Moments With God

Praise the Lord

General — Posted by sharaug @ January 02, 2007 06:16
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I Chronicles 16

"Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always. Remember the wonders He has done."

"Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous deeds among all peoples. For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise."

What a joyful day it was for God's Old Testament people! They were bringing the ark of God, the symbol of the Lord's presence among them, to the Royal City. The Levites carried the ark with poles on their shoulders. There was rejoicing among the people. There was singing and the playing of musical instruments. There was much giving of praise and thanks to the Lord on that joyous day. King David then gave to his musicians a Psalm of praise and thanks to the Lord. This Psalm of King David is recorded in I Chronicles 16:8-36. It is a Psalm of praise that we as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ today can also commit to the Lord. In the following paragraphs the writer of this devotional will take great liberty in seeking to paraphrase this Psalm of David in order to apply it to your and my lives.

Never stop giving thanks to our awesome Lord. His arms are always open to us, so never fail to call upon our faithful God. Make known to those around you His salvation and what He done in your lives. Continually sing praises to the Lord. Delight yourselves in the name of the Lord. Seek the Lord and His will continually. Find your joy and strength for living in the Lord alone. Do not search for your happiness in the things of the world. You will not find it there.

Remember and never forget the wonders and great things the Lord has done in Your lives. Don't forget the times the Lord has answered prayers and rescued you out of seemingly impossible situations. He is the Lord, our faithful God. His faithfulness never ceases. The Lord's faithfulness was present in the generations of our ancestors who loved the Lord. The Lord's faithfulness is present in our lives today. His faithfulness will also continue in our children's and grandchildren's lives who serve Him. The Lord is a faithful God!

In light of the Lord's great faithfulness let us continually sing praises to Him. Let us tell others of His salvation and blessings in our lives. For the Lord is great and abundantly worthy of our praise! He is an awesome and majestic God! He alone is God. He alone is the source of our strength and joy. Give to the Lord the glory and praise which He deserves. Bring your offerings to the Lord. Bring your tithes and money, but more importantly offer yourselves in sacrifice to Him. Worship the Lord for His splendor and His holiness.

The Lord created the world and maintains the world. May even the heavens, the earth, the seas, and the forests bring praise to the Lord's name! The Lord above reigns! He is Lord of Lords! Give thanks to your Lord, for He is so abundant in His goodness! His love is eternal.

When in trouble cry out to the Lord to save you. Then when He answers your prayers give thanks to your holy and faithful God. Delight yourselves in praising the Lord! Praise be to our Lord, the God of His chosen people from generation to generation. The Lord is our everlasting God. May all God's people say, "Amen! Praise the Lord!" ( I Chronicles 16:36b)

(I Chronicles 16:24-25a)(I Chronicles 16:11-12a)

Trust and Obey

General — Posted by sharaug @ December 28, 2006 09:03
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Luke 2:21-40

Eight days after Jesus Christ's birth his parents circumcised Him. At that time they named Him Jesus which means Savior. Jesus is indeed our Savior. He is our Savior from sin and our hope for time and for eternity. Then after 40 days Jesus' parents went to the temple in Jerusalem to consecrate him as prescribed by Old Testament law. They also offered a sacrifice in the temple.

At that time there was a man in Jerusalem "called Simeon who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him." (Luke 2:25) Simeon had been patiently waiting for many years for the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophesy that Jesus Christ, the God-man, would come to this earth as our Savior and Lord. Perhaps Simeon was well aquatinted with the Old Testament prophesy about the coming Messiah in Zechariah 2:10, " 'Shout and be glad, O daughter of Zion. For I am coming and I will live among you,' declares the Lord." Simeon believed every word and promise from God's Holy Word, and he rested his life on the promises of God's Word. Simeon knew that the Lord God would keep his promises to send the Savior in His perfect timing On this particular day when Jesus' parents took Jesus to the temple, the Holy Spirit moved Simeon to go to the temple. When Simeon saw Jesus he praised God and said, "My eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared in the sight of all people." (Luke 2:30-31) Do we have that same absolute confidence in the promises of God's Word, as Simeon exhibited in his life? Do we believe the Lord when He promises to always be with us even in difficult times? Do we believe God's Word, when it promises that Jesus will return again some day on the clouds of glory to bring us to be with Him? Do we believe God's Word, when it tells us that our trials in this life are part of His wise plan and a necessary part of our path to Glory?

