Psalm 86 This is a personal prayer that David wrote. It is another great prayer that we can make our own.
O Lord, incline Your ear to my prayer .
I am afflicted and in need of You.
Will You preserve my soul and save me, for I put my trust in You.
Be gracious to me Lord God.
I lift my prayers to You all the day long.
Make my heart glad and my soul rejoice, O Lord.
You are good.
You are ready to forgive.
You are abundant in lovingkindness.
I praise You Lord!
Lord, I bring my pleas to You, please hear me.
When I run into trouble, I will call upon You.
For there is no god like You.
There are none who can do what You do.
Every nation needs You Lord and one day they will all call upon You and glorify Your Name.
You are great and wonderful. You alone are God!
Teach me Your ways, Lord.
I want to walk in the Truth.
I give my heart to You, that I might live in awe and fear of Your greatness .
I give thanks to You Lord, with all my heart.
I will glorify Your Name forever and ever.
Your lovingkindness to me... to me personally, is great!
You are my deliverer.
You are gracious and merciful.
You are slow to anger and abundant in love, kindness, and truth.
Be gracious continually to us Lord.
Grant us strength to serve You.
Show us Your goodness and make the enemy be ashamed because of their hatred.
You are my help and comfort.
Father in heaven, You are worthy of our praise. Like David we want to exalt You and lift up Your Name. Thank You for this psalm, for the words that help us to praise You.
You are good.
You forgive us our sins!
You show us compassion.
You alone are God and there is none like You.
No one can do what You do.
You are great.
You do wonderful works.
You deliver us when we call on You.
You give to us what we do not deserve.
You help us.
You comfort us.
You are all we need.
We love You Lord.
Keep us in Your paths and help us to do what pleases You , all the day long.
In Jesus' Name we pray.
Amen.
Monday, November 14, 2016
Wednesday, November 9, 2016
I Peter 2 On this morning, one of historic significance, I find this passage to be so appropriate... especially verse 17 " Honor all men; love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king." Respect for each other, especially for fellow christians and for those in positions of leadership , is commanded by the God we fear. We are called to do what is right, even if we suffer for it. We are called to follow Jesus and His example in dealing with the world.
Several times in chapters 2 and 3 Peter informs us of our purpose in this world;
2:9 We are His chosen people.. "that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light."
2:15 We are to submit ourselves to the authority of every "human institution".. "for such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men."
2:16-20 We are called to - not use our freedom to do evil (v16);
to honor all men, loving fellow christians, fearing God, and honoring the king (v17);
to be respectful and submissive to masters, even those who are unjust (v18);
to bear up even when suffering(v19);
to patiently endure when mistreated for doing what is right (v20)
2:21 "For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps.." Jesus bore our sins in His body on the cross, so "that we might die to sin and live to righteousness;" (v24)
3:9 "... for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.." He calls us to live righteously - for example:
3:1 Wives are to be in proper relationship to their husbands... and yes that means being submissive.
3:2 We are to be chaste and respectful.
3:3-4 We are to value our inward qualities more than our outside ones... gentleness and quietness of heart "which is precious in the sight of God"
3:7 Husbands are to be understanding of their wives and to honor them "as a fellow heir of the grace of life".
3:8 "To sum it up"... we are to live in harmony, sympathy, brotherly love, kindheartedness, and humility.
3:9 We are to not return evil for evil or insult for insult.
3:10 We must control our tongues.
3:11 We must turn away from evil, do good, and seek peace.
3:16 We must keep a good conscience.
Most of all we are to "sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts." (3:15) This is our greatest purpose.
With gentleness and reverence we give account of this hope that He gives us.
Father, may Your will be done in our lives and in our country this day. I pray for our new president elect, that he may seek Your face and honor Your name. I pray for Your people, those You have chosen to be "living stones" and "a holy priesthood". May we do as You are calling us to do in Your Word... to proclaim Your excellence , to die to sin and live to righteousness, and to sanctify Christ as Lord in our hearts. May we inherit the blessings You have graciously given to us. We praise You O God, for You are merciful and gracious, slow to anger and great in lovingkindness. Amen and amen.
Several times in chapters 2 and 3 Peter informs us of our purpose in this world;
2:9 We are His chosen people.. "that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light."
