YOU HAVE A TREASURE, DON’T OVERLOOK IT!

 THE WORD GIVES US WISDOM FOR ALL

Psalm 119:41-48

Let your steadfast love come to me, O LORD,

your salvation according to your promise;

then shall I have an answer for him who taunts me,

for I trust in your word.

And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth,

for my hope is in your rules.

I will keep your law continually,

forever and ever,

and I shall walk in a wide place,

for I have sought your precepts.

I will also speak of your testimonies before kings

and shall not be put to shame,

for I find my delight in your commandments,

which I love.

I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love,

and I will meditate on your statutes.

Our access to the Word of God is an amazing sign of the kindness and grace of God. When we pick up the Bible, we have the truth available to us; we see God choosing to disclose who He is. We learn to know His character, His instructions, His ways, His thoughts. I know that as I look at the many copies of the Scriptures in my home, I tend to take for granted the amazing grace they represent.

Isaiah 55:8-9

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.

We can know for certain that any information about God a person might receive apart from Scriptures is merely invented. Man, left to his own, would have no ability to even imagine what God is like. The distance between our thoughts and God’s is so great that it would be impossible for man to come close to a valid description of the LORD.

We should be amazed by the love of God every time we take a Bible in our hands and are able to learn the mind of God. Furthermore, our ability to understand the spiritual truths found in it is also an amazing display of the grace of God.

1 Corinthians 2:14-16

        The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

True believers have been given the mind of Christ and are able to understand the things of God! I am afraid that the availability and familiarity of having the Word of God has made me take for granted this amazing gift I have at my disposal.

I have nothing more valuable, nothing more useful, nothing more transforming: I have nothing that comes close! It is a grace of God that I have the Scriptures, and that I can understand them.

Having the Scriptures gives us an answer to those around us. It is strong enough to defend us against those who taunt us. It is exactly what we need to be able to live in a hard and crooked world. It has the answers for all authorities. Knowing the word of God will assure we are never without wisdom and understanding.

The writer is resolute. He wants the word of God in his mouth continually, and knows that there is no other path he wants to walk but that which is found in the law of the LORD.

Thinking about the amazing gift of the Scriptures causes the writer to find delight in them. The Word is what he loves and therefore he meditates upon it.

The psalmist finds boldness in his walk, as he fills his mouth with the Word. He knows that he will have answers that will not put him to shame. He will not be timid or confused, but joyful and bold.

I know that I need to be more resolute in my walk and in my talk. The answer is in a growing confidence in the Word of God that comes from understanding and loving it.

May our testimonies be full of deep gratitude to God for His grace! May our lives be godly before men, because of God’s instruction and strengthening to apply His law from day to day!

A GODLY LIFE IS THE RESULT OF MANY GODLY DECISIONS!

GODLINESS REQUIRES WORK

Psalm 119:33-40

Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes;

and I will keep it to the end.

Give me understanding, that I may keep your law

and observe it with my whole heart.

Lead me in the path of your commandments,

for I delight in it.

Incline my heart to your testimonies,

and not to selfish gain!

Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things;

and give me life in your ways.

Confirm to your servant your promise,

that you may be feared.

Turn away the reproach that I dread,

for your rules are good.

Behold, I long for your precepts;

in your righteousness give me life!

The progression we find in these verses is so necessary for our lives. The writer begins with ‘teach me’ and then he moves to ‘give me understanding, lead me, incline my heart, turn my eyes, confirm, turn away, and give me life’!

I know that, in my laziness, I want to ask God to give me blessing and life without the rigorous and diligent work that needs to be done.

There is no wiser place to begin to learn His statues than at the footstool of the LORD. We have already seen this truth in the previous verses, but again we are reminded that we need to be taught. The question we must ask ourselves is if we really believe it. Our weeks consist of 168 hours. How many are spent learning the Word? For some, the only learning time is the Sunday morning service: 50 minutes, compared to 168 hours. Take time to do the math in your own life: is there something that needs to change? Remember, we are asking the LORD to give us ‘life”, but are we willing to cooperate with His work in us?

Paul reminds us about the work of the Scriptures.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

            All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Life for a true believer is a godly, maturing life that is dedicated to eternal goals. Only the inspired Word of God can provide the teaching and the necessary exposure of wrong thinking and sin, so the Spirit can transform our lives.

The psalmist is asking to learn the way of life; he is not looking for information, but for the path he needs to follow. He needs understanding: the ability to know, discern, and apply the instructions found in his study. He knows that he needs to be led in his walk. His joy is found in walking according to the Scriptures.

