GOD DOES NOT OWE YOU AN ANSWER!

NEVER QUESTION THE CHARACTER AND LOVE OF GOD!

Psalm 88:1-2

O LORD, God of my salvation;

I cry out day and night before you.

Let my prayer come before you;

incline your ear to my cry!

Even a quick read of this psalm causes us to immediately see that it is different from most other psalms. The psalmist is crying out to God and throughout his writing, he never shows any resolution to his great difficulty.

Psalm 88:15

Afflicted and close to death from my youth up,

I suffer your terrors; I am helpless.

The writer makes it clear that his problem has afflicted him from his youth. He has struggled to understand why God would not deliver him. His situation has caused his family and friends to shun him.

Psalm 88:8

You have caused my companions to shun me;

you have made me a horror to them.

I am shut in so that I cannot escape;

It is possible that he is even contagious and therefore he is trapped in an overwhelming situation.

Psalm 88:3-5

For my soul is full of troubles,

and my life draws near to Sheol.

I am counted among those who go down to the pit;

I am a man who has no strength,

like one set loose among the dead,

like the slain that lie in the grave,

like those whom you remember no more,

for they are cut off from your hand.

He questions why God would continue to allow his trial to go on and on. Is God punishing him for some reason?

He has no answers and gives us no answers in this psalm.

Meditating on these words, it seems difficult to find comfort or hope in watching a trial that does not find resolution.

The writer here is crying out to God that his pain is leaving him without family and friends. He is losing his strength, cannot figure out why all this is happening, and cannot see any light at the horizon. Remember, also, that it was to be sung by the Israelites! I want you to notice how, inspired by God, he began this psalm.

The writer begins using the name ‘Yahweh’ for God. In using this holy and most precious name for God, he was reminding himself, and all those who would read it, of some very important qualities of God. God is holy; He is the creator and sustainer of all. He is sovereign over everyone and everything. Before His presence, man can only worship in total humility.

Dear friends, it is possible that you are going through trials that have no apparent reason or explanation. You have been asking God to deliver you for a long time. When waiting is hard to accept and you feel so alone, you are in danger of starting to question the character of God. But whatever the situation you might find yourself in, God never stops being perfectly holy and good.

The writer remembers that God is the One who has saved him and is his only hope for the future.

As you go endure trials, never lose sight of your Savior. You have trusted Him for your eternal destiny, and you must trust Him for your daily trials, no matter how hard they may be.

I think this psalm clarifies some important concepts. God does not owe us an explanation for our trials, and we cannot expect that He will always deliver us. When this happens, we must not question His character or His motives. He continues to be our Savior.

We don’t always need to have answers or provide answers for others, but we must always trust Yahweh, the God of our salvation!

GOD DOES NOT GIVE UP

GOD WILL ALWAYS KEEP HIS PROMISES

Psalm 87

On the holy mount stands the city he founded;

the LORD loves the gates of Zion

more than all the dwelling places of Jacob.

Glorious things of you are spoken,

O city of God. Selah

Among those who know me I mention Rahab and Babylon;

behold, Philistia and Tyre, with Cush—

“This one was born there,” they say.

And of Zion it shall be said,

“This one and that one were born in her”;

for the Most High himself will establish her.

The LORD records as he registers the peoples,

“This one was born there.” Selah

Singers and dancers alike say,

“All my springs are in you.”

Some wonderful assurances jump to the forefront, as we read this psalm about God’s love for Jerusalem. God keeps His promises, He is faithful to them even if the recipients are not, and He will bring about what He has promised.

We know the history of the Israelites: they were chosen by God, and they went through seasons of true worship and times of utter rebellion. God was faithful to punish them and cause them to return to Him. And He was always willing to forgive His penitent people.

God loves to forgive!

Psalm 86:15

But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious,

slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.

If it were not so, Israel and its holy city would have no hope now or in the future. In fact, even though they now are far from God, one day they will return to God. They will recognize Jesus Christ as the Messiah, the kingdom will be reestablished, and even their enemies will worship the only true God.

