TRUE WORSHIP BEGINS IN OUR HEARTS!

READ PSALM 50

Psalm 50:3

Our God comes; he does not keep silence;

before him is a devouring fire,

around him a mighty tempest. 

The God of heaven has a right to judge, and He will. The writer reminds us that the Lord will judge empty worship. He has never been pleased with men who practice empty ritualism, with hearts that are far from Him. We should continually be checking our hearts.

The psalmist reminds the readers of this with God’s own words of rebuke for their rebellion:

Psalm 50:16-18

16 But to the wicked God says:

“What right have you to recite my statutes

or take my covenant on your lips?

17 For you hate discipline,

and you cast my words behind you.

18 If you see a thief, you are pleased with him,

and you keep company with adulterers. 

The children of Israel went through their prescribed rituals many times, but had set aside the words of God. They rebelled against the discipline of the Lord and communed with God’s enemies.

Psalm 50:19-21

19 “You give your mouth free rein for evil,

and your tongue frames deceit.

20 You sit and speak against your brother;

you slander your own mother's son.

21 These things you have done, and I have been silent;

you thought that I was one like yourself.

But now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you. 

Their mouth spoke evil and they assumed that God’s silence implied His approval.

Psalm 50:22-23

22 “Mark this, then, you who forget God,

lest I tear you apart, and there be none to deliver!

23 The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me;

to one who orders his way rightly

I will show the salvation of God!” 

What is the solution to a rebellious heart? A change of ways! The one who sets his life in order and is grateful to God. Those are the ones whom God approves, the ones whom God saves.

We are not very different from the children of Israel: we, too, go through our practices of worship with our hearts far from God. We, too, go through seasons of rebellion and think that God’s silence in some way lessens the gravity of our rebellion.

God’s standards are not to be overlooked! We should be alarmed by our seasons of rebellion. If we go through times of disdain for God’s teaching and do not feel the heavy hand of God on our lives, then we should question our relationship with God. God is not indifferent to our sin and is not looking for people that merely give Him lip service. Oh, we can deceive man, but we can never deceive God!

One of the greatest warning signs to us is a lack of gratitude. Our dissatisfaction exposes our hearts. Those who know God should be grateful for His presence and sovereignty in their lives. True worship will always be accompanied by true gratitude.

Discontent not only exposes our rebellion, but it is the easy path to sin. Dissatisfaction, bitterness, anger, ungratefulness never produce godliness, but they always produce more sin.

Have you checked your heart, even better, have you asked to someone close to you if your words and attitudes show gratitude to God, or complaint?

If you are like me, you have all kinds of excuses for your attitude. We blame it on others, on circumstances, on our health, even on the weather. We tend to not take personal responsibility.

The wonderful thing is that we can confess our sin, ask God for help, change our ways, and return to godly worship. God demands our worship, He deserves our worship, but He looks at our heart and desires our heart to be devoted and submitted to Him.

May our praise be sincere and apparent today! We have every reason to be grateful for the privilege to call God our Father. We are His children forever! Jesus has changed our lives and His Spirit continually works in us! TRUE PRAISE BEGINS IN OUR HEARTS!

HAVE YOU CHECKED YOUR HEART?

GOD WILL NOT RECEIVE TO EMPTY WORSHIP!

READ PSALM 50

Psalm 50:1

The Mighty One, God the Lord,

speaks and summons the earth

from the rising of the sun to its setting. 

In this psalm, the author presents God as the righteous judge, the one Who has the right to call every creature on earth to judgment. No one escapes the right of the Lord to judge.

Psalm 50:3

Our God comes; he does not keep silence;

before him is a devouring fire,

around him a mighty tempest. 

God’s judgment is clear and consuming. Nothing is hidden from His sight.

Psalm 50:4

He calls to the heavens above

and to the earth, that he may judge his people: 

The heavens are His witnesses of His judgment against His people. His judgment is not against the sacrifices they make, but against the attitude behind their acts of worship.

Psalm 50:7-9

7 “Hear, O my people, and I will speak;

O Israel, I will testify against you.

I am God, your God.

8 Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you;

your burnt offerings are continually before me.

9 I will not accept a bull from your house

or goats from your folds. 

God is looking for His people to have an attitude of thanksgiving.

Psalm 50:14-15

14 Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving,

and perform your vows to the Most High,

15 and call upon me in the day of trouble;

I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.” 

