Redemption and LIfe

Ps. 119:153

Look on my affliction and deliver me; for I do not forget your law. 

The psalmist knew that life and deliverance were in the promises of God. He did not seek it from any other source. In the next verse he said, Plead my cause and redeem me; give me life according to your promises! This verse is punctuated with an exclamation point. No doubt David felt strongly about this redemption since David lived the life of a fugitive for many years. It was far from a poetic thought. In the flesh, he knew God's words were all he had, his only hope; but in the spiritual realm, he knew they were the very best thing that he could seek. 

In v. 156 he said, Great is your mercy, O Lord; give me life according to your rules. God's mercy must precede his gift of life. Without mercy, no human would ever be worthy of the life that only He can give. David comprehended the foolishness of his pursuers because they had no knowledge of God or His laws. He asked, Consider how I love Your precepts! Give me life according to you steadfast love. The sum of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous rules endures forever.  Such a closing statement to this strophe. God's word is truth! God's word endures forever!

Father,

Thank you for Your great words and Your gift of life. I know that YOur words are truth. Help me to hold fast to them.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Rubbish

Phil. 3:7

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

What a mindset! How did Paul change so drastically? I know he saw Jesus personally, but still shouldn't we be able to replicate this attitude? Even though our encounter with Jesus is much more intangible, He should transform our desires. Are we struggling against the Spirit and clutching desperately to the flesh? Is the world so tempting that we can't let go? Whatever it is, it's not right! I must pray for an overwhelming desire, one that will make Jesus more important than anything else. I want to count everything as loss compared to knowing Jesus because knowing Jesus means eternal life.

In v. 8 Paul said, For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith--Paul did suffer the loss of all things even his own life. Yet massive amounts of hardships and persecution did not deter him in his desire to be found in Christ. Thankfully, to be in Christ means being covered in His righteousness. Without Jesus, I would have no life and no hope for any righteousness. He is my all. So why do I still cling to the world? What a quandary! 

Amazingly, Paul struggled with these same issues in Rom. 7. 18-23. 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. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. It is truly hard for me to fathom that Paul felt this way, but I imagine the flesh is the flesh. Obviously, Satan knows how powerful it is or he wouldn't have bothered to tempt Christ. All the more reason, to seek Jesus wholeheartedly and keep my focus singular.

Father,

I confess allowing the flesh to win repeatedly. Strengthen me to withstand temptation, and increase my desire for Jesus. Narrow my focus. Keep Jesus in my thoughts all throughout the day. 

In His name,

Amen

Comfort and Delight

Ps. 119: 143

Trouble and anguish have found me out, but Your commandments are my delight.

David began this strophe with a declaration concerning the righteousness of God: Righteous are you, O Lord, and right are your rules. These facts are indisputable! Whether or not a person believes in God doesn't change the fact that God is and that He is righteous. It merely limits this person's exposure to the light and the life. David knew that the testimonies of the Lord were appointed in righteousness and faithfulness, both adjectives are attributes of God. Who God is affects all that He does and says. He must be true to His own character.

Even though David felt small at times, he never forgot the words of the Lord. When he was persecuted, afflicted, and in anguish, the words of the Lord were his comfort and his delight. They took him into the very presence of God. In Ps. 28:4 David said, One thing have I asked of the Lord, that I will seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in His temple. This is where David loved and longed to be. He knew that God's words would be righteous forever; so in light of eternity, he asked that God would grant him understanding of these words so that he too would live. What glorious words that can give life and understanding!

Father,

Give me understanding of Your words and Your ways. Thank You for giving me life and a place in Your kingdom for eternity.

In Jesus name,

Amen

No Grumbling or Questioning

Phil. 2:14-16 a

Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life...

God surely knew the heart of man, his propensity to constantly grumble or question, when he inspired these verses. Unqualified obedience is rare. Perhaps we should question in a worldly setting, but in God's realm, never. In 1 Cor. 10:10-12 grumbling comes with a heavy warning. It says, ...nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for your instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. Here is a severe warning against grumbling. The word says that grumbling is the fast track to destruction. It is one of Satan's prime tools to defeat believers. So the command stands. Do all things...not some things or a few things, but all things without grumbling or questioning.And why? So that we may be blameless and innocent, without blemish in this terribly crooked and twisted life. Our purpose is not to blend in or imitate ungodly behaviors, but it is to shine as lights holding fast to the word. Shining is not possible when believers are grumbling and questioning God. 

Father,

I confess my questioning and grumbling and ask that You grant me to shine for You. Help me to be willing to stand apart from the world. Thank You for Your life-giving word that I may cling to.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Worthy

Phil. 1:27

Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. 

In this passage being worthy of the gospel, is in reference to standing firm in unity, that is facing difficulty without fear and with each other. This unity in the good and the bad is a clear sign to those unsaved of their destruction. Unity in the face of affliction or persecution should solidify faith. 