Part of his understanding, I believe, is also seeing the benefits and value in following the directions of His Lord. I know that as I get to know the character and love of God, I am more apt to understand and trust His ways and to fully delight in them.

The battle is always raging between our selfishness and our desire to live for God. The psalmist knows that, and he asks the LORD to incline his heart in the right direction. I know that this needs to be my daily prayer: to inform, transform, and incline my heart to godliness. When I am left to my natural desires, I become the center of my heart’s inclination.

The world is always shining lights and aggressively alluring my attention. Not only am I naturally inclined to follow the world, but everything around me wants to pull me in that direction. You and I know how easily we are distracted from all that is valuable and eternal.

But our fear of the Lord is the guiding light for our lives, and a strong deterrent from wandering, to which we are so prone. Solomon, a man who had allowed his life to be greatly distracted and pulled in wrong directions, reminds us of this in his inspired writings.

Proverbs 9:10

            The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,

                        and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

Going in the wrong direction will only produce reproach; following God will produce all that is good. How greatly I need to be prepared and reminded, for my days are filled with choices and decisions.

This stanza ends with an exclamation of desire for the teaching of the Word, for only through the Word will a righteous life be produced. A godly life is the result of a godly resolve!

OUR CHOICES REFLECT THE IMPORTANCE WE GIVE TO THE WORD!

LIVING FOR GOD REQUIRES RESOLVE

Psalm 119:25-32

My soul clings to the dust;

give me life according to your word!

When I told of my ways, you answered me;

teach me your statutes!

Make me understand the way of your precepts,

and I will meditate on your wondrous works.

My soul melts away for sorrow;

strengthen me according to your word!

Put false ways far from me

and graciously teach me your law!

I have chosen the way of faithfulness;

I set your rules before me.

I cling to your testimonies, O LORD;

let me not be put to shame!

I will run in the way of your commandments

when you enlarge my heart!

As the writer arrives to this section, he describes with clarity his humanness, as he desires for God to lift him up through the teachings of the Word.

He knows that he needs God to make His ways known to him, and that life without the reviving of the Scriptures is meaningless.

We would all agree with that statement, but the proof of its reality is in how much time we dedicate to knowing, understanding, meditating upon, applying, and living out the Scriptures in our daily life. Are we really convinced that when we follow our own ways they lead us in the wrong directions? Do we really believe that our heart is deceitful and wicked? Do we truly believe that apart from God, we can do nothing of value? Do we understand that our lives, if lived for earthly goals, are worthless? If, while answering these questions we find ourselves answering in the negative, then it will be normal for us not to have the necessary desire and resolve to study God’s Word. I find that my daily routine tends to make me less dependent on the Word.

The psalmist is resolved; he wants to be taught and he wants to understand. The choice of the church we go to exposes what we are looking for. There are churches that provide programs and entertainment for the whole family, but do not have a high view of Scriptures. There are churches where the music is elaborate, but the study of the preaching of the Word is weak and shallow, in fact, it is the smallest part of the Sunday service. Many prioritize the social interaction in church over the teaching they hear.

Ephesians 4:11-16

        And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

The role of the church leaders is primarily to teach and prepare the believers, through biblical truth, to mature and do ministry.

Our ability to see and understand the wondrous works of God depends on our meditation of the Scriptures. So often we marvel at the beauty of creation, and we should, but we miss the amazing work of God in our inner lives because we are not focused enough on the spiritual work God is doing.

We quickly give place to sorrow and desperation because we lose sight of the work that God is doing. The psalmist knew he needed strengthening. It is interesting that renewed strength is not necessarily the result of a change of circumstances, but of a change in focus and trust in the purposes of God.

 

The writer knows that it is an undeserved favor for God to show us His ways and allow us to walk in truth. At times we become so disgusted with the sin we see around us, but we forget that we, ourselves, are not immersed in sin only because of the grace of God. Naturally, we would not even desire God’s truth and direction. Because we are so prone to go back to sin, we need to set God’s statutes before us continually, as the writer tells us. Sometimes the attraction of the world becomes so strong, that our resolve and clinging to the truth needs to disciplined and purposeful.

Our hearts need to be growing in our love for God and His Word; then our walk as Christians will become truly resolute.

We must remember that the daily choices we make reflect what we truly believe.

A LACK OF DESIRE FOR THE WORD SHOULD ALARM US!

