DO YOU FEEL IGNORED BY GOD? YOUR FEELINGS ARE WRONG!

READ PSALM 18 

ARE YOU A LIVING AS A CHILD OF THE KING?

For who is God, but the Lord?

And who is a rock, except our God?—

the God who equipped me with strength

and made my way blameless.

He made my feet like the feet of a deer

and set me secure on the heights.

He trains my hands for war,

so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

You have given me the shield of your salvation,

and your right hand supported me,

and your gentleness made me great.

You gave a wide place for my steps under me,

and my feet did not slip.

I pursued my enemies and overtook them,

and did not turn back till they were consumed.

I thrust them through, so that they were not able to rise;

they fell under my feet.

For you equipped me with strength for the battle;

you made those who rise against me sink under me.

You made my enemies turn their backs to me,

and those who hated me I destroyed.

They cried for help, but there was none to save;

they cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them.

I beat them fine as dust before the wind;

I cast them out like the mire of the streets.

David, all through this psalm, has reminded us of the necessity to go through trials well: to trust faithfully, even while we do not see the end of our difficulty, to rejoice in the work that God is doing in us, and to ultimately come closer to God.

Is it worth it? Can God really come through? Is God going to give me the necessary strength? Am I going to fall apart? I feel like giving up now, but will I make it?

In our section today, David reminds us that when we trust the LORD, we are trusting the only true God! He is the all-powerful, all-knowing, omnipresent God of the universe. He is the creator and sustainer of all. He is the rock where we have planted our feet.

He does not reveal our future to us because He wants us to trust Him today. He does not give us strength for tomorrow because we do not need it yet. He wants us close, secure in His arms.

David reminds us that God equips us with the strength we need.  He gives us the strength and the knowledge through His Word to go through our trials well! Even though the path seems slippery, He will keep us from falling. We are not going to be submerged, for God knows how to keep us above ground. Our wise God has our best in mind. His plan is not for us to fail; His plan is for Him to triumph in us.

God is the One who prepares us. Dear friends, in His Word, in faithful believers who walk beside us, in the local church we find the strength to go through the hard times of life. God is strong enough to shield and protect us through the trial, and gentle enough to care about what we need in order to go through the trial well.

God is there to make our way stable, to help us engage our enemies in a godly way. God’s intention is to display His glory. Our enemies and the people who are watching us go through the trial are going to be surprised at God’s work in us, if we remain faithful.

Victory in trial is for God to be exalted and for God’s purposes to be achieved. Do we trust God enough to accept and desire the outcome that He wants?

God has saved us, and He has planned eternity for us. His enemies will be defeated. In due time, God will show His strength. In the meanwhile, He is giving us the necessary strength to go through our storms!

Psalm 18:43-48

You delivered me from strife with the people;

you made me the head of the nations;

people whom I had not known served me.

As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me;

foreigners came cringing to me.

Foreigners lost heart

and came trembling out of their fortresses.

The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock,

and exalted be the God of my salvation—

the God who gave me vengeance

and subdued peoples under me,

who delivered me from my enemies;

yes, you exalted me above those who rose against me;

you rescued me from the man of violence.

David saw God give him deliverance and allow him to defeat his enemies. David never forgot that it was God who did it.

The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock,

and exalted be the God of my salvation—

Shouldn’t this be our song today? Are we acknowledging with our lives that God is alive and in control? Does our demeanor proclaim a loving and powerful God who deserves our worship? Or are we losing sight of the fact that we are saved children of the God of the universe? God has only one kind of children: the ones He loves, for whom His Son died, and whom He is intently and carefully guiding through the difficulties of life, to mature and cause to become like His wonderful Son, Whom He has loved from eternity past and will love forever and ever.

If you are feeling like an ignored child? Then you are believing a lie! Allowing your thoughts to guide you into untruths will only produce ingratitude and sin! May we live as children of God, worthy of the name we bear!

GOD IS KEEPING YOU CLOSE!

READ PSALM 18

HUMAN REASONING WILL NEVER TAKE YOU TO GOD OR GIVE YOU PEACE

Psalm 18:16-19

He sent from on high, he took me;

he drew me out of many waters.

He rescued me from my strong enemy

and from those who hated me,

for they were too mighty for me.

They confronted me in the day of my calamity,

but the LORD was my support.

