YOU AND YOUR CHURCH LEADERS

GRATEFUL FOR GOD’S CARE FOR HIS OWN!

Psalm 134
Come, bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD,
who stand by night in the house of the LORD!
Lift up your hands to the holy place
and bless the LORD!
May the LORD bless you from Zion,
he who made heaven and earth!

This is the last psalm of ascent. It almost seems to be an invitation by those who have come to Jerusalem to worship, for the priests to continue in their faithful service to the Lord.

The priests offered sacrifices day and night, lifting their hands in service. The holy place through the reign of David was the ark, and then the temple, after Solomon built it.

Since the ark, and later the temple, were in Zion (Jerusalem), there is a sense that the writer is asking the blessing to come from there to the faithful servants.

Today we don’t have priests, but we do have those whom God has placed over us and are responsible to God for our spiritual edification.

Hebrews 13:17
Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

It is interesting that God watches their work and will hold them responsible for the ways that they carry out their responsibilities. Our part is to trust them and submit to their leadership. ‘Submission’ speaks about a decision that we make to place ourselves under their authority. Pastors, elders, leaders of churches actually do have authority given by God, but they are able to exercise it only according to the measure to which the believers submit.

If a believer has chosen to become part of a local church, then he needs to submit to God’s given authorities. A rebellious congregation makes the work of its leadership very burdensome. What a wonderful blessing, when both godly believers and godly leaders take their responsibilities seriously. Then there is peace and joy in their church.

The Lord certainly gives instructions about how the shepherds of the flock should behave.

1 Peter 5:1-5
So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”


Elders should serve because of the wonderful privilege it is to do so, not losing sight of their responsibility to Christ and never forgetting that the chief Shepherd is Christ. All of their efforts, therefore, must point to His glory and not to any personal gain.

Elders must notice the seriousness of this verse:

Acts 20:28
Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.

It is God who watches over His church, through its overseers. The value of the church and the care of God is proportional to the cost! He paid for it with His own blood!

As I read this psalm, I could not help but be reminded of the oversight and love that God has for His church. I have a responsibility to support, with both my prayers and actions, the work of those whom God has placed in leadership in my local church. I need to make their job easier. I should never criticize and never be divisive.

I should be faithful in prayer for those in leadership. I should pray that they would prepare well during the week, to teach the Word of God clearly. I should lift them up in prayer, as they disciple and counsel my brothers and sisters. I should be an instrument within the local church to promote godly submission to the leaders. If I believe that some are not leading well, then my first responsibility is to pray, trusting God to take care of this matter in His time and His way. He loves the church far, far more than I could ever do: He died for it!

We are blessed: we have God’s Word and the Lord’s oversight in our lives. The One who made the heavens and the earth is watching over us!

BLESSED BY MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CHRIST!

TRUE UNITY HAS ITS ROOTS IN THE WORD OF GOD

Psalm 133
Behold, how good and pleasant it is
when brothers dwell in unity!
It is like the precious oil on the head,
running down on the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
running down on the collar of his robes!
It is like the dew of Hermon,
which falls on the mountains of Zion!
For there the LORD has commanded the blessing,
life forevermore.

One of the most comforting blessings of our lives as believers is becoming part of a family. We are so blessed to be part of the local Church, where people from different backgrounds, different cultures, and different levels of education, different families, different ages, different jobs, and different experiences are all united by our love of Christ.

I am incredibly blessed by the closeness among the members within Bible study I teach. We are all marvelously knit together because of our unified enthusiasm about the Word and God’s continuous work in our lives through it.

As David penned this Psalm, he certainly could be thinking of the unity of Israel as a nation, but I am sure that he had a real sense that God was the One who had actually caused unity among the children of Israel. David refers to the time when Aaron was anointed High Priest of Israel. There is no doubt that the real unity was the result of spiritual work that God did in the people of His chosen nation. There is a sense of  immense blessing overflowing, as the anointing oil ran down over head and beard and onto the collar of Aaron’s robe, and in David’s reference to God’s care for Zion through the provision of abundant dew upon its mountains.

Dear friends, I can think of no greater earthly blessing than that of the unity we have with fellow believers. It is a unity that is caused by a common Savior, common goals, and a certain hope.

