I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR YOU!

READ PSALM 68

HOW CAN WE LIVE WITHOUT BLESSING OUR GOD?

Psalm 68:19

                19 Blessed be the Lord,

                                who daily bears us up;

                                God is our salvation. Selah

David continues this psalm, reminiscing about the ways that God has taken care of Israel. God was working in their lives daily; He was the one who saved them from every foe and every danger.

Dear friends, has God changed? Does He still care for His own? Is He the one who saves? Is there a day when He does not meticulously care for us? Is there a day when we are left to fend for ourselves? Is there a moment when our enemies have the upper hand? The answers are obvious. So do our minds rule our emotions, or are our feelings feeding our fears?

Can anyone of us ever lengthen our days? Who holds our health in His hands?

Can anyone provide for his needs apart from God’s loving and careful provision?

Can we control the behavior of our enemies, or even our friends? Are we able to thwart any attack from those around us?

Can we control the weather or the dangers that come because of natural events?

Can we protect our loved ones, as they deal with the difficulties of life? Can we be shields against their hurts?

Can we order the direction of our countries or governments? Or the use of our money, when we are taxed?

Can we prolong the life of our loved ones?

Can we control our neighbors?

Can we control the behavior of our spouse or the future of our children?

These are the things we worry about, although we know the answer to these questions is, “WE CANNOT”!

If we can’t, then who can? Even that answer is not complicated: only God can!

Does He have a perfect character that we can trust? Does He have the wisdom to make the right decisions? Does He have the power to do what He wills? Does He love us enough to do what is best for us? Even now, the answer is emphatically “YES!”

Psalm 68:32-35

            32 O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God;

                        sing praises to the Lord, Selah

            33 to him who rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens;

                        behold, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice.

            34 Ascribe power to God,

                        whose majesty is over Israel,

                        and whose power is in the skies.

            35 Awesome is God from his sanctuary;

                        the God of Israel—he is the one who gives power and strength to his people.

            Blessed be God!

David took the time to remember, and God inspired him to write this psalm so that, as the children of Israel sang the song, they, too, would remember!

Dear friends, are you like me? Do you tend to forget who your God is? Did you trust Him for your eternal destiny and now fail to trust Him daily?

There are many questions today that have easy answers, but they expose difficult realities. We struggle in our lives. God is not surprised; He is so aware of it that He had David write this psalm for our benefit. Don’t gloss over it. Meditate upon the truth of His wonderful care for you! God cares for each of you individually, and He is totally aware of all you need.

God is awesome! If you take the time to meditate on God, you will be overwhelmed by His love and care. And if you are not, then you probably don’t know Him.

I want you to know that if God has blessed you, He wants you to be a testimony for Him. If someone has been used to encourage you, it would be great if you let him know. We need to learn to show gratitude to God and to those whom He uses in our lives. It might help them deal with the difficulties of life and turn their attention to their God, too.

Our hearts should be actively expressing what David wrote as he ended this psalm…Blessed be God!

GOD CARES FOR THE DEFENSELESS

READ PSALM 68

GOD USES US TO TOUCH LIVES FOR HIS SAKE

Psalm 68:1-3

            1 God shall arise, his enemies shall be scattered;

                        and those who hate him shall flee before him!

            2 As smoke is driven away, so you shall drive them away;

                        as wax melts before fire,

                        so the wicked shall perish before God!

            3 But the righteous shall be glad;

                        they shall exult before God;

                        they shall be jubilant with joy!

As David begins this psalm of praise and remembrance God’s goodness to His people, he is expectant of the mighty works that He will continue to perform, according to His character and promises.

God has always triumphed, has never lost His majestic control, and will always bring about His eternal purposes. The wicked will always be eventually defeated! Wax will always melt when in contact with fire. The wicked have no chance of resisting the unsurpassable power of God. The righteous will rejoice in due time.

Dear friends, even though you may be facing some extremely difficult situations, or have some enemies who are oppressing you, God would never want you to forget that His power is overwhelming for them. When God chooses to display His power, they will melt away like wax. Our pain and troubles are very temporary. God cares.

Psalm 68:4-6

            4 Sing to God, sing praises to his name;

                        lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts;

            his name is the LORD;

                        exult before him!

            5 Father of the fatherless and protector of widows

                        is God in his holy habitation.

            6 God settles the solitary in a home;

                        he leads out the prisoners to prosperity,

                        but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.

The children of Israel are invited to praise the Lord. He is totally aware of what is going on in the most difficult of places. His eyes are upon those who are suffering. The orphans, the widows, those who are defenseless, are not forgotten by the LORD. Yes, the God Who created heaven and earth by His word, who sustains life by His will, is aware and cares deeply for them. God provides for those who are alone and He frees the prisoners.

God lives in a holy place, His holiness is offended by all sin, and so the wickedness of man will not go unjudged. God had proven Himself providential with the children of Israel many times, and would continue to do it. His love for the abandoned is still true today. In fact, James reminds us of our responsibilities in this area.