There was also a prophetess that day at the temple named Anna. Anna never left the temple; but she continually worshipped, fasted, and prayed at the temple. Anna also recognized Jesus as being the God-man and Savior of His people. She also gave thanks to God for His glorious fulfillment of prophesy, and she spoke to the people around her of the Redeemer who had come. Do our lives resemble Simeon and Anna's lives? Are we passionately sold out to the Lord like Simeon and Anna? Is our every life activity motivated by a desire to bring praise and glory to our Lord? Are we continually in an attitude of prayer and aware of our Lord's presence in our lives behind, beside, and before us?

Praise God for His redemptive grace in our lives. Our salvation is of Him alone. "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9) Our redemption in Christ is for a purpose, however. That purpose is to bring glory to God and for God to use us as instruments in accomplishing His will on this earth. "For we are God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:10) Let us not lose sight of that purpose. Let us also not lose sight of God's glorious promises to always be with us and of the hope and eternal blessings that are stored up for us in heaven. (Colossians 1:5) May our lives be filled with excited anticipation and expectation of God's fulfillment of His promises and the working out of His perfect plan in our lives!


Glory to God

General — Posted by sharaug @ December 21, 2006 21:24
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Luke 2:1-20

All through the Old Testament God promised to send His Son some day to this earth as the Savior for His people. Jesus would come some day to live a perfect life for us that we could not live, and then He would die on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. This promise of the coming Savior was first made to Adam and Eve in the garden after they sinned. (Genesis 3:15) In anticipation of this glorious promise the Old Testament people had to sacrifice lambs over and over again as a picture and reminder of the promised coming of our glorious Savior to this earth. We now look back on Christ's coming to this earth. We as His children delight in the fact that He is the Lamb of God who came once and for all to pay for our sins!

Mary and Joseph were from the town of Nazareth. In God's perfect plan, however, Jesus was destined to be born in Bethlehem. Caesar Augustus had issued a ruling that a census should be taken of all the people in his jurisdiction. Because of this ruling Mary and Joseph had to travel at least three days to Bethlehem. This was because Joseph was of the ancestral line of David. Hence, Old Testament prophecy was fulfilled in God's perfect time and place; and Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, left a perfect place with God, the Father, in heaven; and He came to this world of sin. He did this so that we would no longer be separated from God by our sin. Now as His children we have a loving and eternal relationship with Him!

The night of Jesus Christ's birth angels told the good news of the Savior's birth to lowly shepherds in the field. It is interesting to see that this news was not announced to people of high importance in this world. The good news of Jesus Christ's atonement for our sins is for people of all roles and ranks in life. The angel said to the shepherds on that glorious night, "I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:10b-11) Our true and lasting joy is found only in the Lord Jesus and in His gift of salvation to us. Let us say with the angels of old, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests." (Luke 2:14) God deserves all the glory and praise and honor for the glorious salvation that He has provided for His people. He alone is the source of peace and joy in our lives. Lasting and deep peace in our hearts and souls is only possible because of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

The Shepherds after hurrying to Bethlehem to see the baby in the manger immediately "spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child." (Luke 2:17b). They also "returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told." (Luke 2:20) May our hearts also be filled with the joy of the Shepherds. May we concentrate on the joy of our salvation and on our Savior's love instead of the difficulties and daily irritations of life. May we too have the zeal of the shepherds, and be unafraid to share the joy of our faith with others.

Some day Jesus, who is God Himself, will return again to this earth. This time He will not come as a baby in a manger, but He will come on the clouds of glory. For those who do not know Him it will be a time of judgment. For His children it will be a wonderful day. We will be with our Lord forever in His glorious presence. Revelation 22:3-5 says of that glorious day, "No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and His servants will serve Him. They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of the lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light." Jesus is coming again! What a blessed hope! "Amen. Come, Lord Jesus" (Revelation 22:20b)


Resting In God's Plan

General — Posted by sharaug @ December 18, 2006 12:48
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Luke 1

The first four books of the New Testament are called the Gospels. Gospel means good news. The Gospels tell us the good news of Jesus Christ, the God-man coming to this earth. He came to live the perfect life for us that we can not live and to die on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. In Christ we are no longer separated from God by our sins! Because of Christ's sacrifice we can be sure of our loving relationship with God. Luke 1:4b tells us that the Gospels were written "so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught." Praise His name!