God’s words are clear: gratefulness and humility are what God is expecting, and then He will deliver them in the times of trouble.

As we rehearse our lives, do we recognize the same unacceptable traits that the children of Israel displayed so often?

Do we recognize God as the One Who has the right to judge all? Do we remember that He is interested in our hearts, and not our empty acts of worship?

It’s easy to live a life of ingratitude and still show up for church, as if all is well. At times we have allowed sin to find root in our hearts, while we sing heartily on Sunday. We know that we have unresolved issues with others, yet come and think that God is satisfied with our verbal assent in church.

Nothing is hidden from God. He is not interested in our hypocritical worship. Jesus said it clearly:

Matthew 5:23-24

So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 

The Apostle spoke very clearly of the sin of participating in the Lord’s Supper without being purified:

1 Corinthians 11:17-18, 27-29

But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you… Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.

We tend to repeat the same sins Israel did. We approach God with carelessness, forgetting that the Lord sees our heart and is not pleased at all with our external rituals.

Lest you think that the solution is to just avoid worship, so you will not incur the judgment of God, I want to remind you that the only wise and Godly solution is to repent and make sure that your heart matches your actions.

God desires our gratefulness. The Lord loves our worship when it is the expression of a submissive heart. He loves to succor us in our times of trouble.

Why don’t you stop and check your heart? Make sure that it is right before God, and then worship Him in a way that truly honors him. 

DEATH, A CERTAIN END FOR ALL!

Death is the great equalizer!

READ PSALM 49 

Psalm 49:1-3

1 Hear this, all peoples!

Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,

2 both low and high,

rich and poor together!

3 My mouth shall speak wisdom;

the meditation of my heart shall be understanding. 

The invitation is for all people to come and listen, for what will be announced is true for all, rich and poor, of any social position in society.

Psalm 49:5-9

5 Why should I fear in times of trouble,

when the iniquity of those who cheat me surrounds me,

6 those who trust in their wealth

and boast of the abundance of their riches?

7 Truly no man can ransom another,

or give to God the price of his life,

8 for the ransom of their life is costly

and can never suffice,

9 that he should live on forever

and never see the pit. 

The psalmist asks a very penetrating question: Why should I fear evil people who really have no power to purchase life? With all their money they cannot keep anyone from dying. They trust in their power and wealth, but have no lasting power.

Psalm 49:10-12

10 For he sees that even the wise die;

the fool and the stupid alike must perish

and leave their wealth to others.

11 Their graves are their homes forever,

their dwelling places to all generations,

though they called lands by their own names.

12 Man in his pomp will not remain;

he is like the beasts that perish. 

Death is the great equalizer. Wise and foolish, rich and poor all die leaving all behind. They all end up in the grave; their power does not make any difference.

Psalm 49:13-14

13 This is the path of those who have foolish confidence;

yet after them people approve of their boasts. Selah

14 Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol;

death shall be their shepherd,

and the upright shall rule over them in the morning.

Their form shall be consumed in Sheol, with no place to dwell.

Those who have placed their confidence in their strength in this life, even though they might still be praised by some people after their death, are dead forever.

Psalm 49:15

15 But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol,

for he will receive me. Selah 

The psalmist reminds himself and us that God is his hope after death, that God will ransom him and receive him. We should not fear in life or death.

Psalm 49:16-20

16 Be not afraid when a man becomes rich,

when the glory of his house increases.

17 For when he dies he will carry nothing away;

his glory will not go down after him.

18 For though, while he lives, he counts himself blessed

—and though you get praise when you do well for yourself—

19 his soul will go to the generation of his fathers,

who will never again see light.

20 Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish. 

How could the psalmist state it more clearly? Everyone will die, and their status while on earth will have no eternal value. The writer of the letter to the Hebrews echoes this, as well:

Hebrews 9:27

And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 

What should we learn from this psalm?

- Never envy those who seem powerful today – Their power will end soon.

- Do not fear man – His power is temporal.

- Death is the great equalizer – All die and are buried.

- Only Christ can give true hope – He is the Redeemer.

- Accumulating wealth on earth has no eternal value – You will leave all behind.

- Eternal values are the only ones worth living for – They make an eternal difference.

- Do not become distracted by the temporal – You will be working hard for things that do not make a difference.

Dear friend, look at your life right now…

Is your time driven by the temporal?

Are your thoughts captivated by things that have no eternal value?

Are you worrying?

Are you envying others or always hoping that your situation might change?