He brought me out into a broad place;

he rescued me, because he delighted in me.

David has been an example of how those who trust in God endure trials. His heart had remained faithful to his LORD. He knew that God was well aware of his trouble. The time of the trial was not a matter of lack of care by his loving God, but it was God knowing what was best during those times.

In His perfect timing, God had rescued him. Yes, David knew that his foes were too strong for him to conquer; all he could do was trust the LORD and be patient during the trial.  David recognizes that he was confronted by powerful enemies during the time of adversity. He knew his situation was beyond his strength to change, but not beyond his ability to endure. For David knew, all through the trials, that the LORD was His Rescuer, and would continue to support him.

During our trials, too, God is providing the grace to endure them. The trials may seem to overwhelm us, but God is actively showing us His grace and providing the strength to endure. The Apostle Paul had learned this lesson.

2 Corinthians 12:7-10 

            So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

           

Paul had received the trial he was enduring in order to protect him from sin. God had allowed the difficulty to come from Satan, himself. Even though Satan was the author, God’s decision not to restrain him was part of His sovereign plan, not a lack of power to stop him. God’s ultimate goal was to demonstrate His power through the weakness of Paul and the grace that He was providing throughout the trial.

God’s grace provides a great testimony to those who do not know Him, when it is displayed in the life of the believer. As you endure a trial, God desires to display His grace through you.

Psalm 18:20-24

The LORD dealt with me according to my righteousness;

according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.

For I have kept the ways of the LORD,

and have not wickedly departed from my God.

For all his rules were before me,

and his statutes I did not put away from me.

I was blameless before him,

and I kept myself from my guilt.

So the LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness,

according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

As David continues to pen this wonderful psalm, he describes his behavior through the trials. He remained righteous, his deeds were pleasing to God, his faithfulness continued, He continued to keep his eyes on the laws of God, and he was blameless before God. As we read these verses, we cannot forget that David’s ability to react in a godly way was not because of his own strength, but because of the faithfulness of God.

Psalm 18:25-30

With the merciful you show yourself merciful;

with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;

with the purified you show yourself pure;

and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.

For you save a humble people,

but the haughty eyes you bring down.

For it is you who light my lamp;

the LORD my God lightens my darkness.

For by you I can run against a troop,

and by my God I can leap over a wall.

This God—his way is perfect;

the word of the LORD proves true;

he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.

How wonderful to see that God shows His mercy to those who are merciful, He shows Himself without blame with those who walk blamelessly, He proves to be pure with those who are pure in their ways. It is interesting that God does not show Himself in the same way to those who walk crookedly.

God is watching, and in due time He will save the humble and bring low the proud. James reminds us of this truth.

James 4:6-10

            But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

Responding with humility through trials not only attracts the pleasure of God, but it also provides a protection from sin. We may have every assurance that, in due time, God will respond righteously.

The psalmist shows us that his behavior was the result of trusting God. He began by knowing God’s Word and trusting it. As he went through dark moments, he did not resort to his feelings or human thoughts to bring understanding, but he went to the Word of God. Anything other than the Word of God does not shed light, but brings only more darkness to the matter.

The obstacles were humanly insurmountable, but with God’s help they could be conquered. As David followed the instructions found in Law of God, the LORD proved Himself to be trustworthy. All too often, we have later realized the truthfulness of God’s Word, because we see the devastation from following our own ways, and the consequences of our own sin.

We have a choice: we can rest in God and find the peace and grace available in His protection, or we can experience the weight of sinful responses and live with regret. I am grateful that even those sins of my past that have proved to me how foolish I was not to have trusted God and His Word, are today a reminder to trust God continually and faithfully.

We know David’s life, and we know that he also learned in those same ways. May we make wise decisions when we are confronted with the trials of life! One way or the other, God will bring His own close to Him!

DON’T GIVE UP!

 GOD COULD STOP YOUR TRIAL RIGHT NOW, BUT HE KNOWS WHAT IS BEST!

When we are being mistreated in some way,

we tend to ask ourselves these kinds of questions:

Where is God? Does He really care?

 Am I not important enough for Him to get involved?

Are those who are being evil going to get away with it?

READ PSALM 18

Psalm 18:7-12

7 Then the earth reeled and rocked;

the foundations also of the mountains trembled

and quaked, because he was angry.