Philippians 1:3-8
I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.

The gracious work of God in our lives and through our ministries is overwhelming and gratifying, for none of these blessings are intended to bring glory to ourselves, but to Christ Jesus..

The unity this psalm talks about is truly a blessing for those who experience it, but it is also a worshipful tribute to our Lord. Jesus prayed for the unity of believers, as He prepared to return to the Father.

John 17:11
And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.

This unity is not something that we need to manufacture, but it is the result of the transformation of believers, through the truth. Jesus prayed for this true unity!

John 17:17-19
Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.

Any kind of unity that is not founded on truth is artificial, and thus does not bring glory to God.

Do you ever stop and wonder why God has been so gracious to us in allowing us sinners to become His children, and causing us to be united in a family created by God? Are you overwhelmed by the fact that God wants to use you to bless His family?

Have you taken the time to thank God for those whom He is using in your life to help to conform you to the image of His Son? Have you taken the time to thank them and encourage them in their service to God?

Behold, how good and pleasant it is
when brothers dwell in unity!

The reality is, however, that often brothers do not dwell in unity! What needs to change? Change always starts with those who are willing to submit to their Savior!

Matthew 5:9
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Paul desired that there would be real unity and peace within the believers.

Philippians 2:1-4
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Our own interests and our own selfishness get in the way of unity! Has God changed your life? Has God showered you with true love? Is God transforming your life through His Word? Then this should be evident through the earthly relationships you have!

I am so blessed and thankful that I can hardly wait to tell my fellow believers how much I love them in Christ! And on a personal note, what a blessing it is, to have a wife who shares this love for believers and loves to sacrificially serve for their sake!

We are blessed beyond measure, in Christ!

WHAT ARE MY PRIORITIES EACH DAY?

A NEEDED REMINDER!

Psalm 132

Remember, O LORD, in David's favor,

all the hardships he endured,

how he swore to the LORD

and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob,

“I will not enter my house

or get into my bed,

I will not give sleep to my eyes

or slumber to my eyelids,

until I find a place for the LORD,

a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah;

we found it in the fields of Jaar.

“Let us go to his dwelling place;

let us worship at his footstool!”

Arise, O LORD, and go to your resting place,

you and the ark of your might.

Let your priests be clothed with righteousness,

and let your saints shout for joy.

For the sake of your servant David,

do not turn away the face of your anointed one.

The LORD swore to David a sure oath

from which he will not turn back:

“One of the sons of your body

I will set on your throne.

If your sons keep my covenant

and my testimonies that I shall teach them,

their sons also forever

shall sit on your throne.”

For the LORD has chosen Zion;

he has desired it for his dwelling place:

“This is my resting place forever;

here I will dwell, for I have desired it.

I will abundantly bless her provisions;

I will satisfy her poor with bread.

Her priests I will clothe with salvation,

and her saints will shout for joy.

There I will make a horn to sprout for David;

I have prepared a lamp for my anointed.

His enemies I will clothe with shame,

but on him his crown will shine.”

We don’t know the author or when this psalm of ascent was written. The first part refers to David bringing the ark back to Jerusalem, and the second refers to David’s kingdom being blessed through One who would sit on his throne forever.

This psalm makes it very clear that God, as He had promised in Genesis, had a plan for the salvation of mankind. From the time of Israel to eternity, God’s care of man will not be thwarted by the schemes of men. David was God’s chosen king and, although sinful, was used by God to show His presence within the people of Israel.

The Ark of the Covenant was the dwelling place of the Lord. No man could even touch the Ark, or he would die. When David attempted to bring the Ark back in his own way, the death of Uzzah, who touched it, became a clear reminder that things are to be done only according to God’s laws. You can read the story in 2 Samuel, chapter 6. It was only when God’s way was obeyed that the ark was returned to Jerusalem and Israel’s joy was restored.

The writer reminds the children of Israel that God blessed the faithfulness of David and that they need to continue to hope in the promises and faithfulness of God. The holiness of God and the sinfulness of man, and therefore man’s utter inability to approach God with his own supposed merits, are concepts clearly recorded in Scripture. The only hope for man was that God would keep His promise to bless the descendants of David with a King who would rule forever.