DIFFICULTIES SHOULD DRIVE US TO THE WORD

Psalm 119:17-24

Deal bountifully with your servant,

that I may live and keep your word.

Open my eyes, that I may behold

wondrous things out of your law.

I am a sojourner on the earth;

hide not your commandments from me!

My soul is consumed with longing

for your rules at all times.

You rebuke the insolent, accursed ones,

who wander from your commandments.

Take away from me scorn and contempt,

for I have kept your testimonies.

Even though princes sit plotting against me,

your servant will meditate on your statutes.

Your testimonies are my delight;

they are my counselors.

Again the writer of this Psalm is driven by his desire to keep the Word of God. He recognizes that he depends on God, as His servant and follower of God’ law.

It is interesting, how many people like to state that they are followers of God, but do not have the goal of finding out what God expects of them. The writer asks God to open his eyes, that he might behold the wonderful things in the law of God. Only God can open our eyes so that we can understand spiritual truths.  Only God’s children can understand and accept spiritual things.

1 Corinthians 2:14

            The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

Spiritual truth is not natural to man. Not only he must be born again, but he must discover the truth by diligently searching the Word of God. The writer is consumed by his desire to learn and apply God’s truth.

When a person who professes to be a believer does not have a longing desire for truth, he should be greatly alarmed. When a believer is in sin, this desire will diminish, and patterns of prolonged sin and disinterest for the Scriptures should be very alarming.

The believer knows that straying from the Word has consequences on his spiritual life and God will not look the other way. Rebuke will come for those who stray.

Those who follow the Scriptures know that they will find themselves at odds with the unsaved. A life lived according to the Bible will bother those who live according to the flesh. Jesus said this very clearly:

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.”

Tribulation and difficulties should drive us to the only true refuge we have: the arms of God. In fact, it is in the careful meditation on the Word that we find His peace and care. This is why a true believer so delights in God’s nurturing Word.

The world offers many alternatives, but the true believer knows there is no other place where he can find real comfort. It seems impossible that a believer could live his life in such a difficult world without the comfort and guidance of the Word.

Our study of the Word not only prepares us to live our lives in a godly fashion, but it prepares us to be a help for those around us. We must be diligent in studying the Word. I am so grateful that God is using these devotionals in the lives of many. I hope they are a spring-board for desiring a deeper walk with our Savior. 

PURITY DOES NOT HAPPEN BY CHANCE!

A PURE LIFE NEEDS TO BE DESIRED!

Psalm 119:9-16

How can a young man keep his way pure?  

By guarding it according to your word.

With my whole heart I seek you;

let me not wander from your commandments!

I have stored up your word in my heart,

that I might not sin against you.

Blessed are you, O LORD;

teach me your statutes!

With my lips I declare

all the rules of your mouth.

In the way of your testimonies I delight

as much as in all riches.

I will meditate on your precepts

and fix my eyes on your ways.

I will delight in your statutes;

I will not forget your word.

The main theme of these verses is the role of the Word of God in keeping man from sin, and the role of man in allowing God’s Word to protect him from going down the wrong path.

There is a way that pleases God and it is the way of purity. We know what the standard is by studying God’s Word. Feelings or other people cannot be trusted; there is one standard and it is clearly written for our guidance.

A half-hearted commitment will not lead us down the right path, for complete devotion and careful study are the bases of a pure life. The word seek means to carefully search. In other words, the psalmist speaks of a complete devotion to carefully seek out God’s instruction. The writer knows that for this kind of devotion, he needs God’s continuous help.

This careful study will inform and fill the heart. Preparation for the moment of temptation needs to start before it occurs. In the middle of our temptations, the implanted Word will strengthen our resolve to obey God rather than our own inclination to give in to sin.

The study of the Word, the preparation for godly living, stems from an intimate relationship with the Lord. The psalmist desires to learn the statutes because he knows that God’s ways are best. He recognizes the blessing of knowing the LORD; he knows that there can be no progress in learning what he needs to know, apart from careful study of the Word.

Not only does he desire and recognize the importance of learning, but he realizes that these truths need to be part of his conversations. He needs to be vocal about his resolute desire to apply Biblical teachings and standards to his life.

As he devotes himself to pure living, he is resolute in making it the priority over anything thing else. Riches or status or earthly recognition cannot sway him from his decision to follow God’s standards.

His resolve is so great that his thoughts and attention are dedicated to purity. This desire for purity is continually part of his thought life; he does not allow his eyes to wander in any other direction.