James 1:27

            Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

God expects His own to be pure, to live a life that is pleasing to Him morally, and to care for those He cares for. There is no special merit gained by these actions; they need to be the normal consequence of genuine faith. Faith that comes from hearing the Word of God needs to transform the way we live. This is exactly what James states in the preceding verses.

James 1:22-25

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

Our care for the needy should begin in our local churches, where we can easily be attentive to the needs of our fellow believers.

Galatians 6:9-10

            And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Dear friends, today divorce has multiplied the number of those who do not live the reality of a normal, God-planned family. Their needs might not be always physical, but children are growing up without the care of a mom and dad. Women, many times, are left to carry a burden that is very great.

God cares for those who are alone, living through this kind of pain. Would you take the time today to pray for those you know are struggling through this kind of difficulty? Would you ask God to use you to encourage them?

Maybe there is a widow or a widower who would be greatly encouraged by an invitation to a meal, or a card reminding them that you are praying for them… The list could go on, but I know that as we pray, God will bring to mind people and ways to help them see the care of the Lord.

This psalm invites us to praise and rejoice in a God Who cares deeply. May we be more like our God and may our lives portray the attitudes and produce the works that please God.

WE HAVE A DUTY TO REACH THE LOST

READ PSALM 67

THE NATIONS WILL BOW BEFORE GOD

Psalm 67:4-7

            4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,

                        for you judge the peoples with equity

                        and guide the nations upon earth. Selah

            5 Let the peoples praise you, O God;

                        let all the peoples praise you!

            6 The earth has yielded its increase;

                        God, our God, shall bless us.

            7 God shall bless us;

                        let all the ends of the earth fear him!

The author reminds us that God guides the nations with equity and justice. There is an expectation of God’s care and a natural response of praise.

When we look around, it is easily apparent that the world is great chaos, nations are suffering under the leadership of totalitarian governments, and within same countries people are killing each other because of their religions or ethnic hatred. Countries are at war with each other, driven by decades of animosity. Natural calamities are bringing destruction and sorrow.

Where is God in all of this? He is both judging the people and attracting His own to Himself. He is active, and His glory will be made manifest. One day, every knee will bow and will recognize His majesty and lordship.

Romans 14:11-12

            for it is written,

            “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,

                        and every tongue shall confess to God.”

            So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

           

Philippians 2:9-11

            Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

As believers, how should we react to these truths?

First of all, we should have great confidence that God is in total control. We are not abandoned in the hands of ungodly rulers, but we are continually under the careful scrutiny of our God Who is accomplishing His purposes, so we have no reason to fret.

Secondly, we should not lose sight of our responsibility to reach the nations with the Gospel. God has chosen to use His own to reach the lost. We should do this at any cost.

2 Timothy 2:8-10

            Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound! Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

During Paul’s ministry, some questioned his life and methods because of his many sufferings. He reminds the readers of all of the power and veracity of the Gospel. Jesus rose from the dead, defeating sin and death. His word is not limited by the will of man or by the schemes of the devil. Paul’s responsibility was to endure all for the sake of those who would believe the good news. He was certain that there were God’s chosen people who needed to be saved.

Even though Paul lived during unjust times, where nations were ruled by other nations, when social injustice was normal, his focus never became fixed upon the governments, but always on the only true hope, the Gospel that transforms the hearts of people.

Dear friends, our focus must continue to be the spreading of the Gospel around the globe. Proclaiming Christ and then teaching the believers in local churches, making disciples who are followers of Christ.

Today, many missionary efforts give more importance to physical needs than spiritual ones. Although it is noble to help the nations, this must not replace our primary responsibility to confront the spiritual state of men. Others have evangelized, giving little attention to the establishment of local churches, which requires discipling the converts and training men for ministry.

Dear friends, this psalm demands that we review our commitment to reaching the lost around us and in the whole world.

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.”

Four things must be clear in our mind. As believers we are under obligation, we are responsible to preach the Gospel. Secondly, we need to respond: we must be ready. And thirdly, we must not be ashamed. We are preaching a powerful message, which we must not change in any way, because it is the power of God. Lastly, it is God’s plan that His message will go forth through His children: we must be faithful.

Our praise to God begins with our faithfulness to Him. What a privilege we have to know Him, to know His care, to be aware of His promises! We must shine as lights, as we live in a world oblivious and uncaring of who God is, nevertheless in desperate need of Christ.

May God bless us and use us to reach the lost for Christ! That is the only hope for a world in despair!

MAKE YOUR FACE SHINE ON ME, O GOD!

READ PSALM 67

WHEN WE ASK GOD TO BLESS US, WHAT ARE WE ASKING FOR?

Psalm 67:1-3

           

1 May God be gracious to us and bless us

                        and make his face to shine upon us, Selah

            2 that your way may be known on earth,

                        your saving power among all nations.

            3 Let the peoples praise you, O God;

                        let all the peoples praise you!

What a wonderful request the psalmist makes to God! As we read this, we are all eager to participate, and cheerfully say “Amen.”  Of course we all desire for God to show us His grace and bless us! We all have different ways that we would define those blessings, and probably what comes to our minds are mostly tangible ones.