2:15 We are to submit ourselves to the authority of every "human institution".. "for such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men."
2:16-20 We are called to - not use our freedom to do evil (v16);
to honor all men, loving fellow christians, fearing God, and honoring the king (v17);
to be respectful and submissive to masters, even those who are unjust (v18);
to bear up even when suffering(v19);
to patiently endure when mistreated for doing what is right (v20)
2:21 "For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps.." Jesus bore our sins in His body on the cross, so "that we might die to sin and live to righteousness;" (v24)
3:9 "... for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.." He calls us to live righteously - for example:
3:1 Wives are to be in proper relationship to their husbands... and yes that means being submissive.
3:2 We are to be chaste and respectful.
3:3-4 We are to value our inward qualities more than our outside ones... gentleness and quietness of heart "which is precious in the sight of God"
3:7 Husbands are to be understanding of their wives and to honor them "as a fellow heir of the grace of life".
3:8 "To sum it up"... we are to live in harmony, sympathy, brotherly love, kindheartedness, and humility.
3:9 We are to not return evil for evil or insult for insult.
3:10 We must control our tongues.
3:11 We must turn away from evil, do good, and seek peace.
3:16 We must keep a good conscience.
Most of all we are to "sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts." (3:15) This is our greatest purpose.
With gentleness and reverence we give account of this hope that He gives us.
Father, may Your will be done in our lives and in our country this day. I pray for our new president elect, that he may seek Your face and honor Your name. I pray for Your people, those You have chosen to be "living stones" and "a holy priesthood". May we do as You are calling us to do in Your Word... to proclaim Your excellence , to die to sin and live to righteousness, and to sanctify Christ as Lord in our hearts. May we inherit the blessings You have graciously given to us. We praise You O God, for You are merciful and gracious, slow to anger and great in lovingkindness. Amen and amen.
Tuesday, November 8, 2016
I Peter 1
Like James, Peter writes about the value of true faith, proven faith. This kind of faith is worth more than gold, Peter tells us. Gold is perishable, but faith is not. We know the value of gold is subjective. Its worth is based on what it can be traded for - food, clothing, shelter.. etc. Its value is temporal. In eternity we are told, gold is what we will walk on...
But the value of tested and proven faith is - salvation . The result of faith is praise and glory and honor when Jesus comes. Its worth is eternal.
verses 10-12 Peter writes that "this salvation" that we receive as a the outcome of our faith was prophesied by the prophets and longed for by the angels before it was revealed by the Holy Spirit.
"Therefore"... Because of the greatness of God, His mercy towards us, the living hope He gives us, the inheritance that awaits us and the salvation offered to us .. through faith.... we need to :
"gird up" our minds for action..... get our thinking belted in.. under control;
be "sober in spirit" ... clear headed and focused'
"fix our hope completely on .. grace" of Jesus;
be "obedient children";
forsake the things that we once lusted after when we were unaware of the truth;
"be holy.. in all (our) behavior";
"conduct" ourselves in righteous fear of the One we call Father ;
and "fervently love one another from the heart".
We have been bought, redeemed "with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ".
We have obeyed the truth, purified our souls, and believed in God.
We are born again of imperishable seed... the living and abiding word of God.
Father in heaven, thank You for the mercy You have given to us, redeeming us and making us Your own. Father, fill us with Your Spirit so that we are sanctified through and through. May we be holy in our thinking, in our actions, and in our reactions. Fill us with Your love that we might love one another fervently. We fix our hope on You alone, as we pray in the Name of our Gracious Lord, Jesus.
amen.
Like James, Peter writes about the value of true faith, proven faith. This kind of faith is worth more than gold, Peter tells us. Gold is perishable, but faith is not. We know the value of gold is subjective. Its worth is based on what it can be traded for - food, clothing, shelter.. etc. Its value is temporal. In eternity we are told, gold is what we will walk on...
But the value of tested and proven faith is - salvation . The result of faith is praise and glory and honor when Jesus comes. Its worth is eternal.
verses 10-12 Peter writes that "this salvation" that we receive as a the outcome of our faith was prophesied by the prophets and longed for by the angels before it was revealed by the Holy Spirit.