Do you fear men?

May this psalm drive you to biblical thinking. Live in light of eternity, driven by eternal goals, and rejoicing that you have a redeemer. Christ is alive today, may our lives be centered on Christ and may our desire be to dwell with Him forever!

OUR PRAISE REFLECTS WHAT WE THINK ABOUT GOD!

Have you lost sight of God?
READ PSALM 48 

Psalm 48:1

Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised

in the city of our God!

His holy mountain, 

Here the psalmist is praising both the Lord, and Jerusalem, God’s own city. As we read this psalm, the worthiness of God to receive worship and praise is magnified. The city of God is blessed by the Lords’ protection and care.

God’s power has demonstrated by His miraculous protection of His city from the enemies. The beneficiaries of His protection and care are overwhelmed by His unfading, unending, and perfect love. The inhabitants recognize God’s righteous control over the city.

As they watch God’s work, they are grateful and will proclaim to the next generation the wonderful deeds of their Lord.

Psalm 48:12-14

12 Walk about Zion, go around her,

number her towers,

13 consider well her ramparts,

go through her citadels,

that you may tell the next generation

14 that this is God,

our God forever and ever.

He will guide us forever. 

Most of us look at God as our wonderful Lord, but do not look at our country as a place where God dwells or that He blesses in a special way.

We know that He indwells the believer and that He blesses us and protects us. We should be continually amazed and grateful for the privilege we have in Christ.

We have been saved by grace.

Ephesians 2:8-9

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

We are secure in our salvation.

Romans 8:31-35

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?

We have the Word of God.

Psalm 119:97-100

how I love your law!

It is my meditation all the day.

Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies,

for it is ever with me.

I have more understanding than all my teachers,

for your testimonies are my meditation.

I understand more than the aged,

for I keep your precepts. 

We have the Holy Spirit in us.

John 14:16-17

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. 

We are perfectly loved.

Romans 8:38-39

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

We have the privilege to pray.

Philippians 4:6-7

do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

We have the fellowship of the church.

Colossians 3:15-16

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 

We have God-appointed leaders for our protection.

Hebrews 13:17

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. 

We are constantly recipients of grace.

  

Romans 5:1-2

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 

We have received every spiritual blessing.

Ephesians 1:3

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.

We certainly could think of many more truths that would cause us to praise God and proclaim this truth for the generations to come!

Why is it that we allow the cares of this world to dim the eternal blessing we have instead, of allowing the eternal blessings we have to dim the cares of this world?

DO PEOPLE KNOW HOW GREAT YOUR GOD IS?

Our God is reigning unrestricted today!

Psalm 47:1-4,

1 Clap your hands, all peoples!

Shout to God with loud songs of joy!

2 For the Lord, the Most High, is to be feared,

a great king over all the earth.

3 He subdued peoples under us,

and nations under our feet.

4 He chose our heritage for us,

the pride of Jacob whom he loves. Selah 

The invitation is clear to the children of Israel and all of us; we must come to praise and worship our God! He is the Lord Most High. No one deserves to be praised as our God does. We should say that no one deserves praise at all compared to our God.

Our God is king over all the earth. All was created at His command, and all is sustained by His word. Every person, every nation, and every ruler is under His meticulous sovereignty. His purposes are eternal and righteous. How do we dare question them and arrogantly think that things should be different, believing that what we think is better?

Those men and women who do not praise are, in fact, presuming, in their disdain, that God is not wise, that what is happening does not have a good purpose, or that God really is not in control, in other words, that the world is running free without restraint.

Psalm 47:5-7

5 God has gone up with a shout,

the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.

6 Sing praises to God, sing praises!

Sing praises to our King, sing praises!

7 For God is the King of all the earth;

sing praises with a psalm! 

The Psalmist continues to command to praise God, reminding us that He is our King! Not only does God deserve our praise, but if He is indeed our King, He can and does demand our praise.

It is not a surprise that the world does not praise God. They don’t recognize Him as their master. They have rebelled and have set themselves and their own thinking as the leader of their lives. It is important to remember that all those who do not believe exclusively and completely in the God of the Bible are worshiping another god. The god of the Mormons, the Muslims, and of every religion on the earth is an invention of man. We are not calling the same God with different names; we are not worshiping the same God at all. There is only one true God and it is the One Who has revealed himself through Scripture. He is a jealous God, Who will not share His glory with man or any other invented deity.