8 Smoke went up from his nostrils,

and devouring fire from his mouth;

glowing coals flamed forth from him.

9 He bowed the heavens and came down;

thick darkness was under his feet.

10 He rode on a cherub and flew;

he came swiftly on the wings of the wind.

11 He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him,

thick clouds dark with water.

12 Out of the brightness before him

hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds.

As I said in our last meditation on this Psalm, the first six verses challenged me to review not only the reality God’s care for us, but also how I actually act and react, while enduring a trial.

It can be very discouraging to have the impression that wrongdoers are getting away with their misbehavior.

But the challenge and length of a trial should not keep us from going through it with humble faith.

Romans 2:2-5

We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things.  Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.

God is watching, and on the day of His wrath, God will reveal His judgement against every impenitent sinner. We know that we have been spared God’s holy justice only because of His grace and mercy in Christ’s substitutionary atonement for our own sins. We should remember that God is in complete control and His righteous justice will be accomplished at the right time.

God’s patience is certainly not a sign of weakness; in due time He will manifest His power. As He restrains His wrath, He is showing grace to sinners, and progressively sanctifying those who are redeemed.

Psalm 18:13-15

13 The Lord also thundered in the heavens,

and the Most High uttered his voice,

hailstones and coals of fire.

14 And he sent out his arrows and scattered them;

he flashed forth lightnings and grouted them.

15 Then the channels of the sea were seen,

and the foundations of the world were laid bare

at your rebuke, O Lord,

at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.

At God’s command, every trial could end. But as much as we seek God’s immediate intervention, we should never lose sight of His infinite wisdom. He is in total control, He is utterly trustworthy, and He has perfect purposes for every situation.

We will look at the deliverance and care of God in our next group of verses, but as we reflect today, we need to be reminded of the privilege we have in being taken care of by our faithful and loving God at all times, The easy ones and those that seem unbearable.

We certainly cannot lose sight of the fact that, if God had dealt with us according to our deeds, we would not be alive to seek deliverance! God has shown us mercy and grace. Those people who seem to get away with their evil behavior might seem to be enjoying an easy life, but they cannot understand what it means to enjoy the grace of God.

The Word of God often calls us to remember the grace we have received.

Ephesians 2:1-7
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

We are so blessed! Why would we ever envy those who do not know the grace of God? Would we ever trade the eternal life of grace we have received, for a moment of comfort or the disappearance of our trials? Especially in difficult times, we know that God is watching over us.

Galatians 6:7-9
Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

Are you tired? Do you feel like giving up? Have you come at the end of your strength? Are you starting to feel that it is not worth the struggle?

David did not give up! Jesus, even though He knew the excruciating pain He would face on the cross, willingly submitted to the Father. Why did He do that? So you could have the grace to face what you are facing today! May the Lord help us to remember these truths every day of our lives!

WILL YOU REGRET THE WAY YOU WENT THROUGH YOUR TRIAL?

READ PSALM 18

DID YOU FORGET WHO IS TAKING CARE OF YOU?

Psalm 18:1-3

I love you, O LORD, my strength.

The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,

my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,

my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised,

and I am saved from my enemies.

‘I love you O LORD’… how does a human being display love to the Creator and Sustainer of the universe?

We know that this psalm was written by David after God had protected him from his enemies, including Saul. We also know that David’s praise did not begin after the deliverance, but had been part of his attitude all through the trials. David had restrained himself when he had the opportunity to kill Saul and had trusted God to be his protector and helper.

David praises God for having been his fortress and deliverer, for he had placed his confidence in his God, his rock; he was unmoved in his resolve and trust. Now, he could rejoice in the fulfillment of God’s protection of him and defeat of his enemies.

Have you ever had a situation where God has come to your rescue, but you haven’t gone through your trial well? Times when you had become ungrateful, bitter, and angry? Situations where you have not responded well to others? Trials where you have not been a good example for your family, friends, nor even your enemies?

When I look at these words and then review David’s life, I can see that his praise was preceded by complete trust before his deliverance. I know that there are many times that I have rejoiced in God’s provision and help, but I have not gone through the trial well.

Are you experiencing a trial right now? Do you trust God? Are you going to wish that you had navigated through the trial in a more godly way? No matter how you have reacted thus far, the wonderful thing is that you can stop, review your heart and behavior, and then ask God for forgiveness and strength to finish the remainder of the trial well.

