God's Gracious Provision

I was impressed by the grace and goodness of God to meet the true needs of His people when they were not seeking Him.  After the prophet Elijah predicted a drought, king Ahab and a devout steward named Obadiah went looking for water and grass to sustain the lives of their horses and mules.  While Obadiah was looking for water, Elijah was guided by God to meet him.  1 Kings 18:7 reads, "Now as Obadiah was on his way, suddenly Elijah met him; and he recognized him, and fell on his face, and said, "Is that you, my lord Elijah?"  Apparently king Ahab had tried in vain to find Elijah for many years since Ahab blamed the drought on him.

God's ordained meeting of Elijah with Obadiah led to the epic showdown on Mount Carmel between the prophets of Baal and Elijah.  When God answered Elijah's prayer and consumed the waterlogged sacrifice in the sight of the people, they fell before the LORD in worship of the God of Israel.  Shortly thereafter Elijah bowed before the LORD in prayer, and torrential rain fell that was desperately needed by the people, herds, livestock and crops after a long drought.  It is wonderful to consider how Obadiah looked for water at the king's command, yet Elijah sought Obadiah by God's command that eventuated with the end of severe drought.

While Ahab and Obadiah looked for water to meet the physical needs of their animals, God created an opportunity to meet the spiritual needs of His people He values infinitely more than horses.  For a long time the people "halted" or limped between two opinions, divided in their allegiance between Baal and the God of Israel.  After Elijah repaired the altar of God that had been broken down, he dug a trench around it.  He directed four barrels to be filled with water and dumped on the sacrifice and wood three times and also filled the trench.  I imagine people in drought were appalled at this apparent waste this life-saving resource poured out on the ground.  But the abundance of water magnified the miracle that revealed God in truth to His people, the almighty God who causes rain to fall in due season and supplies the Living Water of the Holy Spirit to all who trust in Jesus.

Obadiah looked for water, but God was looking out for him and whole of Israel to supply their physical and spiritual needs abundantly.  When people are made aware of their lack, God is faithful to reveal Himself and meet needs we assumed were beyond His reach.  1 Kings 18:38-39 shows God's response to Elijah's prayer:  "Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. ³⁹ Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, "The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!"  Consider the faithfulness of God to redeem a long drought so people's eyes would be opened and worship Him who is worthy!  While people are looking to satisfy personal thirst and needs temporarily, God redeems our temporary need to supply our eternal needs by His grace.

Worship Etiquette

Growing up, bowling was an activity I enjoyed as a special treat, and in university I took bowling as an elective.  Before our local bowling alley turned to electronic scoring, we used a pencil with paper that included "bowling etiquette."  The paper explained it was rude to stand on the wood approach waiting for your ball to return as this prevented bowlers on either side from bowling in turn.  It is also very bad form when one person is about to begin their approach and then quickly bowl next to them--which is sure to draw the ire of serious bowlers.  In "open" bowling it is understood many people are not aware of proper bowling etiquette, but in league play this is unacceptable and frowned upon.

In many activities we take seriously--whether sports competitions, hobbies or simply eating at the table--there is good etiquette we observe and encourage others to do as well.  Those who are new or less experienced can benefit greatly from being shown and told about good etiquette they are ignorant of.  This is true concerning church services.  I am at times almost impressed by the diversity of perspectives concerning worship through song by parishioners based on my observations over many years.  Even when I have been to conferences for senior pastors only, I have been amazed at times of a tardy approach to gathering and distracted behaviour by those who ought to know better.

When it comes to good worship etiquette, the most important thing is to be present--concerning punctuality as well as giving full attention to the LORD God as we sing praises to Him.  Since we take care to be early or on time for important meetings with higher-ups in the workplace, it seems inconsistent for us to be slack to arrive at the start of a public gathering before the almighty God.  The practice I find utterly confounding is to take photos or videos during a worship gathering to post to social media.  It is amazing to be in a place where God's people are united to praise Him with one voice in song, but if our focus is on God we will not be thinking about trying to capture the moment for ourselves.  And how can a video capture the wonder of drawing near to our LORD in worship?  Doesn't it work to undermine the unity of Spirit when some hold up their our phones to take a video rather raising empty hands in praise before our Saviour and King?

