I love Psalms 34, it is so encouraging. It has so many good promises.
1) He answers and delivers us from our fears when we seek Him. v.4
2) Those who look to Him are radiant and their faces will never be ashamed. v.5
3) The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him. v.7
4) Happy is the man who takes refuge in Him. v.8
5) Those who fear Him lack nothing. v. 9,10
6) The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are open to their cry for help. v.15,16
7) The Lord is near the brokenhearted. v.18
8) All who take refuge in Him will not be punished. v.22
Our God is truly good and great. He is worthy of our praise. We have many wonderful promises here. Yet, all of them come with a condition. We have to do our part to receive the promises. Our part is to seek Him, look to Him, fear Him, be righteous, be humble, and take refuge in Him.
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Thursday, August 8, 2013
The Burden of Unrepentance
When we sin it takes a toll on our lives. It especially takes a toll when we try to hide it or unrepentant.
Psalms 31:9-11 says, "Be gracious to me, Lord,because I am in distress; my eyes are worn out from angry sorrow—my whole being as well.
10 Indeed, my life is consumed with grief and my years with groaning;
my strength has failed because of my sinfulness, and my bones waste away.
11 I am ridiculed by all my adversaries and even by my neighbors.
I am dreaded by my acquaintances; those who see me in the street run from me.
(Holman Christian Standard Bible)
I like how the HCSB translates verse 10 because I feel it truly communicates what David is experiencing. He has sinned against God and it is affecting him emotionally and physically. I don't believe that he is only speaking figuratively here but it literally has taken a toll on him emotionally and physically.
If our hearts have not been hardened by sins deceitfulness, we will be in great distress and sorrow and it will have a negative affect on our whole being. Also, we see that when it is discovered by others, we lose our good reputation. It can even cause others to avoid us, and separate from us. Sin has a way of racking havoc on our relationship with others. Especially if others consider it a great sin or greater than other sins. The consequences are often even worse.
Sin will take a greater toll on us when we hide it. David talks how his hidden sin caused his bones to become brittle, and how he groaned all day long under the weight of it. His strength was drained. (Psalms 32:4-5)
Yet, if we look at all of Psalms 32, we see when he confessed his sin that they were forgiven and cleansed. Then joy replaced his grief and sorrow. Repentance releases God's joy and peace in our lives.
Psalms 31:9-11 says, "Be gracious to me, Lord,because I am in distress; my eyes are worn out from angry sorrow—my whole being as well.
10 Indeed, my life is consumed with grief and my years with groaning;
my strength has failed because of my sinfulness, and my bones waste away.
11 I am ridiculed by all my adversaries and even by my neighbors.
I am dreaded by my acquaintances; those who see me in the street run from me.
(Holman Christian Standard Bible)
I like how the HCSB translates verse 10 because I feel it truly communicates what David is experiencing. He has sinned against God and it is affecting him emotionally and physically. I don't believe that he is only speaking figuratively here but it literally has taken a toll on him emotionally and physically.
If our hearts have not been hardened by sins deceitfulness, we will be in great distress and sorrow and it will have a negative affect on our whole being. Also, we see that when it is discovered by others, we lose our good reputation. It can even cause others to avoid us, and separate from us. Sin has a way of racking havoc on our relationship with others. Especially if others consider it a great sin or greater than other sins. The consequences are often even worse.
Sin will take a greater toll on us when we hide it. David talks how his hidden sin caused his bones to become brittle, and how he groaned all day long under the weight of it. His strength was drained. (Psalms 32:4-5)
Yet, if we look at all of Psalms 32, we see when he confessed his sin that they were forgiven and cleansed. Then joy replaced his grief and sorrow. Repentance releases God's joy and peace in our lives.