Why do we not praise our God as we should? We have certainly allowed other things to distract our attention, seeds of distrust and displeasure have crept into our hearts and we find ourselves rebelling towards our God.

Our attitudes or thoughts do not change the eternal truth that God is reigning, He is in total control.

Psalm 47:8-9

8 God reigns over the nations;

God sits on his holy throne.

9 The princes of the peoples gather

as the people of the God of Abraham.

For the shields of the earth belong to God;

he is highly exalted! 

The hosts of heaven worship Him continuously. They see His perfection and holiness; they marvel at His sovereignty and are in awe of His tender care of His own. They are aware of His grace and love. They rejoice when a new believer comes to understand the grace of God.

I trust that you and I are not going through a season of rebellion, but that our lack of praise is only the result of distraction. We should stop now and rehearse the many reasons we have to be grateful. His care is meticulous and particular. In other words, His protection and attention to our lives is so careful that nothing escapes Him and His work in us and around us is perfectly controlled for our benefit. His care for the world does not leave us with second best, but God is completely capable of working perfectly in every life at all times and simultaneously. That thought alone should leave us stunned and amazed!

At times, we praise God because our situation is not as bad as it could be. We look around and see people who are worse off than us and think that this fact should encourage us to worship God. I would like to invite you to embrace the fact that your praise for God should be the result of understanding and believing that your situation is exactly what God intends and desires for you and that ultimately it is the best for you.

Our God is reigning unrestricted today. His work is meticulous, driven by His perfections. He is holy, righteous, perfect, wise, loving… Our praise should be continuous. Our gratitude should be unstoppable.

What should you be praising God for right now? May those around you be attracted to your God, may the Lord use your praise to bring glory to Himself! 

BE STILL IN THE STORM! GOD IS AT WORK!

Only God’s Word can inform us about what is true!

READ PSALM 46

Psalm 46:8-11

8 Come, behold the works of the Lord,

how he has brought desolations on the earth.

9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;

he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;

he burns the chariots with fire.

10 “Be still, and know that I am God.

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth!”

11 The Lord of hosts is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress. 

Selah 

As God worked in the life of the Israelites, they should have called attention to their Lord: the God who had power to make the other nations desolate and to bring victory to them.

God desired that they would recognize Him and find peace in Him. The natural reaction would have been for them to praise Him above all nations, above all things.

True believers frequently experience the tender care of their God, who has consistently shown His power and love through the many difficulties of their lives. Those who know Him are continually encouraged by His loving care and tenderness.

As His children, we are well aware of our helplessness and dependence upon our Lord. We came to Him as desolate and broken people deserving nothing, and we have found in God our rest and our refuge.

Yet, we are so easily driven by our feelings, which are driven by our thoughts. God wants our thoughts to be informed by truth, but we are surrounded by lies that want to control our thoughts.

Our hearts are so deceived and deceitful. The father of lies rules the world and so our hearts can quickly embrace his lies.

Jeremiah 17:9

The heart is deceitful above all things,

and desperately sick;

who can understand it? 

Left to our human thinking, we are not even able to judge our hearts and our feelings. Only God’s Word can inform us about what is true and what should be driving our decisions and reactions.

When Christ invites us to come to Him, He promises to provide peace and rest.

Matthew 11:28-30

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” 

God’s provision is inexhaustible.

Philippians 4:19-20

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. 

We have a comforter.

John 14:25-27

 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. 

He prepares us to help others.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 

The Psalmist reminds us to be still and wait upon God. Let me tell you the signs that we are not doing this: when we have no rest, no peace, we are troubled, we are not close to God, and we are unprepared to help others.

Why should we be still? Because when the waves are driving our thoughts, we are in turmoil. When the clouds are driving our thoughts, we live in fear. When people are driving our thoughts, we live in confusion.

We need to stop, redirect our thoughts, meditate on the truth of the Scriptures and trust in what we know of the character of God. Even though our surroundings are fluctuating, our God always remains our sure foundation.

When in a storm, don’t doubt what you know about the Lord. Be still and your fear will turn to trust, your anxiety will turn to peace.

This Psalm has walked us through the reality of life: that we live in the midst of real storms, protected by our true God, and our faith will direct us to a life of trustful dependence and true peace.

WE ARE SO BLESSED!

GOD DO YOU KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME?

Oh God, replace our fear with faith!

READ PSALM 46

Psalm 46:4-7

1 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,

the holy habitation of the Most High.

