Enter God's Rest

What treasure is found in the pages of God's word!  For the hungry soul there is satisfaction, for those overwhelmed by troubles there is comfort, for the erring there is correction and for the weary there is rest found by faith in God.  In the C.S. Lewis Chronicles of Narnia books, children visiting their uncle enjoyed exploring his palatial residence.  As if this wasn't interesting or amazing enough, when Lucy ventured into a simple wardrobe she entered another land called Narnia that was filled with talking beasts and adventure.  One sentence, one verse, a single word from God in the scripture is like that:  it opens up a new world of wisdom, light, joy and rest for the one who trusts in the LORD.

Today I was impacted by a detail I had not considered before in Psalm 95:8-11:  "Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, as in the day of trial in the wilderness, ⁹ when your fathers tested Me; they tried Me, though they saw My work. ¹⁰ For forty years I was grieved with that generation, and said, 'It is a people who go astray in their hearts, and they do not know My ways.' ¹¹ So I swore in My wrath, 'They shall not enter My rest.'"  Knowing the historical timeline of the events following the exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt is important, for the emphasis is on the 40 years after the children of Israel were barred from entering Canaan for 40 years.  God brought them out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, and gave them His law on Sinai.  When He brought them to the promised land, they listened to the evil report of 10 spies and not to God, Moses, Joshua or Caleb.  Because they refused to enter into the land, even declaring their intention to return to Egypt, God promised for 40 years they would not enter in and that generation would perish in the wilderness.

Now if I was one of those people for whom the window of opportunity to enter Canaan was permanently closed, I would likely have regretted that decision for the rest of my life.  However, that is not what grieved God.  He did not say, "Oh, if only you had entered Canaan when you had the chance!"  His lament was during that 40 years in the wilderness they tempted God, went astray in their hearts and did not know God--despite the daily miracle of manna and His presence physically manifested before them continually.  Though they had not entered into Canaan, there was rest possible for them wherever God led them by the knowledge of God and hearts surrendered to Him in faith.  But because they did not know God or trust Him, they were denied God's rest just like they were barred from the Promised Land.

Rest is not found in a particular point on the globe, in holidays or retirement, or by sleeping in late.  Real rest is found in knowing and trusting God with all our hearts, joyfully following Him wherever He leads us.  This has tremendous application for Christians today who have been born again by faith in Jesus who can feel surprisingly restless, filled with cares, worries and fears.  Could it be that you or I am included in the number of people in the wilderness who tested God in unbelief, those who did not truly know God or walk in His ways even though they were led by God by a pillar of cloud or fire?  Jesus is the One who promised to give rest for our souls through the Gospel, and it is a rest we do not need to fall short of.  Do not imagine the rest God offers by faith is barred for you because of a decision you made 40 years ago.  If the way to rest is shut for you it is because of the unbelief and rebellion in your hardened heart before God right now, and there remains hope and rest in Him.

The writer of Hebrews made it abundantly clear this stopping short of God's rest by unbelief can describe the experience of many Christians today.  Just because the Hebrews did eventually enter the land promised to their fathers it did not follow they entered God's rest.  Hebrews 4:7-11 says, "...again He designates a certain day, saying in David, "Today," after such a long time, as it has been said: "Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts." ⁸ For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. ⁹ There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. ¹⁰ For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. ¹¹ Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience."  Today there also remains a rest for the people of God, a rest made available through faith in Jesus Christ before we enter the eternal state in the presence of God in heaven, through the presence of the Holy Spirit who indwells us.  Instead of believing this rest could be entered into by force (like the Hebrews who later attempted in vain to fight their way in), it is a rest enjoyed by those who have ceased to justify themselves and rely on the work Jesus has done to save, redeem and reconcile us to Himself, our righteousness having been imputed by faith in Him.

It is in this context Hebrews 4:12-13:  "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. ¹³ And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account."  It is through the Bible we learn of God and His ways, and God's word also has much to reveal about us too.  We might be fine with blaming our lack of rest today on our circumstances or the fact we made a regrettable decision long ago for we can be more content to play the victim than to admit we have been drowning in unbelief and rebellion against God because of our hard, obstinate hearts all along.  The word of God cuts through all our excuses and blame and goes right to the heart of the matter, that if we are not experiencing the rest God has promised and provided in Himself it is we who are responsible to repent of our sin and submit to Him, and He is gracious and merciful to change us when we yield ourselves to Him today. :)

The Word of His Grace

Last night when our family read the Bible after dinner, we were treated with this passage about the missionary efforts of Paul and Barnabas in Acts 14:1-3:  "Now it happened in Iconium that they went together to the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that a great multitude both of the Jews and of the Greeks believed. ² But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren. ³ Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands."  There were a number of interesting revelations of God's wisdom presented here.

The first is how God has given believers the opportunity to make known the Gospel of grace so others will also believe in Jesus as LORD and Saviour.  Empowered by the Holy Spirit, God used Paul and Barnabas to bring many Jews and Greeks in the synagogue to saving faith in Christ.  Whilst their message was gladly received by some, verse 2 says unbelieving Jews wielded influence to "poison" or embitter the minds of people against them.  It is remarkable to me how the poison of bitterness and doubt can so permeate the mind of a person it blinds them to the truth.  How careful ought we ought to be in considering our hearts, for bitterness unchecked by repentance before God leads people to negatively impact others.

The second point is when faced with poisoned, embittered minds "...therefore they stayed there are long time, speaking boldly in the LORD."  There were occasions in the ministry of Paul and Barnabas they shook the dust off their feet and left teaching the Jews or in cities where they were strongly opposed.  But in Iconium they remained a long time.  This illustrates the power of the Gospel to transform hearts and minds by the power of the Holy Spirit.  They did not throw up their hands in frustration and say, "Your minds have been poisoned against us and there's no sense even talking to you any more!" and leave.  They remained among people poisoned by unbelief because they offered them the truth of God's word, the divine antidote for all lies and unbelief.

The final point is the way God's word was described:  "the word of His grace."  Instead of being deterred by poisoned minds, they spoke boldly and demonstrated the grace of God by their persistent witness.  The synagogues every week read the Law of Moses, and Jesus was the One of whom the Law spoke they ought to give heed.  The word Paul and Barnabas spoke was not words alone but confirmed by miraculous signs.  It was not the opposition to the Gospel that motivated them to press on in boldly proclaiming the word of grace but the Saviour they knew, followed and believed.  He came to earth to seek and save sinners like Paul and Barnabas themselves, and it is no secret how viciously Paul (who was previously called Saul) opposed Jesus at one stage.  If God could purify murderous Saul's heart and mind, not one of those poisoned minds was beyond the saving grace of the Gospel.

