When a Sin Remains

We serve a holy God. Holiness has been called His greatest and most distinct attribute. In looking in Isaiah 6 and Revelation 4 what the angels cry out three times is "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord our God." When Moses approached the burning bush it was God who said, "Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground." In Leviticus 10 the Lord said, "By those who come near Me, I will be treated as holy." God cannot look upon sin, cannot tolerate sin, cannot abide with sin, and sin cannot enter His presence.

As His children, as part of His body, as partakers of the Divine nature, as those indwelled by the Holy Spirit, God has an expectation of our holiness. In Leviticus and I Peter He tells those who are His, "You shall be holy for I am holy." In II Corinthians 6:17 we are told to come out from the midst of the world and be separate. In Hebrews 12 He tells us that we are disciplined by Him so that we can share His holiness. In Ephesians 4 we learn that our new self has been made in God's likeness, and has been created in the holiness and righteousness of the truth. In just these few verses, we see that God is zealous and jealous for our holiness, and that He has equipped us to deal with our sin, so as to have victory over our sin.

Yet, in spite of all of this, we still sin. Romans 7, Galatians 5, and James 1 tell us that there is an ongoing battle with temptation and sin in our life. And, accordingly, God has made a provision for our forgiveness and cleansing, which we find in I John 1:9.

Understanding this gives us insight into Psalm 119:25-32. At first blush, when just reading through, it seems as if the Psalmist is just battling the blues. But let's look a little deeper into it. Why is his soul cleaving to the dust? Why is his soul weeping? Why does he need his heart enlarged? The answer is in this section, and we see it in verse 29. It is because of sin, because of a particular sin he has called "the false way." We now can see that the Psalmist is in a time of oppression, a time of grief, a time of a small and hard heart, because of sin.

Let's dig down into this section and see what is going on in each verse.

Verse 25-Oppression
"My soul cleaves to the dust; revive me according to Your word." Here we see the state of oppression that the Psalmist is in. Look at how low his soul is. It cleaves to the dust. It is lower than a snake's belly. It can't get any lower and it cannot escape this lowly state as it clings to his very soul. What kind of sin would bring on this degree of oppression? What kind of sin would cause this state of oppression in the life of a believer?

It is unrepentant sin! In fact a particular unrepentant sin, a false way that has not been turned away from. What type of sin, what kind of sin could this be. Well, it is:
*an unconfessed sin
*a sin that is undealt with
*a settled sin, a steady sin
*a sin that ignores conviction
*a sin that disdains discipline
*a sin that despises correction
*a sin that resists reproof
*a sin that is entrenched in the mind
*a sin that is embedded as a habit of life
*a sin for which the believer has developed a bunker mentality so as to protect it
*a sin that makes excuses for itself
*a sin that rationalizes its continued existence
*a sin that has full knowledge that it is a sin
*a sin with which you do not struggle, but comply
*a sin that the greater the discipline, the tighter you hold on to it
*a sin that believes the lies of Satan, such as
     a. It doesn't matter
     b. No one is noticing
     c. It really doesn't hurt anyone
     d. It is only a small thing
     e. God really doesn't care
     f. God understands
     g. Me and God have an agreement

     h. Because of____ I am justified in continuing in this sin

It is not a sin of impulse or a sin of the moment, but a sin that is deliberately held on to. Therefore it is not an unknown sin, a sin of ignorance, but a deliberate sin. This type of sin could be any sin.

God is jealous for the holiness of His people. He takes our holiness more seriously than we do. He sent His Son to die for that sin, that unrepentant sin, and He will do whatever He must do to drive it out and kill it. So if we are not active in putting that sin to death (Romans 8:13), He will be.

Unconfessed, unrepentant sin in the life of a believer always brings about oppression. We usually think of spiritual warfare when we use this term, but there is a spiritual oppression, a spiritual lowliness that comes as a result of unrepentant sin in our life; and it comes from the Lord Himself. Let's look at Psalm 32:3-4. When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. Notice what is going on in Isaiah 30:18-20. Therefore the Lord longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you, for the Lord is a God of justice; how blessed are all those who long for Him. O people in Zion, inhabitant in Jerusalem, you will weep no longer. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears it He will answer you. Although the Lord has given you the bread of privation and water of oppression, He, your Teacher, will no longer hide Himself, but your eyes will behold your Teacher. Let's also look at Isaiah 64:7 There is no one who calls on Your name, who arouses himself to take hold of You; for You have hidden your face from us and have delivered us into the power of our iniquities.  

Notice in the emboldened words above that it was the Lord who had given Israel the bread of privation and the water of oppression because of their sin, that it was His hand that was heavy upon them, and that it was the Lord who had cut off fellowship with them and delivered them over to their sin. So, for us as believers, when we sin and don't confess it and don't turn from it, we can expect the hand of the Lord to be heavy upon us, to oppress us, so that we will turn from our sin. He is serious about dealing with our sin, especially unconfessed and unrepentant sin that is deliberately held on to.

So, what must we do when we are experiencing His heavy hand upon us because of our stubborn unrepentance?  We see what our response should be in the remaining verses in Psalm 119:25-32.

119:25b...Submission
"Revive me according to your word."
We must bring ourselves back under the authority of His word. When we sin, we rebel against His word, we act in opposition to His word (which is His revealed will), so the beginning of repentance is to submit ourselves again to His word. As Samuel told Saul, to obey is better than sacrifice.

119:26...Confession
"I have told of my ways, and you have answered me."
 Notice here what happens when we confess...God answers. And His answer always begins with forgiveness. True confession of our sins begins with viewing our sin the way God views it, and therefore saying the same thing about it that God says (See Psalm 51). When we truly confess our sins He truly forgives our sins.
(Psalm 32:5-7, Psalm 86:5, Isaiah 55:7, I John 1:9)

119:26b...Instruction
"Teach me your statutes."
Not only do we confess, we ask for guidance in living according to how He would have us live. Again, we know this prayer will be answered, for we know that when we ask anything according to His will He hears us and grants that request. (Psalm 25:4-5, Psalm 86:11)

119:27...Illumination 
"Make me understand the way of Your precepts, so I will meditate on Your wonders."
Not only does the Psalmist ask to know what the word of God says, he also wants to know what it means. He is asking for spiritual understanding and spiritual insight into the word of God so as to thoughtfully and properly apply it. (I Corinthians 2: 6-14, Ephesians 1:17)

119:28...Contrition
"My soul weeps because of grief."
Knowing, understanding, and applying the word of God to his life has caused the Psalmist to be broken-hearted over his sin. The very same soul that was rebelling against God, after comparing itself to the standard of the word of God, cries out, "O, what have I done." These are not the crocodile tears of insincerity, but tears of true sorrow and repentance. (II Corinthians 7:9-10, Psalm 51:17, Isaiah 57:15)

119:28b...Supplication
"Strengthen me according to Your word."
Here the Psalmist acknowledges his own weakness and asks for strength, the strength that the word gives, the strength to combat sin and its accompanying temptations; so that he will not fall back into this sin again. This is the true hallmark of repentance and contrition, the zealous desire not to sin that sin again, and the accompanying desire for holiness in all of life. (Matthew 6:13; 26:41, Psalm 119:133, Ephesians 3:16, 20)

119:29...Restoration
"Remove the false way from me, and graciously grant me Your law."