Just think of what makes us exclaim that God has blessed us. Recall the last time you told someone that God has really blessed them. Our thoughts go to something we received, a situation we avoided, the care that someone has had for us. Is it plausible that we too often define blessing and grace as whatever makes our lives easier or more comfortable?  When we think of having God’s face shine upon us, our thoughts easily go to situations where God shows us His care and grace by giving us something more than we had expected.

I have heard quite a few worship services end with the pastor pronouncing this passage as a benediction. As the believers listened, I wonder what kind of hopes filled their minds when they left the service.

Did you notice the reason why the author asks God to show His favor to the children of Israel? His desire is that all the nations would know the ways of God, and that His saving power would be made known among all people.

One of the first questions we should ask ourselves is if that concept is important to us. In some ways, as we stop and think, we would all say yes, but does our life really show that kind of desire and goal?

How often does the eternal state of those around us drive us to God and cause us to ask God to do what is necessary through our own lives, in order that men would know His ways and His power? Such thinking could cause our definition of God shining His face upon us and showing His grace and blessing to drastically change.

The center of the desired blessing is no longer merely our comfort or personal gain, but it becomes God’s forgiving and sustaining power to all who will know Him, in the midst of a crooked and sinful world.

When we consider how the writer’s words reveal his thoughts about the salvation of all the nations, how do our own attitudes toward world missions compare? Are we aware of the need around the world? Are we driven to pray for countless people who die and then face their eternal judgment having never heard anyone explain the good news of God’s salvation, the Gospel, to them?

Have we asked God to increase our burden for lost souls? Does our giving and our praying expose a burden for global missions, or does it expose our lack of practical love for the nations? Are you involved in the missions outreach of your local church? Do you know the names of supported missionaries? Do you know what they do? Have you ever encouraged them through a note or an email?

The end goal of the psalmist is that the nations would praise God. Remember the words of the Apostle John in the book of Revelation:

Revelation 7:9-12

            After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

What an amazing scene! As many from every nation, having spoken different languages, lived in different places, faced different difficulties and trials, are now united before the throne of God. With heightened awareness of His majesty and splendor, they are praising Him, for they know that their salvation was made possible by the death and resurrection of Christ.

Our God is saving today, and reminds us that we should live for His glory, and to attract people to Him. His work in us is purposeful: to prepare us for the day when we will be part of the multitudes in heaven, and to use us to bring His own to Himself.

As His own people, we should not be self-centered, but centered upon the needs of others and driven to point others to Christ.

Is it possible that God wants to use your trial to make you more adept, to open opportunities for sharing the gospel with others?

As you ask God to bless you and for His face to shine upon you, I trust that there will be a new understanding that will accompany your prayer.

May God make us more aware of His eternal purposes; may His compassion for the lost increase our own compassion. May our lives, even today, expose a desire to share the good news with the world through what we say, how we pray, and how we encourage the missionaries we know.

PRAISING GOD IN THE MIDST OF TEARS!

READ PSALM 66

OUR LOVING GOD IS ALWAYS WILLING TO FORGIVE HIS REPENTANT CHILD

Psalm 66:16-20

            16 Come and hear, all you who fear God,

                        and I will tell what he has done for my soul.

            17 I cried to him with my mouth,

                        and high praise was on my tongue.

            18 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,

                        the Lord would not have listened.

            19 But truly God has listened;

                        he has attended to the voice of my prayer.

            20 Blessed be God,

                        because he has not rejected my prayer

                        or removed his steadfast love from me!

God has listened to me! God is my faithful loving Father. He is the one who heals my wounds. He has rescued me from my life of sin. The Lord watches over my steps, He has protected me  many times that I have seen, and so many more that I have never been aware of. He rescues me through the words of the Bible that are so pertinent. He has cared for me through the words of a faithful pastor or preacher. I have been blessed through the love of godly brothers and sisters in Christ. My God has perfectly cared for me, and even when I have strayed, He has brought me back to Himself.

Dear friends, is not this the testimony that all of us could give? Are these not the words that should be on our lips daily?

The psalmist is calling us to praise with him, but he is also challenging us to testify of Him.

This testimony is about the care God has for our souls. Dear friends, are you aware of the many ways God has and is caring for your soul? At times, we are so focused on our physical needs that we lose sight of the loving and tender way the Lord cares for our inner being.

As the writer cries out to God in his difficulty, his words are equally accompanied by faithful praise. The difficulty he is living through is not blurring his awareness of God’s faithful care. So many times, when I have taken the time to reflect, I have been able to see how God had prepared me and my past circumstances to deal with the difficulty at hand. Other times, I have seen the unfolding of God’s provision and preparation, as the trial moved along. Nevertheless, I know that God has never abandoned me in the past, and will never do that in the future. Expectant praise should always accompany my requests for His help.