His pleasure comes from knowing and following the biblical precepts. The goal of all his efforts is to not forget the teachings of God’s Word.

Careful study of the Word will keep the young man from sin, but sin will keep the young man from the Word.

1 Peter 2:1-3

So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

The Word will keep you from sin and sin will keep you from the Word!

As we meditate upon this psalm, it has become abundantly clear that a pure life is the result of earnest, conscientious preparation that results from a sincere submission to God and His Word.

OBEDIENCE IS THE PATH TO BLESSING!

WE MUST WEIGH OUR LIVES ACCORDING TO THE WORD

Psalm 119:1-8

Blessed are those whose way is blameless,

who walk in the law of the LORD!

Blessed are those who keep his testimonies,

who seek him with their whole heart,

who also do no wrong,

but walk in his ways!

You have commanded your precepts

to be kept diligently.

Oh that my ways may be steadfast

in keeping your statutes!

Then I shall not be put to shame,

having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.

I will praise you with an upright heart,

when I learn your righteous rules.

I will keep your statutes;

do not utterly forsake me!

There is no way for a person to be blameless without knowing the law of the LORD. It is interesting that as we read this psalm, one of the recurring descriptions of the Word of God is going to be “law”.

Law really leaves no open door to personal opinion or to personal preference. The law is a standard by which behavior is measured. In the Bible, the standard is even higher than civil law, as it measures thoughts, intentions, and desires.

‘Law’ is a word that makes man cringe; our rebellious hearts do not want to be restricted by someone else’s rules. Today, even in churches, much emphasis is given to liberty, while rules and laws are often disdained as unspiritual.

Our relationship with God is dependent on the degree to which we know and apply God’s laws in our daily lives. Jesus had no other standard by which to measure who was really His friend.

John 15:14

        You are my friends if you do what I command you.

The words of this psalm show us clearly that our devotion to following the statues cannot be half-hearted. The whole heart needs to be dedicated to this task. In fact, half-hearted dedication will set us up for continued failure.

Lack of complete devotion always leads to disobedience and sin. There is no sin that does not bring consequences in our lives. Sin will always bring regret.

When the writer begins with “blessed”, it is both an invitation and a warning. So many times, lack of obedience to the laws of God is the result of our misguided thinking that there is pleasure apart from obedience.

James 1:14-15

        But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

We should weigh our goals much more carefully. Do we desire to be blessed or do we desire death? We can choose the path, but not the consequences!

 Following God’s law cannot be done without resolve. The psalmist tells us that he is diligently seeking after the precepts found in the Scriptures. Our flesh is bent in the wrong direction, so careful attention has to be given to our walk.

We need all the tools we find in Scriptures. Are you nurturing your soul with the Word of God? Are you in a godly local church where the Word of God is taught clearly, where the preaching is not story telling and personal opinions or experiences? Are you active in discipling and being discipled?

Our personal study of the Word of God and our serving, active involvement in our local church are very often an indicator of our true walk in submission to the Word of God.

When the psalmist says; “Oh, that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes!” He is exhorting himself to be committed. We so easily avoid this degree of obedience. When we do, then our ways are not steadfast and we drift away.

The writer reminds us that when we sin there is shame, we are not upright, we are not blameless. We are so far from being in a state of blessing!

There cannot be true worship when we are not following God’s laws. It is interesting to observe how often we believe the lie that there can be communion with God, while entertaining sin in our lives.

The writer reminds us that the righteous rules need to be learned. We need to be continuous learners of God’s instructions.

We would all say that we want to love God and follow Him, but we must remember that it cannot be done apart from careful submission and obedience to the Word of God. We have it at our disposal, and we must study it and apply it to our lives.

I am so grateful for the gift of forgiveness and the grace of repentance. God does not abandon us, but continues to invite us into an intimate relationship with Him.

May our resolve be clear and determined to obey the Word of God! 

PREPARING FOR THANKSGIVING

give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

May our thankful hearts overflow tomorrow, as we set aside a special day for thanksgiving, and may it continue each day! These reminders from God’s Word encourage conscious gratitude in each of us that will become habits of life:

AM I GRATEFUL FOR ONLY A DAY

… when God created me in a wonderful way!

Psalm 139:13-14
For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.

… when God gives me only good gifts!

James 1:17
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

… when God revealed Himself to us!

Romans 1:19-20
For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

… when God has given me His Word!

2 Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

… when God sent His Son to die for me!

1 John 4:9
In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.

…when Christ loved me first!