How gracious is God to be patient with minds poisoned against the Gospel and the word of grace so they too might be redeemed.  When you come in contact with a mind poisoned against the brethren, know that Jesus Christ is the only hope for such a one.  Instead of being a sign to move on, it may in fact be an invitation to stay a long time, speaking boldly in the LORD, knowing God will bear witness to the word of His grace.  What love God has shown us, and may we demonstrate love for God and others by our faithful endurance to walk in the light of the Gospel.

All My Springs are in Christ

I awoke this morning with the last sentence of Psalm 87 in my mind:  "All my springs are in you."  In this song the sons of Korah wrote to proclaim the glory of God in the place of His habitation:  Jerusalem, the city where God had placed his name and the temple was built.  To say you were born in Jerusalem and numbered among God's people was a great blessing, a testimony of God's goodness and faithfulness.

The song concludes, "All my springs are in you."  The city of Jerusalem boasts the Gihon spring which continues to send forth clear, clean water directed through Hezekiah's Tunnel to this day.  The flow of this spring was vital to sustain the lives of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and it was God who caused that living water to flow in a dry land.  The words of the psalmists have a double meaning, as they acknowledged their reliance upon the spring for water and upon God who sustained their lives by His mercy, goodness and His covenant with them.

From a New Testament perspective, our understanding of this truth blossoms with the revelation of Jesus Christ who gives the Living Water of the Holy Spirit to all who trust in Him.  Jesus did not tout the benefits of being born or raised in Jerusalem but in those who are born again, for out of these will flow living water that springs up into eternal life.  During the feast of Sukkot Jesus cried out in Jerusalem in John 7:37-39:  "On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. ³⁸ He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." ³⁹ But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified."  The thirsty would not find their spiritual thirst quenched with the water from the Gihon spring, nor from attempts to keep the Law of Moses:  it was by faith in Jesus according to the new covenant in Christ's blood which provided assurance of eternal life by the power of the Holy Spirit.

How true it is that all our springs are in God!  He is our source of life, wisdom and righteousness; He is our only means of fruitfulness and satisfaction for our souls.  All we need for life and godliness springs from Jesus Christ Himself, for He is the sole source of the Living Water of the Holy Spirit.  From Jesus we receive the pure, refreshing, life and soul-sustaining Holy Spirit by God's grace, mercy and truth.  There is nothing man, animal or angel can add to this divine source, for all our springs are in God.  All that is good, refreshing, fruitful, satisfying and glorious comes from God alone, and praise God He is preparing a place for us to be with Him forever in glory in New Jerusalem.  All our springs are in our glorious Saviour, and so they will always be.

The Breakthrough of Spontaneity

I recently listened to a sermon on Mark 2, the passage where a paralytic was carried by four friends to Jesus.  It had been widely proclaimed Jesus was in a house in Capernaum and thus many people flocked to hear Him preach the word of God.  It was so crowded people could not even make their way near the door.  Mark 2:4-5 says, "And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. ⁵ When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you."

With divine insight Jesus looked through the dust and din and observed the faith of these men who removed the roof to bring their friend to Jesus.  It is very likely Jesus recognised the faith of the paralytic in Him as well, for he may have urged them in his desperation for healing.  It occurred to me as I considered this passage what a fitting picture it is of the church:  to bring people to a personal encounter with Jesus.  In applying the passage personally I pictured myself as one of the four men who broke through to lower their friend to Jesus; I saw myself as the paralysed man who desired to draw near to Jesus to overcome his weakness and lack of feeling.  If the ministry of the church seems frail and paralysed, wouldn't it be appropriate to bring it before the LORD with humility and faith in prayer?

It was faith in Jesus that motivated the men to united action to bring the paralysed man to Him.  They obviously cared for the man enough to lug him through a crowded space, somehow clamber up onto the roof, and get their hands dirty to remove enough roofing material to make room to lower their friend.  It was a united, team effort that was undeterred by obstacles or social norms, a willingness to do whatever they could to give their friend an audience with the LORD.  What struck me most of all was the spontaneity of their actions.  This was not something they had rehearsed several times and waited for there to be a crowd large enough to justify ripping a roof apart.  It was all done on the fly:  they brought the man on the bed but needed to source ropes, discussed the means to carefully carry their friend up, worked together to lower him down, and likely helped put the roof back together.

This passage taught me this sort of spontaneity to bring people to Jesus can be sorely lacking in my life and ministry of the church.  Ministry is stunted when people are not led by faith in Jesus, by divisions, people going off on their own agendas apart from Jesus, and unwillingness to get their hands dirty to bring people to Him.  It is easy to unite at a certain time, place or for an activity, but the real challenge is to remain led by faith in Jesus Christ to bring people to Him when difficult obstacles stand in the way.  The faith of these men in Jesus to heal their friend--and even to forgive his sins--moved them to meet challenges together with united effort.  A breakthrough was needed, and their eyes were opened to an opportunity others never even considered which resulted in forgiveness, healing and new life.

It wasn't the activity of breaking through roofs and lowering people to Jesus that is the main point.  This did not become a formula to seek healing or forgiveness.  The point is faith in Jesus Christ moves people to unite in our efforts to bring people to Him even when it means work, is costly and we are on the hook for repairs.  Faith in Jesus results in spontaneous efforts to bring people to Him so they too can walk by faith in obedience to Him.  Having been adopted into the family of God, our sins forgiven, we are to walk in the truth of the Gospel to glorify our LORD and Saviour Jesus.  We are to be united in fellowship with Christians, working together (in person!) to bring people to Jesus because we love and trust Him.

Grace Changes Everything

How wondrous is our glorious God and the grace He extends to those who seek Him!  Knowing God loves us and is for us changes forever the way we approach Him and strengthens us to stand.  A great illustration of how God's grace ought to provide boldness to draw near to God and commune with Him is seen in the book of Esther in the interactions between king Ahasuerus and queen Esther.