The Psalmist asks the Lord to give him complete victory over this sin, and to restore their fellowship back to where it was. Sin does not destroy our relationship with God as we will always belong to Him, but it does impede and impair our relationship with Him.  (Isaiah 59:2, Hosea 5:15, James 4:6-10)

119:30...Decision
"I have chosen the faithful way; I have placed Your ordinances before me."
After asking the Lord to remove the false way, the Psalmist announces his decision to follow the faithful way, the Lord's way. It is a decision of a destination, a decision to follow the word of God and let it lead him, wherever that may be. Following the Lord is a choice, and here the Psalmist chooses to get back on the faithful path, the narrow path that leads to life. (Psalm 85:13, Isaiah 31:21, Psalm 101:2-4; 119:103)

119:31...Determination
"I cling to Your testimonies."
The Psalmist is determined to not let go, to remain faithful to the word of God. This is the commitment that is required to life a godly life, to fully follow the Lord. Decision and determination go hand in hand.
(Philippians 3:12-14, II Timothy 4:7)

119:32...Direction
"I shall run the way of Your commandments."
The Psalmist knows where the word of God will take him...ultimately to God Himself, in His presence for eternity. It is the path of life, the path of joy, the path of fellowship with God, the path of blessing. Even though it narrow, it is well marked, as it has been marked out by the resurrection of Christ. (John 14:6)

119:32b...Passion
"For you will enlarge my heart."
Sin shrinks and hardens the heart. It hardens the heart to the things of God, the ways of God, the will of God, the work of God, and the love of God. When we walk in the faithful way and cling to His testimonies, the Lord enlarges our heart and gives us a greater capacity so as to love Him all the more; and the greater our love for Him the greater our obedience will be, and the greater our walk will be before Him.

In the response of the Psalmist we see a picture of repentance. This is the result that the Lord wanted to achieve and there is a cleansing of the soul and a corresponding peace when repentance takes place. How blessed we are that the Lord takes our relationship with him so seriously, so personally, that He deals with the sin that impedes and impairs that very relationship.

The Practical Atheist, Is That You?

Those who say they believe in God,

and have trusted in Christ

for the forgiveness of their sins,

but who live their lives with no fear 

 of God, are, as such, practical atheists.

Transgression speaks to the ungodly

within his heart; there is no fear of

God before his eyes.

Psalm 36:1

Transgression is the deliberate violation

of the law of God, and the ungodly

fearlessly violate the Law of God.

The fear of the Lord is to hate evil;

pride and arrogance and the evil way

and the perverted mouth I hate.

Proverbs 8:13

Pride, arrogance, and a mouth that

speaks perverted things are 

all part of the evil way; and those

who truly fear the Lord hate these

things when they see them in themselves.

...by the fear of the Lord one

keeps away from evil.

Proverbs 16:6b

 One who truly fears God, is one

who shuns evil and runs from evil.

One who fears God does not embrace evil.

Do not let your heart envy sinners,

but live in the fear of the Lord always.

Proverbs 23:17

 One who truly fears God does not 

desire to have the same life, to live

the same lifestyle as sinners.

There is none righteous, not even one...

There is none who seeks for God...

There is no one who does good...

There is no fear of God before their eyes.

Romans 3:10-18

One who truly fears God is one who truly

seeks after God, who seeks the things of

God, and seeks to do good--according to

what God says is good.

..."Give praise to God, all you His bond-servants,

you who fear him, the small and the great.

Revelation 19:5

One who fears God is one who has 

the desire to praise God, and cannot

contain his praise for God.

I will make an everlasting covenant with them 

that I will not turn away from them, to do them

good; and I will put the fear of Me in their 

hearts so that they will not turn away from Me.

Jeremiah 32:40

My friends, do you have the fear of God within you?

If not, repent of your rebellion against Him, and ask

Him to forgive you and give you the fear of the Lord.

The Truth and Our Mind

 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever in honorable,

whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely,

whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence

and if anything worth of praise, dwell on these things.

Philippians 4:8

"An old subject is thus brought before us again: the cardinal place occupied by the Christian's mind, for good as well as for ill. Just as a carnal mind is the surest passport to the downward path, so a mind drilled in the things of which God approves is the steadiest way into practical holiness. If, in a difficult relationship (1), we allow our minds and judgment to be clouded by half-truth, or if we allow frivolous and damaging thoughts about the other person (2) to simmer in our minds, we are hardly being like Christ. We should rather determine to think only the truth about the other person (2), to value what is attractive and praiseworthy about him. This will prove to be the way of peace.

We are to meditate on, to prize as valuable, and to be influenced by all that is true, all that merits serious thought and encourages serious-mindedness, all that accords with justice and moral purity, all that is fragrant and lovely, all that brings with it a good word, that speaks well, whatever has genuine worth of any sort and merits praise. It is the will of God that by giving attention to things of which he approves we should shape our minds to be like his: to those who do so, he pledges his guardian peace and his own presence as the God of peace."

Alec Motyer

The Message of Philippians

Page 212

The italics above are mine, and for #1 you could substitute situation or circumstance; and for #2 you could substitute the Lord.

Philippians 4:8 is a powerful verse.  It is one of  the verses that should be required memorization for every Christian.  It is the verse that both guards and shapes our mind. Proverbs 23:7 tells us, "As a man thinks within himself, so he is."  And how we think within ourselves should be guarded and shaped by Philippians 4:8.  

There are two things I would like for us to take note of in this verse:

First is the word dwell (think in the ESV). The Lord could have used the two most common Greek words for think, phroneo or dokeo, but He didn't. Instead He used the word logizomai. This word means more than just having an opinion or giving acknowledgment. It means to give careful consideration, to make a reasoned reflection, to be circumspect about. It implies deliberateness and seriousness. As it is used here, logizomai is also in the present tense and imperative mood, which means it is a permanent command to the point that these qualities are to be the habitual focus of our mind; and then these qualities, qualities of which God approves, will guard and shape our mind.      