When Christ would come, there would be no more need for an ark, and David’s kingdom would be established forever.

The coming of Christ was predicted many years before:

Isaiah 7:14

        Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

       

Matthew 1:18-23

        Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

        “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,

                and they shall call his name Immanuel”

        (which means, God with us).

       

We are surrounded by people who have no idea of who Christ really is and what He has done for them. But because, by His grace, we do know Him, we have the privilege of announcing how to find peace with God through Christ, the promised King.

Do you ask God each day to give you opportunities to share the Gospel? Do you have a list of people for whom you are praying? Are you asking God to work in the lives of your loved ones?

When the pilgrims returned to Jerusalem, these songs were reminding them to dedicate their lives to the Lord and to be faithful to the message they had received, trusting completely in the promises not yet fulfilled.

As pilgrims on earth, are our lives dedicated to the Lord? Or have we allowed the cares of this world to distract us?

I need to be reminded! Is my prayer life reflecting what I say I believe and the priorities I should have? Am I committed to those things which are eternal? Do I rejoice in the fact that I know the Messiah and that I am a child of God?

TRUST GOD AND SLEEP LIKE A BABY!

IF YOU WANT TO FIND PEACE YOU MUST TRUST GOD!

Psalm 131

O LORD, my heart is not lifted up;

my eyes are not raised too high;

I do not occupy myself with things

too great and too marvelous for me.

But I have calmed and quieted my soul,

like a weaned child with its mother;

like a weaned child is my soul within me.

O Israel, hope in the LORD

from this time forth and forevermore.

In this psalm, David is expressing his humility before the LORD and his submissive trust in Him, which brings. restful peace to his soul.

His heart is not lifted up, his is not proud or presumptuous, for he has decided to let God take care of the many things that are beyond his reach.

We know that God opposes our pride, for pride is sinful and worldly. Friendship with the world, and dependence on earthly resources lure our hearts away from our proper dependence upon God:

James 4:4-6

        You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

Pride causes men to think to less of God and more highly of themselves than they ought! In doing so, they are actually scorning God!

Proverbs 3:34

        Toward the scorners he is scornful,

                but to the humble he gives favor.

Our relationship with God begins when we humble ourselves before Him and recognize that we cannot do anything to save ourselves. We need to trust in Christ alone for salvation, and even our service as children of God should be done in total dependence and humility.

Ephesians 2:8-10

        For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

       

I love the response of Job, as he begins to understand who God is.

Job 42:2-6

        “I know that you can do all things,

                and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.

        ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’

        Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,

                things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.

        ‘Hear, and I will speak;

                I will question you, and you make it known to me.’

        I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,

                but now my eye sees you;

        therefore I despise myself,

                and repent in dust and ashes.”

Job recognizes God’s total control over everything. He recognizes that any time we question God, we overstep our boundaries. The only response to the holy and perfect God is total trust and submission!

I realize that this theme is repeated so often, but I also know that I am so prone to pride, that I need to hear this over and over again.

We ask ourselves if we are being proud, and the image David gives us in this psalm shows one of the ways to know if we are trusting God: total rest!

Nothing is more nerve-racking for a father than taking care of a baby when the child is hungry and there is no food in sight! A pacifier, a finger, a walk might distract a child for a bit, but not for long. What a contrast to holding a child when he has been feed and cared for. I used to love to hold my children when they were in that complete state of peace: satisfied, happy, restful!

The writer paints that image very well. So my question today to me and to you is this: which baby depicts us? Are we fussing and crying with short moments of distraction, ready to be upset again and again? Or are we resting in the arms of God, satisfied with God’s perfect care?

Dear friends, we  know that the best start for our day is a time of meditation on who God is and what  His purposes are, as we read His Word, and then prayer that our wills become aligned with those purposes.

When we are trusting God completely, then we can invite others to find this same peaceful rest, just as David invites Israel to put their hope in the LORD, from today and through all eternity!  

GOD’S MERCY IS ALL WE CLING TO!

APART FROM GOD’S MERCY, MAN HAS NO HOPE

Psalm 130

Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD!

O Lord, hear my voice!

Let your ears be attentive

to the voice of my pleas for mercy!