In the law of the Medes and Persians it was illegal (punishable by death!) to appear before the king without first being summoned, yet there was a caveat provided for all to whom he reached out the golden sceptre.  Queen Esther, after three days of fasting from food and water, approached the king knowing her life hung in the balance.  How relieved she must have been when she found grace in his eyes and he extended life to her when he held up the sceptre.  This began a chain of events which led to exposing wicked Haman as the enemy of the Jews who was promptly executed for his crimes--hung on the gallows he had built to hang Mordecai the Jew who was promoted to Haman's prior role.

See what happened next in Esther 8:3-4:  "Now Esther spoke again to the king, fell down at his feet, and implored him with tears to counteract the evil of Haman the Agagite, and the scheme which he had devised against the Jews. ⁴ And the king held out the golden scepter toward Esther. So Esther arose and stood before the king..."  Haman had been executed, but his devious legislation which commanded the annihilation of the Jews remained.  Esther fell at the feet of the king with tears, begging he act against the edict written to destroy the children of Israel.  Then the king held out the golden sceptre, extending grace towards her.  Esther rose to her feet and asked her petition of the king, having received his favour.

Isn't this a beautiful scene when we consider the grace God has extended to us through Jesus Christ?  John 1:17 says, "For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."  God has always been gracious and faithfully extended it to mankind, but Jesus brought a fresh revelation of grace we receive through the Gospel that enables us to stand before the presence of the Father with exceeding joy, boldly bringing our petitions before Him.  We could never earn such a privilege, yet we have received it by faith in Jesus Christ the Son of God.  Paul wrote in Romans 5:1-2, "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God."  Wow!

Esther fell down at the feet of the king and wept, and I imagine her tears were quickly wiped away when she realised she had the favour of the king and had been heard.  The law written by Haman could not be undone, but a new command was given to all the lands that counteracted it beautifully--so well in fact that many people chose to convert and become Jews!  The spiritual law that says a soul that sins must die cannot be undone, but God by His grace has provided a new covenant that is sealed with the blood of Jesus who died so we can be justified by faith in Him.  It is no wonder Jesus promises to wipe every tear from our eyes because He has been gracious to us, and we have been heard by our almighty heavenly Father who has compassion on us.  God's grace changes everything.

Agreement With God

As I was preparing for this week's message, it occurred to me at times the only place of agreement we can find on some matters with opinionated people is to "agree to disagree."  This certainly is never our preference, for we would much rather have people see things like we do.  What may come as a shock to us is we can also have this approach toward God who says and does things we do not understand.  Like Job who suffered great pain and loss, we can question why God would allow such things, wonder if God has made a mistake and doubt His wisdom.

When we agree to disagree with people, it is often to keep things civil between two parties.  Having agreed to disagree we do not bother bringing up the touchy topic anymore in consideration of the feelings of the other party.  We agree to disagree because we value the other person more than the point we want to make.  We might even do so because we have to, otherwise it will prove so divisive any lingering discussion on the topic will lead to quarrels and damage the friendship.  Imagine, that we would agree to disagree with God, that we would choose to remain at odds with Him over pains in our past only He can heal and redeem.

We might be content at times to agree to disagree with God, but He is not content for us to remain in that posture.  Being our Maker, heavenly Father and King, we can only enter into the joy of the LORD and experience His peace when we submit to Him in faith.  He loves us and welcomes our questions; He desires we pour out our hearts to Him in desperation for help.  But we always must remember He is God, and He is good and faithful.  Our disagreement can come from ignorance, like when Peter argued with Jesus that crucifixion was not God's plan.  Jesus rebuked Peter publicly in Matthew 16:23:  "But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."  Can you imagine Peter responding, "Well, I guess we will have to agree to disagree."  Imagine saying that to our LORD!  As unbelievable as it may seem, we can do this very thing.  We think God should have given us that spiritual gift by now or our prayers should have been answered, and a little bit of resentment and bitterness begins to grow.

How grateful I am for the longsuffering and patience of God with us weak, short-sighted servants!  Even when we forget God and all He has promised, He smiles upon us with grace, mercy and compassion.  He knows what we are going through and all He intends to accomplish through situations we cannot appreciate or understand.  Blessed is the one who submits to God with their whole heart, for this is the only posture that agrees with God as we ought.  As long as we agree to disagree it is not God's problem with us, but our problem with Him because our minds are stubbornly made up.  This disconnect in relationship is only restored through repentance and simple faith in God who has spoken in His word, through Jesus Christ in these last days and the Holy Spirit.  Let us lay aside our preconceived ideas of what God should do or should have done and rejoice in Him Who is holy.  Our God is the awesome, living God Who loves and is worthy of all glory and praise.

Jesus Christ is Worthy

I remember hearing a prayer that thanked God for "making us worthy," and I felt rehearsing Inigo Montoya's line from the movie The Princess Bride:  "You keep using that word.  I do not think it means what you think it means."  To the credit of the people who have prayed thus, "worthy" is a word that has a range of meaning that has shifted over the years.  A partial definition from the Webster's 1828 Dictionary of "worthy" is:  "1) deserving; such as merits; having worth or excellence; equivalent; with of, before the thing deserved; 2) possessing worth or excellence of qualities; virtuous; estimable; 3) suitable; having qualities suited to; either in a good or bad sense; equal in value."  Worthy speaks of being meritorious, of being deserving when compared with others.  I do not believe the person who claims they are made "worthy" are suggesting they are equal with God or deserving of His help or grace, for that undermines grace and the Gospel entirely.

The modern Miriam-Webster Dictionary gives this simplified definition:  "having worth or value, estimable; honorable, meritorious; having sufficient worth or importance."  The focus of the modern definition is focused more on having worth or importance.  It is true that God has ascribed value and worth to mankind by sending His only begotten Son to die to save us sinners, but it is not that we are worthy.  He is the only worthy One, and will only ever be worthy:  up to the task of saving lost sinners, able to hear and help people in all troubles, and deserving of all glory, honour and praise.  It is good for us to realise God is worthy regardless whatever struggles or troubles we face, for His merit and excellence is infinite.  He alone is righteous, virtuous and good without a single flaw, and praise Him for His faithfulness and mercy graciously extended to us.

A heavenly vision that affirms God alone is worthy plays out in Revelation 5:1-5:  "And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. ² Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?" ³ And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it.⁴ So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it. ⁵ But one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals."  The right hand of God who sat on the throne held a scroll, and no man or even a strong angel was worthy to take it in their hand, loose the seals and open it--much less look at it!  None could measure up to the requirements of doing so.  John ceased weeping when it was revealed there was One worthy, excellent and able to open the scroll, Jesus Christ the Lion of the tribe of Judah who has prevailed.  Jesus is worthy because He is God.