2 Thess. 1:11 says, To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of His calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by His power. Here it is clear that God makes all believers worthy  of their calling. He is the one who empowers all to stand firmly in unity and to accomplish for good their resolves and work of faith. And why? It is so that believers may be glorified in Him and He in them. 

2 Thess. 2:12 says, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory. Again it is God who makes us worthy and who empowers us to walk worthy. This passage connects worthiness to personal holiness, to being righteous and blameless in our conduct with one another. 

Col. 1:10 says, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. Here worthiness is associated with fruit bearing, something that God would definitely need to supply. Also it is part of our worthiness that we increase in our knowledge of Him. That would include studying but also in that experiential knowledge that comes from growing deeper into the personal relationship. 

Eph. 4:1-3 says, I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Once again worthiness is speaking of interpersonal relationships. To live in the way that these verses describe is only sustainable through the power of the Spirit, that power that only God gives to those who are truly His. 

Acts 5:41 says, Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. Worthiness, or in this case being counted worthy, is associated with suffering. Yikes! What an attitude these early Christians had! They rejoiced that God counted them worthy enough to suffer for Him. They thought of it as a privilege. 

So much to think about! How important this concept is! I must pray constantly asking God to make me worthy and then go forward in all these areas obediently. So many areas...the Christian walk demands every part of my being.

Father,

Thank You for making me worthy. If it were up to me, there would be no hope. Give me what I need to grow as You would want me to.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Abundant Love

Phil. 1:7

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.

How strong is the bond that believers hold! Paul thanked God for the Philippians. He always remembered them joyfully in his prayers. And why? Because of the gospel. They shared the same love of Jesus, the same message of hope, and the same mission and calling. He yearned for them with the affection of Jesus Christ. How do believers feel about each other today? Do we joyfully pray for one another, or is it a heavy duty, or worse than that, is it a forgotten bond? Do we yearn for one another with the affection of Jesus? Do we seek to see spiritual growth in each other and make this a matter of diligent prayer? 

In Gal. 4:19 Paul said, my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you! What deep feelings are these! His concern was unwavering for so many people. How would we characterize our feelings? Do we have anything remotely like the anguish of childbirth? In Rom. 13:8 Paul said, Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. We are bound together by this debt of love! And why? Because of the deep love that God showed us when He sent His Son to save us. In 2 Cor. 2:4 Paul said, For I wrote to you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you. Abundant love for one another! This is the model! In 2 Cor. 12:15 Paul declared, I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. He was willing to invest the time it took to truly love them. Personal relationships do not come quickly or easily. But this is no issue if the love of Christ is the motivation. Is the love of Christ pouring out of us to one another? Are we so bonded that we won't be deterred from seeing spiritual growth in each other?

Father,

Grow this kind of love in me. Help me to see other believers with the eyes of love that You saw me. Draw me close to You.

In His name,

Amen

Do All to the Lord

Eph. 6:8

Knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is slaved or free.

The principle in Christian human relations is simple: Do all to the Lord. If there is good, the Lord will reward. Although it is nice, it is not necessary to get human praise or reward. Since Paul has covered husband/ wife relationships in great detail, he moves on to child/parent relationships. Simply put, it is right for children to obey their parents.  As an added incentive, it is a commandment with promise. On the converse side, father stop provoking your children to anger, but instead raise them in the Lord. Does the overriding principle apply here? Yes, if children are obeying as to the Lord, then they are taking it out of the realm of human experience. Not everyone gets a godly or even a kind father [parent], yet if obedience is to the Lord and the reward is from Him, then the entire parameters are changed. The same goes for the parent. Not everyone gets a responsive and obedient child, but if the Lord is the most important consideration,  then the entire relationship is left up to Him.

 Paul then continued with slave/master relationships. [Interesting to note that Paul didn't advocate the overthrow of slavery.] Slaves are to obey with fear and trembling as they would to Christ. In this relationship there should be no obedience from eye-service or people pleasing, but it should be genuine, rendering service as to the Lord and not to man. The slave must always remember that when he does good, he will receive back from the Lord. This is especially crucial. There is no familial bond between slaves and masters like with children to parents. In fact, many times there was not a shred of kindness or decency. It was a demeaning existence where the slave had no personal rights at all and was even treated with abuse. Without Christ in the heart, this relationship was horrible! The slave had to keep this principle in the forefront of his mind at all times. What about the masters? Christian masters must be motivated by the same principle. They must stop threatening and being abusive even though society condoned it. They must remember that the God of the slave was also the God of the Master. In the eyes of God slave and master were the same. Wow! How that must have impacted the masters! What a wake-up call! 

Father,

In all my relationships help me to do all to Your name and for You. Help me not to be fettered by unkind words or actions but keep my focus ever on You.

In Jesus name,

Amen