5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;

God will help her when morning dawns.

6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;

he utters his voice, the earth melts.

7 The Lord of hosts is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress. 

                                         Selah 

The Psalmist begins to describe the comfort and peace of living the presence and care of God. The waters of the presence of God are streams that bring joy compared to the waters of verse three that were overwhelming.

The city of God is a place of refuge and care. Where God dwells people cannot be moved or be overcome. Yes the nations can rage, but when God speaks everything stops.

Why do we, so quickly, loose sight of God when trouble comes? Do you remember when the storm came and Jesus was with the disciples?

Mark 4:35-41

On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39 And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41 And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” 

Did you notice that is was Jesus Who asked the disciple to go on the boat? Did He know that there would be a storm? Did He know that it would have become dangerous? Was He surprised by their reactions?

The apostles had been with Jesus, they had already watched Him perform miracles. When they asked Jesus if He cared they probably doubted His interest in them more than His ability to help them. And even His help was probably viewed more in human terms than in the miraculous.

All it took was a word by Jesus and the storm calmed down. At God’s word men were resurrected, people were healed. Jesus’ response exposes the problem, they had no faith. Their time with Jesus had not increased their trust in Him.

We tend to ask the same absurd question the disciples asked. The absurdity of the question is why we would question that God brought us in the boat to die when we know that He died to bring us in His care. When God looks at our reaction does he ask us why we have such little faith? How quickly our mind takes us in the wrong direction and how quickly we are enveloped by fear. Oh God, replace our fear with faith! We need God to cause us to be heavenly minded.

The psalmist reminded the Israelites that God was with them! God is with us! He goes before us in every circumstance; there are eternal purposes in every event He permits.

His love for us culminated in the death of His precious Son. He can change our circumstances with one word, if He chooses not to; it means that it is more profitable for us to go through the trial. In some ways, as long as we rebel, the trial has not produced the desired effect. As I look back at very difficult times in my life, times I thought I was a victim (and way too often acted like one), they were precious. I know my heart and I know that there will be more difficulties; my natural response will be to think I don’t deserve them or that I have suffered enough. My hope is that my times of rebellion will become shorter and shorter. That my desire to be like Christ will overpower my desire for comfort; that my desire for sanctification will overpower my natural desire to please my flesh.

We are in the boat with Christ! That should keep us grateful and rejoicing every day!

This psalm has been inspired by God to help us think right in the midst of our trials. May we repent quickly when we rebel and find the peace that God intended for us all along! How will you apply this truth to your life today?

TROUBLE IS HERE, BUT GOD IS NEAR!

READ PSALM 46

Do you fear your situations? Are you going through a season of worry?

Psalm 46:1-3

1 God is our refuge and strength,

a very present help in trouble.

2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,

though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,

3 though its waters roar and foam,

though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah 

How would you finish this phrase: My present trouble is…? Dear friend if you don’t have trouble today, thank the Lord, but I am sure you know someone who is having trouble. We all know that trouble is around the corner. No, it’s not a gloomy prediction; it is the reality of life.

John 16:33

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” 

Jesus prepared us. The believers, when they become children of God, do not get a pass to return in the Garden of Eden. They receive the privilege of a personal relationship with God Who will accompany them through the difficulties of life.

Are we as aware as we should that we have a sure place where to find refuge and strength?

A refuge is a place where we can go and be protected during trouble. It does not mean that the difficulty is over but that we are not to be dismayed. The omnipotent God is our refuge. The shelter we have cannot be overcome in any way. Our strength does not come by the fact that the trouble will end quickly, but by the protection we receive. We are tempted to think that we can have peace because our God will stop the difficulty, but God wants us to have peace because He is our shelter. My dear friends, we tend to look to God to have our problems ended instead of enjoying the fact that we have been driven in His arms.

I love the fact that the writer reminds us that God is a very present help. Our God does not need to be woken up, nor does He become aware of our situation only when He hears our first prayer. He is there, He has allowed the difficulty and He loves to be our shelter and, in fact, that is what He is driving us to. He is not pleased when we try to fight through the problems on our own. God desires that we live in His shelter at all times.

God the Father has planned it from eternity past, He provided our entrance in His shelter by revealing Himself to us, and sending His Son to die for us so Jesus could be the way, the door into the shelter, and He has provided the Holy Spirit, our comforter, to guide us in the shelter and to keep us secure. The triune God has planned this and is pleased to do it.

