Moments With God | February 2006

The Lord Is My All

General — Posted by sharaug @ February 22, 2006 15:08

Psalm 16

"You are my Lord; apart from You I have no good thing."

There is nothing that this world has to offer that can begin to compare to the joy of knowing the Lord Jesus as our Savior and Lord. The Lord is our place of safety and refuge. The Lord is our security. The Lord is our joy and peace. The Lord is our all. The Lord is our one and only good thing. There is nothing meaningful outside of the Lord.
In Psalm 16:2 David said to the Lord God, "You are my Lord; apart from You I have no good thing." In Psalm 73:25 the Psalmist, Asaph, said to God, "Whom have I in heaven but You? And earth has nothing I desire besides You." Paul expressed a similar sentiment in Philippians 3:8-9a, "I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him." There is absolutely nothing in this world that can compare to the joy of our love relationship with the Lord.
Those who seek joy, peace, and security outside of the Lord run into sorrow, frustration, and dead-ends. Psalm 16:4a tells us that "The sorrows of those will increase who run after other gods." If we put anything or anyone ahead of the Lord in our lives, that person or thing becomes our god. If we put anything or anyone ahead of the Lord in our lives; we will lose our joy, peace, and security. Our lives will then consist of nothing but sorrow and frustration. True joy can only be found in the Lord!
The Lord, however, has assigned His children a wonderful inheritance or portion in Him! David said in Psalm 16:5-6, "Lord, You have assigned me my portion and my cup; You have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance." The Lord alone is our "delightful inheritance" and "portion." Those who do not know the Lord are running around madly looking for joy and security in the useless things of this world. Joy, peace, and security are only the rightful inheritance and portion of those who are in a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord God is all we need, and He must ultimately become all we desire. The Lord alone fulfills, delights, and satisfies.
The Lord is also our help and counselor in the dark and difficult times of life. David said in Psalm 16:7, "I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me." The Lord is our help, and He instructs us especially during the difficult times of life. There is joy and peace in Him even during those challenging and dark times of life. Therefore, we can say with David, "I have set the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken." (Psalm 16:8) Because we know the Lord is always beside us as our protector and sustainer, we need never be "shaken." Our security and sense of well-being need never be unsettled or disturbed, because we belong to the Lord!
As a child of God our hearts can be glad and full of joy. Our tongues can sing the Lord's praises, and our very beings can be at peace and resting securely in the Lord. Further, we have an eternal future with our Lord! There is no security or joy like this found anywhere else but in the Lord. Only in the presence of the Lord and in a relationship with the Lord can we find this kind of joy, peace, and security. May our prayer to God be, "You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand." (Psalm 16:11) Living in the Lord's will and presence is the secret to joy, peace, and "eternal pleasures!"

Psalm 16:2b

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Trust Not Worry

General — Posted by sharaug @ February 17, 2006 07:57

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Matthew 6:25-34

"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin."

Outside of my kitchen window I have a bird feeder. It is a joy to watch the birds come and feed at the feeder. They seem to be very busy and industrious but free and unencumbered by fear or worry. The Lord commands us in Matthew six to be more like the birds that He has created. In verse twenty-five the Lord tells us not to worry about our lives. We are told not to worry about the day to day necessities and needs of our lives. The Lord tells us to look at the birds. The birds do not do all the anxious things that we do to protect our security. The birds work diligently, but they are not anxious and worrying in the midst of their activity. In spite of this fact, the Lord takes care of even the birds of the air! He says to us, "Are you not much more valuable than they?" (Matthew 6:26b) If God takes care of the birds, we can be assured He will take care of our needs also.
We can not always see the end from the beginning in the circumstances and events of our lives, but the Lord has our entire lives planned out from beginning to end. What is there to worry about when He is in control? We simply have to trust His goodness and leading. The Lord goes on to say, "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" (Matthew 6:27) Worrying accomplishes nothing. It does not add a single minute to our lives. In fact, anxiety and worry may subtract from our lives. Worry is not good for us physically, emotionally, or spiritually. Worry is also sin. If we are worrying we are making something else more important in our lives than the Lord. What we are worrying about has become our idol and more important than God in our lives. When we worry it is sin, because we are not trusting God’s promises to always be with us.
In this Scripture passage the Lord goes on to tell us to look at the flowers of the field. In past summer seasons I have been struck by the beauty of the wildflowers in the fields. Those flowers are not worried or anxious, but "not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these." (Matthew 6:29b) If God takes care of all these things in His creation, will He not much more take care of our needs? We are commanded not to worry about our daily needs. The world is anxious about these things. We, however, have a Heavenly Father who cares for our needs. The Lord know what we need better than what we do ourselves! The Lord’s command to us is "seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (Matthew 6:33-34) We need to trust our Heavenly Father, as a child trusts his or her earthly father. We need to cling in trust to our Heavenly Father. His grace and strength for us will never run dry. We need not worry about tomorrow, for the Lord has today and tomorrow in His control! We need to throw all our worries on the Lord, and we need to leave them there. There is great freedom and joy in serving the Lord, if we are not engaging in needless worry. We can trust the Lord even if our lives are going through a time of upheaval. He is leading us and has the master plan for our lives. We serve a awesome God! Praise His name!