Second, is the word truth. This word is the first word in this list of eight things which our minds are to be dwelling upon. The primary, most important, first and foremost thing which we are to give careful consideration to is the truth. Truth is to be the gatekeeper of our mind, and the main shaper of our thoughts. All the other qualities that we are to let our mind dwell on should always be subject to the truth. Truth is the best thing we can know, and the most reliable and powerful thing we can reflect upon.  

The most important, most reliable, and most powerful truth we can know, and therefore dwell upon is the truth about God. How we think about God and what we think about God greatly affect our life; and how we respond to all the different situations we find ourselves in is based in large part on our view of God, and our view of God is shaped by what we know about God. So knowing the truth about God is paramount.

The second most important truth we can know, is the truth about ourselves. It is against the backdrop of the truth about God and in light of the truth about God that we gain insight into the truth about ourselves, and in knowing the truth about ourselves we begin to see ourselves as God sees us. We see our life and all of its dynamics from God's viewpoint. We see our motives, our reactions, our plans, our thoughts and desires from God's vantage point, and we began to view ourselves in light of the truth that we know about God. Of course this truth was realized, brought to full view and manifested thoroughly, in Jesus Christ (John 1:17) because He is the embodiment of the truth (John 14:6).

Where can we go to find this truth? Why, of course, we go to the word of God, which is truth (John 17:17), and speaks the truth concerning every subject it touches (Psalm 119:160). The truth which should guard our mind and shape our thoughts is found in the Scriptures, and is the Scriptures themselves, as the Bible does not contain the truth, but is the truth.

Romans 12:2 tells us that we are to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. Our mind is renewed (continually made new) as we grow in knowledge of the truth. In John 8:32, Christ tells us that in knowing the truth we shall be set free. Starting with salvation, there are a myriad of applications in this verse, but the base line is that we shall be set free from the shackles of the lies of the enemy, the lies of the world, and the lies of our flesh. These are the lies we have been believing for most of our life, lies that have shaped our thoughts and governed the course of our life, lies that have made our lives miserable, lies that have separated us from God and from others, lies that our unredeemed flesh still wants to cling to.

So, it is imperative that we know the truth, and not just know the truth but continually reflect upon all that we know to be true, to give deliberate, serious, and careful consideration to what we know to be true. As we do this, our knowledge of the truth, what is true about God, ourselves, and life will grow; and as we engage our minds on the things we know to be true, our mind will be guarded from what is false...the lies of the enemy, the world, and our flesh...and our mind will be trained and shaped.

The more truth we know, the more our mind and therefore our thoughts are conformed to the truth. The more our minds are conformed to the truth the more discerning we will be regarding the lies of the enemy no matter which area of the prevailing culture they emanate from. Truth is the backdrop against which the lies of the enemy become apparent. 

Friends, let us determine today, and pray today for strength, wisdom, and discernment in the things that are true, so that our minds will be fixed upon only that which is true, so we will be people of the truth. In doing this we will be set free from the lies of the world, the flesh, and the devil, and have the peace that surpasses all human comprehension.

He is Worth It

                                           

More than that, I count all things to be loss in view

of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus

my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of

all things, and count them but rubbish so that 

I may gain Christ.

Philippians 3:8

In thinking about my relationship with Christ, its value far surpasses anything else. He is worth the sacrifices I make for Him. In the process of thinking about this, I had a scene come into my mind. A scene that has come up occasionally when thinking on sacrificing for the Lord, and how He is worth the sacrifice. It is a scene from my own imagination, that came about as a result of reading an excerpt from a missionary biography a few years back about John Paton. I wish I could remember where I read it, but here is the gist of it.  

There was a family that felt led of the Lord to go and witness to the natives of the New Hebrides, and were dropped off on the island to begin their ministry. The inhabitants were cannibals, and were fierce warriors. Over the next couple of years his children and his wife died and were buried, and John slept on their graves every night for fear that the cannibals would dig up their graves. John would later remarry and return to the island to continue to share the gospel with these people. Of course, there is more to the story, but the scene that keeps coming to my mind is one where this man, having given up all his possessions, comforts, and security to come to this foreign and hostile land; and then losing his entire family, is alone in the darkness and stretched out over the graves of his wife and children. And in my mind the man is proclaiming to the Lord, "You are worth it!  You are worth it!"

My friends, I don't know what you are giving up to serve the Savior. I don't know what sacrifices you are making or have made; but I do know this, "He is worth it!  He is worth it!" He is worth the work of our faith and the labor of our love. He is worth the taking up of our cross. He is worth the suffering of shame for His name sake. He is the pearl of great price who is worth all of what we have. He is the One who paid it all, and so He is the one who is worth it all. Let us take our lives and offer them up, so that along with Paul, we too may gain Christ and may be found in Him on that day. 

Pressing On for the Progress and Joy of Our Faith

In his letter to his friends in the church at Philippi, Paul was not only thanking them for their gift and love, but also addressing areas such as church unity, opposition to the gospel, and the day of Christ. These topics are addressed throughout the letter. However, Paul's addressing these topics are an aid for His accomplishing His greater goal for them in the writing of this letter, and that is their progress and joy in the faith. We see this goal stated in Philippians 1:25, which is the key verse in this book.

Ever the teacher, ever the discipler (Matthew 28:19, Ephesians 4:11-13), ever the one concerned for the welfare of the church(s) (II Corinthians 11:28), Paul was not wasting this opportunity to build up and strengthen these brethren who were dear to him. Understanding this we can see how Paul goes about this through the instructions, admonitions, and examples he gives in this letter. What Paul does in this letter to move the Philippians forward in their faith is to lay out their responsibilities as believers alongside God's resources available to them.

As believers, God wants us to progress, advance, and go further in our faith; and as such we are responsible for our part, but at the same time the Lord knows that in and of ourselves we are not adequate for the task, so He must give us the resources to do what He has laid out for us to do (II Corinthians 3:5-6). So let's look at both our responsibilities and our resource for progressing in our faith as Paul gives them in Philippians.

