Listen Up!

“Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation. ²Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King and my God: for unto thee will I pray. ³My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up … ¹²For thou LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour thou wilt compass him as with a shield.” Psalm 5.1-3, 12

David lifts his voice to Jehovah, the Eternal Self-existent One and cries, “Give ear to my words … ” What confidence he exhibited. What absolute trust he exercised. What determined faith he displayed when he prayed. Is that how you pray … with confidence, with absolute trust, and with determined faith? Please don’t begin your prayer with, “Lord, I don’t know if you can hear me or not, but …” Or “Lord, I know I am not worthy but …” This God to whom David prayed is YOUR God and He is MY God.

“²Hearken unto the voice of my cry … ” You have every right to breath these same words to God when you pray. In addition to acknowledging God as the LORD, he said God was his King and His God. In other words, God was in charge of EVERYTHING in David’s life. Is He is charge of EVERYTHING in your life?

This last verse (12) is such a comfort: “¹²For thou LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour thou wilt compass him as with a shield.” The Lord will BLESS the righteous – that is His children. But He will also put a shield or wall of protection around His children. You and I are in danger of attack everyday from Satan. Those are not battles we want to fight alone. So God becomes our shield. He is our protection. When we come to our God in prayer, remember, He is the God to whom David prayed and in whom davie had great confidence and we can and must do the same. Just my thoughts …

 

 

Hang On Till the Morning!

“For his anger endureth but a moment: in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Psalm 30.5

When was the last time you said, “If I can just make it till morning, things will be alright”? Let’s give attention to the comparisons in this verse: anger – but a moment; favor – is life; weeping – for a night; and joy – in the morning. Just reading and meditating on these words bring me encouragement.

But let’s go a little deeper here. I want to focus on the phrase: “: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Almost everyday we hear of someone who has just received news that causes them to weep … someone they know has come down with a terminal disease, a family close to them is experiencing heart break (for whatever reason), or as is the case so often, a loved one has just died. Let me say to each one reading this that it is not a sin to weep when life delivers a hard blow. Weeping is not a reflection of weak faith – Jesus wept. Weeping does not mean we think God made a mistake. Weeping is a display of a heart that is struggling with what we have just learned.

I think we all know, too, that weeping is somewhat of a catharsis for us – a cleansing process. But the need for it will pass and then, “ joy cometh in the morning.” Joy is realizing God’s presence in the midst of our heartbreak. Joy knows that God does not change even though our daily circumstances of life do change. Joy allows us to embrace the bitter elements of life without growing bitter ourselves. And why is this true? It is true because joy is NOT dependent on WHERE we are or WHAT we are experiencing, but on WHO God is and His constant attention to our needs. Just my thoughts …

Where Is He When I Need Him?

“The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart: and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” Psalm 34.18

We have a world that is filled with broken-hearted people today. Sad to say, we have churches that are saturated with broken-hearted followers of Christ. Some have broken hearts because of life issues that have crushed them. Some have broken hearts because they think God has deserted them – left them to face whatever this issues is, alone. But the verse quoted here puts that issue to rest: “The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart … ” is it possible that in our pain we erect a wall in an attempt to keep out more pain? If we do, that wall blocks our sense of God’s presence. It does not block His presence, but rather our sense of His presence.

You have heard people say, “It doesn’t SEEM like God hears me when I pray.” Or perhaps, “Where IS God when I need Him most?” my answer to that is the words of the psalmist: “The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart … ” Please consider these words from the opening verses of this Psalm: “I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. ²My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear there, and be glad. ³O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together. ⁴I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.” (Psalm 34.1-4) When you and I are able to understand, at least in part, how MUCH God CARES, we grasp a small sense of these words: “The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart … ” Our humility (our contrite spirit) before the Lord gives us far more insight into His presence, His purpose, and His power, than anything else we can display. Just my thoughts …

A Woodshed Experience

“Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.” Hebrews 12.11

Nothing is more obvious than this first statement but we need to do more than simply acknowledge that we don’t like chastening. Liking it and realizing that it has value are two very different things. We have all herd the phrase “taken to the wood shed” and we know that it is a reference to chastening or correction. But truth be know, a lot of necessary things were learned at “the wood shed.”

Sometimes that which is “grievous” changes our focus long enough to consider the even that brought about the grievous feeling. If you are a parent, you are familiar with the phrase, “this hurts me more than it hurts you.” The child is thinking, “Yeah, right!” But the truth is we only chasten those we love. God chastens us BECAUSE He loves us, not so He can get even with us for something we have done wrong.