After Jesus Christ took the scroll the 24 elders bowed before Him and proclaimed His worthiness.  The praise and adoration of the God who is worthy continues to swell with the shouts of angelic hosts in the following verses.  Revelation 5:11-12 says, "Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, ¹² saying with a loud voice: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!"  Jesus is altogether worthy, equal to any amount of praise, honour and glory mankind or angel can proclaim.  God is worthy of all sacrifice, worthy of all adoration and worship forever and ever.  Worthy is the Lamb who was slain because He is risen and a Saviour for all who trust in Him.  Let us praise and thank Him because He is worthy, not just because He has forgiven and helped us.

God's Word Satisfies

One consequence of enjoying a delightful, satisfying meal is it kills the appetite to eat more.  Many times I have declined to even look at the dessert menu filled with tasty treats because I was already full!  Compare this with conversations I have had with children soon after dinner who complained they were still hungry.  I would ask, "If you're hungry, why didn't you have more dinner?"  It was evident the foods supplied for dinner weren't their "favourite thing" by later angling for something different.

Have you ever been to an "all you can eat" buffet?  For people with a ravenous appetite this offering sounds very appealing.  My typical approach to a new buffet I have never tried is to walk through and see the range of what is on offer.  Unfortunately, quantity does not always equate with high quality.  Typically there will be something I find appetising, but there have been rare occasions when I went home from a buffet hungry because there was not much I wanted to eat.  I was full of my own ideas of how fried food, baked chicken or scrambled eggs ought to look like or smell.  Instead of a hungry man ready to eat all that was provided, I was caught up in my own personal tastes and preferences.

Now hygienic food preparation and quality ingredients are very important, but my point is my pickiness at times has led to the nutritional needs of my body remaining unmet.  The same can be true concerning the word of God.  Christians who view themselves as well-versed in scripture and faith can be bored with the offerings from a pulpit or in a Bible study because they are too, well, basic or simple.  This isn't a new phenomenon as C.H. Spurgeon wrote in Lectures to My Students his preaching wasn't "deep" enough for some discerning folks.  Adam Clarke wrote in his commentary, "But still the question has been asked, Who was Elihu? I answer, He was “the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the kindred of Ram:” this is all we know of him. But this Scriptural answer will not satisfy those who are determined to find out mysteries where there are none." (Clarke, A. (2014). The Holy Bible with a Commentary and Critical Notes New Edition, Vol. 3, p. 143)  There are believers who are bored and dissatisfied with scriptural answers, and I don't want to be one of them.

God has revealed many mysteries to us through His word and has made evident what was once hidden from angels and men.  The Gospel is one of these things, the power of God unto salvation by grace through faith.  It is not a doctrine to memorise and file away but to be lived out every day as we follow Jesus obediently.  The purpose of doctrine is not to temporarily satisfy intellectual curiosity but to be received into our inmost being:  to satisfy our souls, guard our hearts, and guide our hands and feet to do all God has said.  Those who are bored with the basics do not truly understand them.  Better than seeking to find our mysteries where there are none, it is good for us to take God at His word.  If reading the word itself does not satisfy, it may be you have yet to receive what God has said.  Wait on the LORD and be of good courage, for Jesus leads His sheep to pastures of green and satisfies our souls.

Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda

There's a saying people use when referring to past events they regret:  "shoulda, woulda, coulda."  It is a way to dismiss what has happened in the past because there is no going back and doing things over.  Lamenting how life could have been better if different choices were made is in itself a pointless exercise that can lead to despair.  When we acknowledge our mistakes and learn from them going forward, that is when feelings of regret can be a personal boon.

It is one thing when a person says something in the past should have been done differently, and how much more accurate is God's judgments in all matters!  God has great plans to deliver and save His people, yet our choices can hinder Him from doing all He should, would and could do.  Consider Psalm 81:13-16 in the KJV (bold emphasis mine):  "Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways! ¹⁴ I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries. ¹⁵ The haters of the LORD should have submitted themselves unto him: but their time should have endured for ever. ¹⁶ He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee."  God had all sorts of plans to deliver and prosper His people.  Because they would not do what they should, God did not do all He would have done had they listened to Him and walked in His ways.

To know what a person should have done is not as important as actually doing it.  Doubt of God's ability to help or provide for His people should never be entertained, for He has all power and only does miraculous things.  Better than lamenting what God should or could have done in the past is to seek the LORD today, heed His word and follow Him in obedience.  He knows the enemies we face and has the power to overcome them.  He also knows when we hinder His plans as a consequence of our disobedience and self-confidence.  I wonder:  how many good things God should, could and would have done but did not because of our refusal to listen, trust or obey Him!

The blessed part of God's lament over His erring people is there is an opportunity for us today by God's grace to positively impact our future by following Jesus Christ in faith.  The things God "should" but has not yet done are things God will do in our future by His grace in His time.  We are greatly comforted, not that our lives will be better or our circumstances shall improve in the future, but we know and serve an awesome, gracious and faithful God today Who leads, delivers, speaks and saves now and always.

Neglect No More

"Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. ¹⁵ Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all."

1 Timothy 4:14-15

These verses were shared in the message preached yesterday at Calvary Chapel Sydney.  The points made were Timothy had a gift given by God, and he could also neglect this gift.  We are not entirely sure what specific gift of the Holy Spirit was being referred to, but Timothy and others knew it because it had been prophesied unto him with the laying on of hands of the eldership.  If Timothy knew what gift he had been given and could neglect it, it follows believers today who have received the Holy Spirit and gifts by His will can neglect our gifts as well.

To neglect suggests carelessness, to forbear proper use or responsibility of something.  We have seen neglected lawns overgrown with weeds and hedges untrimmed.  The neglect of houses due to clutter, rodent infestations, shirking of maintenance or lack of cleaning can lead to them being condemned.  Our bodies, relationships and businesses can suffer from neglect of doing what is necessary to take personal responsibility to maintain and improve.  Paul urged Timothy not to neglect the gift God had given him, meditating on what God had said, had done, promised to do, and to put sound doctrine into practice himself.