I am reminded of the lyrics to a verse in the hymn Rock of Ages:  "Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling; naked, come to Thee for dress, helpless, look to Thee for grace:  foul, I to the fountain fly, wash me, Savior, or I die."  Described here is a singular focus and desperation to enter into the LORD's presence that is foreign to those seeking to memorialise the moment.  It is good form for us to raise empty hands to the LORD in praise and draw near to Him in prayer in awareness of our need and His supply.  While we ought to be considerate of those around us, our primary focus ought to be the LORD God.  He is worthy of all our praise and worship, and may it be from pure hearts by His grace.

The Uncomfortable Truth

During a morning jaunt I saw a colourful poster tacked to a power pole that looked to be advertising a new age or self-help gathering.  The pitch said something about "discovering your true and real self."  I found it ironic when I searched for more details on the subject online the first pages were filled with links to plastic surgeons!  Plastic surgery leans more toward fake and superficial than a revelation of who we truly are.  Our physical appearance, dress and style is not nearly as important as people are within:  individual and unique souls created in the image of God.

The Bible is a stark contrast from the humanistic conception that the greatest good is within us and our hearts are to be followed above everything else.  To the contrary, the Bible reveals what we already have strong evidence to support:  there is no one good, no not one (Proverbs 14:1-3).  Rather than guiding us to listen to or follow our hearts, God puts the spiritual bankruptcy of our hearts on display in Jeremiah 17:9:  "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?"  Our true and real self isn't a pretty sight, and God's word shows us it in uncomfortable detail our conscience labours in vain to deny.

The Bible declares God alone is the source of wisdom and truth that leads to abundant life now and forever.  It is acknowledging our personal lack and complete ineptitude to be righteous that leads to spiritual wealth and enduring hope by faith in Jesus Christ.  The world has latched onto the satanic lie that mankind is basically good when God's Law shows we are completely lost and ruined due to sin.  It seems the self-help book market remains flooded with shiny offerings that end up being words on a page that are powerless to enact the positive changes within people they long for.  Realising we are empty and powerless to save ourselves opens our hearts to receive the Gospel that results in us being filled with the Holy Spirit, replete with His guidance, comfort and help continually.

Our new resolutions and commitments do not result in a "new you" or unlocking your good potential, for without God we are without good.  The great irony is that by accepting God's perspective of our wickedness and need for forgiveness and salvation, we find rest and contentment in who God has created to be as new creations in Jesus Christ.  We no longer seek satisfaction by efforts to improve our self-esteem, for knowing God esteems us to such a high degree He sent His own Son Jesus to save us moves us to value Him!  To be loved, accepted and forgiven by our Creator and called His own is a glorious truth and reality prompted by our emptiness, guilt, discomfort and feeling worthless--not our goodness.

Wise Priorities

"Prepare your outside work, make it fit for yourself in the field; and afterward build your house."

Proverbs 24:27

God's word provides wise guidance concerning our priorities.  Sometimes our natural inclination is to prioritise the wrong things or neglect to put "first things first."  When flying in a aeroplane, directions are specifically given in case of an emergency that parents ought to fit their own oxygen mask first before helping their child or others.  This may be due to parents prioritising the health and welfare of their child and their first instinct is to make sure their child is able to breathe.  But if the parent does not put on their own mask first, they may lose consciousness and be unable to render the assistance their child requires for survival.  Put on your own mask first, and then you can help others with fitting their masks.