If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities,

O Lord, who could stand?

But with you there is forgiveness,

that you may be feared.

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,

and in his word I hope;

my soul waits for the Lord

more than watchmen for the morning.

O Israel, hope in the LORD!

For with the LORD there is steadfast love,

and with him is plentiful redemption.

And he will redeem Israel

from all his iniquities.

What an uplifting song for the pilgrims to sing, as they returned to Jerusalem!  The grace of God is so sure and clear in the progression of these words.

In deep distress over sin, the cry goes out to the LORD: Jehovah, the One before whom man must bow. Here, the holiness of God is magnified and the sinfulness of man is utterly exposed.

There is no other way to approach God than by pleading for mercy. Sinful man has absolutely nothing to offer by way of appeal. (Every man acts according to his fallen, sinful nature, which causes even his best intentions and deeds to be ‘as filthy rags’ before the holy, righteous perfection of the LORD.)

 The author knows that if God’s justice were applied to the sin of man, there would be no hope. If the Holy God of the universe were to immediately punish every failure to keep His commands, no one could escape His righteous wrath.  Apart from God’s mercy, man has no hope, for all of us have sinned. Only when a repentant man asks for forgiveness, and God reveals His mercy, can he truly begin to appreciate and fear God. The path of total trust in the mercy of God begins.

The writer has one place to base his hope, and that is in the word of God. He knows that He is trustworthy and that what is written is true and reliable. On the basis of God’s revelations of Himself and His will, he hopes.

The hope he waits for absorbs all of his attention! Like those who wait for the night to be over as they are protecting their flock or a city, those who wait upon the Lord are eagerly, wholeheartedly awaiting the relief of their salvation.

The writer invites Israel to trust in the mercy of God: mercy that springs out of God’s sure, steadfast love. What a wonderful statement he makes, when he reminds the readers that with Him, redemption is plentiful! As the pilgrims returned to Israel, aware of their sin, they knew that their request for forgiveness was based on God’s inexhaustible love and desire to forgive.

There was hope for Israel!

As we read this psalm, we can view our own lives mirrored in the journey of the Jews. We worship a holy God to Whom we cannot bring any redeeming asset. His love and forgiveness toward us are based only upon His grace and mercy. We come to Him, trusting in the promises of the Scriptures, where we find the reality of our utter dependence upon God’s love and mercy. And we rest on His promise to forgive those who come to Him in total dependence and trust in His Word.

Like Israel, we are completely incapable of paying for our iniquities, and we cry out to God in our broken desperation.

God has never changed. He is faithful to His promises and His love is steadfast!

Reading this psalm, I am not only reminded of God’s faithfulness in forgiving me, but also of my own need to forgive others. I have a responsibility to show mercy and grace to those around me who sin against me. Reading and meditating upon these verses can only humble me and cause deep gratitude toward to God, that He revealed Himself to me and provided the way for me to find redemption.

May we live this day in grateful submission to God, and may we extend grace and forgiveness to those around us because of His mercy to us!

IT HURTS, BUT NOT FOREVER!

GOD IS IN CONTROL, HE WILL PREVAIL

Psalm 129

“Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth”—

let Israel now say—

“Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth,

yet they have not prevailed against me.

The plowers plowed upon my back;

they made long their furrows.”

The LORD is righteous;

he has cut the cords of the wicked.

May all who hate Zion

be put to shame and turned backward!

Let them be like the grass on the housetops,

which withers before it grows up,

with which the reaper does not fill his hand

nor the binder of sheaves his arms,

nor do those who pass by say,

“The blessing of the LORD be upon you!

We bless you in the name of the LORD!”

We don’t know who wrote this psalm or when it was written, but it is very possible that it was written after Israel’s Babylonian captivity. The writer recognizes that the Lord, in His righteousness, had freed the children of the captive generation.

It is wonderful that the writer of this psalm causes the later pilgrims to recognize that God had not allowed Israel’s enemies to prevail. He does not minimize their suffering, since the image of being plowed upon his back paints great distress in vivid colors, but not to the point of death.

We can learn to react correctly to trials from this psalm. Our reaction should not be to rebel or complain, but rather to point those who hear us toward the righteousness of God. The Israelites knew that it was their sin and rebellion that had brought them into captivity. But here we do not see any signs of rebellion, just total submission to God.