When we consider the remainder of the verse, we discover that chastening “yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.” One translation reads, “later it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” We must never forget the PURPOSE of discipline. It is a training process for the one who is receiving the discipline. The last time my father disciplined me worked well. I was talking in church and the pastor called my name and asked me to turn around and be quiet. Guess what? He never had to do that again because my father chastened me for wrong behavior and I came to understand what I had done was neither appropriate nor pleasing to God. You see, I was “trained by it.” Let’s take what God finds necessary to give us and be trained by it so we don’t have to go the woodshed again for the same reason. Just my thoughts …

It Is NEVER Time to Quit!

“Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.” 1Timothy 6.12

Keep in mind as we stay here in 1Timothy that Paul is instructing his young son in the ministry. He reminds Timothy that this journey we are on is “the good fight of faith … ” If you are like me, some days you just get tired of the battle. I honestly don’t know how many believers I have talked to in the last 50+ years who have said, “Preacher, I am just tired of the fight. I don’t know if I can do this anymore.”

We must never deceive ourselves into thinking that some day, just maybe someday, Satan will leave us alone and this constant battle will cease. Think about what has happened to us when we received Christ, and what is happening to us since salvation because Satan has lost the battle for our souls. He never wants us to enjoy one moment of our time in the family of God. Never forget the words of 1 Peter 5.8: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” This verse was not written to unbelievers, but to us.

Our daily walk with God IS a fight. When we grow complacent and forget our enemy for even a brief period of time, he wins. If someone who is in our US military is on the front lines and the enemy is in sight, he cannot forget for one moment that the enemy is just waiting for an opportunity to take him out. Our situation is even more precarious than that. Our warfare is spiritual and the weapons are not always the same. BE SOBER, BE VIGILANT, BEWARE – he is there and yes, tomorrow will be a fight too. You are NOT a victim. You are an overcomer. Carry on! Just my thoughts …

We Are Called to a Careful Life!

“Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” 1Timothy 4.12

Paul was a good mentor to young Timothy. The counsel he gives him here is certainly practical for us today as well. Let’s focus for a moment on the phase: “be thou an example of the believers … ” Each one reading this, including me, needs to give heed to the words that follow.

We need to be an example first “in word”. The way that you and I talk everyday is a reflection of what is in our hearts – what is important to us. Have you noticed how easy it is for us to talk about the weather, our favorite sports team, or some political issue? It seems that EVERYONE we meet wants to talk about one of those topics. But how few people begin a conversation with, “Tell me something that you learned about God today.” Or, “It seems like God doesn’t hear my prayers. Do you ever feel that way?” The Scripture says that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. What is IN the heart is what comes OUT!

The word conversation here refers to our lifestyle. I believe all of us know the value of demonstrating godly character in our daily living. Then Paul turns to charity or love. Do we give critical thought to how much we show God’s love and how we demonstrate that genuine love to a world that is dying for lack of love? What does Paul mean here by “spirit”? Could I suggest that the spirit in which we approach each day is a reflection of our fellowship with God? We may not want to totally accept that, but it is certainly worth thinking about.

Finally Paul mentions faith and purity. Faith must be more than a spiritual word we thrown around carelessly. It must be a spiritual trait that is demonstrated not just daily, but some days moment-by-moment. Let’s not just TALK about faith – let’s demonstrate it. This last word seems to take on new meaning for believers in a world where “anything goes” morally. Just because we see the rest of the world living impure lives does not give us license to do the same. God’s call to us is to BE pure. He says it like this, “Be ye holy, for I am holy.” I think we GET it. Let’s just DO it! Just my thoughts …

What Did Jesus REALLY Say!

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” John 5.24

As each of us already knows, when Jesus speaks, we need to listen. This verse is no different. There are several clear, distinct things that Jesus enumerates that make this matter of salvation and everlasting life abundantly clear. For example: (1) he that hears, (2) he that believes on him that sent me, (3) has everlasting life, (4) is not condemned, and (5) has passed from death unto life.

