"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble" (Psalm 46:1, KJV).
One of the hardest things for most of us to do is to feel total dependency on another person. We strive to be independent, thinking that before we ask for help, we have to do everything in our power first. Of course, there are some who would take it to the extreme and simply refuse to ask for help. Yet, those who know God do not have to be 'do-it-yourselfers', because we know that by ourselves we can do nothing.
Jesus remind us in John 15:5 that "...without me ye can do nothing", and therefore regardless of the situations we find ourselves in, when our hearts are overwhelmed and nothing around us makes any sense, it is a comfort to know that we can depend on our Heavenly Father to be there to help and see us through. That is more than we can say about anybody else.
If you are a 'do-it-yourselfer', why not allow God to do what He alone can do? He is willing to help, if you are willing to trust Him with your cares and your worries. You will find it makes a world of a difference, and your load will be that much lighter. Why not do it today?
Friday, January 26, 2007
Let's Just Praise the Lord
Devotional
One of my favourite pieces of music is Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus". There is something immeasurably majestic about it when played up-tempo, and it's quite the treat watching an accomplished pianist 'riding' the waves of emotions that emanates from this piece, fingers literally flying across the keyboard. It is difficult for me to listen to, or watch a performance of it, without feeling a sense of awe.
I get the same feeling when I read Psalm 150. When read with passion, one feels the emotions of the Psalmist who it seem was conducting his own orchestra of things that should offer praise. Listen to the sound of the trumpets, the psaltery and harp chiming in. Hear the timbrel and see the dance, followed by sounds of the stringed instruments and organs. The momentum builds as the loud cymbals come in, then the high sounding cymbals, and to a rousing crescendo of voices he invites his entire audience, "Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD" (v.6). The most exciting thing about this invitation is that while we may never be able to play Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus", we are all offered a part in this great chorus of praise. We are encouraged to lift our voices and "Praise God in his sanctuary, praise him in the mighty heavens...for his mighty deeds...according to his excellent greatness"(vv.1-2).
There is no greater performance than that of praising the Lord. Webster defines praise as to "glorify (a god or saint) especially by the attribution of perfections", and we who serve the King of Kings know that our God is perfect and the only one worthy of all praise. The angels around the thone spend all their time singing his praises (Isaiah 6:3); everything that has breath can certainly join in and that includes you. When was the last time *you* really praised the Lord?
One of my favourite pieces of music is Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus". There is something immeasurably majestic about it when played up-tempo, and it's quite the treat watching an accomplished pianist 'riding' the waves of emotions that emanates from this piece, fingers literally flying across the keyboard. It is difficult for me to listen to, or watch a performance of it, without feeling a sense of awe.
I get the same feeling when I read Psalm 150. When read with passion, one feels the emotions of the Psalmist who it seem was conducting his own orchestra of things that should offer praise. Listen to the sound of the trumpets, the psaltery and harp chiming in. Hear the timbrel and see the dance, followed by sounds of the stringed instruments and organs. The momentum builds as the loud cymbals come in, then the high sounding cymbals, and to a rousing crescendo of voices he invites his entire audience, "Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD" (v.6). The most exciting thing about this invitation is that while we may never be able to play Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus", we are all offered a part in this great chorus of praise. We are encouraged to lift our voices and "Praise God in his sanctuary, praise him in the mighty heavens...for his mighty deeds...according to his excellent greatness"(vv.1-2).
There is no greater performance than that of praising the Lord. Webster defines praise as to "glorify (a god or saint) especially by the attribution of perfections", and we who serve the King of Kings know that our God is perfect and the only one worthy of all praise. The angels around the thone spend all their time singing his praises (Isaiah 6:3); everything that has breath can certainly join in and that includes you. When was the last time *you* really praised the Lord?
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Redeeming Grace
Devotional
Imagine the scene. The woman cowered in shame, stripped to the waist as was the custom of the day to magnify that shame. She had been caught in the act of adultery, and being Jewish, she knew the consequences. Her accusers, the religious leaders of the day, had dragged her to the temple where Jesus was teaching, not so much for justice to be meted out, but so they could trap him. The Mosaic Law required that the woman be stoned to death, but Roman law forbade the Jews from executing anyone. What would Jesus do?
The crowd knew the conflict, and the buzz in the air was pregnant with anticipation. If Jesus ruled she must be stoned, he would be breaking the Roman law. If he forbade her execution, he would be ignoring the Mosaic Law. From the outside it was a lose-lose proposition. The religious leaders smirked with satisfaction. Finally, they had Jesus where they wanted him and there was no way out of this dilemma; he was trapped. Jesus, knowing what was going on, stooped down and started writing on the ground. Thinking he was ignoring them, they demanded his answer. John tells us "so when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her" (8:7), then stooped down and continued writing. We do not know what he wrote, despite all the speculations, but John continued, "And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord." (vv.9-11a). It was then that the woman, under condemnation, heard from Jesus the most beautiful words ever spoken; "Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more" (v. 11b).