On the subject of making judgments about others (especially negative ones), it is wise for the person who is offended to examine their own heart, conduct and words before weighing in on how others ought to change.  Jesus said to His disciples in Matthew 7:3-5:  "And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? ⁴ Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye? ⁵ Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."  Jesus explained it was hypocritical to form judgments about others and seek to help them change when you have not considered your own impediments to seeing clearly.  We are to deal with the plank in our eye first before we will be able to see clearly to help others see.

In Solomon's proverb, he guided people to prepare their outside work first before building their house.  Preparing your field by planting and cultivating crops or building fences to protect valuable flocks and herds was a matter of survival.  Neglect of outside work could result in a lack of food, mounting debts and the loss of income if sheep or cows wandered off.  As comfortable and pleasant as having a house would be, tents served as a suitable habitation in the meantime while making fields fit for planting and harvest.  To direct your energies and time towards building a house without food or resources for trading could mean bankruptcy and becoming a slave to others to pay off debts--and never have a habitable home.

I am reminded about what Jesus told His disciples concerning the importance of hearing His word and putting it into practice.  Matthew 7:24-27 says, "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: ²⁵ and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. ²⁶ But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: ²⁷ and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall."  Enthusiasm for building a house and seeing progress leads to ruin if the house is built without a foundation of concrete and steel.  People can have many ambitions, passions and plans, but decisions that are not founded upon faith in Christ and obedience to Him will lead to a great fall.  Once a house is built without a foundation it is very difficult to move it onto one, and praise the LORD what is impossible with men is possible by God's grace.

The Dead Man of God

A tendency we can have as Christians is to negatively judge the character of others by their mistakes, that because of what someone said or done such could not be a man or woman of God.  The flip side of this error is to put those we respect or admire on a pedestal as a man or woman of God who can do no wrong even when they are imperfect like the rest of us.  The Bible demonstrates many times how godly people can make foolish and sinful choices, but this does not negate their good standing with God--despite the negative consequences and discipline that follows.

1 Kings 13:1 says, "And behold, a man of God went from Judah to Bethel by the word of the LORD, and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense."  This man of God was a prophet through whom God spoke judgment upon the priests who committed abomination in the land and burned incense upon the altar king Jeroboam had made.  The man of God spoke of Josiah by name before his birth, that he would desecrate the altar by burning the bones of the corrupt priests upon it.  When the man of God cried out against the altar in Bethel, the king reached out his hand and commanded he be arrested.  Immediately the hand of Jeroboam was withered and he could not move it any more.  1 Kings 13:6 reads, "Then the king answered and said to the man of God, "Please entreat the favor of the LORD your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me." So the man of God entreated the LORD, and the king's hand was restored to him, and became as before."

The man of God spoke the message God gave him to speak, and the LORD heard and answered his prayers.  But being a man of God did not prevent him from folly, deception and sin.  Jeroboam invited the man to be refreshed with a meal but he declined, citing God told forbade him from eating or drinking and to return to Judah a different way.  He was able to refuse the invitation of a wicked king, but he was deceived by a fellow prophet who lied and said an angel spoke to him the word of the LORD that he should share a meal with him.  During the meal the old prophet of God in Bethel spoke the word of the LORD, that because of his disobedience he would not rest in the tomb of his fathers.  The word of the lying prophet came to pass in 1 Kings 13:24:  "When he was gone, a lion met him on the road and killed him. And his corpse was thrown on the road, and the donkey stood by it. The lion also stood by the corpse."  The old prophet of Bethel retrieved the dead body and buried the man of God of Judah in his own tomb and lamented over him like a dear brother.

While we cannot know the motives of heart, it is clear a man of God can be disobedient to God.  The passage shows God's dealing with a disobedient prophet in the short term was more severe than with a wicked king, for Jeroboam's withered hand was healed whilst the man of God perished from the earth.  This is instructive to all God's people by demonstrating the people of God do not receive a free pass for sin, but God will chasten and discipline those whom He loves--so others will hear, fear and avoid sin.  Finally, having received the truth of God's word we ought not be swayed from it even if a prophet and man of God leads us to disobey what God has spoken to us.  Paul said in Galatians 1:8, "But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed."  An prophet, angel or apostle can lead us astray, so we ought to hold fast to what God has said to us so we might truly live as God's people.  The dead man of God still speaks and leads us to obey God always.