It is not a sign of weakness to run to God for shelter and strength it is indeed the only wise choice we can make. No one is turned away from God’s arms who comes humbly realizing he needs a shelter and that all other man made shelters are worthless and dangerous.

There is no problem too big for God. Even though we might feel that the world is crashing around us the shelter is the wise place to go. Yes marriages fail, families go through great trials, our health can escape us, the economy and job situation can be overwhelming, but God’s arms are always open wide.

We can stray into the wilderness of the world, create or multiply our trials through sin, but the way to the shelter is always the same. Repentance and return to Christ. There are no long rituals that must be done; only grace can solve our problems. Dear friend you have not wondered too far to come back to the wonderful protection of God.

Oh how easily I am tempted to think that I am going through the trials alone. So easily I begin to think that I am a victim of circumstances and people, God is watching and inviting me to find rest in Him. I must say that often we are very stubborn in our ways. God is patient with us.

Do you fear your situations? Are you going through a season of worry? Are you becoming bitter? Are you plain rebelling? Please recognize your sin and return to God. Find comfort in the truth you know about God. You can trust His CHARACTER, His WISDOM, His POWER, and His LOVE.

If God is perfect he cannot do anything wrong, if He is wise He cannot make any mistakes, if He is powerful He cannot be overcome, and if He is loving He will never leave you and will never stop loving you perfectly.

I AM SO GLAD THIS IS MY SHELTER! ARE YOU?

A LOVE SONG THAT SHOULD DRIVE US TO OUR KNEES!

READ PSALM 45

Psalm 45:1

My heart overflows with a pleasing theme;

I address my verses to the king;

my tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe. 

This psalm is a love song written in honor of the king for his marriage. The author will honor the king, as he describes his kingdom and wishes for him a prosperous reign with his new bride.

Reading this psalm could leave us somewhat perplexed about its application for us today, but there are two aspects that impressed me as edifying reminders to us.

This king is anointed by God, and therefore his God-given role is to rule well with righteousness; and in this marriage, he has been given the new bride, who will support him in his endeavors.

Psalm 45:4

In your majesty ride out victoriously

for the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness;

let your right hand teach you awesome deeds! 

Psalm 45:6-7

Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.

The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness;

you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness.

Therefore God, your God, has anointed you

with the oil of gladness beyond your companions; 

We have no idea who this king was; very possibly he was of the Davidic line, related to the eternal King, Jesus Christ, the King who will rule forever with perfect justice and glory.

We are certainly blessed to have the Lord as our King! He does rule with justice, His kingdom is forever, and even though it seems often that our world is gone very far from the standards set by God, He is still in control. No one comes to power, if not permitted by God for His eternal purposes.

We do have a responsibility to pray for our authorities. Our prayers should be that we may live in an environment conducive to the progress of the Gospel.

1 Timothy 2:1-6

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. 

At all times, our prayers for our leaders should have eternal purposes. We should be praying earnestly that, as they rule, we would have freedom to share with other people the message that the only mediator between God and man is Jesus Christ. Too often, when we remember to pray for our authorities, we are driven by our frustration and our desire to make our lives easier, and possibly to see more righteousness around us. Rather, our prayers should be driven by our desire to see more people come to know Christ, that they would be driven to trust Him alone for their eternal destiny.

God is in control, and our focus should be to reach the people around us with the Gospel. To that end, we should be in constant prayer. This kind of focus would certainly lift us out from our tendency to complain and encourage us to be faithful servants in sharing the truth of salvation.

Secondly, this psalm reminds us of the precious role a woman has, when she marries her husband.

Psalm 45:10-11

Hear, O daughter, and consider, and incline your ear:

forget your people and your father's house,

11 and the king will desire your beauty.

Since he is your lord, bow to him. 

Psalm 45:16

In place of your fathers shall be your sons;

you will make them princes in all the earth. 

There are obviously many aspects of marriage taught in the Scriptures that should not be neglected, but here we find the bride leaving her house and uniting with the King to form a family.

I am afraid that in so many marriages today, the joy and pleasure of having children and creating a loving home has been replaced by many other distractions.

Paul, in his inspired instructions, reminds the older women to teach the younger women to be mindful of the eternal purposes in their marriages.

Titus 2:3-5

Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. 

The home is certainly a place where the Word of God must be manifested and honored. It should be a place where the husband is honoring God by sacrificially loving his wife. The wife should be devoted, for the sake of the Gospel, to loving her family and making her home a place where the Gospel is lived out and proclaimed.