How often do we stop to revel in the joy of being redeemed by Jesus Christ? How often do we contemplate the joy of being chosen as His child? We have been chosen to serve the Lord of the universe. What a privilege we have been given! So often we concentrate on the trials and difficulties of this life. Instead we need to concentrate on our Lord and the privilege we have of being His child and serving Him.

Zechariah and Elizabeth were two people who sought to passionately live their lives for God. Luke 1:6 says, "Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commandments and regulations blamelessly." It could not have always been easy for Zechariah and Elizabeth to trust the Lord and to live their lives for the Lord in that day, but they sought with all that was in them to live for the Lord. They could have become bitter during those many long years of waiting for and not receiving a child. Instead they persevered in their faith and trusted the Lord's plan for their lives. Zechariah and Elizabeth both considered it a privilege to live for the Lord in spite of difficulties along the way. Zechariah's faith did falter when the angel told him he would be the father of baby John. He said, "How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years." (Luke 1:18b) But in the end Zechariah persevered in his faith, and his son grew up to be the forerunner of Jesus Christ.

Mary was also a servant of the Lord who sought to live her life wholeheartedly for the Lord. She was given the privilege of being the virgin mother of "the Son of the Most High." (Luke 1:32) She accepted this assignment given to her by God with a joyful song in her heart and on her lips. "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. May it be to me as you have said." (Luke 1:38) She accepted with a trusting heart the words of the angel, "Nothing is impossible with God." (Luke 1:37) It was indeed a privilege for Mary to be chosen to bear and raise the Christ child, but there was also many heartaches along the way. She more than likely was falsely accused of having being unfaithful to Joseph by others who did not understand that Jesus was the Savior. Joseph and Mary had to make the difficult trip to Bethlehem, and later they had to flee from wicked King Herod. Later Mary had to see her own son die on the cross. Yet Mary persevered and considered the life assignment given to her by the Lord God a privilege.

Let us also revel in our salvation and in our blessed relationship with our Lord. Let us be overwhelmingly thankful that we have been chosen as His children. Let us be thankful for whatever role in life He has given us in His kingdom. May we persevere when life gets difficult, and we do not understand His plan. Let us rest our lives in Him, and joyfully live for Him in our small corner of His world.


Our Refuge

General — Posted by sharaug @ December 13, 2006 16:51
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Psalm 46

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble."

"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress."

In life we face many challenges and problems and sometimes deep trials, but God has promised to be "our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble." (Psalm 46:1) He will be my "refuge and strength" and your "refuge and strength." We can have fearless trust in Him no matter what upheavals are occurring in our lives or no matter what catastrophic events are happening all around us! We need not fear even if "the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging." (Psalm 46:2) We can trust the Lord even if all we hold dear is taken from us, because He is our powerful "refuge and strength!" He is our constant help and strength in all kinds of problems and even in the deepest of trials! He gives us just what we need of His strength day by day and moment by moment. The Lord has been our help in the past, and He will be our help and strength in the future! Even when we can’t see our way out of a problem situation in our lives the Lord already has a plan in place for our lives! We can trust Him. His will and timing are always best.

Sometimes the Lord allows trials in our lives to get our attention and to help us to grow spiritually. Sometimes trials are given to us to help us grow more dependent on the Lord and to help us to grow in our love for Him. Even in trials the Lord is smiling down on us, protecting us, and seeing us through to victory! He sustains us, protects us, and pours out His blessings on us even and sometimes especially in difficult times in our lives. Even in difficult times in our lives we can be full of the Lord's joy, because no ultimate spiritual harm will ever come to a child of God!