One primary way we can neglect things is to not use or take care of them.  The neglect of a gift always has negative results on other things:  the neglect of using my lawn mower leads to an overgrown lawn and a letter from the council; the neglect of using clippers leads to unkempt hair.  Because we are part of the Body of Christ the church, the neglect of the gifts God has given us for the edification of the church and the glory of Jesus has a negative impact on our service, ministry and purpose God gave us the gift in the first place.  God has given us His word, His Son, the Holy Spirit and guidance we ought to make use of every day.  Neglecting the reading and study of God's word leads to a world of neglect in countless areas of our lives today.

Spiritual gifts are not the only thing which can be neglected, for consider what is written in Hebrews 2:1-4:  "Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. ² For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, ³ how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, ⁴ God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?"  It is possible to neglect the salvation provided all people by the grace of God through the Gospel.  People connect spiritual gifts with signs and wonders, and from the beginning God has already revealed Himself in miraculous ways to confirm His ability to save and deliver.  He gave Moses the ability to do signs to confirm the word of the LORD to Pharoah and the Hebrews, and God has sent Jesus Christ whom Moses spoke of who is the revelation of the almighty God who seeks to save the lost.

Believer, take time to consider and meditate on the fact you have been saved by grace through faith.  Having been redeemed of the LORD we await our ultimate salvation by our glorious entrance into the eternal state in God's presence.  Whilst we remain on earth let us not neglect the gift of God's word, His wisdom, the presence of Jesus and the Holy Spirit, and the gifts God has graciously given us.  When we give ourselves entirely unto the LORD, denying ourselves and taking up our cross daily to follow Jesus, we will be kept from the error of neglecting our salvation and spiritual gifts.  Our spiritual fruitfulness is not an indication of our goodness, but the faithfulness of our God who delivers and saves--Who through our witness provides salvation to others by the Gospel.

Glad to Understand

Nehemiah 8 is a chapter which illustrates very well the personal impact of how understanding God's word impacts people who are united to seek Him.  Reading God's word is not like a chemical reaction which is predictable, for at times we are not receptive to hear or take action on what God has said and is saying to us.  In the children of Israel we see a good example of people who gathered together to build the walls of Jerusalem and sought to obey the LORD who protected, provided and made their efforts fruitful.

Ezra the scribe and Nehemiah gathered the people together with the elders to read the Law of Moses and explain it to the people so they could understand it.  Hearing God's word had a profound affect on the people, for they realised they and their fathers had sinned against the LORD and they wept.  Their minds, hearts and souls were moved by the word of God and felt sorrow and remorse.  Nehemiah 8:11-12 says, "So the Levites quieted all the people, saying, "Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved." ¹² And all the people went their way to eat and drink, to send portions and rejoice greatly, because they understood the words that were declared to them."

The Law of Moses that made a distinction between righteous and sinful conduct also taught concerning holy days.  Whilst the conduct of the people previously had been wrong, instead of mourning they were to rejoice.  The people obeyed God's word to feast, send portions and rejoice greatly because "they understood the words that were declared to them."  See how understanding what God said filled His people with joy!  They delighted to hear and obey the word spoken to them by God, and we ought to be the same.  Reading God's word should not be relegated to a duty or chore because He has given us an invitation and opportunity to understand Him.  Do you rejoice, believer, that you understand the word God has declared to you?

Understanding God's word leads to exciting discovery and personal revival.  As they read the scripture the people realised God had commanded the people to make tabernacles and dwell in them, something they had not done even before the captivity of Israel in Babylon.  The people send out messengers to proclaim they were going to gather according to the word of the LORD, and Nehemiah 8:17 reads:  "So the whole assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and sat under the booths; for since the days of Joshua the son of Nun until that day the children of Israel had not done so. And there was very great gladness."  Isn't that amazing?  King Saul, king David and king Solomon had reigned over all Israel and even in their day there had never been such a gathering since the days of Joshua when the nation of Israel was in its infancy.  You see, in the days of Nehemiah when there was no king anointed to rule God once again was their KING and they delighted to hear, understand and obey His word with gladness.

Jesus Christ is the KING OF KINGS, and how blessed we are to hear and understand Him through the power of the Holy Spirit who indwells us.  When we read God's word it ought to have a similar impact on us:  we ought to mourn our sin, rejoice to obey the LORD, be glad to understand God's word, be moved to walk in obedience to what God reveals and experience the joy of the LORD that is our strength.  The words we read in the Bible are more than words on a page but the word of God we can understand.  It is a world of discovery about God and His ways that excites our minds, hearts and souls to draw near to Him and proclaim His goodness with gladness.

Remembering God's Works

Having faith in God does not mean a person is perpetually positive and impervious to pains, struggles, troubles and doubts.  While our human weakness at times can spring from a lack of faith, in our weakness God's strength is made perfect because His grace is sufficient for us.  This idea that the believer becomes superhuman with a biblical worldview cannot be sustained by the efforts of the flesh, knowledge or a formulaic approach to trials.  We believers remain needy:  we need reminders, to meditate on what God has said and done, and proclaim the reality of His goodness in the land of the living.

Asaph arrived at this conclusion as he struggled through a sleepless night in Psalm 77.  When he was troubled and overwhelmed he cried out to God and was heard by Him.  Based on how he felt Asaph wondered if God was done being gracious and merciful, if God no longer kept His promises.  Psalm 77:10-12:  "And I said, "This is my anguish; but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High." ¹¹ I will remember the works of the LORD; surely I will remember Your wonders of old. ¹² I will also meditate on all Your work, and talk of Your deeds."  Asaph wisely understood his present anguish was not a reflection of how or what God was doing.  Instead of focusing on his troubles, he chose to remember and meditate on all the wondrous things God had done in the past.

In the verses that follow, Asaph considered the amazing deliverance of God's people from slavery and bondage in Egypt.  He remembered them miraculously departing Egypt and how they passed through the Red Sea that stood at attention before God who led them through walls of water on the right hand and left.  They passed through the depths of the sea on dry ground and everyone made it safely to the other side.  The Egyptians who pursued relentlessly with chariots and horses were confounded in the depths, their wheels fell off and they tried in vain to retreat.  God caused the waters to return upon the heads of the Egyptian army and they all perished.  The nation of Israel was birthed out of the Red Sea with rejoicing and celebrated their God who delivers and saves.