Redeeming grace. Next to himself, the most precious gift that God gave to mankind. Though we stand accused by the Evil One, and the demand of the law for justice, the grace of our God steps in and redeems us from the law of sin and death. We have a lot to be thankful for, but if there is one thing we could single out, it is redeeming grace. No matter the magnitude of our sins, grace abounds even more. To God be the glory
Imagine the scene. The woman cowered in shame, stripped to the waist as was the custom of the day to magnify that shame. She had been caught in the act of adultery, and being Jewish, she knew the consequences. Her accusers, the religious leaders of the day, had dragged her to the temple where Jesus was teaching, not so much for justice to be meted out, but so they could trap him. The Mosaic Law required that the woman be stoned to death, but Roman law forbade the Jews from executing anyone. What would Jesus do?
The crowd knew the conflict, and the buzz in the air was pregnant with anticipation. If Jesus ruled she must be stoned, he would be breaking the Roman law. If he forbade her execution, he would be ignoring the Mosaic Law. From the outside it was a lose-lose proposition. The religious leaders smirked with satisfaction. Finally, they had Jesus where they wanted him and there was no way out of this dilemma; he was trapped. Jesus, knowing what was going on, stooped down and started writing on the ground. Thinking he was ignoring them, they demanded his answer. John tells us "so when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her" (8:7), then stooped down and continued writing. We do not know what he wrote, despite all the speculations, but John continued, "And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord." (vv.9-11a). It was then that the woman, under condemnation, heard from Jesus the most beautiful words ever spoken; "Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more" (v. 11b).
Redeeming grace. Next to himself, the most precious gift that God gave to mankind. Though we stand accused by the Evil One, and the demand of the law for justice, the grace of our God steps in and redeems us from the law of sin and death. We have a lot to be thankful for, but if there is one thing we could single out, it is redeeming grace. No matter the magnitude of our sins, grace abounds even more. To God be the glory
Does Prayer Really Work?
If you are like most people, you have probably asked this question a number of times. For some of us, it seems like God is asleep on the job, so to speak, because the reality of our individual circumstances seem to shout at us ever so loudly. We are tested on every side; our relationships, health, job, finances, to name a few, and somewhere in the back of our minds is a nagging doubt as to whether God is paying attention or not. Can He really do anything, and if so, why doesn’t He?
The Bible is the only resource we have that speaks of God’s ability and integrity. It is His Word, and we are told that He cannot lie In Numbers 23:18 we read, “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” Those are serious questions we need to ponder. Whatever God said, He will do, and whatever He has spoken, He shall make good. That’s about as solid an assurance of God’s ability and integrity that one could get. The interesting thing is that Jesus prayed, and therefore there must have been no doubt in His mind that prayer does make a difference; it works.
We can rest assured that God is not indifferent to the things that are important to us (1 Peter 5:7). Persistent prayer works, and though the answers we seek may not be immediately realized, it does not mean that God is not working on our behalf. Don’t give in to discouragement; He is faithful to them that love Him and keep His commandments to a thousand generations (Deut. 7:9). PUSH through; keep on Praying Until Something Happens
The Bible is the only resource we have that speaks of God’s ability and integrity. It is His Word, and we are told that He cannot lie In Numbers 23:18 we read, “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” Those are serious questions we need to ponder. Whatever God said, He will do, and whatever He has spoken, He shall make good. That’s about as solid an assurance of God’s ability and integrity that one could get. The interesting thing is that Jesus prayed, and therefore there must have been no doubt in His mind that prayer does make a difference; it works.
We can rest assured that God is not indifferent to the things that are important to us (1 Peter 5:7). Persistent prayer works, and though the answers we seek may not be immediately realized, it does not mean that God is not working on our behalf. Don’t give in to discouragement; He is faithful to them that love Him and keep His commandments to a thousand generations (Deut. 7:9). PUSH through; keep on Praying Until Something Happens
Monday, January 08, 2007
Easy to Say; Harder to Do
We have all heard it from our parents, grandparents, teachers, and so on. Those admonishing words of the 'golden rule': "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Yet there are times when I wonder if somewhere along the line we heard, "Do unto others before they do unto you".
Some cynically refer to the world we live in as a dog-eat-dog world. It is every man for himself, and we do what we do to get ahead regardless of who gets hurt, bruised, broken, or whatever else in the process. Yet the Christian is called to a higher standard of living. Though we live in the world, on matters of morality, ethics, and principle, we are expected to rise above the mediocrity of societal standards, and demonstrate a life made different by our relationship with God. We are expected to be mindful of the way we treat each others, always bearing in mind that we are representing not just ourselves, but the Lord Jesus Christ.