"Therefore"... Because of the greatness of God, His mercy towards us, the living hope He gives us, the inheritance that awaits us and the salvation offered to us .. through faith.... we need to :
"gird up" our minds for action..... get our thinking belted in.. under control;
be "sober in spirit" ... clear headed and focused'
"fix our hope completely on .. grace" of Jesus;
be "obedient children";
forsake the things that we once lusted after when we were unaware of the truth;
"be holy.. in all (our) behavior";
"conduct" ourselves in righteous fear of the One we call Father ;
and "fervently love one another from the heart".
We have been bought, redeemed "with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ".
We have obeyed the truth, purified our souls, and believed in God.
We are born again of imperishable seed... the living and abiding word of God.
Father in heaven, thank You for the mercy You have given to us, redeeming us and making us Your own. Father, fill us with Your Spirit so that we are sanctified through and through. May we be holy in our thinking, in our actions, and in our reactions. Fill us with Your love that we might love one another fervently. We fix our hope on You alone, as we pray in the Name of our Gracious Lord, Jesus.
amen.
Monday, November 7, 2016
I Peter 1
Peter wrote to the refugees that had fled to the north of Israel. This area is now Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and perhaps some of Iran. He is writing to the believers who were facing persecution for being christians.
Verses 1-2
To the "chosen" :
You were foreknown by God the Father. He has known you since you were in your mother's womb.. and even from eternity, He has known you.
You have been sanctified by the work of the Spirit. You are purified, restored to the state of purity.
You have been chosen so that you will obey Jesus and be sprinkled with His blood. You have been given ears to hear His Words and to heed them. Obedience is attentive listening accompanied by compliance and submission. The act of sprinkling in the old testament law was a sign of cleansing and a symbol of a covenant made. So, we are cleansed and brought into a relationship with our Master, Jesus.
As the chosen... as a "christian" we are fully known by the Father and purified by the Spirit, for a covenant relationship with the Son.
Verse 3-5 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ...."
Peter offers up praise to God for:
His great mercy that "caused us to be born again"
A living hope that is "through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."
An inheritance "which is imperishable and undefiled... reserved in heaven for you."
Protection by His power.
"A salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."
This is cause for us to "greatly rejoice" Peter writes, "with joy inexpressible and full of glory."
For even the trials and distresses of life are producing "praise and glory and honor.".. when faith is proved and love endures. For the outcome is "the salvation of your souls." ( v9)
Father, You know our every thought and every intent of our hearts. You know us better than we know ourselves. You have chosen to show us mercy, even when we do not deserve anything at all. You have cleansed us from all our sin and made us brand new, "born again", purified by Your Spirit and sprinkled by the blood of Your Precious Son, our Lord Jesus. It is in the covenant sealed by His sacrifice that we have a living hope. Our hope is found in Him. The hope of an inheritance, the hope of protection, and the hope of eternal salvation. In these promises we rejoice. O Lord God, help us, help me to grasp the greatness of Your promises and truly rejoice with inexpressible joy and glory!
May praise and glory and honor be to You, Blessed Father.
Amen.
Peter wrote to the refugees that had fled to the north of Israel. This area is now Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and perhaps some of Iran. He is writing to the believers who were facing persecution for being christians.
Verses 1-2
To the "chosen" :
You were foreknown by God the Father. He has known you since you were in your mother's womb.. and even from eternity, He has known you.
You have been sanctified by the work of the Spirit. You are purified, restored to the state of purity.
You have been chosen so that you will obey Jesus and be sprinkled with His blood. You have been given ears to hear His Words and to heed them. Obedience is attentive listening accompanied by compliance and submission. The act of sprinkling in the old testament law was a sign of cleansing and a symbol of a covenant made. So, we are cleansed and brought into a relationship with our Master, Jesus.
As the chosen... as a "christian" we are fully known by the Father and purified by the Spirit, for a covenant relationship with the Son.
Verse 3-5 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ...."
Peter offers up praise to God for:
His great mercy that "caused us to be born again"
A living hope that is "through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."
An inheritance "which is imperishable and undefiled... reserved in heaven for you."
Protection by His power.
"A salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."
This is cause for us to "greatly rejoice" Peter writes, "with joy inexpressible and full of glory."