God’s righteousness required their punishment, but it was also His righteousness that caused the LORD to keep His promises faithfully.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

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

Paul knew very well that God had long-reaching purposes for his trials. Every trial, every suffering was God’s careful preparation for ministry. Paul recognized the comfort of God and knew that it had prepared him to comfort others, in the same way.

If you are like me, you tend to ask yourself why you are going through a difficult time, since we desire to see the value of a situation. Well, here it is: it prepares you to help others. One thing is clear - that our focus should never be on ourselves, but first on God and then on how God will, because of it, use us in the lives of others.

Sometimes life is hard. Paul knew that in times of utter difficulty he needed to rely on God.

2 Corinthians 1:8-11

            For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.

           

Paul looked at the hard events in his life as the gentle nudging of God. He never forgot the importance of prayer. Paul’s desire was to be a testimony for Christ and, to that end, he asked the believers to pray for him.

Dear friends, don’t go through trials and difficulties alone! Ask others to pray for you! Remember that our major emphasis in praying should not be to escape the situation. Our prayers should be that God will be glorified by our response and attitude, that the trial would cause us to mature and become more like Christ, that we would become better instruments to meet the needs of others who go through trials like ours, and that others would grow in their faith.

The writer ends this psalm, relying on God to take care of those who had hurt Israel. He does not desire to carry out vengeance himself, but he asks God to do what is right.

At times, our trials are the consequence of people who want to harm us and who, many times, hate God. Let us remember that God is allowing them to do what they are doing, and that He will use it in our lives. And don’t forget that God will not leave sin unpunished. He will surely bring judgment at His right time.

Whatever situation you are in, remember: GOD WILL PREVAIL!

DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO FEAR GOD?

FEAR GOD! KNOW YOUR PLACE! KNOW PEACE!

Psalm 128

Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD,

who walks in his ways!

You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands;

you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.

Your wife will be like a fruitful vine

within your house;

your children will be like olive shoots

around your table.

Behold, thus shall the man be blessed

who fears the LORD.

The LORD bless you from Zion!

May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem

all the days of your life!

May you see your children's children!

Peace be upon Israel!

In this psalm of ascent, the pilgrims are reminded of the importance and blessing of fearing the Lord. This blessing is for all those who fear Him, which means to walk in His ways. This is an oft-repeated concept in Scripture:

Proverbs 9:10-11

        The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,

                and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

        For by me your days will be multiplied,

                and years will be added to your life.

Solomon, in Proverbs, adds the concept of the knowledge of the Holy One. In Chapter Two, he makes it very clear that the fear of the Lord is the result of listening to and practicing the commandments of the LORD.

Proverbs 2:1-5

        My son, if you receive my words

                and treasure up my commandments with you,

        making your ear attentive to wisdom

                and inclining your heart to understanding;

        yes, if you call out for insight

                and raise your voice for understanding,

        if you seek it like silver

                and search for it as for hidden treasures,

        then you will understand the fear of the LORD

                and find the knowledge of God.

The writer of Psalm 111 states clearly that fearing God includes practicing His commands.

Psalm 111:10

        The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;

                all those who practice it have a good understanding.

                His praise endures forever!

Fearing the LORD means to be awe-stricken by the holiness of God, recognizing our fallen position and filled with gratitude for His grace toward us, as we trust Him with every aspect of our lives.

A person who fears God cannot presume that he has anything good to offer Him, within himself. He knows that he depends upon God for every aspect of his life, both spiritual and physical, and offers complete, joyful submission to the self-sufficient, sovereign LORD of the universe.

Because He is the source of all wisdom, it is God alone Who gives wisdom and understanding.

Proverbs 2:6-8

        For the LORD gives wisdom;

                from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;

        he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;

                he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,

        guarding the paths of justice

                and watching over the way of his saints.

As the pilgrims returned to Jerusalem, they knew that they could find rest, peace, and joy in trusting their Creator and Lord.

As you can see, our lack of fear of the Lord not only brings into question our relationship with God, but also is completely foolish. There is no benefit in trusting ourselves or becoming rebellious.