Our Lord is the "Most High" who dwells within us! (Psalm 46:4) Nations rise and fall because of the Lord's power and control. This same powerful God is our fortress and our protection! So all we have to do is rest in His care and not fear. He says to us "Be still, and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10a) The Almighty Lord of the universe is with us eternally! We must put aside the voices of the world and of self-reliance, and we must rest and trust in Him to meet our every need. We must trust the Lord to lead us through even very difficult times. We need to grow in our love for Him. We need to truly rest in the Lord and listen for His still voice of direction for our lives! The longer this devotional writer walks with the Lord the more she sees His faithfulness in her life. His grace is always sufficient, His victory is always sure, and His promises are always reliable!

Psalm 46:10-11Psalm 46:1

Fruit-bearing Lives

General — Posted by sharaug @ December 08, 2006 16:32
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Galatians 5:22-26

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." (Galatians 5:22-23a)

God expects His children to be spiritual fruit bearers. John 15:8 tells us, "This is my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." As children of God our lives must match our professions. Our salvation is all of grace and has nothing to do with ourselves. We are saved for a purpose, however. That purpose is to bring glory to the Lord.

One way that we bring glory to the Lord is by exhibiting the Christ-like characteristics of the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives. "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." (Galatians 5:22-23a) Others need to see Christ living in us through the fruit of the Holy Spirit in us. There is a song whose words state, "They will know we are Christians by our love." We need to show the fruit of the Spirit of sacrificial love to others. Others also need to know we are Christians by our joy, peace, and patience in all circumstances.

Others further need to be able to see and know we are Christians by our kindness and goodness. Kindness and goodness are closely associated with patience. If we are patient with other people and their shortcomings, we will also display the fruit of the Spirit of goodness and kindness. Kindness is exhibited in a care and concern for others. It involves going out of one's way to treat others the way that we would like to be treated. Goodness involves a willingness to help others. Goodness also involves a willingness to avoid evil and to follow God's paths.

Next, others need to see and know we are Christians by our faithfulness and our gentleness. A faithful person is obedient to the Lord in all things. A faithful person remains true and obedient to the Lord even when going through difficult times in his or her life. A faithful person can also be counted on to keep the promises and commitments that he or she has made to his or her fellow human beings. The fruit of the Holy Spirit of gentleness should also be found in the lives of the children of God. Gentleness does not entail weakness. Gentleness is God's power in us under His control. Gentleness involves humility. Gentleness involves a kind, considerate, and gracious spirit towards others.

Finally, others need to see and know we are Christians by the fruit of the Spirit of self-control. Self-control involves being willing to stop oneself from acting impulsively and selfishly. Self-control involves being willing to stop oneself from engaging in behaviors which are not good for oneself, not good or others, or not pleasing to the Lord.

The world believes greatness is found in personal power, position, talent, and wealth. Our God tells us that those things are not important. What matters is that we are living for the Lord's glory and that we are exhibiting Christ-like attitudes in our lives. May we increasingly exhibit the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives of "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." (Galatians 5:22b-23a) May others truly see Christ living in us. "Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." (Galatians 5:25) Living Spirit directed and fruit-bearing lives involves allowing the Holy Spirit to direct and lead us in all things throughout every moment of the day. Living Spirit directed and fruit-bearing lives involves choosing each day to start anew and fresh in the Spirit's power. It also involves maintaining that dependence on the Holy Spirit's power throughout the day. We as children of God still have sin present in our lives, but it should be our consuming passion to increasingly live Spirit directed and fruit-bearing lives!


Live By The Spirit

General — Posted by sharaug @ December 02, 2006 08:08
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Galatians 5:16-26

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." Galatians 5:22-23a

The Holy Spirit first came on Christ's church at Pentecost. We read about that exciting event in the life of the early church in Acts chapter two. Pentecost was a wonderful and spectacular event in the early life of the church. The Holy Spirit does not come into the hearts of believers today with tongues of fire and a rushing wind. In spite of this, the Holy Spirit is in the heart of every child of God today also.