1 John 4:19
We love because he first loved us.

… when Christ loved me when I was His enemy!

Romans 5:8
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

… when Salvation is a gift by grace alone!

Ephesians 2:8
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

… when God gives me undeservedly eternal life!

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

… when God is faithful all the time!

Psalm 36:5
Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds.

… when I can actually call God my father!

1 John 3:1a
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.

… when God provides for me!

Matthew 6:26
Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

… when I know I will be with the Father one day!

John 14:1-2
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?


… when The Lord is my Shepherd!

Psalm 23:1
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

… when I can pray!

Philippians 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

… when I have real peace!

John 14:27
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.


I am sure there are many more reasons for each of us to be grateful, and you will have a chance to rehearse them with your loved ones on Thanksgiving. What a wonderful way to encourage us all to have thankful hearts every day! May it also be a day when we resolve never to complain or fret, as we realize how very well our loving God takes care of us!

PLEASE DON’T TAKE IT FOR GRANTED!

KNOWING GOD MAKES A DIFFERENCE!

READ PSALM 118

Psalm 118:14-16

The LORD is my strength and my song;

he has become my salvation.

Glad songs of salvation

are in the tents of the righteous:

“The right hand of the LORD does valiantly,

the right hand of the LORD exalts,

the right hand of the LORD does valiantly!”

What a privilege it is, to be able to say that the LORD is my strength and my song and has become my salvation! There is no doubt that if He is not my salvation, He will never be my strength and therefore never be my song.

The fact that the writer says that the LORD has become his salvation implies that there was a time He wasn’t, and had to become His salvation.

God is not the Savior of all men. Man must come to a place in his life where he recognizes his total inability to do anything that pleases God.

Isaiah 64:6

We have all become like one who is unclean,

and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.

We all fade like a leaf,

and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

Man tries to produce what he thinks are good works, but even they are unclean. Man lives, sins, and finds himself condemned by the holiness of God.

Romans 3:23

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

The holy God of the Bible could only do one righteous thing.

Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God had to condemn us and offer the only solution possible: the death of His perfect and holy son Jesus Christ in our place. A death that becomes efficacious for man only when man recognizes himself as spiritually bankrupt, incapable of saving himself, and trusts only in the finished work of Christ on the cross.

John 1:12

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,

When the psalmist says that the LORD has become our salvation, these thoughts should flood our minds. Our hearts should be inundated with awe and gratefulness, and our lives should be different. Our reactions should be in tune with these amazing truths.

Are these truths present in our lives? Have we become too familiar with them? Have they stopped causing us to be swept away with amazement?

God is at work in our lives; the same love that drove Him to provide a Savior is the same love that produces every action of God in our lives.

Psalm 118:17-18

I shall not die, but I shall live,

and recount the deeds of the LORD.

The LORD has disciplined me severely,

but he has not given me over to death.

I am not under the curse of death, but I am under God’s loving care and discipline.

Hebrews 12:5-6

And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?

“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,

nor be weary when reproved by him.

For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,

and chastises every son whom he receives.”

The writer knew that LORD needed to discipline him. We should be pleased with God’s loving disciplinary work in our lives that produces righteousness and dependence. Gratitude should be our only response.

Psalm 118:19-22

Open to me the gates of righteousness,

that I may enter through them

and give thanks to the LORD.

This is the gate of the LORD;

the righteous shall enter through it.

I thank you that you have answered me

and have become my salvation.

The stone that the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone.

The Apostle Peter will tell us that the stone that was rejected is Christ.

1 Peter 2:7-8

So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,

“The stone that the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone,”

 and “A stone of stumbling,

and a rock of offense.”

 They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

           

Christ is salvation for those who believe, but He is also a stumbling rock for those who reject Him. The world is divided in two groups: the ones who have come to Christ and those who reject the simple message of the Gospel; there is no middle ground.

Again, these truths should produce celebration and gratitude in the lives of those who know God; those who have become children of God.

Psalm 118:26-27

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD!

We bless you from the house of the LORD.

The LORD is God,

and he has made his light to shine upon us.

Bind the festal sacrifice with cords,

up to the horns of the altar!

The children of Israel were called to recognize the work of the LORD and to submit to Him. Today we don’t go to God with sacrifices, because Christ’s sacrifice was done once for all - a sacrifice sufficient to save, that never needs to be repeated.

Hebrews 10:10

And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

If rehearsing these truths is not producing gratitude, if our problems are not paling in light of eternity, if remembering the work of Christ is not reassuring us of His loving care in the details of our lives, we must ask ourselves if we have really understood salvation by grace.