Our Responsibility
We progress and have joy in our faith:
1:5    by our participation in the gospel.
1:7    by our defending and confirming the gospel.
1:9    by our abounding more and more in love,
         but by a love that is guided by knowledge and discernment.
1:27  by conducting ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel.
1:27  by being unified in the cause of the gospel.
1:27  by standing firm with others.
1:27  by our striving for the faith of the gospel.
1:29  by our suffering for His sake.
2:3-5 by not being selfish or self-promoting.
         by our looking out for the interests of others.
         by having the same attitude as Christ.
2:12  by working out our salvation,
          with the understanding of our accountability
2:14   by not having a complaining or argumentative spirit.
2:16   by holding fast to the word.
2:17   by serving and sacrificing in our faith.
2:18   by sharing our joy with others,
          especially those going through trials.
2:19   by living in a way that is an example and encourages others.
2:25   "
3:2     by being aware of those who would hinder us in our faith.
3:3     by putting no confidence in the flesh.
3:7     by not holding on to worldly possessions.
3:12   by pressing on.
3:13   We press on:
           by always forgetting what lies behind.
           by continually reaching forward to what lies ahead.
3:14   by having an eternal perspective.
          We develop an eternal perspective:
           by keeping the ultimate goal in mind.
           by keeping the ultimate/eternal reality in mind.
3:15    by keeping the right attitude.
3:16    by not regressing in our faith.
3:17    by following the right examples.
3:20    by being mindful of our citizenship.
4:1      by standing firm in all these things.

4:6      by having a robust prayer life.
4:6      by being thankful.
4:8      by training our mind to think properly.
4:9      by living out what we have learned to be true,
4:9      by living out what we have seen to be true.
4:15    by generously and sacrificially supporting the gospel.

Our Resources
We can progress in our faith because:
1:6     We have God Himself, as what God began, God will finish.
1:7     We have been made partakers of grace.
1:11   We are already filled with the fruit of the righteousness of Christ.
1:19   We have the provision of the Spirit of Christ.
2:1     We have the encouragement of Christ.
2:1     We have the consolation of love.
2:1     We have the fellowship of the Spirit.
2:1     We have the affection and compassion of Christ.
2:13   We have God working in us to accomplish His good pleasure.
2:16   We have the word of life.
2:19   We have the encouragement and example of others

2:25    "
3:1     We have the safeguarding of the word.
3:12   We have been laid hold of by Christ Himself.
3:20   We have the knowledge of His returning for us.
4:7     We have a heart and mind that are guarded by the peace of God.
4:9     We have the God of peace, Himself, with us.
4:13   We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.
4:19   We have a God who will supply all our needs,
           based on His riches.

What Paul is laying out for us to see in this book, is the working of man and the working of God in the spiritual life. How they work together is a bit of a mystery, as God has not given us a formula to follow, but principles to be lived out. It is in our going and our doing that the grace and power of God meet us and work through us. It is in our obedience that we tap into the resources of God.  It is in our working out what the Lord has worked within that we appropriate all the means He has made available to us to accomplish His will in our life.

So my friends,  today let us progress, let us advance, let us press on in our faith, for He will meet us there in the midst of our going and doing.

 
 

The Most Applicable Verse in the Bible

Would you want a command from our Lord that would be universally applicable...in every situation, with every person, in every context, culture, and condition; a command that is easy to remember, easy to relate to, and easy to understand; a command that in keeping would lead you to keep other commands automatically; a command so simple that even a child understands the concept? Have I aroused your curiosity and piqued your interest? I hope so. 

This command is on par with the second greatest commandment, "To love your neighbor as yourself," and, in fact, is the practical outworking of that command. What is it? Glad you asked. Let's look at Matthew 7:12 "In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for  this is the Law and the prophets." Here in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gives this command, and it comes some time before He is asked the question that leads Him to give us the two greatest commandments; and He says the same thing about this command that He says about those two great commandments...that it sums up the Law and the prophets (See Matthew 22:34-40). Pretty astounding, wouldn't you say. Yes, this Golden Rule that many of our mothers taught us is that powerful and that profound. 

I tell people quite frequently that the Lord has not made being a Christian complex or hard, but in reality He has made it simple for us to live a life that pleases Him and blesses others; for that is what living out this command does. It is universally applicable, and is intertwined in so much of Scripture.  Let's look at some examples.

Do not return evil for evil or insult for insult, but give a blessing instead.
Be patient and kind, not arrogant or boastful or jealous, not taking into account a wrong suffered, not being easily provoked, not acting unbecomingly, and not self-seeking.
Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit.
Turn the other cheek.
Walk the extra mile.
Be generous and ready to share.
Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
Let your speech be seasoned with salt, giving grace to those who hear.
Walk in a manner worthy of the Lord.
Be submissive...to masters, to parents, to husbands, to elders, to each other.
Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another.
Stimulate one another to love and good deeds.
Forgive those who have sinned against you.
Don't judge your more mature brother or hold in contempt your weaker brother.
Give honor to whom honor is due.
Do not withhold good when it is in your power to do good.
Visit orphans and widows in their distress.
Do not think more highly of yourself than you ought to think.
When reviled, revile not.
Regard one another as more important than yourself.
Pray for those who persecute you.
Love one another fervently from the heart.
Be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, and kindhearted.

Of course we could go on, but what could you add to the list?

If we would but apply this verse with each person every day, think about the witness it would provide, and the blessing it would give. We could apply it to:

Our spouse.
Our children.
Our parents.
Our siblings.
Our friends.
Our neighbors.
Our co-workers.
Our enemies.
Our church family.
Our competition.
The person who gets under our skin.
The person who always seems to have it out for us.
The person who inadvertantly or intentionally cuts us off in traffic.
The person who never lets us get in a word edgewise.
The lazy clerk at the store.
The incompetent clerk at the store.
Our employee when we have to terminate them.
The server who can't get our order right.

Our spouse in a disagreement.
Our children when we have to discipline them.

Someone at church with whom we disagree.
Anyone with whom we get frustrated.

See how applicable it is. Pretty amazing, huh? But it does require something from us, and that is self-sacrifice, a genuine putting others ahead of our self. This is not always an easy task, but this should be a joyous task; one that we know pleases the Father, and one that we know blesses others. Let's start tomorrow by being intentional about putting this verse into practice in our lives, and let's see how the Lord uses it for His glory.

Collision of Wills

Jonah, what an enlightening, delightful, powerful, compelling, and convicting book. Immediately in Jonah 1:2-3 we see a collision of wills between God and Jonah and we see this highlighted in the call of God to Jonah, "Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and cry against it." and Jonah's response...He rose up................to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. Jonah was not being reluctant, he was being rebellious. His disagreement with God (Jonah 4:1-2) turned into disobedience to God, and he fled just as far in the opposite direction of Nineveh as he knew to go.