It was the Holy Spirit who convicted us of our sins and caused us to have the ability and the desire to believe. It was the Holy Spirit who caused us to repent of our sins and to turn to the Lord Jesus for forgiveness. As children of God the Holy Spirit now reminds us of what we have learned from reading God's Word. The Holy Spirit is the One who helps us to apply God's Holy Word to our daily lives. The Holy Spirit lives in our hearts as believers and gives us the power and desire to live for the Lord Jesus. If we are true children of God, we must also grow in our spiritual lives. We must more and more begin to display Christ-like attitudes in our lives. We must "live by the Spirit" and "not gratify the desires of the sinful nature." (Galatians 5:16) We must get rid of anything impure and selfish. We must rid ourselves of hatred, jealousy, and divisiveness. In its place we must show the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

This fruit of the Spirit which should be increasingly evident in our lives is listed in Galatians 5:22-23a. That passage says to us, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." Love, the first fruit of the Holy Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23, involves unselfishly putting the good of others first. True love is willing to sacrifice for others and does not think only about one's own needs and desires.

Joy as well as love and all the other fruit of the Spirit comes only from the Lord. When the Lord changes our hearts He gives us a deep down joy that is not dependent on what we consider favorable circumstances. This joy comes from the presence of Jesus Christ in our hearts. It is a joy which we can possess even in times of great difficulty in our lives, because we know and trust the Lord.

Peace is yet another fruit of the Holy Spirit. Peace is a calmness that we as children of God can experience in even the worst of circumstances. We can experience peace, because we know the Lord is walking right beside us. We can experience peace, because we know that He is in control of every detail of our lives. Peace also comes from walking in God's ways. If we are out of fellowship with the Lord and walking in our own stubborn ways, we can not experience peace.

Patience is a fruit of the Holy Spirit that is not often evident in our fast-paced society. We tend to want things right now, and we do not like waiting. God wants us, however, to follow His perfect leading and depend on His perfect timing for the events of our lives. We must learn to trust that the Lord knows what is best for us and that He knows when it is best for us. Patience is waiting for God to lead us without grumbling. The fruit of the Holy Spirit of patience also shows itself in our relationships with others. Patience involves long-suffering with the wrongs others commit against us. We can only demonstrate patience in our dealings with others, if our hearts are filled with the love of the Lord.

May it be our passion to truly show the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives. May we show His love to others, His joy and peace in all circumstances, and His patience in our lives!


New Life In Christ

General — Posted by sharaug @ November 27, 2006 06:47
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Galatians 2

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!" Galatians 2:20-21

In the book of Galatians we learn the precious truth that our eternal salvation rests on grace alone. Our salvation entirely rests in our faith in Jesus Christ's atoning sacrifice for our sins on the cross. In the book of Galatians the apostle Paul was fighting against legalistic teachers who were falsely teaching the Galatian church that they had to return to the ceremonial practices of the Old Testament times. By teaching this the legalistic teachers were in effect saying that Christ alone was insufficient for salvation. Paul admonished the Galatian church that these ceremonial practices of the past had merely been pointing to the coming of the Savior. These ceremonial laws were no longer necessary. Jesus had fulfilled the law's requirements. Jesus had paid the total penalty for sin. So too, our salvation as believers today rests in grace and faith alone. Praise God that this is true! If our salvation rested even in part on our own merit, we would be in dire straits! The law and our sins no longer have power to condemn us to a Christless eternity. All of our sins have been washed away by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross!

Because of God's grace we now are new creatures in Christ! Galatians 2:20a says, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me." Because of Christ's sacrifice on the cross we now belong to Him. As His children you and I have relinquished our lives to Christ. We are no longer in sin's grip or in the devil's grip. The Lord has "set His seal of ownership on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come." (II Corinthians 1:22). Instead of living in Satan's realm we now have relinquished that life for an exchanged life in Christ. "I no longer live, but Christ lives in me."

Galatians 2:20b goes on to say, "The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." As followers of Jesus Christ our new lives in Him are characterized by a walk of faith. Our new lives in Christ are trusting lives. In our new lives in Christ we can come to the Lord with all our needs and trust that He will always be with us. In our new lives in Christ we can trust that the Lord will always be our source of comfort and our friend. In our new lives in Christ we can trust that He will always guide and protect us. In our new lives in Christ we know we have a Savior who loved us so much that He was willing to give Himself on the cross to pay for our sins. Finally, in our new lives in Christ we are confident that Christ's sacrifice for our sins was sufficient. We need not and can not add anything to salvation's requirements. It was all taken care of by our Savior! As His children we now can relinquish our old lives of sin and live new lives in Christ. We can do this; because Jesus Christ lives in us, giving us the power to live for Him. Christ died on the cross for us, and He lives within us. Hence, we can now live lives of trust and faith in Him! Praise His name!