How much easier and more productive our times of trial and difficulties would be, if we truly rested in faith on the perfect and loving sovereignty of God. It’s not easy; we must prepare our own hearts, and help others be ready. The apostle Paul knew both the reality of trials and the reality of God’s love, and that is why he prayed that the believers would know the same more and more.

Ephesians 3:14-19

            For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

           

This should be one of scripture’s prayers that we commonly pray for each other. Is there someone you should pray for right now? Have you spent more time praying that circumstances would change than praying that their soul would be blessed?

The writer reminds us that purity of heart is very important. At times, our trial is the loving way God is bringing attention to our sin. We must confess and come close to God. At times our response to the difficult circumstances is sinful, and we must confess our lack of faith and submission. God is reminding us that we must not allow sin to reign in our lives.

The wonderful blessing is that God never rejects our honest prayers and is always listening. He is not too busy or distracted. His attention is always perfect and His answer is always appropriate. Oh, how He loves to hear His children cry out to Him, as they become more and more dependent upon Him.

I wonder if His words to me many times would be: “Why did you not come sooner? Why did you not trust Me more?”

I need these words to remind me and to prepare me for the difficulties that I will have to encounter in my daily living. God’s love is continuous and faithful. He loves me because of His faithfulness, not because of mine!

Do not wait to go to God. Even though you might have strayed, His faithfulness and His perfect and steadfast love are the bases on which you can return to Him with full assurance of His grace.

Dear friend, we have said it before: life is hard, pain is real, but our God is greater than all our hurts and all our sin. May our cries to Him be accompanied by our trust and praise!

WHY ARE YOU CRUSHING ME, GOD?

READ PSALM 66

REMEMBER THAT GOD HAS ETERNAL PURPOSES FOR OUR DAILY TRIALS

Psalm 66:8-12

            8 Bless our God, O peoples;

                        let the sound of his praise be heard,

            9 who has kept our soul among the living

                        and has not let our feet slip.

            10 For you, O God, have tested us;

                        you have tried us as silver is tried.

            11 You brought us into the net;

                        you laid a crushing burden on our backs;

            12 you let men ride over our heads;

                        we went through fire and through water;

            yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance.

What are you doing God? Why are you allowing evil things to happen in my life? Why is life so hard? Why do people behave the way they do? Why do others seem to have an easier life than mine? These are only some of the questions that come to our minds at times.

Remember the words of the Israelites?

Exodus 14:11

They said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt?

           

Exodus 17:3

3 But the people thirsted there for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?”

The psalmist is calling the children of Israel to recognize the providence of God in their lives. They had proven, many times, that when they faced adversities, they lost sight of God and failed to trust His purpose. Dear friends, we are prone to do the same.

God is the One who gives and sustains life. We cannot prolong a day of our existence if God does not will it. We know that He has kept us from falling many times, and there are many more times that we do not even know about. His hand is there to sustain us before we fall, and to pick us up when we do.

Yes, our life is filled with exams! Every test we face exposes what is in our hearts. Our reactions expose what our expectations are. Our complaints expose what our goals really are.

We know we should live our lives with an ongoing desire to grow in sanctification, to help others in their Christian walk and to invite the unsaved to Christ. So we should ask ourselves if the uncomfortable trial we find ourselves in is a deterrent to our selfish goals or if it is conducive to the eternal purposes of God. I already know the answer and so do you! God is best served when we react in a godly way to the difficulties of life or repent quickly when we fail.

Yes, it is possible that God is allowing us to have to carry some very heaving burdens, that He will allow some people to bring us great pain, but His purposes are for our spiritual good.

God is leading us to a place of abundance. No not material abundance, but spiritual blessing. We sorrow today for the loss of loved ones. We feel the pain of physical ailments. We live under the pressure of broken relationships. We work under the leadership of difficult authorities. We struggle through financial difficulties. We strain, as we are confronted with daily obstacles. But none of these events are deterrents to the life of abundance God has planned for us. Rather, they are carefully-chosen instruments to guide our hearts and lives to the exact place God desires for us.

Psalm 66:13-15

            13 I will come into your house with burnt offerings;

                        I will perform my vows to you,

            14 that which my lips uttered

                        and my mouth promised when I was in trouble.

            15 I will offer to you burnt offerings of fattened animals,

                        with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams;

                 I will make an offering of bulls and goats. Selah

Through all of this, our worship must continue faithfully, our promises to God must be maintained. Disregarding the fact that God has our spiritual good woven into His purposes will easily lead us to sin. The writer reminds the readers to keep the promises they made during the trials.

I have found that some, during trials, come closer to God, but as soon as things improve, they go back to their ordinary ways. May we learn both to come to God during the difficulties and to remain faithful during the easier times of our lives.

The psalmist began inviting us to make our praise be heard by those around us. May our praise indeed be sincere and constant, no matter what is happening in our lives!

COME AND SEE WHAT GOD HAS DONE!

READ PSALM 66

WE STAND IN AWE OF GOD’S MIRACULOUS CARE

Psalm 66:5-7

            5 Come and see what God has done:

                        he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.

            6 He turned the sea into dry land;

                        they passed through the river on foot.