For even the trials and distresses of life are producing "praise and glory and honor.".. when faith is proved and love endures. For the outcome is "the salvation of your souls." ( v9)
Father, You know our every thought and every intent of our hearts. You know us better than we know ourselves. You have chosen to show us mercy, even when we do not deserve anything at all. You have cleansed us from all our sin and made us brand new, "born again", purified by Your Spirit and sprinkled by the blood of Your Precious Son, our Lord Jesus. It is in the covenant sealed by His sacrifice that we have a living hope. Our hope is found in Him. The hope of an inheritance, the hope of protection, and the hope of eternal salvation. In these promises we rejoice. O Lord God, help us, help me to grasp the greatness of Your promises and truly rejoice with inexpressible joy and glory!
May praise and glory and honor be to You, Blessed Father.
Amen.
Friday, November 4, 2016
Psalm 86 David's prayers are so personal and give us such an intimate look into his heart. Over and over again, he shows us what it means to be a man who is after the heart of God... with every problem, every affliction, every terrible situation.. David's first thought is to pray and every prayer ended up in praise to the Lord.
In our Wednesday night prayer meeting we were discussing Psalm 61 and how David had made a vow, a promise to the Lord that he would "pay his vow" every day... the vow to praise God. David's many psalms prove that he kept that vow quite literally. I reflected on a message that I had heard that day on the radio, where the speaker was preaching on the book of Numbers. The preacher talked about how the people of Israel reacted to their problems and afflictions - they grumbled, complained, and rebelled. This contrast made quite an impression on me..
David's reactions to his struggles was always to pray and to praise the Lord, remembering what God had done for him and therefore trusting Him once more.
Israel's was to grumble, complain, and rebel, forgetting what God had done for them and refusing to trust Him at all.
Perhaps we need to examine our own reactions to trials and troubles that come our way... do we pray or do we grumble?
This psalm (86) once again gives us this wonderful example of what a heart for God does:
"Incline Thine ear, O Lord, and answer me; for I am afflicted and needy."
David makes his requests known: ( what do we need to ask today?)
Preserve me.
Save me.
Be gracious to me.
Bring gladness to my soul.
Hear me.
Help me.
Teach me Your ways.
Give me strength.
Show me Your goodness.
Interspersed with his requests, David, pours our praise and thanksgiving.. this is the heart of his prayer:
" For Thou , Lord, art good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon Thee." (v5)
"There is no one like Thee among the gods, O Lord; nor are there any works like Thine." ( v8)
"For Thou are great and doest wondrous deeds; Thou alone art God." (v10)
"But Thou, O Lord, art a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth." (v15)
David says, " I will give thanks to Thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and will glorify Thy name forever." ( v12)
"For Thy lovingkindness toward me is great..." (v 13);
because God had delivered him before and would do so again;
because David knew that God heard his prayers and he trusted that God would answer again.
The Word tells us that God dwells in the praises of His people... when we genuinely praise the Lord like David.. we are in the presence of God! ( Psalm 22:3)
Heavenly Father, You are good and Your Word is precious as it shows us Your heart and the kind of heart that You desire for us to have... a heart that always seeks You and knows You more and more. Thank You for helping us to remember.. by giving us these psalms of David as guideposts.. as footprints for us to follow in Your ways. There is no god like You, O Lord. There is not one who loves us and shows mercy and forgives us when we sin. There is no other truth and no other grace. We bless Your Holy name. Lord, fill our hearts with Yourself, with Your Word, by Your Spirit Who lives in us. May our hearts be Yours forever and Your praise be ever on our lips. Thank You for the privilege of coming to Your throne of grace in the Name of our blessed Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
amen.
In our Wednesday night prayer meeting we were discussing Psalm 61 and how David had made a vow, a promise to the Lord that he would "pay his vow" every day... the vow to praise God. David's many psalms prove that he kept that vow quite literally. I reflected on a message that I had heard that day on the radio, where the speaker was preaching on the book of Numbers. The preacher talked about how the people of Israel reacted to their problems and afflictions - they grumbled, complained, and rebelled. This contrast made quite an impression on me..
David's reactions to his struggles was always to pray and to praise the Lord, remembering what God had done for him and therefore trusting Him once more.