A Longing For God

General — Posted by sharaug @ November 22, 2006 13:44
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Psalm 42

We all have a passion for certain things in our lives. We all have a priority list for what we feel is most important in this life. We all have certain goals for which we strive and which consume our energies. The psalmist in Psalm 42 had a deep longing and passion for God. His very heart was longing and crying out for the Lord. What is most important to us in our lives? Like the Psalmist in Psalm 42 our consuming passion should be for the Lord God. Our consuming passion should be for developing our love relationship with the Lord. Our consuming passion should be to live for the Lord.

The psalmist said in Psalm 42:1-2, "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?" A deer pants and longs for water, because its life is dependent on water. This is especially true when the deer is being chased by hunters. So also the psalmist longed to be with God. Apparently circumstances prevented the psalmist from temporarily going to the temple and communing with the Lord on the level that he would have liked to commune with God. Hence, the psalmist's heart was aching and longing for God. His heart was crying out for God. The psalmist was not running after and longing for pleasure, position, or the material things of this world; but he was overwhelmed with a longing for God Himself. You and I need that kind of passion for our love relationship with the Lord. The things of this world will pass away. Only our love for the Lord and our relationship with the Lord will last throughout eternity. Also our hearts will be restless and will not find true peace and joy until they are resting in the Lord. The Lord alone is the answer to our soul's thirst. Joy, peace, and the longing in our souls can not even be found in what the Lord gives us or does for us. It is found in the Lord Himself! Jesus said in John 7:37b, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink." The Lord alone is the answer to our soul's longing.

The psalmist apparently was going through a difficult time in his life when he wrote this Psalm. He said in Psalm 42:3, "My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, 'Where is your God?'" Sometimes during times of trial and difficulty in our lives, we may be tempted to think the Lord has forgotten us. Just the opposite is true, however. The Lord is always with us. This is especially true during the difficult times in our lives. Also the Lord uses times of trial and difficulty in our lives to draw us closer to Him. Difficult times in our lives help us to grow in our love relationship with the Lord. Hence, trials in our lives help to satisfy our passion and longing for the Lord.

When the Psalmist was feeling overwhelmed with the problems in his life, he remembered the Lord's past blessings in his life. He also remembered the past joys of worshipping with God's people in the temple. The Psalmist then went on to say in verses five and eleven of Psalm 42, "Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God." God will fulfill our every need during both times of trial and during times of relative ease in our lives. The Lord will do this for us, if we put our trust and hope in Him. The Lord will do this for us, if our consuming passion and longing is for Him. Even when we feel overwhelmed with a difficulty in our lives, the Lord is always with us. In Psalm 42:8 the psalmist said, "By day the Lord directs His love, at night His song is with me-a prayer to the God of my life." No matter what the circumstances in our lives the Lord is our source of joy and peace. May the Lord be our consuming passion in life!


Do Not Fret

General — Posted by sharaug @ November 16, 2006 17:53
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Psalm 37

Those who belong to the Lord experience true wisdom, prosperity, and success. They may not be wise in the world's view of things. They also may not be successful or wealthy according to the world's standards. A true child of God, however, has all he or she needs for time and for eternity! As children of God we experience the Lord walking beside us and directing all of our steps! As children of God we possess the Lord's wisdom. We experience the Lord's definition of success and prosperity in our lives. The secret to being wise and successful according to the Lord's definition is to trust in the Lord. We need to not only trust in the Lord, but we need to actually delight ourselves in the Lord. We must have a sense of the Lord's presence in our lives. We must have a passion for the things of the Lord. We must delight in reading His Holy Word. We must delight in seeking to do His will. Our ultimate delight should not be in our homes, our jobs, or even our families. Our delight and purpose for our lives should be found in the Lord and in serving Him. Then the other things in our lives will take their rightful place in our lives. Then the Lord's desires will becomes our desires, and thus we will also be given the desires of our hearts!