The Word of God will reveal the character and the wisdom of God, it will expose our inability to do anything good apart from the Lord, and it will produce great peace and trust in the sovereignty of God.

God reminds us to place our lives, our families, our all in His hands - and we will surely be blessed!

WE ALL NEED THESE TRUTHS TODAY!

TRUST GOD! DON’T TRUST YOURSELF!

Psalm 127

Unless the LORD builds the house,

those who build it labor in vain.

Unless the LORD watches over the city,

the watchman stays awake in vain.

It is in vain that you rise up early

and go late to rest,

eating the bread of anxious toil;

for he gives to his beloved sleep.

Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD,

the fruit of the womb a reward.

Like arrows in the hand of a warrior

are the children of one's youth.

Blessed is the man

who fills his quiver with them!

He shall not be put to shame

when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

The first verse of this psalm quickly attracts our attention, as it has been quoted many times because of its wonderful content. Before we meditate on the meaning, I want to remind you that this psalm, too, is a song of ascent.

We do not know at what time or occasion Solomon wrote this psalm. But we do know that as the pilgrims returned to Jerusalem for worship, they sang these psalms of ascent. They lived far from their beloved city and most times in very difficult environments. They probably desired their situations to change and probably worked hard and “worried” hard!

As we read this psalm, we all can think of things we are trying to build or achieve or change in our lives. We can think of things that we would like to protect ourselves from. We can think of needs that seem to be hard to meet.

The writer very clearly reminds the readers that building without trusting or resting in God is vain labor. We can try to protect ourselves in many ways, but the true watchman over our lives is the Lord, Himself. Worrying will not provide anything but sleepless nights and long, anxious days of work.

We are never told in the Bible not to plan or work hard. God expects us to be diligent, not lazy. The Word of God admonishes us, however, not to take God’s glory for ourselves. All we do is because of His infinite grace and care for us. Secondly, we are admonished not to worry, but to trust the One who carefully and lovingly holds all things in His hands.

I must admit that I am often assailed by worry and sleepless nights. The pressures of life are real and constant, but I know what truths need to be continuously brought back to my mind:

• I can trust the character of my sovereign God! He is holy and just and faithful. He will do what is right.

• I can trust the power of my sovereign God! There is nothing that is beyond His reach and His omnipotence.

• I can trust the wisdom of my sovereign God! Not only is His character perfect and His power without limit, but also He has perfect wisdom in what He does. Nothing puzzles Him or confuses Him. God knows how to work together every event in the whole universe. This amazes me!

• I can trust the love of my sovereign God. Every action of God is motivated by His love, which is eternal and faithful.

You might be thinking that I have written something similar before, but these are the things I need to remind myself of every day, as new situations come up or old situations don’t seem to go away. Neither self-reliance nor worry is pleasing to God, for He is honored by our grateful trust in Him. I simply need to trust in my sovereign God!

Besides His caring for me during difficulties, my sovereign God also has a positive purpose for me as His ambassador:

• God wants the Gospel to progress in me! Every day God is active in my life, conforming me into the image of His son.

• God wants to use me to promote the Gospel in the lives of other believers! God is preparing me to be an example and a voice of His Word to those believers who are part of my local church, or whom God simply brings in my path.

• God wants to use me to see the Gospel progress in this dark world. My trust and reliance and love for my Savior can and should be light to unbelieving people.

Solomon ends his psalm with a reminder of what immense blessings children are. God is the one who gives them, and they are to be received as gifts. The writer even infers, by using weaponry images, that they are part of His way of defending men against their enemies.

We might think that children are also the cause of some the worries that we’d rather not have in our lives. Reality is, however, that even regarding our children, trust in God needs to be the source of our ongoing strength.

I know that I would love to change some of the things I have done as a parent, some of the ways I have educated my sons, but as they have grown older, all I can do is trust the work of God in their lives. As I watch my grandchildren grow, the best I can do for them is pray and trust God to do His perfect work.

I love all my children and I know that God loves them far more than I can! I will entrust them to Him.

THE JOY OF RESTORATION!

READ PSALM 126 

SIN IS SERIOUS AND WE MUST TREAT IT THAT WAY

Psalm 126

When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion,

we were like those who dream.