Israel's was to grumble, complain, and rebel, forgetting what God had done for them and refusing to trust Him at all.
Perhaps we need to examine our own reactions to trials and troubles that come our way... do we pray or do we grumble?
This psalm (86) once again gives us this wonderful example of what a heart for God does:
"Incline Thine ear, O Lord, and answer me; for I am afflicted and needy."
David makes his requests known: ( what do we need to ask today?)
Preserve me.
Save me.
Be gracious to me.
Bring gladness to my soul.
Hear me.
Help me.
Teach me Your ways.
Give me strength.
Show me Your goodness.
Interspersed with his requests, David, pours our praise and thanksgiving.. this is the heart of his prayer:
" For Thou , Lord, art good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon Thee." (v5)
"There is no one like Thee among the gods, O Lord; nor are there any works like Thine." ( v8)
"For Thou are great and doest wondrous deeds; Thou alone art God." (v10)
"But Thou, O Lord, art a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth." (v15)
David says, " I will give thanks to Thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and will glorify Thy name forever." ( v12)
"For Thy lovingkindness toward me is great..." (v 13);
because God had delivered him before and would do so again;
because David knew that God heard his prayers and he trusted that God would answer again.
The Word tells us that God dwells in the praises of His people... when we genuinely praise the Lord like David.. we are in the presence of God! ( Psalm 22:3)
Heavenly Father, You are good and Your Word is precious as it shows us Your heart and the kind of heart that You desire for us to have... a heart that always seeks You and knows You more and more. Thank You for helping us to remember.. by giving us these psalms of David as guideposts.. as footprints for us to follow in Your ways. There is no god like You, O Lord. There is not one who loves us and shows mercy and forgives us when we sin. There is no other truth and no other grace. We bless Your Holy name. Lord, fill our hearts with Yourself, with Your Word, by Your Spirit Who lives in us. May our hearts be Yours forever and Your praise be ever on our lips. Thank You for the privilege of coming to Your throne of grace in the Name of our blessed Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
amen.
Wednesday, November 2, 2016
Psalm 85 - in my own words;
Lord, You showed Your favor to Israel.
You restored them from captivity.
You forgave their iniquity.
You covered their sins.
You stopped being angry at them.
Like that, Lord, would You restore our nation?
Would You turn Your anger back from us?
Will You revive us again?
May we who follow You, see Your lovingkindness and rejoice?
We pray that You will bring salvation to our land as well as to Israel.
May we hear Your voice once more.
Speak peace to us.
Help us not to be foolish anymore.
May the nations fear Your Holy Name.
May Your glory cover the earth.
Manifest Your Presence once again.
Open our eyes to know Your loving kindness and truth, Your righteousness and peace.
Let Truth spring up from the earth and righteousness rain down from heaven.
Let the goodness of the Lord bring forth good fruit .
Lord, lead us in Your ways.. as we walk in Your footsteps.
Amen
James 5:1-6
James exhorts those who have been unjust to repent.
They have hoarded their money, cheated their workers, and lived for their own pleasures.
Because of this God will bring judgement upon them unless they repent.
Their riches will rot.
Their clothing will be ruined.
Their treasures will rust.
Misery will be their reward.
v7-20 James exhorts the brethren to be patient.
As a farmer waits for his crops to mature before he harvests them, we are to wait for the Lord is coming. We are to wait with patience.
James also exhorts us in these ways:
We are to wait with strength of heart.
We are to wait without complaining.
We are to wait without judging one another.
We are to endure like Job and the prophets.
We are to trust in the compassion and mercy of God for the outcome He will bring.
We are to be honest in our dealings with others.
We are to pray for one another.
We are to seek healing from the Lord and ask for the elders to pray for us.
We are to confess our sins to one another.
We are to turn back those who have strayed from the truth.
We are to pray effectively.
Father, once again we ask that You teach us to pray. May Your Name be hallowed and exalted in all the earth. May Your Kingdom Come. May Your will be done. Give us our daily bread, for all comes from Your hands and You are our Provider. Thank You. Forgive us our sins and cleanse our hearts of all unrighteousness. May we be merciful to those who have harmed us, forgiving completely. Lead us in Truth and purity, away from temptation and evil. Deliver us from the evil one. For the Kingdom is Yours, the Glory is Yours, and the Power is Yours alone!