Jonah's fleeing from God was his way of avoiding God because he did not want to do what God had called him to do. God's call to Jonah exposed an area of Jonah's life that needed to be brought into submission to the Lord, and the limits of his obedience were exposed. This is an object lesson for us. Why?.....There are many times when we have a collision of wills with God, and every collision of our will and His will reveals the limits of our obedience. The limits of our obedience are always being exposed and tested, just like Jonah.

In times like these when our will has collided with God, and we are wrestling with God and ourselves, there are some things we need to remember, things that we observe in the book of Jonah:

1. That God's will is always perfect and pure....ours is neither.

2. When our will is not lined up with God's will, it will always be selfish and self-seeking.

3. The imagined cost of obedience is always overshadowed by the real cost of disobedience.

4. Disobedience is always more costly and the consequences are more severe.

5. While obedience may cause some distress, disobedience leads to disaster.

6. Your disobedience does not happen in a vacuum, but will always affect those around you, those whom you are connected to.

7. When you are being disobedient don't be beguiled by the "providential" escape provided by the circumstances.

8. Most often the means of escape our circumstances seem to supply is actually the means of God's discipline, God's chastening.

9. When we are being disobedient our paradise becomes purgatory and our pleasure becomes pain.

10. It is always better to trust the Word of God rather than to trust your own heart.

The Eternal Significance of the Ordinary Day

                                                  

Whatever you do, do your work heartily, 

as for the Lord rather than for men

Colossians 3:23

Whatever you do in word or deed, do all

  in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks

 through Him to God the Father.

Colossians 3:17

Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever

 you do, do all to the glory of God.

I Corinthians 10:31

Remembering these verses helps keep the dailyness and the ordinariness of our lives in perspective, eternal perspective. God expects us to work, speak, eat, drink, and do all things (all the mundane and repetitive activities of daily living) in the name of His Son, for Him, and for His glory. This gives a vital importance to the "every day" of our lives. This says that there are no wasted days, no unimportant days, no wasted or unimportant words, no wasted or unimportant activities in the seemingly unnoticed ordinariness of our lives.

Oh, BUT, when you keep these commands, when you consider why these commands were given, and that they culminate in bringing glory to our great God, and His great Son...well then, life takes on a different meaning and we begin to view our life differently.  

When we follow these commands then we begin to understand that our life, no matter how insignificant it may seem cannot, let me repeat, CANNOT be meaningless. In fact, these verses cry out loudly that our life does have meaning, even down to the smallest and most insignificant thing we do. Additionally, this also shows us that each and every day of our life has value in the eternal plan and purpose of God. 

The "whatever you do" in these verses encompasses everything we find ourselves involved in. So our life becomes a theater for our honoring the Lord with our speech, our eating, drinking, and doing; and thus, He is glorified in our living out our ordinary lives.

Now, when we grasp the concept of God's sovereignty over all of life (Psalm 103:19), it enables us to see His Divine providence in ordaining our very steps (Proverbs 20:24), even to the extent that He delights in the very way He has decreed for us (Psalm 37:23). We then see that for those who have turned to the Lord to follow Him in all His ways, each day, with all its attendant activities, has value in God's eternal plan and purpose because it is used to display His worth and glory as we live it for Him; and if its has value, even though it seems so ordinary and mundane to us, in God's plan it is significant. 

So what does this mean? It means that if you are a Mom, be a Mom to the glory of God. If you are a secretary, be a secretary to the glory of God. If you are a salesman, be a salesman to the glory of God. If you are a coach, coach to the glory of God. If you are a pastor, pastor to the glory of God. If you are an executive, be an executive to the glory of God. If you are retired, be retired for the glory of God. If you fish or hunt, fish or hunt to the glory of God. When you play golf, play golf to the glory of God. 

You see, there really are no "ordinary" days as we would view ordinary, but each day brims with opportunity to bring glory to the Lord, as that is how He has ordained it. Friends, let us look at each day in our life, as a day ordained by the Lord, therefore significant in His eternal plan...and therefore so are we!

Living for His Glory?

  The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.  Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.  There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard.  Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their utterances to the end of the world…

Psalm 19:1-4b

So if the heavens are telling of the glory of  God, should not we? Man, as the apex of God’s creation, man as the one created in the image of God, should be the one aspect of His creation that brings Him the greatest glory, and praises Him in the greatest way.

  

I Corinthians 10:31 Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

The whole world is a theater for the glory of God, and your life is one of its many stages.

A life that is not lived for the glory of God is a life that is lived for naught. It is a life that has accomplished nothing of eternal value. It is a life that has received its only reward here on earth. A life lived for God and His glory is a life lived for eternity, and a life that will reap eternal rewards. For in the final analysis, you will either live for God's glory or live for your own.

Blessed are the Gentle

                                             Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me,

for I am gentle and humble in heart...

Matthew 11:29a

...In the world you have tribulation, but

take courage; I have overcome the world.

John 16:33b

Gentle…praus…meek, mild, fair, a blend of spiritual poise and strength, a quiet and friendly composure that does not become embittered or angry at what is unpleasant. First, it is a disposition toward God in which we accept all His dealings with us as good and therefore accept them without disputing and resisting. Secondly, it is a disposition toward man that is without self-assertiveness or self-interest. It stems from trust in God’s goodness and control over the situation. 

It is not meekness as we typically think of meekness. It is not timidness, or cowardice, or a sissiness, or an avoidance of conflict. In the ancient times it was used to describe an animal that had been tamed, a stallion that was now able to be led by a small child with only a bridle. It is the picture of power under control. It is not a passive gentleness, it is not a timid gentleness, but a deliberate and determined gentleness. Therefore in it we see the strength of gentleness, a gentle strength, a tamed strength.

Spiritually, it is a tamed spirit. It is a spirit under control, a spirit controlled and subservient to the Holy Spirit, a spirit that does not quench the Holy Spirit, but yields to the Holy Spirit. It is a spirit that yields itself to God and restrains itself with men.

It is sometimes used as a synonym for humility, but it is really not. Humility is a lowliness of mind that considers others more important than itself. Gentleness is a condition of the soul that because it has yielded or submitted itself to God, it then reins itself in and restrains itself in its dealings with others. It doesn’t assert itself even though it has the power and ability to do so. However, humility and gentleness are close companions and go hand in hand or arm in arm with each other.

The reality is that Jesus has overcome the the world, the One who was gentle and humble in heart, the One who would not hurt a bruised reed, the One who entered Jerusalem, not on the conqueror's white steed, but on a donkey, and, actually, the foal (young and not full grown) of a donkey.  