Then our mouth was filled with laughter,

and our tongue with shouts of joy;

then they said among the nations,

“The LORD has done great things for them.”

The LORD has done great things for us;

we are glad.

Restore our fortunes, O LORD,

like streams in the Negeb!

Those who sow in tears

shall reap with shouts of joy!

He who goes out weeping,

bearing the seed for sowing,

shall come home with shouts of joy,

bringing his sheaves with him.

In this Psalm of Ascent, the author is reminding the children of Israel of the LORD’s great goodness in providing for their returns from captivity – this one, likely from their hard lives in Babylon.

When they were released from captivity, they were joyous about the freedom they were receiving, but they returned to a destroyed city and a destroyed temple.

But at this point, we see the joy of their return and their request for a return to prosperity in their homeland. The Negeb was an area that, during the summer, became very hot and dry, but when the rain returned, the streams would quickly fill with water and cultivation could begin again.

The returning captives are extolling their God as the One who does great things, and go on to express their dependence on the work of the Lord. For these released people, it was almost like a dream! They had waited for this moment for a long time, and now was the time for rejoicing.

It is interesting that the emphasis in the last couple of verses is given to tears and their times of weeping. Those were their times of repentance. Every captivity that descended upon the children of Israel was the result of their sin. As the Israelites sinned against God and forgot to honor and worship Him, God brought foreign people who executed His judgment on a rebellious nation.

God’s loving intention by these repeated judgments was to bring His people to true repentance and a return to faithful submission and worship. God was always faithful in His cycles of rebuke and restoration after their repentance.

Looking at the history of the children of Israel, I am reminded of the seriousness of sin, the faithful work of God to make us aware of our sin, the need for true repentance, and the joy of a restored relationship with God.

1 John 1:5-10

         This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

John reminds us of this cycle, even in our own lives.

The first aspect that we need to remember is that God is holy. He has always been holy and will never change. Those who worship Him cannot walk in sin. We are easily tempted to think that God is willing to cohabit with our sin. We excuse our sin as something that is natural, in fact, almost acceptable.

We have a pattern of getting angry and we excuse it with the fact that we are made that way, in fact, if we are Italian, we excuse it with our heritage. If we are not forgiving or are bitter towards someone, we justify it with the hurt that we have received. We could go on with every sin we have learned to excuse and accept as “normal” in our lives.

John reminds us that there is no “acceptable” sin. Every sin breaks our fellowship with the God we say we love! Not only does our sin break our fellowship with God, but also with fellow believers. Every time we are tempted to remove ourselves from fellowship with true and faithful believers, it should be a warning sign to us about our lack of spiritual health.

But these hope-infused verses teach us that there is no need to remain in broken communion with God and with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Confession and true repentance restore us immediately with our Heavenly Father and with our fellow believers. What an amazing gift we receive through confession. The death of Jesus Christ provided the only way for us to begin a relationship with God, and it also provides for us the only means for ongoing fellowship with the Father.

The wonderful truth of this passage is that we have restoration available because we need it continually. Sin is a reality in our lives, and therefore regular confession and asking forgiveness from God should be a life-long spiritual exercise.

The Apostle Paul warned us that sin should not abound in our lives, so that grace would abound. In other words, true confession requires true sorrow for having offended God and a genuine decision to align our wills with God’s laws.

The Israelites, as they returned to Jerusalem and sang this psalm, were continuously reminded of the seriousness and the consequences of sin. They were encouraged by the awareness that true repentance was followed by restoration. They were also reminded of the cyclical reality of this pattern in their history and in their lives.

I would have no hope, and certainly would not be able to meditate upon this psalm, if God had not been faithful in exposing my own unfaithfulness and forgiving me for my sins. I have seen the difference between sorrowing for the consequences of my sins and true repentance for having offended the holiness of God. I see my tendency to justify my sin that is unjustifiable before God. And I know the joy that comes in being restored.

As I meditate on these verses, they are both a warning and a cause of great joy. May you experience the peace of God’s grace and forgiveness, as your recognize your own sin and confess it. May you be warned, if you are distancing yourself from God and from other believers by attempting to justify your sin.

Confessed sin always produces peace!