True Freedom

Recently it came to mind I had yet to check out the beach at Windsor after the area flooded, and this morning I went and surveyed the area with metal detector in hand.  Typically after a flood the upper layers of sand and everything they contained--typically bottle tops and other rubbish--are all washed away.  Today my experience was much the same as I found mostly metal lids from canned food with a lead fishing sinker here or there.  The most interesting thing I found was not made of metal at all, but was a bookmark that contained self-centred messaging that is rife in the world.

The phrase, "Be anything you want to be" suggests listening to Audiobooks (or reading eBooks) liberates us from the drudgery of being ourselves and provides an opportunity to live vicariously through the stories we hear.  I have read many books during my life, but I cannot say any of them made me to be anything besides what I already was.  What I can say based on a biblical worldview is the humanistic messaging that you are "the captain of your ship" or can "be anything you want" is not liberating at all:  this is the epitome of bondage to self.  It makes me a slave to my own desires and lusts; it is a prison that binds me to my failures, weakness, ill-discipline and sin as self-defining.  This promise of freedom and empowerment is empty as chaff in the wind, having no potential for life that satisfies, is fruitful or endures.

This humanistic appeal to the flesh is a vapid substitution for what is real, satisfying and obtained by God's grace:  in Christ we can be everything God designed us to be.  Rather than swallowing down self-empowering propaganda, we are divinely empowered to glorify God by lives lived in the fear of God and obedience to Him.  Apart from God we were at the mercy of our feelings, circumstances and our own strength, but having been born again we discover freedom to know and serve the God who was, is and is to come, the almighty Creator.  The God who created and loves us has provided all that pertains to life and godliness, and this is an abundant life no activity, possession, achievement or entertainment can rival.  The work Jesus has begun in us He will be faithful to complete.

Better than basing our identity on what we want, how much better it is to embrace the identity God desires for us as souls created in His own image, people He loves and calls to forgiveness, redemption and salvation.  Our wants change continually but God, His love and the abundant life He provides endures forever.  The greatest plans you could devise for yourself cannot compare with the wondrous, miraculous plans God has for you.  God's ways are not our ways, nor are His thoughts our thoughts, and He sheds light on them in the Bible.  Reading and considering God's word with a humble, hungry heart opens a way to freedom of self and joyous glory of God we never dreamed possible.  Everything God has planned for His people blows anything I want to be away.

Quenching Thirst

"Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise."

Proverbs 20:1

I've been reading through the NIV Bible as my evening portion, and given the use of parallelism in Hebrew poetry it is a very pertinent and accessible translation that speaks to the heart.  The KJV and NKJV put "strong drink" where the NIV says "beer."  There are a lot of beer drinkers who do not drink whiskey or other distilled spirits, and such may miss the point because their drink of choice is not expressly mentioned.  The concept is that all beverages that contain alcohol have the potential to lead people astray from God's wise ways.

"Wine is a mocker," Solomon says, and alcohol has a way of blunting kindness and tact.  Drinking to excess can make people seem very funny and clever (at least to themselves) and influences them to say things which ought not to be said.  A person who is gentle and kind in their right might can be a mocker when under the influence.  In addition to mockery, alcohol can make people combative and violent.  Mild-mannered people after a few beers can result in arguments, contention and blows.  I remember many years ago giving a patron of a pub a ride home to his hotel.  "I could fight right now," he said.  Motioning to a man at random walking along the street he demanded, "Pull over, I'm going to beat up that guy."  This was not a man in his right mind, but he couldn't see it.