            There did we rejoice in him,

                        7 who rules by his might forever,

            whose eyes keep watch on the nations—

                        let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah

Do you remember the day you understood how destitute and needy of salvation you were? Do you remember the amazing discovery of God’s infinite grace? Do you remember when the Word of God became alive and you were able to understand the wonderful truths in it? Do you remember when your unbelief was replaced by faith and trust in the saving power of God? Do you remember when living for the goals of this world became empty, and new desires where placed in your heart? Do you remember when your selfishness was transformed in selflessness for the progress of the Gospel? Do you remember when your old friends were replaced by your brothers and sisters in Christ? Do you remember when sins that were normal for you became loathsome? This is only part of the awesome work God does in the believer.

The transformation that takes place is us is gradual, to be sure. We do not become perfect over night, our desires don’t change completely, and we do continue to struggle with the desires of the flesh. But we should be alarmed if signs of these transformations are not taking place in our lives.

Galatians 5:17-24

            For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

The psalmist is inviting others to come and see the work of God. He reminds them of how God preserved them and saved them. As he makes clear the distinction between those who rejoice and those who are rebellious, for men react to God in one of two ways: either by humbly and thankfully recognizing His meticulous care, or by rebelling against His sovereignty. We must ask ourselves where we find ourselves today.

We are tempted daily to forget the work of God and to return to the ways of the past. Our selfishness is there to take over at any time we allow it to control our hearts.

We quickly lose sight of our great blessings.

Instead, our lives and goals should be directed to those things which are eternal.

We should live with such a pressing desire to see our Savior and to be with Him that the only attractive deterrent to that is to stay here to be used by the Lord for the progress of the Gospel in the world.

This desire should gain strength within us: to be transformed daily into the image of our Lord, Jesus Christ. We know that this happens through the Spirit’s application of the Word of God and through the refining fire of trials.

We should also desire to be used by God for the progressive growth of our brothers and sisters in Christ. This is done principally in our local church, where we can walk side by side with those we love and be an instrument in the hands of God for their benefit. The way we go through trials and what we learn by them also makes us all the more useful in our ministry to fellow believers.

Finally, our work continues as we become more aware of the lost people around us and we plead for opportunities to reach them. As they observe our lives and listen to our words, they may be attracted to know the Eternal God revealed in the Scriptures.

“Come and see what the Lord has done” should be our continuous song of praise. Is it possible, though, that our mouths are more inclined to say the opposite, “Come and see what the Lord has NOT done”?

I know that I am guilty of that message, masked in my righteous indignation, my displeasure with injustice and just plain complaining.

God is ruling today! God is alertly watching today! I am cared for and no one can come against me unless God allows it for my own good.

2 Timothy 1:12

            … But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me.

           

May our day begin with an awareness of God’s presence and with a prayer that we will be more and more convinced of His intentional work in us and through us!

           

SHOUT, SING AND GIVE GLORY TO GOD!

READ PSALM 66

IT IS OUR PRIVILEGE TO PRAISE GOD’S NAME

Psalm 66:1-4

            1 Shout for joy to God, all the earth;

                        2 sing the glory of his name;

                        give to him glorious praise!

            3 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!

                        So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you.

            4 All the earth worships you

                        and sings praises to you;

                        they sing praises to your name.” Selah

Can you see it? God’s works and glory are filling the earth: His mercy is abundant, His majesty is prominent, and His care is matchless. Can you see it? This psalm is inviting us to see God’s glory, and to be in continuous awe of His supremacy.

Those who know God should be especially appreciative of God’s creative and sustaining power. Even though we live in a world that is oblivious of what the Lord is doing, we should certainly not be the same. We are human and frail. God knows that we are quickly distracted and sidetracked, so He gave us His Word to continually remind us of Him and His wonderful works. This psalm calls us to pay attention.

Shout for joy, sing the glory of His name, and give Him praise!

I am saved! I know my eternal destiny is sure! I know I will not receive the punishment I deserve! I know the God of the universe and I can call Him ‘Father’! He is my shepherd, my good shepherd. I know Christ, He is my advocate! I am indwelled by the Holy Spirit! I can pray and know I am heard! God is my friend!

His name is above all names.

El Shaddai (Lord God Almighty)

El Elyon (The Most High God)

Adonai (Lord, Master)

Yahweh(Lord, Jehovah)

Jehovah Nissi (The Lord My Banner)

Jehovah-Raah (The Lord My Shepherd)

Jehovah Rapha (The Lord That Heals)

Jehovah Shammah (The Lord Is There)

Jehovah Tsidkenu (The Lord Our Righteousness)

Jehovah Mekoddishkem (The Lord Who Sanctifies You)

El Olam (The Everlasting God)

Elohim (God)

Qanna (Jealous)

Jehovah Jireh (The Lord Will Provide)

Jehovah Shalom (The Lord Is Peace)

Jehovah Sabaoth (The Lord of Hosts)

As the children of Israel spoke these names of God, they might have been more aware of the glorious character of their Lord and His attributes than we are, from day to day. But we have the additional advantage of knowing Christ the Lord, after His coming to earth.