Two groups of people went into the depths of the sea:  one emerged rejoicing and victorious by the power of God, and the other perished without hope.  There are two groups of people who experience anguish, troubled minds and sleepless nights, and those who remember and meditate on God and His marvelous works will be ultimately led to joy and peace that passes understanding.  Those who grit their teeth and fight to achieve their aims by their own strength will be cast down and unable to rise on their own.  Praise the LORD He is able to lift up those who cannot stand and free those who are in bondage to fears, cares and worries.  Let us be those who talk of God's deeds often, for it serves to glorify God while reminding and instructing us to consider God Who leads us through the depths to deliver.

Inspires to Shine

Yesterday I had a discussion with someone who is preparing to sit an exam.  I was asked, "Do you have any motivational or inspirational quotes?"  In the moment nothing came to mind.  I suppose the cliche approach to offer a one liner like the cat poster in the The Lego Movie simply captioned "Believe!" or another that says, "Hang in there!"  Playful images and cliches cannot provide any reasons or suitable answers for the persistent doubts that can plague us or how to live life wisely.  Cute doesn't cut it.

In thinking it over from a biblical perspective, God supplies motivation and inspiration in abundance for us to do what pleases Him.  Our motives are to be guided by the fear, love and glory of God.  The world operates in a totally contrary way and suggests we must believe in ourselves and great inspiration comes from following the desires of our hearts in the pursuit of our dreams.  We are liable to hijack statements in the Bible as motivational sayings by stripping the words from the context and applying them in the hope of fulfilling our own agendas.

When Paul said in Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," it was written in the context he had learned to be content whether he had abundance or lacked, how he was taught contentment in Christ by being abased, hungry or full.  God told Joshua, "Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and of good courage."  This wasn't advice for Joshua to trust or believe in himself to overcome obstacles to accomplish his plans but to trust and rely upon God and boldly do what God commanded:  to lead the children of Israel across the Jordan river, drive out the enemies in Canaan and to distribute to each tribe an inheritance.

The greatest inspiration and motivation that can be found is by faith in God Himself.  He is more lovely than the most breathtaking views in nature or the awe-inspiring glimpses of distant constellations.  The willingness of people to suffer for worthy causes can be inspirational, but nothing compares to the gracious sacrifice Jesus made to redeem lost sinners through His own death and resurrection.  Knowledge of God, His love and power is not rightfully used to goad us to try harder and do better for ourselves, but to offer ourselves willingly to God so He would be glorified, to do all as unto Him because He alone is worthy of honour, praise and majesty.

Believers in Jesus already have the assurance of eternal life and an everlasting reward.  This ought to inspire us to walk worthy of the love, grace and goodness God has provided for us.  Do you find God's love inspirational, a motivation to do what pleases Him?  The revelation of God and His love for us ought to prompt us to seek and serve the LORD with rejoicing, for He is our life and reason for living.  Believe in Jesus Christ and hang in there friends, for God has not left us hanging!  Jesus hung on a cross, was buried in a tomb and rose from the dead to prove His victory over sin and death and gives abundant life to all who trust in Him.  May Jesus be the reason we rise every morning and shine brighter than the sun by His grace.

Faithful to His Word

"Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed. ⁹ For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead."

John 20:8-9

After the disciples of Jesus heard the body of Jesus was no longer in the tomb, some ran to investigate.  Peter and John are described as looking into the empty tomb, saw the graveclothes lying there with the headcovering folded neatly by itself, and they believed.  They believed the body of Jesus was not in the tomb based upon what they saw, yet John 20:9 shows the scripture had already revealed the truth of Christ's resurrection from the dead.  God has given us eyes and physical senses we are to use wisely and can confirm the truth of what God has already said.

I love that God's work is not dependent upon the perfect knowledge of God's people.  God is sovereign and rules over all, able to accomplish His plans despite the ignorance of those who fear and trust Him.  The disciples did not at the time know the scripture, yet the passage is clear they would come to know and believe it.  The Bible has many examples of people who needed to see to believe, and others who believed without seeing.  Both groups can have genuine faith that brings honour and glory to God.  Our gracious heavenly Father knows what is required to convince mankind of the truth, and using both our senses and the word of God we are brought to greater understanding.

Women who visited the tomb reported the body of Jesus had been taken from the tomb, and later Mary Magdalene reported she had seen the risen LORD Jesus.  The disciples did not act like Jesus had risen from the dead, for they assembled behind locked doors for fear of the Jews.  Suddenly Jesus stood in the midst and proclaimed peace to them.  From then on they ascribed belief in the resurrection of Jesus and told Thomas, who was not with them the first night of the week, that they had seen the LORD.  It was not until Jesus personally appeared to Thomas and bid him touch His wounds Thomas gladly proclaimed, "My LORD and my God."

How good is the word of God to prepare us by revealing Jesus is LORD!  Consider how valuable the revelation by the word of the LORD was to the virgin Mary when she was told the Holy Spirit would cause her to conceive and bring forth a Son.  She believed the word of God spoken to her and did not assume her morning sickness was indigestion or had concern her abdominal swelling could be a tumour!  Belief in what God has said and revealed in the scripture gives us understanding and a basis for personal faith in the LORD.  May the word of God and His wisdom direct us to reliance and dependence upon Jesus as LORD, our risen Saviour who is worthy of all trust.

Our Strength and Portion Forever

Like the churning sea is never at rest, our hearts can be troubled under a calm exterior.  We may not even realise the depths of our pains until we are brought to a breaking point brought on by stress, grief, rejection, physical discomfort or a myriad of other things.  The constant cares of this life can lull us into a sort of stupor that pain intensely felt--like the paddles of a defibrillator pressed to our chest--snaps us back to the reality we need God more than anything because He is truly our life.  In our happy moments when all seemed right in the world we imagined we were drawing near to God, but in reality we only basked in His goodness or how we felt at the time.  Those soul-crushing moments we experience can reveal this reality to us, how we have neglected to seek the LORD with our whole hearts and trust Him.

At times I have felt so low I have desired to be done with living because I caught a glimpse of my own wretchedness and inability to do a thing to help myself or others.  For a brief moment due to a selfish, despondent perspective, it is likely all of us have also been presented a hideous world without God, a life where He does not exist or is stripped of power.  It is a hopeless existence where happiness, prosperity and fruitfulness depends wholly upon our efforts, and we are acutely aware of our abysmal track record of complete failure and incompetence.  In the depths of feelings of desolation and hopelessness God's word brings God back into focus again and quickens us to seek Him desperately for restoration.  Our painful feelings are redeemed as we draw near to God with renewed faith, revived by the shock of our foolish, beastly selfishness and self-pity.