Another application of the passage is to consider how alcohol makes a mockery of a person by leading them astray:  by drinking to excess a man's follow is put on display.  Alcohol wars and fights like an enemy against the better judgment of people, and it is always seeking to undermine their mental and physical well-being.  Even when it does not lead to poverty, drunkenness always leads to spiritual poverty.  By the fear of God the wise will not be led astray by strong drink, though it has left many wounded and ashamed.  Mocking and brawling are a blight upon fools--and how much more so upon those who claim to know and follow Christ!

Rather that toeing the line of sobriety, the child of God is guided by Christ to be guided by the leading of the Holy Spirit in Ephesians 5:18-21:  "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. ¹⁹ Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, ²⁰ always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²¹ Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ."  Debauchery can be defined as "habitual lewdness; excessive unlawful indulgence of lust" that is not limited to those who abuse alcohol.  Having been filled with the Holy Spirit, the outflow of God's presence results in speaking and singing praise to God, giving thanks to God for everything.  The Living Water of the Holy Spirit is more than sufficient to quench the thirsty soul.

Good Stewards of Grace

Jesus told parables that involved servants who were given stewardship of talents (large sums of money) by their master to invest while he was away.  They didn't know exactly when he was going to return, yet belief their master would arrive at any hour motivated them to work so they would be ready.  This provides a parallel for Christians today, for Jesus said many times His return is imminent and sudden.  Many believers have passed away before the long awaited rapture of the church, and only God knows if we will remain until that glorious day.

In light of the end of all things being at hand, Peter urged fellow believers to be sober, watch unto prayer, and love one another fervently.  He continued in 1 Peter 4:10-11:  "As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. ¹¹ If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen."  Freely we have received the Holy Spirit who provides spiritual gifts, and having freely received we are to be good stewards of God's grace to minister it to one another.  God gifts His people, not primarily for their own edification, but so our God-given ability would be utilised for the glorification of God through Jesus Christ.

Receiving a gift is a small thing when compared to if we are using it as good stewards.  God does not fault anyone for not operating in a spiritual gift they have not been given.  Receiving a gift from God should cause us to glorify God by ministering the gift to one another--not seeing it as a feather in our cap of spiritual maturity since all we have is by God's grace.  We may have been Christians a long while before we realised the gift or gifts God has given us, and we need His guidance and wisdom to learn to use it well.  Even when we have a great wealth of experience, every time we minister to one another we need to rely upon Jesus as at the first, for without Him we can do nothing.

Even if you are not sure what spiritual gifts God has given you, common to all believers is the gift of salvation when we are born again by faith in Jesus.  Having been saved by Jesus through the Gospel, we can testify of all He has done for us and how awesome He is.  By virtue of our new birth we have also received the Holy Spirit who indwells us, for Christians are now the temple of the Holy Spirit.  To Jesus Christ belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever, and having been purchased by His shed blood we are not our own.  As people saved by grace through faith, we are to extend grace to all people by loving and forgiving, by edifying words and exhortations to be good stewards of the abundant grace of God.  As we have received, good stewards freely give and lack no good thing.

Plagues of the Heart

It seems like wherever I have lived in Sydney, it is always a fight to keep lawns, trees and shrubs healthy and free of pests.  Keeping turf free of weeds has been extremely difficult and nigh impossible.  Trees have had infestations of pests like stinkbugs, scale and white ants.  I found roots of languishing tomato plants full of chafer grubs.  I observed a careless council worker in a Bobcat gash bark off a gumtree when digging for a footpath and a flock of sulphur-crested cockatoos descend upon a tree and pluck off the tips of every branch with their beaks.  It is a constant battle to deal with the pests and problems that crop up on a daily basis.