I am so glad that some of my trials have lasted long enough to give me time to repent and react correctly to my circumstances.

David’s trials were real and hard.

Psalm 18:4-5

The cords of death encompassed me;

the torrents of destruction assailed me;

the cords of Sheol entangled me;

the snares of death confronted me.

It is not the size or the length of the trial that should direct our reactions, but our dependence upon the greatness of our God and the power of His care and love.

Psalm 18:6

In my distress I called upon the LORD;

to my God I cried for help.

From his temple he heard my voice,

and my cry to him reached his ears.

The trial was great; David knew he could not hide his pain from God, for what he needed to do was to pray and worship. Some, during trials, tend to remove ourselves from our brothers and sisters in Christ, to the point of avoiding attendance for worship with them. However, God desires our sincere communion with Him; he loves to hear our prayers, and is glorified by our trusting submission. David had continued to be faithful in his worship, and from God’s temple he cried out for help.

As we continue to look at this psalm, we will see God’s response and intervention, His power displayed. But sufficient for today is our need to review our own lives, to assess how we are responding to our trials.

David says that he loves the LORD. This ‘love’ is used rarely, and is a very tender term. This expresses complete love and dependence, as a lost sheep to its shepherd.

Luke 15:3-7      

        So he told them this parable: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

God does not have too many sheep to take care of! Even if you are the least of His sheep, you are as important to God as all the other ones!

Are you tempted to forget the meticulous care and attention that God has shown for you? If you are a child of God, the angels in heaven rejoiced when you became His child. God sent His Son to pay the price of your sin and make it possible for you to have a relationship with Him.

Trials are real and they hurt. We might not see their end, but we should never lose sight of our wonderful Savior.

Isaiah 9:6

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.

This is the LORD Who is taking care of us! May our minds rest in the peace that accompanies this wonderful truth!

DON’T TAKE MATTERS IN YOUR OWN HANDS!

ARE YOUR ENEMIES DRIVING YOU TO GOD?

Psalm 17:1-2

Hear a just cause, O LORD; attend to my cry!

Give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit!

From your presence let my vindication come!

Let your eyes behold the right!

God wants us to pray! And here, David is expecting the eternal, sustaining LORD to listen to his prayer. David is not taking matters in his own hands; he is approaching God with humble expectation that God will look, evaluate and respond to his needs in righteousness.

It is so easy, when we are going through hard times, to want to take matters into our own hands. We might do this by retaliating in word or in deeds, or, as it happens to me, exposing the deeds of others by complaints or accusations. What is certain in this Psalm is that David is showing total dependence on God. His behavior has remained righteous.

Psalm 17:3-5

You have tried my heart, you have visited me by night,

you have tested me, and you will find nothing;

I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress.

With regard to the works of man, by the word of your lips

I have avoided the ways of the violent.

My steps have held fast to your paths;

my feet have not slipped.

David has guarded his heart, he has purposed to watch the words of his mouth, he has not spent time thinking of human responses, and he has controlled his actions. He has followed the paths of God, and has been careful not to slip. David is describing the path to righteousness that we, too, should follow. Our first step is to inspect our hearts. Are we storing up anger, disappointment, bitterness, revenge, unhappiness? When we allow these attitudes to build up in our hearts, our mouths will eventually speak accordingly. We should be the first ones to listen to what we say. We tend to justify evil talk, minimizing it as ‘venting’ or ‘blowing off steam’. Sometimes, we prefer to appear more spiritual by asking for advice or prayer, when in truth we are seeking revenge by exposing others - not for their benefit, but to provide some kind of selfish satisfaction or relief. As we allow our hearts to go in a wrong direction, our mouths will expose this, while our minds will produce the ungodly reactions and deeds that soon will follow.

How I need to focus upon the ways of God! The problems and the people will not disappear. What I need is to go to the Lord in prayer.

Psalm 17:6-7

I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;

incline your ear to me; hear my words.

Wondrously show your steadfast love,

O Savior of those who seek refuge

from their adversaries at your right hand.