Matthew 6:26-28

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Giants In Our Lives

General — Posted by sharaug @ February 11, 2006 11:28

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Numbers 13 and 14

"We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes." Numbers 13:33b "The Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them. Numbers 14:9b

If we put our trust in the Lord and follow His leading for our lives, we need to fear nothing. He will protect us, and He will be with us at all times. The Lord has a perfect plan for our lives, and we can rest unafraid and at peace in our Lord.

In Numbers 13 and 14 God's Old Testament people, the Israelites, were at the border of the land of Canaan. It was God's will for His Old Testament people that Canaan would become their new homeland. Before they were to go in and possess the land, however; God said, "Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders." (Numbers 13:2) Because of God's command twelve spies were sent out to search out the land of Canaan.

The spies found the land of Canaan to be a very fruitful land. In fact, at one point in their explorations of the land "they cut off a branch bearing a single cluster of grapes. Two of them carried it on a pole between them, along with some pomegranates and figs." (Numbers 13:23) The size of this grape cluster alone should have indicated to the spies the goodness and trustworthiness of their Lord who had promised to give them this new land. What an exciting and encouraging report about God's provision and goodness these spies could have brought back to God's people. Sadly, this is not what happened, however. Two of the spies did bring back an encouraging report, but ten of the spies returned defeated and fearful. These spies said, "We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large." (Numbers 13:27-28) Caleb, one of the good spies, tried to encourage the people; but the ten spies continued to insist that God's people could not go in and possess the land. They said, "We can't attack those people; they are stronger than we are." (Numbers 13:31) The ten spies then went on to say, "All the people we saw there are of great size.---We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them." (Numbers 13:32b-33)

The two faithful spies continued to try to encourage the people and said, "The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the Lord is pleased with us, He will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us---The Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them." (Numbers 14:7b-9) The people chose to heed the words of the ten spies and to ignore the words of the two spies, however. Hence, because they lacked faith in the Lord's provision; God's people had to wander around in the wilderness for forty years. It was not until that generation died and their children were grown that God's people were able to enter and possess the land of Canaan.

Are you and I looking at the giants in our lives, or are we looking at our Lord who can overcome the giants in our lives? Ten of the Old Testament spies looked at the giants of the land and were overcome with fear. Two of the Old Testament spies saw the same giants of that land, but they looked to their God in faith. They knew the giants of the land were large, but they also knew they served a God who was far greater than any giant. They also knew they served a God who was faithful to His promises to always be with His people. Relying on our own resources causes us to see the giants in our lives. If we are looking to the Lord in faith and resting in Him, however; we have certain victory over the giants of our lives. Our God is faithful!

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The Lord's Guidance

General — Posted by sharaug @ February 06, 2006 10:58

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Numbers 9:15-23

God was leading His Old Testament people to a new land which He was providing for them. In order to reach this new land they had to go through the wilderness. While God's people were in the wilderness the way was unknown to them, and the Lord had to guide and direct their steps. God had promised His people that He would always be with them, and God kept that promise. God gave them daily food from the sky in the form of a kind of bread called manna. God also directed them and guided their every movement. God directed them with a cloud by day and a pillar of light at night. This cloud was always above their tabernacle, and it was a symbol of the Lord's presence. The tabernacle was their tent church which could be picked up and moved when they were directed by the Lord to move. "Whenever the cloud lifted from above the Tent, the Israelites set out; wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped. At the Lord's command the Israelites set out, and at His command they encamped. As long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they remained in the camp. When the cloud remained over the tabernacle a long time, the Israelites obeyed the Lord's order and did not set out. (Numbers 9:17-19) God's people had to depend on the Lord day by day and moment by moment for His direction and guidance.