There is no need for us to complicate the message of salvation. I read a story once about an old farmer who had rejected God over and over. One day he was caught out in the field and it began to pour down rain. The only place of shelter was an old hollow long nearby. The farmer ran over and slid himself back into that hollow long and was protected from the rain. As the rain began to soak into the log, the log began to swell and the farmer was trapped in the log and couldn’t get out. He began to cry out to the Lord for help: “Lord, if you will just let me get out of this log, I will trust you as savior and I will tell others about what you did for me..” The swelling went down and the old farmer was able to slide out. He soon met a friend and began to tell him about how he had just trusted God. The friend said, “How can I do that?” to which the old farmer responded, “Go over to that field where the hollow log in, slide back into it, and pray for God to help you get out.” He THOUGHT the man had to do exactly what HE had done. When in reality, you and I must do exactly what God has said in this verse. Let’s not complicate it: hear, believe, receive everlasting life, not be condemned, and we have passed from DEATH unto LIFE. PTL! Just my thoughts …

What a God! What a Gift! What a Sacrifice!

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3.16

Before I had graduated from Bible College, I was called to serve in a church in Arlington, TX. I was the music director (we call them worship leaders today [lol]). Shortly after arriving there, one of the teachers of the 2-year-old children came to me and said, “Bro. Burton, I would like for you to visit my class this Sunday and hear something from my 2 yr. olds.” I said, “I will be there.” When I walked in, she said, “Children, let’s show Bro. Burton what we have learned recently.” And they began reciting John 3.16 – perfectly. Not only was she proud of them, but I was so thankful that they learned this powerful truth at such an early age.

How do we measure the dimensions of the word “so” here in this verse? The love of God for this world was not greater than His love for His Son, but He loved His Son so much and knew that NOTHING else but His perfect sacrifice could satisfy the righteous demands of the law to completely pay for the sins of the world. Such great NEED and such great DEMAND could only come together in the place we call the “place of the skull.” What the Roman government thought they were doing was putting to death someone who kept the multitudes stirred up. But what they were really doing was carrying out God’s plan to give “his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

God planned it. The Roman government thought they orchestrated it. God the Son willingly carried it out, and God the Holy Spirit became a reality to believers as a result of it. Oh my dear friend, God GAVE. Have you RECEIVED? Just my thoughts …

Free Grace for the Unworthy Sinner – Me!

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; ²⁴Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:” Romans 3.23-24

You’ve heard the expression, “I have good news and bad news. Which do you want first?” That is what we are looking at in these two short verses. The bad news is that “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God … ” Although each one of us knows that he is a sinner, if this were the only piece of information we received, there would be no hope. To know that I am a sinner identifies my condition before God, but there is absolutely no indication of where I can turn to remedy my situation. This little phrase, “come short” quite simply means to “miss the mark.” If you and I are standing on the edge of a cliff, and the distance to the other side is only 20 feet, we may reason within ourselves that we can make that jump. But if I jump and only make it 10 feet and you jump and make it 19 feet, guess what? We both missed the mark. My grandfather used to say that “almost” counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.

The good news is found in v. 24: “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” Don’t you love the ring of the words “justified freely”? God says to us that our condition is hopeless if left up to us, but He is willing to justify us freely – how – “ by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” God says, “I will take care of everything, if you will let me.” This is such wonderful news for us to be able to share with those whom we know who are NOT justified freely by His grace. They just need to know how much God loves them and what He will do FOR them if they will just allow Him to do it. Just my thoughts …

There Are Times When a Lamp Is No Good!

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119.105

This entire Psalm 119 is anchored in the truth of how valuable the Word of God is to God’s children. For example: “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” (Psalm 119.11) V. 9 immediately preceding this verse says: “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word.” These are just brief references to add weight to what v. 105 has already said.

It is far too easy to just say, “Man, these are really cool verses. I really need to pay attention to them.” Paying attention is not the same as acting on what we know. I can pay attention to a stoplight that is red but go right on through it, because I did not act on what I learned about that light when taking drivers education. There are far too many times when we seem to KNOW so much better than we DO.

Let’s give serious consideration to what the Psalmist tells us here in v. 105. God’s Word IS a lamp to our feet. Whether or not we pay attention to what that lamp reveals to us is something quite different. One summer I was walking from my aunt’s house in Georgia down to a pond they had on their property. The path was OK but it could be dangerous so I was told to “be careful” and watch where I was going. A few feet from the house I entered a wooded area and was watching the path ahead when I saw a rattle snake crawl under a rock just a few feet from me. I didn’t stand there and weigh whether or not I could run fast enough to get past that rock before the snake might come after me and bite me. I turned around immediately, went back toward the house and found another path that was clearly much more open. I took that path without incident.

The Lamp of God’s Word is MUCH MORE effective than that, if I am willing to hide its words in my heart. The choice is mine. How much do I WANT to know and how persistent will I be in learning it? Let’s follow the “light” our God gives us. Just my thoughts …