As we read about the children of Israel, we must be both warned and encouraged. We know that when God chooses us as His own, nothing can separate us from His love.

Romans 8:38-39

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

What wonderful assurance for those who are His! But we must remember that we, who profess to be His children, must do so in truth. One of the most alarming passages in this regard contains the words of Jesus, Himself.

Matthew 7:21-23

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

There is far more to knowing that we are His children than just walking an aisle or asking Jesus to come into your life The epistle of 1^st John reminds us that there are some very clear evidences of new birth in the lives of true believers:

They love Christ and His Word.

They practice His Word and walk according to them,

 and they love the fellowship of other believers.

In other words, they live lives in dependence on Christ; they are repenting of their sins and they love their local church.

Dear friends, when I meditate on this psalm, I am so encouraged to know that God is faithful, regardless my unfaithfulness. I am humbled by the fact that He reached down to save me when I was not even looking for Him, and that He is continually at work in my life.

God loves Israel, and even though they seem so distant from Him, He will bring them back to Himself. We are blessed, that in this season God is bringing us Gentiles to Himself and using us to make Israel jealous of His love.

Romans 11:11

So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather through their trespass, salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous.

Salvation is God’s work in those who come to Him in faith. We must make sure that our faith is grounded in the truth of His Word and that it is real. We must rejoice in God’s steadfast love and faithfulness!

THE VERY BEST WAY TO START YOUR DAY!

GOD WANTS YOUR THOUGHTS TO BE DRIVEN BY TRUTH

Psalm 86:8-13

There is none like you among the gods, O Lord,

nor are there any works like yours.

All the nations you have made shall come

and worship before you, O Lord,

and shall glorify your name.

For you are great and do wondrous things;

you alone are God.

Teach me your way, O LORD,

that I may walk in your truth;

unite my heart to fear your name.

I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,

and I will glorify your name forever.

For great is your steadfast love toward me;

you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.

What a wonderful prayer! This should be the way we start every day! I am so prone to begin my day with thoughts about what I need to do, or about the problems I have to face. But this is how we should direct our thoughts:

Thinking about the character of God

Thinking about the works of God

Thinking of the majesty of our God

Thinking about the exclusivity of God

When we start our day and live our lives with these thoughts, our requests will be wise!

We will ask God to teach us.

We will ask God to help us fear Him.

We will live our days with the right attitude.

We will live with a heart filled with gratitude.

We will live with an attitude of praise.

We will live with a greater awareness of His works

We are loved with an everlasting, undeserved, and faithful love.

We have received grace and eternal life.

Dear friends, there is nothing new in these thoughts. We know the truth of these verses, but we often allow the cares and problems of this life to absorb our attention, causing us to focus on the temporary instead of the eternal.

What a privilege we have been given: to know the only true God! He is perfect and holy in character. No trial or difficulty has an evil purpose. Everything He allows in our life has a perfect and eternal purpose. It never comes at the wrong time, it never lasts too long, and it never is meant to produce anything negative. All God does exalts His glory and majesty. No one can do what God does; no one can have eternal purposes in mind. No one is like Him. This is the God who has made Himself known to us!

We must desire to know Him more. We must submit to His word. What a blessing that He has revealed Himself in the Bible. And He has given us the Holy Spirit so we can understand it. His Word transforms our lives and produces in us His perfect will. We should study it, meditate upon it’s words. We must look for a local church where the Word of God is honored by being the centrality of all it does: where the teaching is not merely men’s opinions about scripture, but where the Bible, itself, is read and explained and applied to our lives. Only then will we learn to fear God more and more.

When we understand the character of God and are taught His Word, then our hearts will be filled with gratitude and praise. Dear friends, we live in a cursed world, and we humans are impure people in the midst of a sinful world. Only by understanding God’s eternal purposes can we live with peace and hope.

We are loved by the God of the universe. He does not need us, but we desperately need Him. If He had not revealed Himself to us through His Word, we would know nothing about Him. If God had not sent His Son to live a perfectly sinless life and die in payment for our sins, and if He had not raised Him from the dead, we would be without hope! What astounding grace we have received from Him!