As children of God you and I are rich in His blessings and promises! All the wealth and wisdom of this world can not begin to compare to the joys and blessings of belonging to the Lord. He promises to always be with us. We read in Psalm 37:5-6, "Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun." Even when we face insurmountable problems the Lord will see us through or around our problems, if we trust in the Lord. No problem is too small or too large for the Lord. God is all sufficient. We only need to come to Him with our needs and leave them with Him. The Lord will work out all the details of our lives in His best way and in His best timing. Psalm 37:7a tells us, "Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him; do not fret." We need to calmly wait in trust for the Lord to work out the details of our lives. We need to be busy in God's kingdom, but we need to be trusting the Lord to work out the plan of our lives and all the details of our lives. The Lord's command to us is "do not fret," and do not worry.

The child of God is rich and successful in the Lord! The child of God is successful in things that matter for eternity! The child of God is rich in the blessings of God's promises. "The Lord upholds the righteous. The days of the blameless are known to the Lord, and their inheritance will endure forever. In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty." ( Psalm 37:17b-19) God never promises that we will have all days of sunshine and days where everything goes according to our plans. He does promise, however, to always be with us and meet our needs. "If the Lord delights in a man's way, He makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with His hand." (Psalm 37:23-24). What a awesome promise! No wealth or success we might experience in this world can begin to compare to the wealth and security we have in the Lord and in His promises! Verse Twenty-five is one of this devotional writer's favorite verses in Psalm 37. It reads like this, "I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread." This devotional writer doesn't like to think of herself as old, but she has lived long enough to see that the Lord is always faithful. His plan is always best, and His timing is always perfect. God's people will always be protected forever, and there is a future for the child of God!


Suffering

General — Posted by sharaug @ November 10, 2006 18:59
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In our devotional today I am going to be sharing some thoughts from a booklet I read recently by John J. Murray. Because of the deep trial my husband and I are presently experiencing, the ideas expressed in this devotional were very helpful. I hope you as a reader will also find these thoughts comforting in the trials you are encountering in your life.

God is a sovereign God. All things will come to pass as He has purposed both in my life and in the universe. God's plan for my life extends to every detail of my life. God's plan is perfect, even when it does not appear to me to be perfect at times. God's plan will ultimately lead to God's glory. God's plan is exhaustive. Everything is under His control. God's plan is for my ultimate good (Romans 8:28) Much of God's plan is secret. I discover it day by day as it unfolds.

Suffering is a normal part of the Christian's life. I must rejoice in the middle of suffering. I Peter 4:13) Suffering and trials have a purpose in my life. Through suffering God is trying to teach me many things. Sufferings are meant to try and test me. God is the refiner of gold in my life. He wants to bring out the pure gold of naked trust in Himself in me. When all the dross of self-trust is purged out; then my faith will be to the praise, honor and glory of Jesus Christ. God wants all of me. He wants my faith to be pure gold. Suffering is also meant to expose my sins. I must come to understand the deceitfulness of my heart. Such discoveries make me think more of the Lord Jesus Christ and less of myself. Sufferings also help to build my character. Character is formed by overcoming difficulties. The process by which God chooses to build character is described in Romans 5:1-5. Trials in my life develops in me the ability to persevere and not fall apart. This brave endurance in trials and suffering in turn produces godly character. Through suffering God chips away in me everything that does not reflect Him. Suffering also brings me to know God better. Suffering causes me to not just know about God but to truly know God experientially. (John 17:3 and Philippians 3:10) I can learn more about God in the furnace of affliction than in all the previous pleasant experiences of life. May my life display that I am a trophy of God's grace by my perseverance in trials. Further, suffering produces fruit in my life and prepares me for usefulness. John 15 tells me that Jesus is the vine and I am one of the branches. The Father looks for fruit on the branches. This fruit is dependent on my union with Christ, but the fruit's quality is related to the Father's pruning. Sometimes the pruning can be drastic, but the whole purpose is that I produce spiritual fruit for the glory of God. Finally, sufferings lead me to make God my all and prepare me for glory.