David has no doubt that God will listen. He knows that he is loved with everlasting, faithful love. God loves His children to run to Him in the midst of their problems. Have you taken the time to reflect on the fact that God is allowing those people and situations in your life in order to attract you to Himself, and to cause you to loosen your grip on the world? God is meticulously working to bring you closer to Him, so He can wonderfully embrace you with His love. Too often, we go to God with predetermined solutions in mind. We then tend to evaluate His love, based upon the answers conforming to what we wanted. Instead, our prayers to the Savior God must be accompanied by complete trust in His will and His providence. God’s response will always show His loving care for us.

The wickedness of David’s enemies was, however, real and seemingly overwhelming.

Psalm 17:8-14

Keep me as the apple of your eye;

hide me in the shadow of your wings,

from the wicked who do me violence,

my deadly enemies who surround me.

They close their hearts to pity;

with their mouths they speak arrogantly.

They have now surrounded our steps;

they set their eyes to cast us to the ground.

He is like a lion eager to tear,

as a young lion lurking in ambush.

Arise, O LORD! Confront him, subdue him!

Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword,

from men by your hand, O LORD,

from men of the world whose portion is in this life.

You fill their womb with treasure;

they are satisfied with children,

and they leave their abundance to their infants.

The description of these enemies is one of people who have closed their hearts towards God. They live for what is temporal. They will do whatever they can to achieve their human desires. David has not followed the ways of his enemies; he has found refuge under the wings of his LORD.

We must ask ourselves if our lives are driven in by the same desires and goals that the world has. Or are we driven by what has eternal goals and values? What is really causing our distress?

David made the wise decision:

Psalm 17:15

As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness;

when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness.

David chose to look to his God, satisfied by his relationship with his Lord. Is this true of you and me? Let us emulate David, who found his pleasure and satisfaction in God, not in circumstances or people.

WHERE DOES YOUR MIND TAKE YOU WHEN YOU CLOSE YOUR EYES?

HAVE YOU LOST SIGHT OF GOD?

Psalm 16:1-2

Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.

I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord;

I have no good apart from you.”

What a wonderful, confident prayer. David is asking for the protection and preservation of the LORD. He has found his resting place in the care of his Lord. Submissive and obedient, David’s decision is resolute, as he knows that there is no other place where he can find true protection.

We should have the same kind of resolution in our own lives. All too often, we look for protection through our own ideas or from the opinions of men. We allow the world to dictate where and how to find rest. We allow the same troubles that produce unrest and worry for unbelievers to cause turmoil in our lives.

However, we know that David had learned to find his place in the arms of his Lord. It is the difficult times that send us running to find shelter. It is during the dark times when we look for the light. It is in the lonely times when we look for the eternal love of God. It is when we recognize that we are lost sheep that we look for the Good Shepherd!

Trials drive those who have chosen the Lord as their only Lord into His arms!

David has also learned to choose his friends carefully.

Psalm 16:3-4

As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones,

in whom is all my delight.

The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply;

their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out

or take their names on my lips.

When a soldier is at war, he does not look for protection in the enemy’s camp. The athlete looks for his teammates when he is in competition. David knew that spending time with God’s enemies would expose him to their corruption and problems. Spending time with those who love God was both an encouragement and a joy for David.

The local church is the gift that God has given to believers. There they can find protection, rest, instruction, encouragement and so much more. A believer, who lives a comfortable life in the world, away from a local church, needs to reevaluate his spiritual life,  his priorities and life goals.

David knows that trusting God has been a blessing for him.

Psalm 16:5-6

The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup;

you hold my lot.

The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;

indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

God’s care has produced pleasant results in the present, and gives him certain hope for the future. This assurance continues to guide his days and produces rest at night.

Psalm 16:7-8

I bless the LORD who gives me counsel;

in the night also my heart instructs me.

I have set the LORD always before me;

because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

David has been instructed from the Word of God. He has wisdom as he deals with his daily situations, and has peace during the night. It is at night when we tend to reflect and worry, but nights were not restless for David, because he had chosen where to set his eyes. He knew that the LORD, the Creator and sustainer of all, was by his side. How could he fret when he was so well-protected?

Where do our minds go when we stop and reflect? Are we looking at our problems, or to God, Who holds everything in His hand? Do we lose sight of the God Who has promised to be by our side? If God loved us enough to send His Son to die for us, will He not love us enough to give us what is best for us every day of our lives?

Psalm 16:9-10

Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;

my flesh also dwells secure.

For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,

or let your holy one see corruption.