This is not the picture of a world conqueror that would be drawn up in one's imagination, or portrayed in books or movies. He did not come in power and might, with a mighty army or legions of cavalry, or with shock and awe; but He came gently and in meekness and humility and submission to the Father's will; and, in doing so, overcame the world and all of its evil. In overcoming the world He has set free from the dominion of the world and its ruler all who would come to Him in repentance and faith.  

It is those who exercise this same spirit of gentleness who overcome sin, Satan, and the world. It is those who exercise this same gentleness of spirit that will inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5), and not just the earth of the millennial reign, but the new heavens and earth where righteousness reigns forever and ever.

Is this you my friend? Have you been tamed by the Spirit? Do you live under the Spirit's control?  Are you submissive to God and restrained towards men?  If not, repent of your rebellion and untamed spirit, and by faith submit yourself to Christ as your Lord.

The Role and Relationship of the Sabbath in the Life of a Believer

Keeping the Sabbath, it is a subject that keeps cropping up. One that never seems to get completely settled in people's minds. Do we or don't we? Is it a requirement or not? If we do keep it, how do we keep it? Is it merely a day of rest or is there something else to it? Is there even a Sabbath to keep for those of us in the New Covenant, post-cross, under grace and not under law era? Is the Lord's Day (Sunday) the New Covenant Sabbath? How do we go about answering all of these questions?  Obviously, the best place to go is the Scripture, and the best place to start is Jesus Himself.

As you follow the life and ministry of Christ through the gospels, one of the things you notice is His continual confrontation with the "Jews." This group was comprised of Pharisees, Saducees, and the chief priests, who were the supposed spiritual/religious leaders of Israel. He was always doing things that not only confounded them, but also contradicted their teachings and interpretations of the Law. He called them blind guides of the blind. Many times Christ is quoted as saying, "You have heard, but I say to you." when He was challenging the teaching of the day. This is important to note, as we see that one of the main things He did that infuriated the "Jews" was healing on the Sabbath. In His healing on the Sabbath it was as if He was saying, "You have heard, but I am showing you." In response to their accusation of his followers not doing what was lawful on the Sabbath, Jesus had this to say in Mark 2:27-28 "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. So even the Son of Man is Lord over the Sabbath."

We know that Jesus perfectly kept the Law, and every jot and tittle was kept and fulfilled by Him. So we see His understanding of the Sabbath was that the Sabbath was given to man for his welfare, not to lord it over him. It is for man's well being, for his benefit, that God has given him the Sabbath; and Jesus, Himself, rules over it so that it does not rule over man, but Jesus does.This then, is the basic understanding that we need to start with.

Also, in both Colossians and Romans we see Paul's insight into the place of the Sabbath. In Colossians 2:15-16a he tells us this "Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day--things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ." So we see here that the Sabbath is a shadow of the substance (reality) to come, which is found in Christ. In other words, the shadow (Sabbath) finds its fruition, its fulfillment in Christ. This is consistent with the typology, the representation of Christ, found throughout the OT, especially in the sacrificial system and the feasts. So if the shadow has found its fulfillment it should no longer be necessary.

Additionally, in Colossians we see that no one is to act as our judge in relation to the keeping of the Sabbath. Paul gives us insight into this in Romans 14. Here Paul teaches us about liberty and responsibility in the practice of our Christianity. Let's look at chapter 14:5-6a "One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike.  Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord." Notice, here, he does not call the day observed the Sabbath, but it is obvious that this particular day is a day that would have significance to Christians, and the Christians Paul is writing to in Romans are both Jewish and Gentile Christians.  Some may want to observe the Sabbath, some may want to observe the Lord's day, and some may not have any particular day as special. None are condemned. Since Paul was a Pharisee, and called himself a Hebrew of Hebrews, you would think that if keeping the Sabbath day was important or necessary he would have said so, but in fact he said just the opposite. Paul ends the chapter saying this, "The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God.  "Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves.....and whatever is not from faith is sin." So we have freedom in our faith in honoring a certain day or considering a certain day more important than another. Don't we see this in the celebration of Christmas and Easter as well, as we are not commanded to celebrate either one?

One other insight we can glean from the New Testament regarding the keeping of the Sabbath is found in Acts 15. The setting in Acts 15 is the mother church in Jerusalem when Paul and Barnabas go there to talk to the apostles and elders concerning the matter of circumcision, whether it should be required of the Gentile converts. A group of Pharisees who had come to faith stood up and said, "It is necessary to circumcise them and to direct them to observe the law of Moses." (italics mine).  After much debate, a speech from Peter, words from Barnabas and Paul, the whole church decided to send leaders to the church at Antioch with a letter regarding these matters. The end of the letter states this, "For we have sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will report the same things by word of mouth. For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials; that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell." Notice that not only did they not require the Gentile Christians to be circumcised, but they also did not require them to keep the Law of Moses, which would include keeping the Sabbath. 

So we see from Acts, Romans, and Colossians that for Christians in the New Covenant economy, keeping the Sabbath and all its requirements, is not mandatory. And we also see from Acts and Romans that those who did keep it were not condemned. In Mark we see that God's intention for the Sabbath was for man's benefit, not his bondage; so our understanding of the Sabbath must start from that point, God's intention. Also, in Colossians we see that the Sabbath was one of the OT shadows that pointed to Christ, or was fulfilled in Christ, and as such we must also understand how the Sabbath represented the reality found in Christ.  

From Christ, in Mark, we learn that the Sabbath was made for man's benefit. So how is the Sabbath for man's benefit and what was it pointing to that was fulfilled in Christ? These two realities, these truths about the Sabbath are linked together. The OT gives us insight into these truths. So let's go there.

The first mention of the Sabbath is in Exodus sixteen and is in connection with the gathering of the manna. And in this first mention it is called a holy Sabbath. In many other of the references to the Sabbath in the OT you will find the phrase, a holy day, or holy to the Lord in connection with the Sabbath. In the giving of the Law in Exodus 20:8 the Israelites are commanded not only to remember (observe and keep) the Sabbath but to keep it holy. In Exodus 20:11 we are told that God blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. So it was to be regarded as a holy day.

The concept of holiness always begins with the idea of separation, of being set apart, of existing in a state of separation. In this idea of separation was the concept of purity, consecration, being set aside for sacred use as compared to a common or profane use. So we see this day was a day that was consecrated, it was to be set aside for sacred use as opposed to common use. We see this concept developed also in the giving of feasts as many of them contained a Sabbath day, a day to be set aside for a sacred purpose, and for the Israelites to humble their souls. So, for the Israelites, keeping the Sabbath meant keeping it holy, to set it apart from the other days of the week, to consecrate it for sacred use and not for common or profane use. This is why the Lord gave them the admonition in Exodus 20:9-10 to not do any work on the Sabbath day, as it was to be a day where they were set apart from focusing on common pursuits or daily endeavors, and instead set that day apart so as to focus on God.