Isaiah 9:6

            6 For to us a child is born,

                        to us a son is given;

            and the government shall be upon his shoulder,

                        and his name shall be called

            Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

                        Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Let me remind us of more scriptural names and descriptions of Christ.

The Son of God                                      The Word

The first-born of every creature                The Good Shepherd

The Son of the Highest                             The Savior

The creator of all things                            The King

The Alpha and Omega                              The lamb

The door                                                 The light

The way                                                  The chief corner-stone

The truth                                                 The author and finisher of our faith

The bread of life                                       The Lord

The life

Dear friends, these are only a few! As we sing and rehearse the names of Christ, our praise for Him can only be full-hearted and glorious.

Yes, we live in a world where there is pain, many unknowns, adversity, and wickedness. But we must not allow earthly circumstances to distract us from our amazing privilege of knowing God, having been made righteous by faith, of knowing why we are alive, and that our sure future is to be in His holy presence forever, because of His Son.

The writer orders us to tell God how awesome His deeds are. So let us stop now, setting aside all distractions, and tell our precious Father and Lord how great He is. We might do this amidst tears, but let us begin our day aware of, and in awe of, our glorious God!

STAND UP AND SHOUT!

READ PSALM 65

WHAT CAUSES YOU TO BE EXCITED?

Psalm 65:9-13

            9 You visit the earth and water it;

                        you greatly enrich it;

                        the river of God is full of water;

                        you provide their grain,

                        for so you have prepared it.

            10 You water its furrows abundantly,

                        settling its ridges,

                        softening it with showers,

                        and blessing its growth.

            11 You crown the year with your bounty;

                        your wagon tracks overflow with abundance.

            12 The pastures of the wilderness overflow,

                        the hills gird themselves with joy,

            13 the meadows clothe themselves with flocks,

                        the valleys deck themselves with grain,

                        they shout and sing together for joy.

God is our abundant provider and we should respond with grateful praise!

Living in Italy, you quickly realize that many live with an incredible dependence on “il calcio” - soccer. Thousands fill the stadiums every week-end, cheering on their favorite team and allowing the results of the matches to set their mood for the day - and for some, even for the whole week. Things in the USA are not that different. According to the season, college or professional sports attract the attention of many and for some it borders on devotion. The professional athletes involved become idols to be praised and followed. But David’s attention is on His God, who deserves all praise for His abundant provision for His creation.

The question for all of us is whether or not we allow things of this world, even those that are not necessarily wrong, to transport our attention and emotions, rather than focusing our awe and thankfulness upon God’s gracious provision and care.

Our God is our provider. All we have and all we are is from His generous hands. Nothing grows apart from His care. Everything we eat is a gift from God. At times we live our lives as if we depend on men, when our true dependence is only on our Father in heaven.

We do thank God before our meals, I hope, but even that can become a routine that we do without giving it much thought.

Take time to reread these verses and apply them to your life.

I love the words that the author uses: ‘Greatly enrich’, ‘full’, ‘abundantly’, ‘blessing’, ‘growth’, ‘overflow with abundance’, ‘overflow’, and ‘joy’.

God’s provision is so full, so wonderful, so caring, so appropriate, and so useful!

Matthew 6:26-31

            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? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’

These were the words of Jesus, as He spoke to those that followed Him. Our God certainly wants us to live in total awareness of our dependence on Him. Our Father does not want us to be anxious or fretful. He does want us to grow closer in trusting dependence upon Him each day. Why don’t we do it more? Because we have little faith!

What can increase our faith?

1 – Getting to know our God! His Word, the Bible, is our resource. We must not neglect our time of meditation and study. In it we will learn about the character of God, about His wisdom, His power, and His love for us.

2 – Availing ourselves of sound teaching! Our involvement in a local church should be faithful. And yes, we must make sure that the teaching is based on the Word of God and that the preaching never loses its centrality.

3 – Spending time with mature, faithful believers! There are times when we lose sight of God, when our difficulties seem to crush us, when trials are prolonged and difficult, when the end seems impossible. We need fellow believers who know how to point us to the truths of the Scriptures.

4 – Serving God faithfully! When we serve others for the sake of the Gospel, our attention will drawn away from ourselves to focus, instead, upon the needs of others. We will then be able to be part of God’s faithful provision in their lives.

5 – Reflecting on God’s past care for us! God has revealed Himself to us and has attracted us to His grace. All of us have experienced His grace and care through difficult times. In fact, we will also be able to realize how He has prepared us for the situations we are confronting at this time.

Dear friends, we should rise to our feet and praise our God! Our exaltation should be filled with sincere enthusiasm! Let’s make sure our excitement and our cheers are directed to the One who truly deserves them and provides for us with loving care!

START AND END YOUR DAY WELL!