David is certain of the care of God. He is rejoicing; he is secure. His eternal state is not in question. It would seem that David could not know of the work the Messiah would accomplish to provide this eternal security for His children. Peter preached at Pentecost, using these verses to prove that even David, as he put his trust in God, had shown faith in God’s future provision.

If David could, by faith, have such surety, then how could we have less? We have placed our eternal state in the hands of God. So, how could we not trust Him for our everyday circumstances? If God is powerful enough to secure our life after death, He is surely strong and wise enough to take care of us every day!

Psalm 16:11

You make known to me the path of life;

in your presence there is fullness of joy;

at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

There is fullness of joy and eternal pleasures in the hands of our Lord and Savior. The focus of our lives here on earth is not to avoid difficulties and problems, for they are used, in the hands of God, to produce spiritual maturity and sanctification in us. They cause us to learn compassion, so as to be a help for other believers, and to become a call for observing unbelievers to be reconciled to God.

Dear friend, as you journey in a difficult world, with difficult people and difficult problems don’t lose sight of your LORD! Meditate on what is true and eternal. Live for that which is of eternal value!

GODLINESS IS A WAY OF LIFE NOT AN EVENT!

FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD: A HUMBLE RESPONSIBILITY!

Psalm 15

O LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent?

Who shall dwell on your holy hill?

He who walks blamelessly and does what is right

and speaks truth in his heart;

who does not slander with his tongue

and does no evil to his neighbor,

nor takes up a reproach against his friend;

in whose eyes a vile person is despised,

but who honors those who fear the LORD;

who swears to his own hurt and does not change;

who does not put out his money at interest

and does not take a bribe against the innocent.

He who does these things shall never be moved.

As I read these verses, which the psalmist wrote under the inspiration of God, many thoughts stream through my mind.

We see here a description of the walk of a righteous man, yet even in his righteousness, he still humbly asks what kind of man can be in close fellowship with the holy God. For man’s fallen nature affects his every motive and action, causing division between man and God.  So no one could ever have communion with God by his own efforts. It is only God, Himself, who can produce the ability, the desire, and the strength to live righteously.

Romans 7:18

        For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.

Man, in his flesh, cannot produce any kind of righteousness, even if he desires to do what is right.

Philippians 3:12-16

        Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

Striving toward godliness is not a one-time event, but it is the continuous work of God in us, as we press (that is, work hard) toward that goal.

1 Timothy 1:15-16

        The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.

Paul knew very well that it was God’s mercy to him, a ‘foremost’ sinner, that revealed the work of Christ in him as an encouraging example for future sinners to also believe unto eternal life.

As we read what David has written in this psalm, the humbling reality of God working in us should flood our souls. At the same time, the responsibility to walk in a worthy manner of our salvation is clearly conveyed.

A believer ought to do what is right, and this should be visible to others. His thinking and the meditations of his heart should be biblical. His speech should be pure.

Matthew 12:34-37

        You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

The fact that the mouth reveals what is in the heart is a concept repeated frequently in the Scriptures. I so often tend to justify unkind, angry, derogatory, critical, and complaining words. Our first reaction, however, when wrong words come out of our mouths, should be to check our hearts! I need that reminder, and am very thankful for the work that God is doing in my heart, through His word.

David goes on to describe a person who does not do evil and does not rejoice, or even envy, the evil doers. He does not enjoy the company of the evil doers, but takes pleasure in fellowship with the godly.

One of the check-ups we can do in our own hearts is to ask ourselves whom we love to spend time with, and what kind of conversations we have with them. As believers, we should love to spend time with our fellow Christians, and our conversations should be Bible-driven. I am afraid that, for many believers, friendships and conversations are often driven by the same interests and goals that unbelievers have.

Ephesians 5:19-21

        …addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

A believer is not driven by greed! He is generous! Hoarding wealth or personal gain are not what motivate him. He is willing to suffer loss, rather than lose the integrity of his words and promises. Money is not the principal motivation for what he does! We live in a very affluent society, where it is easy not only to be driven by its same goals, but also to be disappointed that we don’t have what others have. Any financial blessings should drive us to generosity and not greed.

Ephesians 4:28

        Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.

This kind of living will produce peace and stability, and most of all, humble and grateful communion with God.

What a blessing, to know that Christ prayed for us, that we would live a life pleasing to the Father. May this be our prayer, too!

John 17:11-19

        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. While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 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.