We Wait in Hope for The Lord

Psalms 33:4-5 NIV

 

“For the word of the Lord is right and true;

    he is faithful in all he does.

The Lord loves righteousness and justice;

    the earth is full of his unfailing love.”

 

In today’s world, especially, it is difficult to discern truth from lies, for so many people are lying to us from church pulpits, from seats of government, from the news media, and coming from ordinary people, in general, who have been taught lying as a normal way of life.

 

If what they are lying about can be tested against Scripture, then we have a good way of discerning truth from lies. But if what they are lying to us about are things which can’t be tested in Scripture, then we have to rely on the Holy Spirit to help us discern truth from lies.

 

Now many people today are using what they call “fact checkers” to help them know if something is the truth or a lie, but there are so many liars and deceivers out there, there is no way we can be certain that the fact checkers aren’t lying to us also, so again, we go to the Lord for discernment.

 

There is not much in this world we can rely on for truth, especially not other humans, no matter who they are. But the word of the Lord is right and true and on it we can depend. But we need to study it in context and we need to compare Scripture with Scripture to make certain we are getting the truth.

 

It is so encouraging to me that the Lord loves righteousness and justice and that the earth is full of his unfailing love, for it appears today that not many humans, including many who profess faith in Jesus, are lovers of righteousness and justice who love one another as God loves us.

 

Psalms 33:6-9 NIV

 

“By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,

    their starry host by the breath of his mouth.

He gathers the waters of the sea into jars;

    he puts the deep into storehouses.

Let all the earth fear the Lord;

    let all the people of the world revere him.

For he spoke, and it came to be;

    he commanded, and it stood firm.”

 

Our God is all powerful and completely sovereign and in control over all that he has made. The same world that he created he still controls. But he does allow evil to exist, and he does allow people to make their own choices and to sin against him and to reject him, so we aren’t puppets on strings.

 

He makes himself known to us and he makes his will known to us, too, but then he lets us choose if we will serve him or not, or if we will submit to him and obey him or not. He calls us to repentance, though, and to obedience to him, and he calls us to honor, revere and respect him as our sovereign God.

 

And he makes known to us, too, that there are consequences if we choose not to surrender our lives to him, and if we choose to live in sinful rebellion against him. He says that if we walk in sin we will die in sin, not have eternal life with God (Rom 6:16; Gal 5:16-21; Eph 5:3-6; Gal 6:7-8; Rom 2:6-8).

 

Psalms 33:10-15 NIV

 

“The Lord foils the plans of the nations;

    he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.

But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever,

    the purposes of his heart through all generations.

 

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,

    the people he chose for his inheritance.

From heaven the Lord looks down

    and sees all mankind;

from his dwelling place he watches

    all who live on earth—

he who forms the hearts of all,

    who considers everything they do.”

 

The Lord does allow, for a time, for nations to conquer other peoples and other nations, to go to war with one another, to take advantage of people, to lie to them and to cheat on them, to steal, to kill, and to destroy one another, and to usurp totalitarian control over many people (Rev 13).

 

But they have no control but what God allows for a time and for his purposes, and God still maintains the control and the power to stop them and to destroy them at any time, too. At any time, he will step in and thwart the plans of the nations, as he determines.

 

God’s will is going to be accomplished. What he promised he would do, he will fulfill. No human and no nation on this earth will be able to thwart God’s divine will and purposes for humankind. So, even when things are going crazy in this world of ours we can be at peace in knowing that God has all things under his control. For his plans stand firm forever. Amen!

 

So, we are blessed who put our hope and our trust in the Lord Jesus – we who truly worship Jesus and submit to him as Lord (master) of our lives. We are blessed who have followed him in obedience in dying with him to sin and in living to him and to his righteousness, in the power of his Spirit.

 

We are the people chosen for his inheritance. We are the children of promise. Only those who believe in Jesus believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We are true Israel who worship Jesus Christ in spirit and in truth and who submit to him as Lord of our lives.

 

Psalms 33:4-5 NIV

 

“No king is saved by the size of his army;

    no warrior escapes by his great strength.

A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;

    despite all its great strength it cannot save.

But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him,

    on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,

to deliver them from death

    and keep them alive in famine.

 

“We wait in hope for the Lord;

    he is our help and our shield.

In him our hearts rejoice,

    for we trust in his holy name.

May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,

    even as we put our hope in you.”

 

If we are looking to kings or queens and princes, to presidents and congress, to prime ministers and members of parliament, or to whatever form of government we might be under to save us, it is a vain hope. The same is if we are looking to our military to save us from our enemies.

 

God-Jesus Christ is our only hope for ails this world of ours because what ails us is sin, and Jesus is the only one who can deliver us from our sins. He is the only one with the power to deliver a life from bondage to sin and to empower any of us to walk in purity of devotion to him.

 

So, we wait in hope for the Lord. He alone is our help and our shield. He alone has the power to save us from our enemies. In him we rejoice.

 

What the Lord Says  

 

An Original Work / February 24, 2014

Based off Isaiah 43:1-44:5

 

This is what the Lord says to you:

Fear not, for I have chosen you.

I have summoned you by your name.

You are mine. I died, you to save.

 

When you go through your trials, so deep,

I will be with you; you will not sink.

You are so precious always to me.

Trust in your Lord, Savior and King.

 

This is what the Lord says to you:

He who gave salvation to you;

Who delivered you from your sin;

Takes your burdens now upon Him:

 

Forget the former things of your life.

Give of your heart not now up to strife.

See all the new things I have for you.

Walk in vict’ry. Trust in what’s true.

 

This is what the Lord says to you:

He who made you; who will help you:

Do not fear what humans may do.

Walk in freedom. Follow what’s true.

 

Drink of my Spirit given for you.

Trust in my mercy, for I love you.

I have a plan for all of your life.

Follow my ways. Do what is right.

 

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