Do these truths make a difference in your thinking?

I have no idea of what difficulties you are dealing with today, and even if I knew, I might not be able to understand how hard they are, but I do know where there is hope! I know that God holds you in His arms, I know that He has perfect plans for you. He wants to be your focus today and always, for without Him you and I would be lost!

May the Lord bless you today! May you encourage others to look to God today! 

I NEED GOD TODAY!

I NEED GOD TODAY!

THERE NEVER IS A REASON NOT TO GO TO GOD

Psalm 86:1

Incline your ear, O LORD, and answer me,

for I am poor and needy.

David’s request is very clear. He desires the God of the universe, the Creator and Sustainer of all to come to his aid. He is asking the Lord who has no rivals, who is self-existent, to lower Himself and meet the needs of a mere man.

David humbles himself before the Lord. He recognizes himself as poor and needy. He has nothing to offer to his God and can only present himself as in need of God’s help.

When do we go to God with this humble attitude?

Only when we are confronted with a problem we cannot resolve on our own? When we have exhausted all of our human attempts? When we are trying to avoid some hard situation, or when we are dissatisfied with something in our lives?

In reality, we are always poor and needy. Even in our times of apparent calm, we need our God to guide us. Even when we are blessed with material comforts, we still need God for His wisdom and help.

We need to hear from God every day, every moment, and so we must humbly go to Him in total dependence.

Psalm 86:2

Preserve my life, for I am godly;

save your servant, who trusts in you—you are my God.

David is in danger and needs God to protect his life. He has remained faithful; he continues to be devoted to his God. He recognizes his position of servant and not only depends on God, but also trusts Him. He has no plan of looking elsewhere for help.

Dear friends, are we as resolute as David was in the middle of trouble? David does not question God; he continues to faithfully depend on Him although he fears for his life.

Psalm 86:3

Be gracious to me, O Lord,

for to you do I cry all the day.

Lest we think that David’s difficulty was easy, he shows here that he cries to his Lord continually. His enemies are real and his danger never leaves his thoughts. He is continually looking to the Lord for help. He realizes that he cannot come with demands, but can only look to God to show mercy to him.

Has the thought that God has a duty to rescue you ever crossed your mind? That because of your faithfulness, He should show more mercy to you? Or because the trial has been long, that you have endured enough?

David makes no demands. Like him, we should come to God with no demands, totally entrusting ourselves to God. We should examine our attitudes, because they often expose what our heart truly believes.

Psalm 86:4

Gladden the soul of your servant,

for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.

David looks to God to bring joy to his soul, though right now he is in anguish. Lest we think that it is wrong to long for reprieve, the writer models for us the expectant prayer of a faithful servant. He trusts God, but he continues to beseech Him for an answer.

Psalm 86:5

For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,

abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.

David has no doubts about the character of God. The Lord is good, forgiving, and is filled with unwavering love.

When we approach God, do we come with these same certainties? Are we sure of God’s goodness? He will never allow or do anything that does not have a good purpose in our lives. God always forgives completely, and not conditionally. We must never wonder, when we confess our sins and repent, if God will completely forgive. His forgiveness is always by grace, never dependent on what we offer or promise to Him. God’s love is steadfast. He has never loved us because of anything we could do or promise. He chose to love us from eternity past, knowing so well of our rebellious state and aware of every time we would betray His perfect love. He loves us! Today and forever!

Psalm 86:6-7

Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer;

listen to my plea for grace.

In the day of my trouble I call upon you,

for you answer me.

In the day of his trouble, David looks to the all-powerful God to come to his rescue because of His great grace.

Dear friend, the God of the universe, the very One who sent His Son to die for us and raised Him from the dead and placed Him at His right hand, loves to display His grace.

Even though the situation you are in might be due to your own sin, you can find mercy in the arms of God. God loves for His children to go to Him and ask for help. Really, He desires for us to realize our dependence upon Him every second of our lives.

We must not look elsewhere for help; we must never question His character, nor fear His rejection, when we humbly go to Him for the help we need.