We too as God's people today are walking through the wilderness of this life. We are headed for our eternal home! The Lord knows and has planned every detail of our lives, and He is directing and guiding our every step along the way. We can be absolutely certain of His guidance each and every day of our lives. He says to us in Hebrews 13:5b, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." The Lord also promises us in Psalm 32:8, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you." It is important that we follow and wait for the Lord's guidance in our lives. We must not run ahead of the Lord's direction, and we must not seek to solve a problem situation in our lives in our own way. We also must not lag behind the Lord, and we must not delay to act when He has made His will clear to us. We will have a greater sense of the Lord's guidance, as we spiritually grow in Him. Hence, we need to spend time in prayer and reading His Holy Word.

There are times in the wilderness of life when we will be asked to wait. The Israelites must have become impatient at times when God made them just wait. Numbers 9:22 tells us that "whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year, the Israelites would remain in camp and not set out; but when it lifted, they would set out." The wilderness was obviously a less than desirable place for the Israelites to be, but in spite of their impatience they needed to wait for the Lord's direction to move on. Sometimes we are kept waiting by the Lord also. We may be in the midst of a very difficult situation or trial in our life. Perhaps with every fiber of our being we desire that difficult situation to be resolved. We must not run ahead of the Lord, however, and seek to resolve the situation with our own resources. We must wait in submission on the Lord. Sometimes this waiting on the Lord is a short period of time. Sometimes it can even be years in duration. The Lord knows what He is doing by sometimes allowing certain difficult situations and circumstances in our lives. Through these difficult times we often grow the most spiritually. We must be submissive to the Lord's will and rest in Him. We also must move out in obedience when the Lord clearly directs us to do so. Sometimes this involves leaving our comfort zone for other areas of service. God's will is always best, however, and we must follow it.

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Salt and Light

General — Posted by sharaug @ February 01, 2006 04:49

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Matthew 5:13-16

"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

Salt was a precious and very valuable commodity in Jesus' day. Especially at that time in history salt was valuable as a preservative against decay. It was also valuable as an antiseptic or a healing agent. Even today salt is considered valuable as a seasoning. Salt adds flavoring and zest to our food.

Jesus calls us to be the salt of the earth. Jesus says to us in Matthew 5:13a, "You are the salt of the earth." As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ we are a valuable preservative against evil in this world. We also need to be an agent of healing in this world. Our Christ-like influence should be making an impact for Jesus Christ on those who do not know the Lord. As salt adds flavoring and zest to food, our lives should radiate our joy and zest for serving the Lord and for bringing glory to His name. Yet another quality of salt is that it makes one thirsty. Are we making others thirsty for a personal relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ? Finally, salt is often poured out of a container. We also need to pour out our lives in service to God and to others. If we lose our "saltiness" we will become worthless, however. Matthew 5:13b reminds us, "if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men." If we seek to blend in with the world and to become just like the world in our values, attitudes, and life styles; we lose our "saltiness" or influence for God in the world.

Jesus also says to us in Matthew 5:14a, "You are the light of the world." We must shine like bright lights for Jesus Christ in this dark world of sin. In fact, the darker the world becomes in sin the brighter the lights of our lives must be in comparison. There are many different kinds of lights used for many different purposes. We must shine for Jesus Christ wherever we have been placed in our small corner of the world. We must not seek to hide our lights. Jesus says to us in Matthew 5:16, "In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." We must not seek to adopt the world's standards and values. You and I must let the joy, purpose, and light of our personal relationship with the Lord shine before others. Others must see Jesus Christ in us through our words, actions, and our character.

May it become our passion to be "the salt of the earth" and "the light of the world." May we never lose our "saltiness" or seek to hide our lights for Jesus Christ. May others truly see Jesus Christ in us!

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