The writer concludes with an exclamation!

Psalm 118:28-29

You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;

you are my God; I will extol you.

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;

for his steadfast love endures forever!

May this be our song, our life, the driving force of our every action and reaction. May our lives invite others to know the God of our salvation!

OUR GRATEFULNESS EXPOSES OUR HEART!

READ PSALM 118 

GOD IS BEHIND EVERY EVENT OF OUR LIVES

Psalm 118:1

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;

for his steadfast love endures forever!

As we read this psalm, we see a familiar theme repeated. We remember, of course, that the psalms were meant to be sung by the children of Israel. We also know that the words were inspired by God. Thus, we can conclude that God is pleased by and desires the genuine praise of man. True praise is the result of careful thought about the character and actions of the LORD.

The LORD is good. We know it and we say we believe it, but every time we complain, every time we are bitter, every time we are upset, every time we are unhappy, every time we are angry, our actions and reactions are really stating that God is not good to us.

James 1:16-18

        Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

It is incomprehensible to us that God has loved us from eternity past, He is loving us now, and He will love us forever. His love was not initiated by what He saw we would be or become. His love for us today is not based on our behavior, and His love will not be based on the measure of faithfulness we will demonstrate in the future. God loves us and will love us forever, because of a unilateral and undeserved decision He made in eternity past.

Psalm 118:4

Let those who fear the LORD say,

“His steadfast love endures forever.”

If we know God, if He is our Savior and Lord, then praise should be our continuous response. I know that my thoughts and my words would be much different, if I had a continuous awareness of the presence and powerful care of God for me. My lack of awareness does not change the fact He is loving me, but it does change my disposition and behavior.

God’s careful love, however, does not imply a lack of difficulties and problems for me.

Psalm 118:5-7

Out of my distress I called on the LORD;

the LORD answered me and set me free.

The LORD is on my side; I will not fear.

What can man do to me?

The LORD is on my side as my helper;

I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.

God both ordains and orchestrates all events, so that we will become more and more dependent on Him. Our fear of man or of circumstances is out of order, in view of the fact that the LORD, the creator of the universe, the sustainer of all, is on our side. The sovereign God is our helper; we have no reason to fear. Our situation has not escaped His good and perfect oversight. We should not look anywhere other than the LORD for comfort or help.

Psalm 118:8-9

It is better to take refuge in the LORD

than to trust in man.

It is better to take refuge in the LORD

than to trust in princes.

We may be disappointed with the actions of men or the behavior of governments, but they have no ultimate power to control our lives. We are not their victims, nor should we look to them as our ultimate source for help.

As the psalmist describes the actions of men in the next verses, the image is vivid, but the response of God is reassuring.

Psalm 118:13

I was pushed hard, so that I was falling,

but the LORD helped me.

When our problems are real and are hard, they seem to be more than we can handle, but the Lord is there to help us.

Psalm 118:14-16

The LORD is my strength and my song;

he has become my salvation.

Glad songs of salvation

are in the tents of the righteous:

“The right hand of the LORD does valiantly,

the right hand of the LORD exalts,

the right hand of the LORD does valiantly!”

We need to stop and recognize the work of God in our lives. We need to gain our strength from Him. The LORD is our salvation; our hearths and mouths should be overflowing with His praise.

Our lives need to be different today, in light of the God who loves us and is good to us. The psalm continues with its rich reminder and instruction. We will conclude it next time, Lord willing.

Our hearts – reactions – words – all of these reveal whom we are trusting!

HAVE WE LOST A SENSE OF URGENCY?

OUR PRAISE SHOULD BE A WITNESS TO THE NATIONS!

Psalm 117

Praise the LORD, all nations!

Extol him, all peoples!

For great is his steadfast love toward us,

and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever.

Praise the LORD!

The writer, under the inspiration of God, is commanding all nations to praise and extol the LORD. Obviously, it needs to begin with those who know Him. Our lives, our words, our actions, our goals, our relations, our choices should all lift God up high in praise.

Of course, God’s unwavering, enduring,, unchanging, undeserved, and costly love should produce our praise. His faithfulness that, by contrast, exposes our own unfaithfulness and sinfulness should bring forth our constant praise.

The psalmist reminds us that whatever circumstance we are facing, we are still being loved by God and we can count on the fact that God will continue to be faithful to His character and to His promises. His love has never been the result of something we offered to Him, and never will be.

