Me of Heaven

Songwriters: Ada Powell / Benjamin Burke Beall

Sing to me of Heaven, sing that song of peace
From the toils that bind me it will bring release
Burdens will be lifted that are pressing so
Showers of great blessing o'er my heart will flow

Sing to me of Heaven, tenderly and low
Till the shadows o'er me rise and swiftly go
When my heart is weary, when the day is long
Sing to me of Heaven, sing that old, sweet song

Sing to me of Heaven, let me fondly dream
Of its golden glory, of its pearly gleam
Sing to me when shadows of the evening fall
Sing to me of heaven, sweetest song of all

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