We see this explained further in Exodus 31:12-17...You shall surely observe My Sabbaths; for this is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you. Therefore you are to observe the Sabbath, for it is holy to you....for six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there is a Sabbath of complete rest, holy to the Lord.... 

Notice what the Lord says about the Sabbath in these verses as He gives us further enlightenment concerning it.

     1. It is holy to the Israelites (remember what we learned about being holy).
     2. It is holy to the Lord.
     3. It is a perpetual covenant between them and the Lord.
     4. It is a perpetual sign between the Israelites and the Lord.
     5. It is a sign of His sanctifying them.

Now, let's break down the Hebrew a little bit. In Hebrew the word sanctify is qadash, and the word for holy is qodesh. Both essentially have the same meaning (as explained above) except that qodesh is the state of, and qadash means to be made. In other words one is to be made holy/separate and the other is the state of being holy/separate. So not only is this to be a day that is to be holy (qodesh) to the Lord, in essence set apart to the Lord, but it is also a perpetual sign for the Israelites; and the sign is for them to know and remember that it is the Lord who sanctifies/makes them holy (qadash), not themselves. This concept of sanctification is carried over to the NT. Listen to I Corinthians 1:30 But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption. (italics mine). God has sanctified us (set us apart and made us holy) by placing us into Christ, His holy One. 

So we see that running throughout the Sabbath is the concept of holiness, separateness, purity, and sacredness. These convey the concept of being set apart from worldly pursuits and being set apart to the Lord. The Sabbath was to be the one day of the week when the Israelites laid aside worldly pursuits, the daily cares of the world and set themselves apart to the Lord. Instead of seeking the things of this world they were to seek the Lord on this day. In the keeping of the Sabbath we have a picture of sanctification, both positionally and practically. The Sabbath was the Old Testament picture or shadow of sanctification. We see another fulfillment of this shadow of sanctification in Philippians 2:12-13 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed....work out your salvation in fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Sanctification is an important concept, in both the OT and NT. How important? Listen to Hebrews 12:14 Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.

In Isaiah we see the Lord giving further enlightenment on what the Sabbath was to be about. Listen to Isaiah 58:13-14 "If because of the Sabbath, you turn your foot from doing your own pleasure on My holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy day of the Lord honorable, and honor it, desisting from your own ways, from seeking your own pleasure and speaking your own word. Then you will take delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; and I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken." So the way they were to honor the Sabbath and keep it holy was to desist from living, seeking, and speaking what satisfied them and gave them pleasure; in other words, on the Sabbath they were to cease living for themselves and live for the Lord, and instead of seeking their own pleasure they were to seek what pleased Him. On this day they were to delight themselves in the Lord and find their pleasure in Him. We see this denial of self that was to be part of the Sabbath fulfilled in the NT in the admonition of Christ in Luke 9:23, "And He was saying to them all, If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me." Notice how in the NT this denial of self was to be daily. 

So with this in mind, how did Christ go about keeping and fulfilling the Sabbath. We see this throughout the gospel of John in verses 4:34, 5:19, 6:38, 10:18, 12:49, 14:31; and perhaps most clearly in John 8:28b-29...and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me. And He who sent Me is with me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.(italics mine). Christ kept the Sabbath every day. Every minute of every day He was set apart from the world and set apart unto God the Father. He was totally sanctified, both positionally and practically, and not just on one day of the week, but on every day.  

Next, we see from Exodus 20 that the Sabbath was part of the Ten Commandments, and therefore considered part of the Law of Moses. So the rub here is that the Ten Commandments as God's  moral law are still  effective, still being lived out in the lives of those who belong to Him, and we see these fleshed out throughout the New Testament. So for those of us under the New Covenant economy how do we keep the Sabbath as part of God's moral law?

To answer this question let's look at what takes place in the New Covenant. Remember Christ initiated the New Covenant at the last supper, the night before His crucifixion. First let's look at Jeremiah 31:33 "But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the Lord, "I will put my law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God and they will be My people." Next let's look at Ezekiel 36:26-27 "Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances."

According to these promises, what has God done in the New Covenant for those whom have entered into covenant with Him through Jesus Christ?

     1. He has taken out their heart of stone (a hard impenetrable heart).
     2. He has given them a heart of flesh (a soft imprintable heart).
     3. He has put His law within them by writing it/imprinting it on their heart.
     4. He has given them His Holy Spirit.
     5. By His Holy Spirit He will cause them to walk in His statutes, and be
         careful to observe His ordinances (statutes and ordinances
         being synonyms for His law).
     6. He has written His law (statutes and ordinances) on their heart and by
         His Holy Spirit He will cause them to keep it.

So what has happened to the Sabbath in the New Covenant? Remember, the Sabbath is part of the law, an integral part of the law. We are still keeping it because the Lord has put the law in our heart and has given us the Holy Spirit to cause us to keep the law. So when do we keep the Sabbath? We keep it every day, just like Christ did. Every day we live for the Lord. In everything we live for the Lord.  Whether we live or we die, we are the Lord's. We live each day to please Him and not ourselves. So what the Israelites were not able to do on one day a week, we do each day of the week. This is what Christ was referring to in Luke when He said we are to pick up our cross daily and follow Him. So the issue with the Sabbath, is not the particular day in and of itself, but what the day represents and what is to be actually taking place on that day, which is now every day.

We are sanctified positionally (declared holy) when we are placed into Christ (who is our sanctification), and are being sanctified practically (made holy) as we work out our salvation while God is working His will in us for His good pleasure. We walk in our faith further and further away from the sin we were saved out of; and walk further and further into Christ, whose image we are being conformed into, knowing that one day our sanctification will be complete as the Lord completes the work He started in us (Philippians 1:6). 

So, has the Sabbath gone away? No, it is still a requirement, an every day requirement; but a requirement that God Himself is causing us to keep by the power of His indwelling Spirit. So if you are truly born again, and have been given a new heart through the circumcision made without hands, then you will be living for the Lord consistently and daily. In other words, you will be keeping the Sabbath every day by the power that God supplies. Think about how good this news is, another provision that the Lord has made for us to keep His requirements. Another gift of His marvelous grace. One more reason to praise Him greatly and fervently.  Let's do just that.