WHAT YOU DO IMPACTS THE WAY YOU LIVE

READ PSALM 65

Psalm 65:5-8

            By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness,

                        O God of our salvation,

            the hope of all the ends of the earth

                        and of the farthest seas;

            the one who by his strength established the mountains,

                        being girded with might;

            who stills the roaring of the seas,

                        the roaring of their waves,

                        the tumult of the peoples,

            so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs.

            You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy.

When someone asks you to describe the God you believe in, what do you say? When you ask someone to describe the God you believe in by observing your life, what would they say? Far too often, the two answers do not match as they should. David here describes for us the God of the universe, the eternal God, the God we believe in.

Our God, first of all, is righteous. His work is never tainted by any kind of imperfection, for it is holy in its motives, intentions, application, and in its results. God is never vindictive; every action He does is perfectly gracious and just. God hears our every cry, every word of our prayers; He knows our very thoughts and answers every prayer in the most perfect of ways.

Lest we forget, David reminds us that our God is also our Savior. How is it, that, although we have entrusted our eternal lives to Him, we can still question the way He conducts our every day events?!

We are saved forever. We never deserved it at the start / when we were born again, and we will never merit it with our deeds now. Our salvation was based on grace, and our Lord continues to deal with us according to His grace.

God is our only hope. He is not only the hope for those who believe in Him, but also for those who mock Him and reject Him. No one breathes or moves without the sustaining power of God. The whole universe was created and set in place by Him, and  till today is ordered and sustained only by His power and perfect will.

Only under the control of God does the ocean roar and swallow the land in its rage, and it calms only at God’s command. If we simply took the time to observe nature, we would be awestruck by our God.

Our God has no problem in controlling nature or in controlling man. When the nations roar, they do it only because God permits it. When leaders make decisions, they are under the control of God. God is controlling the tempo of the world; He is accomplishing His goals.

As His children, who are aware of His righteous might and perfection, we should never be in fear. Our health, our circumstances, our interactions, our future, and our final destination are in the righteous hands of the God of our salvation. We do not know what the future will bring, but we do know the character, wisdom, power, and love of the One who holds it.

David cannot help but praise God. He begins in the morning and he finishes at night.

Maybe that reveals our problem: we too often begin chasing the cares of the world and end exhausted by our efforts, forgetting to meditate on our God.

We become so busy that we lose sight of what is true and what has merely been produced by our fears. We live our lives as if we were in control and are driven by earthly desires. We lose sight that God is in control and that His purposes are perfect and eternal.

People are not obstacles to our sanctification, but they are the instruments God wants to use to produce godliness in us. Circumstances are not obstacles to a godly life, but the instruments God uses to expose our earthly desires.

If God is really continually at work for our own good, intending to produce godliness in us, then our only response should be praise and gratefulness.

We need to begin our morning by preparing our heart, reflecting on our God. Our day, without a doubt, will be different. We must also end our day by evaluating the way we responded to our circumstances, reviewing our thoughts, our interactions with others. And then we must rejoice in what the Lord is doing in our lives, even when we see that we must ask forgiveness first to God and then to those we have wronged.

We all desire to live our lives for the glory of God. So we need to prepare ourselves, as we start each day, with an awareness of our God and we must end each day by examining how we responded to His provisions in it.

I am resolved to know my God better and to rejoice in His perfecting work in me. Then I will exclaim like David: “You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy”. 

DOESN'T GOD DESERVE OUR PRAISE?

READ PSALM 65

OUR FOCUS PRODUCES OUR ATTITUDES AND ACTIONS!

Psalm 65:1-4

            1 Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion,

                        and to you shall vows be performed.

            2 O you who hear prayer,

                        to you shall all flesh come.

            3 When iniquities prevail against me,

                        you atone for our transgressions.

            4 Blessed is the one you choose and bring near,

                        to dwell in your courts!

            We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,

                        the holiness of your temple!

This is the way every day should begin for all of us: praising God for His wonderful work in our lives. Our lives should be dedicated only to Him. Our every action should be consciously done to His glory. Everything we are, have and are surrounded by is because of God’s provision and loving care for us.

Being a son or a daughter should be done to the glory of God: our respect and honor and care for our parents should be obvious and heartfelt.

As husbands and wives: every attitude, every response, every action, every desire should be done to the glory of God.

As parents: our education, correction, encouragement, and care should be done to the glory of God.

As workers: whether we have nice employers or not, the excellence of our work should be directed to the glory of God, rather than as a response to recognition or for a paycheck.

As members of a local church: our timeliness, presence, service, and love for the brethren should be done to the glory of God.

We could go on, thinking about how we live along our neighbors, how we drive, how we stand in line at stores, how we respond to our authorities should also be done to the glory of God.

Have I been redundant with the phrase ‘to the glory of God’? Well, I need to be reminded that as I have committed to serve and submit to the Lord, I have also committed to do all things to the glory of God.

Does God deserve this kind of commitment? He most certainly does!

What a wonderful privilege we have, to know that He listens to our prayers. We can come to God with our deepest feelings, our sorrows, our hurts, our confusion, and our disappointments and lay them at His feet. God hears them and is always careful to respond in the most loving and appropriate way for meeting our need to grow as children who are pleasing to Him.