Amen.
Lord, You showed Your favor to Israel.
You restored them from captivity.
You forgave their iniquity.
You covered their sins.
You stopped being angry at them.
Like that, Lord, would You restore our nation?
Would You turn Your anger back from us?
Will You revive us again?
May we who follow You, see Your lovingkindness and rejoice?
We pray that You will bring salvation to our land as well as to Israel.
May we hear Your voice once more.
Speak peace to us.
Help us not to be foolish anymore.
May the nations fear Your Holy Name.
May Your glory cover the earth.
Manifest Your Presence once again.
Open our eyes to know Your loving kindness and truth, Your righteousness and peace.
Let Truth spring up from the earth and righteousness rain down from heaven.
Let the goodness of the Lord bring forth good fruit .
Lord, lead us in Your ways.. as we walk in Your footsteps.
Amen
James 5:1-6
James exhorts those who have been unjust to repent.
They have hoarded their money, cheated their workers, and lived for their own pleasures.
Because of this God will bring judgement upon them unless they repent.
Their riches will rot.
Their clothing will be ruined.
Their treasures will rust.
Misery will be their reward.
v7-20 James exhorts the brethren to be patient.
As a farmer waits for his crops to mature before he harvests them, we are to wait for the Lord is coming. We are to wait with patience.
James also exhorts us in these ways:
We are to wait with strength of heart.
We are to wait without complaining.
We are to wait without judging one another.
We are to endure like Job and the prophets.
We are to trust in the compassion and mercy of God for the outcome He will bring.
We are to be honest in our dealings with others.
We are to pray for one another.
We are to seek healing from the Lord and ask for the elders to pray for us.
We are to confess our sins to one another.
We are to turn back those who have strayed from the truth.
We are to pray effectively.
Father, once again we ask that You teach us to pray. May Your Name be hallowed and exalted in all the earth. May Your Kingdom Come. May Your will be done. Give us our daily bread, for all comes from Your hands and You are our Provider. Thank You. Forgive us our sins and cleanse our hearts of all unrighteousness. May we be merciful to those who have harmed us, forgiving completely. Lead us in Truth and purity, away from temptation and evil. Deliver us from the evil one. For the Kingdom is Yours, the Glory is Yours, and the Power is Yours alone!
Amen.
Tuesday, November 1, 2016
Psalm 84 This is a song of praise to the Lord. In it we find truths that we can use to offer our own personal praises to the Lord.
The Lord of hosts ( armies) dwells in beloved places. The Temple itself was a place that God chose to place His Name.. to be present in.. to dwell with His people in a personal and powerful way.
No wonder those who loved Him longed to be there. Their hearts and flesh.. inside and out they knew joy in the presence of the Lord. It was Home to the Lord and those who stayed there were blessed.
The Lord, Who is King, is the God of Zion. He blessed His people.. all those who lived for Him.
They found strength in Him.
They worshiped Him.
They found shelter in Him.
They received all things from Him with thankful hearts.
They trusted in Him.
God gave grace and glory to them.
He gave good things to them.
He shined His face upon them and blessed them.
When our foremost desire is to be in the Presence of the Lord Most High.. when we make Him our strength, our shield... our everything... we will begin to understand the meaning of this psalm.
Can we say with the psalmist, " I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God, than dwell in the tents of wickedness." ?
The Israelites had a physical building that was the Lord's Temple. The New Testament tells us that it is our body that is now a temple - for the Holy Spirit dwells in us who have been "bought with a price." . Since He dwells in us - we are the beloved places! " How lovely are Your dwelling places.." now applies to us. He is Present.. Personally and powerfully. It is His Home and He is our home.
What a beautiful and mysterious truth from God's Word.
James 4 warns us what will happen when we allow a different spirit to dwell in us... one that is hostile toward God..
There will be quarrels and conflicts among us... ( v1)
Our own personal pleasures will wage wars in our members.