One of the worst offenders for me are scale insects that cling like barnacles to the underside of leaves and dig into branches, robbing the plant of nutrition.  It seems pest oil does not prevent scale from forming, and Neem oil--while effective at killing scale--causes stress on the tree that makes leaves drop.  I have learned that I must physically inspect the branches up close, otherwise the scale remains and multiplies very quickly.  It is a good thing the tree is small, for lifting up all the leaves to scour for scale is a time-consuming and imprecise process.  It is one of those jobs that is never done because the scale keeps coming.

Today I read the passage where king Solomon prayed during the dedication of the temple in Jerusalem.  With all my experience with pests, Solomon's prayer in 1 Kings 8:37-40 caught my attention:  "When famine or plague comes to the land, or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers, or when an enemy besieges them in any of their cities, whatever disaster or disease may come, ³⁸ and when a prayer or plea is made by any of your people Israel--each one aware of the afflictions of his own heart, and spreading out his hands toward this temple--³⁹ then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Forgive and act; deal with each man according to all he does, since you know his heart (for you alone know the hearts of all men), ⁴⁰ so that they will fear you all the time they live in the land you gave our fathers."  Solomon drew a correlation between famine, blight, mildew, locusts, disaster and disease and the afflictions or "plagues" of his own heart.  When people were afflicted by pests or enemies, they were to cry out to the LORD who  knows the hearts of mankind would hear and deliver them.

God was well aware of all the problems people in Israel faced from famine, grasshoppers that consumed their crops and invading enemies--as well as the plagues of greed, selfishness, pride, lust and all manner of sin in the heart.  Scale is a pest that can be seen by looking closely, and we need wisdom and insight from the LORD to recognise the plagues of our own hearts.  Plagues are destructive, and without strong intervention plagues spread.  Even as people under Law were to speak to priests to inspect potential plagues of leprosy that broke out inside their home, so we are to humble ourselves before God and repent of the plague of sin that crops up day by day in our hearts.  While scale can be easily scraped off the underside of waxy leaves, we cannot purify ourselves from our plagues within.  We need the LORD to cleanse, forgive and deliver us from sin's power and influence, and as we are faithful to do this we walk in the fear of the LORD.

For God's Sake

The human tendency towards selfishness is as real as the force of gravity on earth, and we naturally have incredible capacity to be self-serving.  While the term "public servant" may fit some politicians, it seems some are more focused on serving their party or promoting their own careers.  We see among God's people this rings true as well, for John observed among Christians those who wanted the pre-eminence, putting self first in ministry, rather than being servants of all as demonstrated by our LORD Jesus Christ (3 John 9).  King Saul went and fought the Amalekites at God's command, yet he and the people spared the best of the spoils for themselves--all under the guise of doing it for God's sake.

This is something we must keep in mind, that the very thing we do for God can become something we are do only for ourselves and our glory.  There is nothing wrong in itself by constructing an ornate, expensive building for the worship of God that in itself is a work of art.  Under the guise of doing something great for God, at the centre can be thoughts for ourselves and our glory.  A grand edifice can become the source of pride as great Babylon was for King Nebuchadnezzar who was proud of his accomplishments and legacy.  He derived status and satisfaction from what he saw with his eyes sprawled before him and failed to recognise the unseen God of Israel and credit Him for his blessings with humility, reverence and worship.  The grandeur of Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom revealed the poverty and shallowness of his thanks and gratitude to God.

When Solomon was building the temple in Jerusalem according to God's design, 11 Kings 6:11-13 says:  "Then the word of the LORD came to Solomon, saying: ¹² "Concerning this temple which you are building, if you walk in My statutes, execute My judgments, keep all My commandments, and walk in them, then I will perform My word with you, which I spoke to your father David. ¹³ And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake My people Israel."  God never asked or commanded David to build a permanent structure to house the Ark of the Covenant or His holy presence.  God was pleased for His presence to dwell within curtains, and did not feel slighted David dwelt in a house of cedar.  Yet this seemed a terrible injustice to David who delighted in the LORD, and God gave Him permission and dimensions for the house his son Solomon would build.  Though nothing we build can rival the temple Solomon built, our labours of love, efforts and accomplishments can become a source of pride.