As we approach God in His holiness and perfection, it is no small blessing to know that He forgives our iniquities. He forgives by grace alone, for we cannot merit or repay any of the forgiveness He offers to us. We never need to wonder if there is something He is holding against us. His forgiveness is always complete, when we repent and confess our sins to Him. Christ paid for our sin and God is pleased to show mercy and forgive.

Dear friends, as we reflect on God’s care for us and His forgiveness, living our lives to His glory is the only response we should ever have.

Lest we forget, it is God who chose us and brought us near to Him. He knew exactly what kind of sinners we would be and how many times we would be unfaithful. He chose us before the foundation of the world. We cannot respond in any other way but with humble and grateful amazement.

There is complete satisfaction in God’s presence and His care.

Do we ever become ungrateful and dissatisfied? Certainly yes, and it happens when we take our eyes off of the glories of who God is and onto the world’s empty enticements. When this happens, we are paving the way to sin.

Each day anew, we need to devote ourselves to our wonderful God and Savior. We must take time to reflect on our privilege to know Him, to speak to Him, and to be cleansed by Him. We must recommit ourselves to lead lives that bring glory to Him in every aspect. Then we will be blessed and find the inner peace and joy that cannot be tarnished or taken away.

EVIL WORDS HURT!

KEEPING AN ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE IN THE MIDST OF ATTACK

Psalm 64:1-6

64:1 Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint;

                        preserve my life from dread of the enemy.

            2 Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked,

                        from the throng of evildoers,

            3 who whet their tongues like swords,

                        who aim bitter words like arrows,

            4 shooting from ambush at the blameless,

                        shooting at him suddenly and without fear.

            5 They hold fast to their evil purpose;

                        they talk of laying snares secretly,

                        thinking, “Who can see them?”

            6 They search out injustice,

                        saying, “We have accomplished a diligent search.”

                        For the inward mind and heart of a man are deep.

Does God know what is happening to me? Does He know how wicked the people around me are? Does He know how much it hurts? Is He going to do anything about it?

If you have ever had these kinds of thoughts as you have gone through difficulties, then this psalm will be a great encouragement. Words hurt! When people use them to produce pain in us, they certainly can cause us to become very discouraged.

Here, David talks about his dread of his enemies, expressing his extreme fear. In fact, he is terrorized by what his adversaries are planning in secret. Their cutting words are being spread around with evil purposes in mind.

The psalmist compares them to an ambush. He is surprised by their words, for they have come in moments he did not expect and possibly from people he never thought would betray him. These enemies continue in their evil endeavor and think that they will get away with them.

Possibly, as we rehearse this psalm, we can think of times when this has been true in our own lives. And maybe some are experiencing the pain of something similar right now. Questions are flooding your thoughts. When will it end? Why are they doing this? How far is it going to go?  Does God care?  Will they get away with it? How can I defend myself? Am I going to lose my reputation and maybe my assets?

In all the wicked are doing, they are unaware that God is watching. David does not want his readers to lose sight of the fact that God is aware and will intervene in due time.

Psalm 64:7-9

            7 But God shoots his arrow at them;

                        they are wounded suddenly.

            8 They are brought to ruin, with their own tongues turned against them;

                        all who see them will wag their heads.

            9 Then all mankind fears;

                        they tell what God has brought about

                        and ponder what he has done.

David is sure that God will intervene; and He will do it when the enemies do not expect it. They will feel the pain of God’s judgment. The words they used will be their own demise.

As we read this, it is very possible that we hope this will happen soon. But before you and I expectantly wait for that moment of “revenge”, I want us to notice why God will intervene. God’s purposes are to show His justice, to cause men to fear Him. God’s ultimate goal is not to make our lives more comfortable, or in some way put our unjust suffering on display. God has eternal purposes that go far beyond our hope for reprieve.

I know that when I am going through times similar to these, I tend to concentrate just on myself and thus lose an eternal perspective.

Dear friend, when we go through situations like these, and are tempted to think that we need to go and fix every situation, we easily become prisoners of our bitterness and desire for revenge.

These are the ways we need to ask God to help us when we must navigate through the results of the wicked words of others:

1 – Help me not to lose sight of the fact that You are both aware and in control.

2 – Help me not to be terrorized by the events.

3 – Help me not to be driven by fears and bitterness.

4 – Help me to desire the eternal and not the temporal.

5 – Help me never to be a person who speaks wickedly of others.

Psalm 64:10

            10 Let the righteous one rejoice in the LORD

                        and take refuge in him!

            Let all the upright in heart exult!

It is the LORD Who is our point of reference. Above all, Jesus experienced the reality of evil words spoken against Him, and every time they were untrue and undeserved. Men spoke evil of Him, they attributed His works to the devil. They schemed to kill Him, and even succeeded for a brief time. We know that God had eternal purposes in mind; in fact, we have hope because of what Christ suffered and did for us.

May we take refuge in Him! May our eyes be on Him and not on ourselves! May our praise for Him be sincere!