We will lust and murder, be envious and fight.. ( v2)
We will not pray for what we need or we will not pray with pure motives but with selfish ones. (v3)
We will have friendships with the world that are not pleasing to God. (v4)
Lust - cravings- strong desires... doesn't just apply to sexual desires as we think of it mostly today. It is whatever entices us and carries us away ( James 1:14). It is what gives birth to sin and brings death. It is what the "world" offers that is hostile to the Lord. It is whatever causes us to be "adulteresses" ... unfaithful to the One we have committed our lives to. It is whatever "pleasure" that becomes more important than God's Presence.
But, James does not leave us hopeless in our struggle, this war in our hearts.. for he tells us that God "gives a greater grace." ! It begins with humbling ourselves and submitting to Him. We must resist the devil and he will flee from us. We must draw near to God and believe He will draw near to us. We must cleanse our hands and purify our hearts. Repentance includes mourning and humility.
Then, James tells us, " .. He will exalt you."
As we do this, we will no longer have quarrels and conflicts, for we will learn to allow God to judge our neighbors instead of us. We will learn to submit to His plans instead of boasting of our own. We will learn what the right thing to do is and then do it. We will walk by His Spirit who dwells in us and Who blesses us.
Father, may our heart's desire be to dwell in Your Presence and not for the things of this world that will lead us into death and destruction. Thank You for the "greater grace" that You give to us!
How we long to know Your Presence every day. Open our eyes and hearts Lord to Your truth and grace. Amen.
The Lord of hosts ( armies) dwells in beloved places. The Temple itself was a place that God chose to place His Name.. to be present in.. to dwell with His people in a personal and powerful way.
No wonder those who loved Him longed to be there. Their hearts and flesh.. inside and out they knew joy in the presence of the Lord. It was Home to the Lord and those who stayed there were blessed.
The Lord, Who is King, is the God of Zion. He blessed His people.. all those who lived for Him.
They found strength in Him.
They worshiped Him.
They found shelter in Him.
They received all things from Him with thankful hearts.
They trusted in Him.
God gave grace and glory to them.
He gave good things to them.
He shined His face upon them and blessed them.
When our foremost desire is to be in the Presence of the Lord Most High.. when we make Him our strength, our shield... our everything... we will begin to understand the meaning of this psalm.
Can we say with the psalmist, " I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God, than dwell in the tents of wickedness." ?
The Israelites had a physical building that was the Lord's Temple. The New Testament tells us that it is our body that is now a temple - for the Holy Spirit dwells in us who have been "bought with a price." . Since He dwells in us - we are the beloved places! " How lovely are Your dwelling places.." now applies to us. He is Present.. Personally and powerfully. It is His Home and He is our home.
What a beautiful and mysterious truth from God's Word.
James 4 warns us what will happen when we allow a different spirit to dwell in us... one that is hostile toward God..
There will be quarrels and conflicts among us... ( v1)
Our own personal pleasures will wage wars in our members.
We will lust and murder, be envious and fight.. ( v2)
We will not pray for what we need or we will not pray with pure motives but with selfish ones. (v3)
We will have friendships with the world that are not pleasing to God. (v4)
Lust - cravings- strong desires... doesn't just apply to sexual desires as we think of it mostly today. It is whatever entices us and carries us away ( James 1:14). It is what gives birth to sin and brings death. It is what the "world" offers that is hostile to the Lord. It is whatever causes us to be "adulteresses" ... unfaithful to the One we have committed our lives to. It is whatever "pleasure" that becomes more important than God's Presence.
But, James does not leave us hopeless in our struggle, this war in our hearts.. for he tells us that God "gives a greater grace." ! It begins with humbling ourselves and submitting to Him. We must resist the devil and he will flee from us. We must draw near to God and believe He will draw near to us. We must cleanse our hands and purify our hearts. Repentance includes mourning and humility.
Then, James tells us, " .. He will exalt you."
As we do this, we will no longer have quarrels and conflicts, for we will learn to allow God to judge our neighbors instead of us. We will learn to submit to His plans instead of boasting of our own. We will learn what the right thing to do is and then do it. We will walk by His Spirit who dwells in us and Who blesses us.
Father, may our heart's desire be to dwell in Your Presence and not for the things of this world that will lead us into death and destruction. Thank You for the "greater grace" that You give to us!
How we long to know Your Presence every day. Open our eyes and hearts Lord to Your truth and grace. Amen.
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