Asaph, a worship leader in the temple in Jerusalem, also had this experience personally.  In Psalm 73 Asaph's focus was drawn to consider those who did not seek or know God and how they seemed to prosper.  He wondered if his allegiance to God and sacrifices to serve Him were worth it when it seemed to pay no immediate dividends.  He felt "plagued all day long" and "chastened every morning" (verse 14).  Asaph came to realise God is infinitely more trustworthy than his feelings, and repented of his doubts and unbelief brought on by troubles.  He declared in Psalm 73:22-24, "I was so foolish and ignorant; I was like a beast before You. ²³ Nevertheless I am continually with You; You hold me by my right hand. ²⁴ You will guide me with Your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory."  Isn't this wonderful?  Asaph felt alone but he was not alone, for God was with him, guided him by the hand with His counsel and would afterward receive him to glory.

When we feel cast down and depressed by troubling news and circumstances, how good it is to draw near to the LORD in a way we did not in our comfort and prosperity!  Being cast down and wallowing in our sorrows as those without the hope of Jesus, the Gospel and a glorious future with our LORD reveals the folly of our selfishness and unbelief.  We can feel lost in the dark when the Light of the World Jesus Christ stands ready to save and deliver.  What Asaph said next is very instructive in Psalm 73:25-26:  "Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. ²⁶ My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."  Should our desires be fixed on what is not we ignore the God who was, is and will ever be.  Our pains are often the realisation what we love and desire is not God alone and an indication of our failure to seek Him.

Instead of feeling everything is against us in troubles, let us remember God is for us, is with us, and will guide us.  The Strength of my heart and my Portion forever will afterward receive me to glory, and how blessed we are to seek His face and have fellowship with Him today.  Christian, we have a God who is sovereign over the heavens, the earth and our hearts.  The God of heaven and earth loves us without fail, and praise Him for His faithfulness. :)

God's Glorious Righteousness

"I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. ⁵ And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was."

John 17:4-5

When Thomas asked Jesus to show them God the Father Jesus responded, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father." (John 14:9)  Jesus previously revealed to all in John 10:30, "I and my Father are One."  Jesus was sent by God as a revelation of Himself in human form, the Christ who walked with men who beheld His glory.  The only begotten Son of God Jesus was tasked to seek and save the lost and lay down His life to redeem sinners, and as the hour on Calvary approached the LORD sought the Father in prayer.

I find intriguing the ways Jesus addressed God the Father in the prayer found in John 17, during which He called "Father" many times.  In John 17:11 He called Him "Holy Father," a title that should be reserved for the almighty God alone.  He used another adjective in John 17:25:  "O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me."  God is distinctly holy and righteous, sacred and upright without flaw.  There is absolutely nothing or no one like Him, perfect without change.  The redemption of sinful mankind would not be possible unless God was righteous and could justly impute it to the undeserving.  No man is righteous except Jesus Christ, no not one.

David spoke of God's righteousness many times in his songs as seen in Psalm 71:15-16:  "My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness and Your salvation all the day, for I do not know their limits. ¹⁶  I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD; I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only."  Righteousness is a quality and characteristic of God we are aware of but may not appreciate as much as we should.  We ought to marvel over God's righteousness more than the most brilliant sunrise; we should proclaim the righteousness of God more than topics of personal interest.  God's righteousness is glorious, not because we benefit from it, but because He is awesome.

God doesn't just claim or believe to be right:  He is righteous and will ever be righteous without fail.  A glorious sunrise or sunset retains its brilliance for a minute or two, but God is righteous now and forever.  This is the righteousness God has imputed to believers in Jesus by faith in Him (Phil. 3:9).  Have you ever considered how glorious God's righteousness is revealed in His Son?

Resist by Grace

How good and fitting it is to magnify and extol God who extends grace to us!  By God's grace we live and have our being, and by His grace we stand.  Even when trials, troubles and temptations arise, by faith we are divinely enables to draw near to God.

After assuring believers that God gives grace to the humble James 4:7 reads, "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you."  Our submission to God provides strength and wisdom to resist the devil who is a murderer, thief and liar from the beginning.  God told Adam the day he ate of the fruit of the forbidden tree he would die, and Satan worked to achieve just that.  He enticed Eve by lies and appealed to the beauty of the fruit and how it could benefit her.  Adam and Eve lacked the capacity to resist Satan because they had not fully surrendered themselves in faith to God and His word.

Satan tried a similar tactic with Jesus after the Holy Spirit led Him to the wilderness.  Jesus was able to resist the temptation to turn stones into bread after he was hungry, not having eaten for 40 days.  Jesus exposed the folly of Satan's lies with the unchanging truth of scripture.  When Satan was unable to sway Jesus from the way of righteousness, he departed from him.  Like thieves who are looking for easy targets who are isolated from others to help them, the devil looks for people who are self-confident and are not humble before the LORD.  For us sinners James 4:8 explains what this looks like:  "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded."  It is drawing near to God in faith that prepares us to resist temptation to sin, doubt and not to be troubled.  We do well to avoid the pitfall in our resistance the Hebrews stumbled into, that of resisting the Holy Spirit.

1 Peter 5:6-11 shows how faith in Jesus Christ who has overcome Satan, sin and death is critical for us to resist evil:  "Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, ⁷ casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. ⁸ Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. ⁹ Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. ¹⁰ But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. ¹¹ To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen."  When we are tempted to sin, it is an invitation for us to open the cage of a roaring lion who looks to devour us.  Satan walks about chain-free at the moment, seeking an opportunity to pounce.  But the God of all grace, Who is greater than all and has called us to eternal glory, looks to perfect, establish, strengthen and settle us in faith in Jesus today.

As we submit to God and humbly seek Jesus Christ, we resist the devil steadfast in the faith.  We all suffer many things in this life and it can seem all is against us.  But we rest assured that our gracious God is for us and has overcome every adversary.  The suffering, tests and  troubles He allows by His grace are working to perfect and sanctify us having been justified through the Gospel.  Let us extol and exalt the God who will exalt us in due time according to the riches of His grace.

The Offering of Praise

"I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify Him with thanksgiving. ³¹ This also shall please the LORD better than an ox or bull, which has horns and hooves. ³² The humble shall see this and be glad; and you who seek God, your hearts shall live."