In His word to Solomon, notice God showed no concern for the imported stone, expensive timber and gold.  It was not ornate carvings or imposing size of the stones that made the LORD welcome to dwell therein:  God's condition for dwelling among His people that they walk in His statutes, execute His judgments, keep all His commandments and walk in them.  God cared much more about the condition of the hearts of His people than a building, that they would simply listen to Him and love Him, that they would be godly and have sanctified hearts He valued infinitely more than gold of Ophir.  The temple in Jerusalem was never intended by God to be a reflection of His goodness, power, majesty and grandeur because of the size or expense:  His people were to reflect Him by their humility, generosity and love with one another.  From the very beginning of creation and for all eternity, God's desire is to dwell among His people who love Him, and may our lives be lived for His glory through our faith, glad submission and obedience to Him.

If God's people would walk in His statutes and keep His commandments, God promised to dwell among His people and not forsake them.  Jesus has established the new covenant in His own blood, and having been born again by faith in Jesus the Holy Spirit now takes up residence in our own hearts.  Isn't this amazing, that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit who sanctifies us?  Hebrews 13:5-6 says to us, "Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." ⁶ So we may boldly say: "The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?"  Knowing God dwells with us, we need not covet a bigger or newer church building--as if we need that to serve Him better or glorify Him more.  Since God will never leave or forsake us and always helps us, we can rejoice to faithfully minister unto Him right where we are.  Our problem is not using everything at our disposal for His glory and simultaneously imagine what we are doing for ourselves is for His sake.

Beauty of Holiness

"Give unto the LORD, O you mighty ones, give unto the LORD glory and strength. ² Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness."

Psalm 29:1-2

Without doing a thing, God is awesome on glory and beautiful in holiness.  He is pure, perfect, almighty and righteous in all His ways without changing.  There is no created thing in heaven or earth that can compare with His goodness and unfailing faithfulness.  David urged all people to give worship to the LORD for His glory and strength in the beauty of holiness.  His beauty is not merely observed but personally experienced by those who love Him and His appearing.

A song by Oasis Worship that leans into worship of God for who He is is titled, "You Are Beautiful Beyond Description."  The song goes:

You are beautiful beyond description

Too marvellous for words

Too wonderful for comprehension

Like nothing ever seen or heard

Who can grasp Your infinite wisdom

Who can fathom the depth of Your love

You are beautiful beyond description

Majesty enthroned above...

As our lives plod on there are more things we appreciate and love about God, and His beauty of holiness ought to be one of them.  It is fitting we love God for the wonderful things He has done, and we ought to always acknowledge how glorious He is.  When we find God's character compelling in itself, we can praise the LORD and bow before Him reverently even when He allows or does things we do not understand.  This is why worship of God for who He is establishes a foundation of worship for all seasons of life regardless of what happens.  If our worship or thanks of God is shallow, only showing gratitude or thanks for what we see as beneficial according to our preferences, we will be disillusioned in the difficult and troubling seasons of life God allows so we can be strengthened in faith, realise on a deeper level how much we need Him, and how faithful He is to His word and us continually.

The ugliness of sin and the devastation of the world cannot tarnish God's goodness or glory.  On the contrary, God's love and goodness is a stark contrast to the world under Satan's sway that has rebelled from God and His righteous ways.  It is ironic those who do no believe in God will blame God for the wrongs in the world instead of acknowledging the self-evident truth:  "There is none righteous, no not one."  As Jesus declared there is no one good except God, and thus He is worthy of all our worship and praise.  Having had our eyes opened by faith in Jesus, let us praise and worship God in the beauty of holiness because of His goodness, wisdom and otherness from humanity steeped in sin.  That God would be scarred for our sin so we could be redeemed and reconciled to God is awesome indeed.