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Joy of the Journey
Psalms 16:11
“You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
Our journey to the heart of God is a life-long journey of
discovering the greatness of the God whom we serve. It is not a journey of
works but a journey of faith and obedience that constantly yields new doors of
blessing and fulfillment. The journey of works is a hard road to walk, filled
with hills and valleys of success and failure. When we are successful, we feel
great; when we are doing poorly, we feel discouraged, frustrated, angry or
depressed. We measure the progress of
our journey by comparing ourselves to others and where they are on their
journey.
The journey to the heart of God is a life-long journey of
discovering who God is in all of His love, greatness, and power. It is an
ongoing revelation of His awesome character and nature. This journey is not
void of works, but these works are an outgrowth of relationship and not a proof
of value or source of identity and affirmation. Our fulfillment and contentment
is solely found in our ongoing relationship with the Father through the Spirit.
Look at the focus of the Psalmist. It is totally on God. “You will show me that path of life.”
The path of life cannot be found in a do-it-yourself manual of ten easy steps
to success. The path of life is found from beginning to end in a personal
relationship with Jesus Christ that is cultivated on a daily basis in every
aspect of life. The path of life is a discovery of Jesus in our marriage,
family, and job. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No
one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6) The path of life is
found in Jesus Christ.
The Psalmist continues, “In Your presence is
fullness of joy.” When you are in love with someone, it impacts every area of
your life. It puts joy in your heart, a spring in your step, and a smile on
your face. It has nothing to do with performance but radically improves your
performance. It changes your perspective on everything. You respond to people
and circumstances with optimism and joy. It is contagious! When you are in love
with God, you will have a growing awareness of His presence and incorporate Him
in every decision, everything you say and do. He becomes the center of your
life.
The Psalmist concludes by saying, “At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” It is only in His presence that we have
access to His right hand, which is filled with blessings and pleasure
forevermore. However, blessing and pleasure is not the source of joy. His
presence is our source of joy. Pleasures and blessings are simply an outgrowth
of our relationship. When we truly get to know Him, the greatest pleasure is
spending time with Him. Enjoy your journey with God.
Saturday, August 3, 2013
The Generation of Self
As I was reading the Bible today, I was reading out of Proverbs 30. Verse 11-13 caught my attention.
There is a generation that curses its father and does not bless its mother.
There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes,yet is not washed from its filth.
There is a generation—how haughty its eyes and pretentious its looks.
I think that this so true of our generation today. Especially in the more advanced countries of the world like the United States and Europe. The new generation in general does not have the same respect for their parents as the older generation. Often, children are arrogant towards their parents and even hostile.
The new generation in developed countries think they can do no wrong. Everyone can live as they please. Whatever makes them feel good, and doesn't hurt others (at least in their minds), it is fine. What God calls sin or evil, they see no wrong in it. This generation is quick to criticize and judge others, but doesn't accept criticism or corrections well. Each person is a man or woman unto himself.
Basically, those from developed nations have become haughty and pretentious. Pretentious according to the Bing dictionary is - self-important and affected: acting as though more important or special than is warranted, or appearing to have an unrealistically high self-image.
Sadly to say, we often find these attitudes in the church. Lord help us to guard against this and walk humbly before you.
There is a generation that curses its father and does not bless its mother.
There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes,yet is not washed from its filth.
There is a generation—how haughty its eyes and pretentious its looks.
I think that this so true of our generation today. Especially in the more advanced countries of the world like the United States and Europe. The new generation in general does not have the same respect for their parents as the older generation. Often, children are arrogant towards their parents and even hostile.
The new generation in developed countries think they can do no wrong. Everyone can live as they please. Whatever makes them feel good, and doesn't hurt others (at least in their minds), it is fine. What God calls sin or evil, they see no wrong in it. This generation is quick to criticize and judge others, but doesn't accept criticism or corrections well. Each person is a man or woman unto himself.
Basically, those from developed nations have become haughty and pretentious. Pretentious according to the Bing dictionary is - self-important and affected: acting as though more important or special than is warranted, or appearing to have an unrealistically high self-image.
Sadly to say, we often find these attitudes in the church. Lord help us to guard against this and walk humbly before you.
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