Psalm 69:30-32

In the Law of Moses God made provisions for people who did not possess great wealth to offer sacrifices acceptable to the LORD.  After the period of 40 days passed after Mary gave birth to Jesus, Joseph and Mary went to the temple in Jerusalem and brought two turtle doves or pigeons for Mary's atonement and cleansing (Luke 2:22-24).  Leviticus 12:8 says these birds were acceptable if a lamb was too costly to afford.  God did not heap guilt upon those who could not afford a lamb, nor was it a gauge of spirituality and priorities.  By faith in Him through obedience God was well pleased.

If Joseph and Mary could not afford a lamb, it is evident an ox would be out of the question.  There were people who never had the money to have an ox of their own and thus never had the means to offer one as a sacrifice to the LORD.  David realised God did not value the sacrifices of people due to the monetary value of the offering, but received gladly the praises and thankful adoration of His people.  Giving a more expensive gift did not make a person more acceptable before God.  Instead of feeling guilty he could not afford to offer a lamb or an ox, the humble soul could rejoice in the acceptance of his praise and person by the holy, gracious God of Israel.

Luke 21:1-4 provides insight into God's economy as Jesus watched people in the Temple:  "And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, ² and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. ³ So He said, "Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; ⁴ for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had."  Isn't this amazing?  The woman put very little monetary value into the treasury, yet was credited with giving more than anyone else.  She had little yet she gave, and she did so from a heart that relied upon God.  It is likely the rich men who put in much were honoured and revered by men for their sacrifice, yet God singled out the woman as giving the greatest gift.

It may be people would not be willing to part with a penny to hear you sing a song, but God is pleased when we praise and thank Him with our voices.  You need not be a Grammy winning artist or to have dulcet tones of a professionally trained singer to sing songs worthy to present a song before the KING OF KINGS.  God looks upon our hearts redeemed and saved by His grace, and accepts those who seek Him gladly.  Give thanks to the LORD, you His people, for He is pleased to be sought by you today.

Ascribe Strength to God

"Ascribe strength to God; His excellence is over Israel, and His strength is in the clouds. ³⁵ O God, You are more awesome than Your holy places. The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people. Blessed be God!"

Psalm 68:34-35

Many of our cares, worries, anxieties and fears arise out of neglect to ascribe strength, excellence and power to God.  We believe in God's omnipotence and ability to save and deliver often in a hypothetical sense because our being overwhelmed betrays us.  David bid God's people to actually credit Him for how awesome God truly is and all He has done and does as our Creator and Saviour who loves us.

If I ascribe fullness to my tank of petrol (and this agrees with reality), I can drive carefree to the coast and back home without concern for needing fuel.  Many have made the mistake of ascribing more petrol to their tank than they actually had and ended up stranded by their false confidence when they ran out.  When we pull out a debit card to make a purchase in a shop, we consider what card we ascribe sufficient funds to cover the cost.  If we are confident the card used has been loaded with money to spare we do not dread being declined and having to cancel the transaction and start over.

A person with a full tank of petrol and a broken fuel gauge may be nervous driving longer distances because they are afraid of running out.  Believers chosen and accepted by God can be like a driver who frets and worries over running out of petrol when God has all strength and power when we do not ascribe strength to Him.  The reality is God has strength that is not dependent on our faith because it is of grace, and God is faithful and merciful to give strength and power to His people.  David's heart swelled in praise to the almighty God to Whom he ascribed strength, even when God at times seemed distant as the clouds above.

The most awesome places in the world are nothing compared to the awesomeness of our God to Whom we are wise to ascribe strength.  Like God hangs the earth upon nothing, He puts clouds in the sky that carry moisture where He causes rain to fall in due season for the refreshment and benefit of the earth, man and beast.  Should we ascribe strength and power to people or ourselves we will ultimately break down in disappointment with dashed expectations, but those who ascribe strength to the LORD bless His holy name with joyful gratitude.  Are you ascribing strength and power to God today Who is generous to supply all our needs?

Rejoice and be Glad Today

"Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

Jesus Christ

The beginning of a new year is a fitting opportunity to take stock of our priorities, to consider our perspective and look to the LORD more than the future that awaits us.  Looking at articles and posts on social media, it seems people are happy to write off one year as bad with the hope of a good year ahead.  Jesus could have said, "Sufficient for the year is its own trouble," yet He focused on the day God made.  This is a helpful and healthy perspective we can keep in mind for as long as we live on this planet.

Judith Viorst wrote a children's book years ago illustrated by Ray Cruz with this catchy title:  "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day."  Alexander and I share a thing in common, that we both decided to move to Australia.  In the story Alexander knew he was going to have a "bad" day because things did not go like he wanted.  The only solace the rascal had at the end of the book was he fell asleep knowing everyone has bad days.  It would be very pleasant if the bad feelings and troubles of yesterday disappeared the following day, but this is not the case.  Painful trials can continue until our outlook of an entire year is sullied from them.

The psalmist wrote in Psalm 118:24, "This is the day the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."  This passage has been written into a song we used to sing at church.  A day isn't good or bad because of what happens during it but it is a day we can rejoice and be glad because God has made it.  A day may be filled with trouble, yet we should not allow the troubles of today to cloud our great God and the future He has prepared for us.  Jesus said in Matthew 6:31-34, "Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' ³² For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

If you think Psalm 118:24 was written in the context of everything going well marked with prosperity, ease, blooming flowers and refreshment, think again.  Whilst it is true God has made every day we can rejoice and be glad in, the "day" referred to prophetically was the hour when Jesus Christ would be crucified on Calvary to atone for lost sinners.  The day Jesus went to the cross, from a human standpoint--which does not account for God, His grace and goodness--was a very bad day indeed.  But Jesus for the joy that was before Him endured the cross so those who trust Him could rejoice in Him every day on earth and beyond time measured in hours, months, days and years.  Because God has made today, we who know and trust God will rejoice and be glad in the day as much as we appreciate our eternal salvation.

We can say, "I will rejoice and be glad in it" and grit our teeth to try to rejoice, but the flesh cannot accomplish what God does through faith in Jesus and the Holy Spirit.  I have seen people suffer greatly and miraculously become a comfort to others by the comfort they have received of the LORD.  Some endure terrible pains day after day, year after year by rejoicing in the LORD who is the strength of their life.  The weight of a bad year is too heavy for anyone to carry, for "Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."  We will have troubles and at times be troubled, yet with eyes of faith we seek the LORD and rejoice in the day He has made.  Let us be rejoice and be glad in the day He has given us today.