Many marriages begin with a focus on meeting one’s own needs and dreams, more than desiring for it to be an image of the love that Christ has for the church and the church’s desire to submit to Christ.

There is so much that could be said about our authorities and our marriages, but may this psalm drive us to prayer for our leaders and our marriages. May we be willing to submit to the Word of God and have our lives shaped by the eternal purposes of God.

WE NEED TO PRAY!

NEVER DOUBT GOD DURING DIFFICULTIES!

WE NEED GOD ALL THE TIME!

 

Psalm 44

1 O God, we have heard with our ears,

our fathers have told us,

what deeds you performed in their days,

in the days of old:

2 you with your own hand drove out the nations,

but them you planted;

you afflicted the peoples,

but them you set free;

3 for not by their own sword did they win the land,

nor did their own arm save them,

but your right hand and your arm,

and the light of your face,

for you delighted in them.

4 You are my King, O God;

ordain salvation for Jacob!

5 Through you we push down our foes;

through your name we tread down those who rise up against us.

6 For not in my bow do I trust,

nor can my sword save me.

7 But you have saved us from our foes

and have put to shame those who hate us.

8 In God we have boasted continually,

and we will give thanks to your name forever. Selah 

Israel has not forgotten the role that God played in their lives. All that they had ever achieved was never done in their own strength, for the enemies they defeated, the land they conquered was done by the power of God. God had saved them, and He had shown favor to them.

They had given thanks and had boasted in the Lord, and in the time of prosperity, they had not forgotten Whose hand had cared for them. They had not trusted in themselves, but in God alone. But now things have changed: Israel is suffering, and they are confused both by their difficulties and by God’s inaction.

But you have rejected us and disgraced us

and have not gone out with our armies.

10 You have made us turn back from the foe,

and those who hate us have gotten spoil.

11 You have made us like sheep for slaughter

and have scattered us among the nations.

12 You have sold your people for a trifle,

demanding no high price for them.

13 You have made us the taunt of our neighbors,

the derision and scorn of those around us.

14 You have made us a byword among the nations,

a laughingstock among the peoples.

15 All day long my disgrace is before me,

and shame has covered my face

16 at the sound of the taunter and reviler,

at the sight of the enemy and the avenger. 

They look at God as the author of the difficult time they are going through. They have been overwhelmed by the derision of their enemies. What confuses them is that they were faithful during that time.

17 All this has come upon us,

though we have not forgotten you,

and we have not been false to your covenant.

18 Our heart has not turned back,

nor have our steps departed from your way;

19 yet you have broken us in the place of jackals

and covered us with the shadow of death.

20 If we had forgotten the name of our God

or spread out our hands to a foreign god,

21 would not God discover this?

For he knows the secrets of the heart.

22 Yet for your sake we are killed all the day long;

we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.

Although they are going through this difficult time, they are not going any place else for help. They know that God is their only hope.

23 Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord?

Rouse yourself!  Do not reject us forever!

24 Why do you hide your face?

Why do you forget our affliction and oppression?

25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust;

our belly clings to the ground.

26 Rise up; come to our help!

Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love!

As they beg for help, they still know that their only appropriate reaction is to appeal to God because of His love - a love that is steadfast, eternal, unchanging.

Guides by this psalm, there are some principles that we should remember as we consider our own difficulties.

We never achieve anything apart from the grace of God. Anything we have done is a gift of God and we should continually guard our heart from ever taking credit for what the grace of God has accomplished in us.

Even when we are perplexed, we should never doubt God. We can wonder why God is allowing us to go through extreme difficulties, even the taunting of men, but still trust in His purposes.

Our faithfulness is not an insurance against trials. At times we can be tempted to think that God owes us peace and comfort because we are being faithful.

We must never turn to other places for our satisfaction. We live in a world that is always proposing lies and alternatives to God. God must continue to be our only focus and satisfaction.

We must continue to bring our petitions to God. Our God is not bothered by our prayers. Yet, our prayers are examined in light of our motives. God does not want us to ask merely to feed our own desires, but His plans, His eternal purposes, must drive our prayers.

We should never doubt God’s love. God is eternally holy, just, and faithful. His love has always been driven by His character and never by our ability to earn it.

WE NEED GOD, HE KNOWS THIS, AND LOVES FOR US TO DEPEND ON HIM!