This psalm, I believe, also reminds us of our role in inviting the nations to recognize the LORD and to praise him.

Romans 10:14-17

            How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

We live in a world where God is talked about, where people have opinions about God, where many follow religions that give lip service to God, but where the majority of these do not know or have ever heard of the true God of the Bible.

God has commanded us very clearly to be the lights to a dark and lost world.

Acts 1:8

            But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

The Apostle Paul did not take this responsibility lightly.

Romans 1:14-17

            I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.

            For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

The obligation of the Apostle is the result of the exclusivity and necessity for the Gospel. Man without the Gospel is lost eternally; there is no other way for man to escape eternal punishment and separation from God.

Have we lost the sense of urgency for the mission that God has given us? Have we allowed the cares of the world to distract us? Have our personal problems caused us to lose our focus on what is eternal and valuable?

We cannot all go to the ends of the world, but we certainly can pray and support financially those faithful missionaries who are willing to go and reach people who still today need to hear the message of the Gospel.

It would be a great encouragement for my wife and me to know that you are praying for our ministry in Italy, and that you will continue to sustain us in prayer, as we minister according to God’s leading. The need here is so great, and we are blessed, at present, to be serving in a small church in Rome, whose missionary pastor has recently retired. You can find more information on our website: www.corneliusministries.org.

The psalmist ends with the words: “Praise the Lord!” The wonderful thing is this: that God is active today in bringing people from every tongue and nation to Himself. One day we all will be in heaven, united with people from all over the world, praising God.

May the Lord help us to be praise-filled people who invite others to join in praise to the only true God, Who deserves to be praised forever!

PRAISE THE LORD IN LIFE OR DEATH!

ARE YOU DEPENDING ON GOD?

READ PSALM 116

Psalm 116:1-4
I love the LORD, because he has heard
my voice and my pleas for mercy.
Because he inclined his ear to me,
therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
The snares of death encompassed me;
the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
I suffered distress and anguish.
Then I called on the name of the LORD:
“O LORD, I pray, deliver my soul!”

16-19
O LORD, I am your servant;
I am your servant, the son of your maidservant.
You have loosed my bonds.
I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving
and call on the name of the LORD.
I will pay my vows to the LORD
in the presence of all his people,
in the courts of the house of the LORD,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.
Praise the LORD!

What a wonderful Psalm, showing us the interaction between the writer and God.

The author is grateful because the LORD has heard his voice. The Lord has responded to his call. There is no doubt that the writer was going through a hard time. He suffered distress and anguish, but his difficulties brought him closer to God. God sends us difficulties to bring us closer to Him. Our reactions display what is in our heart; they make evident what we believe about God. We should be grateful for the times when our hearts are exposed and we have an opportunity to come closer to God. The psalmist has experienced the loving response of God and now he is responding to that love by stating that he will call and rely on God for as long as he lives.

1 John 4:16-19
So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us.
We have had the privilege of knowing God’s love. Without God revealing Himself to us, we would have no ability to know Him or love Him. Without God’s love, we would also have no ability to love anyone the way God wants us to love.

Psalm 116:5-9
Gracious is the LORD, and righteous;
our God is merciful.
The LORD preserves the simple;
when I was brought low, he saved me.
Return, O my soul, to your rest;
for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.
For you have delivered my soul from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling;
I will walk before the LORD
in the land of the living.

The psalmist goes on to remind us that the God he called upon is righteous and merciful. The LORD did not respond to a wise and mighty person, but to a simple man who had been brought to a low position.

False religions require man to merit the attention of their gods; man has to rise up to meet the standards of the man-made gods. The God of the Bible loves to rescue those who recognize their inabilities and their needs.

We are blessed when God brings us to a state of complete dependence upon Him. God is the one Who delivers us from eternal death, Who dries our tears, and keeps us from falling. So often our circumstances cause us to lose perspective of what God is doing in our lives. As I look back in my life, I can see many heartaches and sins that I could have avoided, if I had taken the time to recognize the work of God and had found consolation in Him.

The psalmist states that he continued to believe, even during the afflictions.

Psalm 116:10-11
I believed, even when I spoke:
“I am greatly afflicted”;
I said in my alarm,
“All mankind are liars.”

Every time we go through difficulties and hardships, there is a temptation to listen the world. The writer chose to listen to God and to reject every dissonant voice of men.

We are often faced with the choice of listening to the world or listening to the Word of God. Our reaction needs to be one of total consecration.