There is always a purpose of love behind the trials I experience in my life. During times of suffering it may be difficult for me to feel that God still loves me. But I am not called to feel but to believe. Because God's Word says difficult trials in my life will work for my good, I must believe it. I must not blame second causes for the events of my life. I must believe that God's hand is in every event of my life. There is much in life that remains a mystery and for which there is no immediate answer. The more I am willing to not understand and simply leave it with God, the more I will understand. God is sovereign and owes me no explanations. I, however, owe Him complete trust and obedience. The question should not be Why me?" or "Why does God let Christians suffer?" The question instead should be "Why do I serve God?" If God were to stripe me of everything, would I still love and worship Him? The only ultimate solution in the deep trials of life is to cultivate nearness to God. During life's trials my nearness to God is far more important than any explanation for my suffering. My responsibility whatever the circumstances in my life is to keep on the path of trust and obedience. I must be less concerned with getting rid of my dark trials in life and more concerned with discovering God's sanctifying purpose in it. My prayer must be that the trial or suffering in my life will not be wasted on me spiritually. Even when I do not understand, I can be assured that the final outcome in all things in my life will be overflowing in mercy in His perfect timing.

God has forged and inseparable link between sufferings and glory. Suffering leads me as a sinner down God's path of perfecting me and getting me ready for Glory. My life has the chisel of God on it. The trials in my life are God's tools for engraving the image of His Son on my character. The experiences may not be enjoyable, but they are profitable. My present suffering is an investment in future glory!


His Grace Is Sufficient

General — Posted by sharaug @ November 06, 2006 10:37
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II Corinthians 12:1-10

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

II Corinthians 12:9a

The apostle Paul had an affliction or infirmity of some kind. The precise nature of this infirmity that plagued Paul's life is uncertain. Paul called his affliction "a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me." (II Corinthians 12:7b) It would seem as if the "thorn" that Paul experienced in his life was significant. Paul went on to say in II Corinthians 12:8, "Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me." God had a purpose for allowing that "thorn" to remain in Paul's life, however. God's answer to Paul's prayer was "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (II Corinthians 12:9a) God was telling Paul that His love and kindness would be enough for Paul. The Lord was telling Paul that with the Lord's strength in his life Paul would be able to bear the "thorn" in his life.

The "thorn" or affliction in Paul's life had been given to him to keep him humble. It was given to Paul to keep him from self-reliance and to cause him to rely on the Lord alone for strength. The Lord's strength and grace in Paul's life would be sufficient. Because Paul was willing to accept God's will in not removing the "thorn" from his life, Paul experienced the Lord's blessing. Even the thorn became a blessing to Paul! Paul's "thorn" or weakness enabled Paul to experience the Lord's strength in his life. God's strength was more clearly exhibited and completed in Paul's weaknesses!

God sometimes allows problems and afflictions in our lives also. The Lord does not always remove every affliction and problem that we ask Him to remove from our lives. He will give us the grace that we need to live victoriously in spite of those problems, however. The Lord's grace is sufficient for every circumstance and need. Only as we lose our dependence on self and avail ourselves of the Lord's strength do we become dynamic instruments in the Lord's hand. Sometimes the Lord allows afflictions and trials in our lives to keep us close to Him and dependent on Him. Relying and resting on the Lord's strength brings glory and honor to the Lord. Trials are in this way turned to blessing and triumph in our lives!

Paul went on to say in II Corinthians 12:9b-10, "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ' sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." Through Paul's affliction Christ became increasing real to him. Through his trials Paul grew in his personal love relationship with the Lord. Paul was willing to even endure his "thorn" or affliction, if it would help him grow spiritually. Paul was willing to endure his affliction the rest of his life; if it would better display the power, presence, and glory of the Lord in his life. Paul even delighted in his afflictions, because he knew they were bringing about favorable results in his life. He also knew they were bringing greater glory to the Lord. Paul knew that his weakness in his own human strength resulted in a greater flow of the Lord's strength in him.

We too can glory and delight in our trials and weaknesses. It is in our weakness that the power of our Lord is most clearly displayed. The Lord can not use our foolish attempts at self-reliance. When we depend on the Lord and His strength alone, however; we can be used in powerful ways for the glory of the Lord. Let it be our passion to rely on the Lord's all-sufficiency, power, and grace alone!


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