How to Keep Life's Circumstances in Perspective

First, realize that God is absolutely Sovereign over all of your life’s circumstances…both good and bad. Psalm 103:19 says “The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all.” (NASB) The theological term for His sovereignty over our life’s affairs is Divine Providence. This means that whatever life throws at us has to come through the omnipotent knowledge and permission of God; and the course and direction of our life is ultimately determined by the Lord.

This is practically illustrated in the following verses:

 Proverbs 16:9 The mind of man plans His way, but the Lord directs his steps. This verse shows us that we are part of the process, but that in the midst of our thinking, planning, strategizing and praying, God is the ultimate determiner.

Proverbs 20:24 Man’s steps are ordained by the Lord, how then can man understand his way. We never know nor understand where our steps will lead because the Lord has ordained (planned and purposed) them, and they are beyond our foreknowledge; but not His.

Jeremiah 10:23 I know, O Lord, that a man’s way is not in himself, nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps. This verse show us the futility of thinking that we are ever in total control of our life and its destiny. The unseen providence of God is taking us where we would never have imagined or chosen had we known all that was before us.

Psalm 37:23 The steps of a man are established by the Lord, and He delights in His way. Here we see that the Lord delights (takes pleasure) in the way He has established (planned, purposed, and carried out) for us. His ultimate goal for us is to be completely conformed to the image of His Son in preparation for eternity. His plan for us is not a plan for this world only, but, actually uses this world to prepare us for the eternal world to come, and our final and complete conformity to the likeness of Christ, who, as the God-man, is the complete man. (Philippians 1:6, 2:13, Colossians 1:28, Ephesians 4:11-15, I John 3:2, Romans 8:29)

Romans 8:28 For we know that God cause all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.  This is because God’s plan for us is for our eternal good.  Our time here is short, and even though we are preoccupied with it, God is preoccupied with our place in eternity.

Secondly, what should our response be?

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path. In our circumstances we must have confidence in the Lord, His leading and its outcome, and not lean on (depend fully) on our own understanding. In each and every situation of our life we are to have a reverential regard and respect for God as being God, so that we acquiesce to His leading, so that we do not kick against the goads in seeking our way and not His. 

Psalm 37:3-5 Trust in the Lord and do good, dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him and He will do it.  This section begins and ends with trusting the Lord; and this trusting is accompanied by doing good (being godly in our circumstances), dwelling in the land (staying where He has brought us and not trying to seek our own way of escape), cultivating faithfulness (building our faithfulness to Him by being obedient to Him in our circumstances), delighting ourselves in Him (this is a by-product of the joy that comes from our faithfulness and trusting), committing our way to Him (in all our way acknowledging Him…Lord I am going to follow you no matter what).

Finally, a biblical example.

Read Genesis 12 and consider the call of God to Abraham. God called, Abraham followed, and God led him right into the middle of a famine. Was the Lord surprised?…NO!  He knew where He was leading and what would be there, but God had a purpose, a greater and eternal purpose for Abraham; and through all of this He taught Abraham to trust Him, to be faithful to Him; and as a result, Abraham became the father of faith for all who would come to Christ thereafter.

Remember, in God's economy there are no accidents or happenstances. Whatever comes your way has been Divinely ordained for your good, your ultimate and eternal good, and for the glory of the One who has called you to Himself and blessed you with an eternal salvation that transcends your short time here on this earth. All that transpires is part of His eternal plan for you…even to your children. Thank Him for His eternal plan and its working out in both good and hard providence. For His eye is on you, His thoughts toward you are as numerous as His wonders, and what He began in You He will complete for all eternity.  Bless His holy name!

The Confidence of Patience

I wait for the Lord, my soul does wait.

And in His word do I hope.

My soul waits for the Lord

More than the watchman for the morning;

Indeed, more than the watchman for the morning.

Psalm 130:5-6

After Psalm 119, the longest Psalm and longest chapter in the Bible, there is a group of short Psalms from Psalm 120-Psalm 134.  Each of these short Psalms contains great and profound truths, and this is a great section of the Scriptures to read and mediate upon.

In Psalm 130 we see a wonderful example of patience, and the Psalmist paints a picture for us of someone who is not only patient, but confidently patient. In these verses we see three keys to this confident patience.

1. 
   
   The object of our patience.  The object of our patience, the One on whom we are waiting is the Lord.  Our realization must be that the Lord is sovereign and in control, and will work our situation out according to His timing.  He is neither too early nor too late. We know that when the fullness of time came He sent forth His Son (Galatians 4:4), and at the right time Christ died for the ungodly (Romans 5:6). We see that the timing of the most important event in the history of mankind was under the control of God.  It is the Lord whom we wait upon and His timing is always perfect. It is perfect in completing His plan and pupose for us. So if our desire is for His will to be done in our life, we can be content and wait for the unfolding of His will in our life. This kind of waiting is an active submission to the Lord's will and plan for our life, and puts our will in its proper place.
2. 
   
   The ground of our patience.  The ground of our patience is the word of God. The word of God is yay and amen. His yes is always yes, and His no is always no. In Jeremiah 1:12 He tells us that He stands over His word to perform it. In Isaiah 55:10-1 the Lord tells us that His word will not return to Him empty, without accomplishing His purpose. So we know that we can stand on whatever He says, for He will fulfill it. His word is a lamp to our feet and a light for our path. It not only guides us, but it is our ground to stand on when we are having to be patient and wait for the Lord. His word literally guides us into patience, and aids us and strengthens us to remain in that state of patience that looks unto the Lord.
3. 
   
   The confidence of our patience.  I really love the picture of confident patience the Psalmist paints here. His soul waits for the Lord to a greater degree than the watchman waits for the morning. How does the watchman wait for the morning? Confidently, very confidently, because he knows that the morning absolutely will come. In fact, the morning cannot be stopped from coming...at the exact time it should come. The Psalmist is saying that He is more confident in the Lord, and has a better ground of confidence than the watchman who knows the dawn is coming. In the darkness of the night, the watchman may not know how much longer before the dawn, but he knows, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it is approaching nearer with every beat of his heart. His is a knowing anticipation of the dawn breaking no matter how long or dark the night. This is a firm ground of confidence. Our confidence should be greater and more secure than this watchman's because it is the Lord we are waiting upon, and we have His word as our guarantee. 

This is faith in action, faith being put to the test and being strengthened and refined. This is the faith the Lord wants to develop in you. This faiths is an active trusting that is willing to wait for the Lord no matter how dark or long the night because it knows the breaking of the dawn is certain. This is the faith that endures as seeing Him who is unseen. This is the faith of one who knows their God.

Let us wait upon the Lord with confidence in His care and concern for us, and the knowledge that His plan is always the best plan, because we have a faithful God who will always stand by His word.