Psalm 116:12-14
What shall I render to the LORD
for all his benefits to me?
I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the LORD,
I will pay my vows to the LORD
in the presence of all his people.

The psalmist was resolute in his decision. He was going to consecrate his life to the God Whom he had called upon. His consecration was visible to all men. The only response possible was complete consecration and obedience.

When we are going through difficult times, is our dependence on God visible to those around us? Are we peacefully dependent upon the God of our salvation?

The writer had probably been saved from physical death, but he does not forget that there is a wonderful privilege in being in the presence of God.

Psalm 116:15
Precious in the sight of the LORD
is the death of his saints.

The apostle Paul knew this very clearly.

Philippians 1:21
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Our reactions, our goals, our attitudes, our sins so often show that we do not live in light of eternity. We are so attracted by and rooted in the things of this world. We should be ecstatic that the God of the universe finds pleasure in having us, His children, in His presence.

The writer ends the psalm reminding us that he has called upon the LORD Who has listened. He has trusted the character of his Savior and found great consolation. And he now lives a consecrated life to Him.

May this be the way we go through our difficulties: putting our lives in the hands of God, trusting His character, finding consolation in His care, knowing that He longs to have us with Him, but knowing that while we are on earth, we are to live in total consecration and dependence upon Him.

The psalm ends with: “Praise the Lord”! May we praise Him at all times.

GOD WILL NOT SHARE HIS GLORY!

READ PSALM 115

WHY WOULD ANYONE EVER VENERATE A STATUE!

Psalm 115:1

Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory,

for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!

This psalm begins with a short phrase that seems so clear and easy to implement in our lives.

We all would say that we desire to do all things to the glory of God. We know that God deserves all the glory because of His perfect love to us and because of His unwavering faithfulness.

My question, at this point, is if you have had the same reaction of disappointment that I have, when people do not thank me for a service I have done? Have you let people know the things you have done for them or for others? Have you been disturbed when people have not even noticed the work you have done? Have you been upset when others have received praise for work you have accomplished? Have you been disturbed because you were doing “all” the work? Have you complained that others do not give, but seem to be always on the receiving end? Are you embittered by people who seem demanding of your service?

I am afraid I could prolong this list, and I would be good at doing it because these feelings and attitudes so easily creep up into my own heart. They certainly reflect a desire (in the best of cases) to share the glory with God, and most times to receive recognition for myself.

But our lives should always be lived with the desire to magnify God and to minimize ourselves. John the Baptist understood this clearly.

John 3:30

        He must increase, but I must decrease.”

       

Especially here in Italy, the truth of the verses that follow are magnified.

Psalm 115:4-8

        Their idols are silver and gold,

                the work of human hands.

        They have mouths, but do not speak;

                eyes, but do not see.

        They have ears, but do not hear;

                noses, but do not smell.

        They have hands, but do not feel;

                feet, but do not walk;

                and they do not make a sound in their throat.

        Those who make them become like them;

                so do all who trust in them.

Visiting the Sistine Chapel or one of the basilicas in Rome causes us to be awestruck by the beauty of the art and talent of the artists. In a little church not far from the Coliseum, there is the statue of Moses, done by Michelangelo. It is majestic and beautiful. On the knee there is a crack caused by the Michelangelo, who hit it with his hammer, as he exclaimed: “Speak!” The artist was so impressed with the perfection of his creation that he felt that all it needed was the ability to speak.

As beautiful as the idols are, they have no ability to hear or respond to the needs of devoted people. Not only they are inanimate, but even the “saints” they represent have no ability to respond. In many or most of the churches here, an image of Mary is prominent, even overshadowing the images of Christ. Man has created and will continue to create idols and images that replace the position which only God should have.

God is not the better choice in a multiple array of possibilities. He is the only one!

Isaiah 42:8

        I am the LORD; that is my name;

                my glory I give to no other,

                nor my praise to carved idols.

The psalmist goes on with a command to trust only God, to depend upon Him for everything.

Psalm 115:13

he will bless those who fear the LORD,

both the small and the great.

God is blessing us in whatever circumstance we are, in whatever position we are, in whatever state we are. He is active in bringing us closer to Him and magnifying Himself through them all.

As long as you are alive, God expects and deserves your absolute, unshared praise and dependence.

Psalm 115:18

But we will bless the LORD

from this time forth and forevermore.

Praise the LORD!

May our day today reflect the fact that we are not trying to take glory from God, nor replacing Him with visible or invisible idols created by any man.