Of course, that is easier said that done, yet it is something we are called to do. Jesus taught, "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and recognize and honor and praise and glorify your Father Who is in heaven" (Matt. 5:16, Amplified). That 'light' is the way we live our lives including the way we treat others; "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." (John 13:35, KJV). Every believer is called to this responsibility, and the power of Christ has made it possible for us to succeed (John 15:5)
How are you treating those around you? If they treated you the way you are treating them, would you see Jesus in their actions?
Some cynically refer to the world we live in as a dog-eat-dog world. It is every man for himself, and we do what we do to get ahead regardless of who gets hurt, bruised, broken, or whatever else in the process. Yet the Christian is called to a higher standard of living. Though we live in the world, on matters of morality, ethics, and principle, we are expected to rise above the mediocrity of societal standards, and demonstrate a life made different by our relationship with God. We are expected to be mindful of the way we treat each others, always bearing in mind that we are representing not just ourselves, but the Lord Jesus Christ.
Of course, that is easier said that done, yet it is something we are called to do. Jesus taught, "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and recognize and honor and praise and glorify your Father Who is in heaven" (Matt. 5:16, Amplified). That 'light' is the way we live our lives including the way we treat others; "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." (John 13:35, KJV). Every believer is called to this responsibility, and the power of Christ has made it possible for us to succeed (John 15:5)
How are you treating those around you? If they treated you the way you are treating them, would you see Jesus in their actions?
Down But Not Out
In the movie Forrest Gump, the main character, played by actor Tom Hanks, quotes his mother as saying, "Life is like a box of chocolate…you never know what you gonna get", and boy, isn't that the truth! It is not without significance that life is said to be a journey; a very eventful one in which we experience highs and lows, surprises and disappointments, sadness and happiness. That journey is broken down into days, and each day is given to us, wrapped like a present, and we have no idea what that package contains. Days of immense happiness can be followed by devastating tragedies, and somewhere in the mix of experiences is the realization that this life is not quite fair.
The tragedies we sometime experience, can often leave us feeling like we have been in a heavyweight fight with boxer Mike Tyson in his prime. We get broadside by the unexpected at times when we least expect them, or have no reason to expect them. Our individual experiences often overwhelm us, provoking some of us to feelings of anger, betrayal, disbelief, tears, frustration, helplessness, and if we are not careful, to shake our fists in the face of God at what we consider life's unfairness. I know; I have been there.
The Psalmist David realized this condition when he wrote: "When my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy" (61:2-3, KJV). By ourselves we cannot survive life's storms and the things that threathen to destroy us, but as long as we allow Christ to lead us to the rock that is higher than ourselves, we can find refuge and strength in the strong tower who is our Savior. It is refreshing to know that regardless of what we find in our 'box of chocolate', we do not have to become victims of those circumstances; we do not have to be knocked out, but like Bozo the clown, we will be back on our feet everytime the enemy thinks he has knocked us down.
Thank God! Though we may not know what life will throw at us, we know we have a place of refuge for the times when we are overwhelmed and need to be somewhere safe. Jesus being there makes all the difference. I know; I have been there.
The tragedies we sometime experience, can often leave us feeling like we have been in a heavyweight fight with boxer Mike Tyson in his prime. We get broadside by the unexpected at times when we least expect them, or have no reason to expect them. Our individual experiences often overwhelm us, provoking some of us to feelings of anger, betrayal, disbelief, tears, frustration, helplessness, and if we are not careful, to shake our fists in the face of God at what we consider life's unfairness. I know; I have been there.
The Psalmist David realized this condition when he wrote: "When my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy" (61:2-3, KJV). By ourselves we cannot survive life's storms and the things that threathen to destroy us, but as long as we allow Christ to lead us to the rock that is higher than ourselves, we can find refuge and strength in the strong tower who is our Savior. It is refreshing to know that regardless of what we find in our 'box of chocolate', we do not have to become victims of those circumstances; we do not have to be knocked out, but like Bozo the clown, we will be back on our feet everytime the enemy thinks he has knocked us down.
Thank God! Though we may not know what life will throw at us, we know we have a place of refuge for the times when we are overwhelmed and need to be somewhere safe. Jesus being there makes all the difference. I know; I have been there.
New Year's Resolution
“Incline your ear to my sayings…for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:20-23, KJV)
So, what is/are your resolution(s) for the New Year? According to the experts, most resolutions are broken within the first week of the New Year, yet despite the futility, some of us start the year committing to changes we hope to carry out during the year. I would guess that most of the desired changes are behavioral and are perhaps things that we have struggled with from time to time, and in some cases, perhaps for a very long time. It could be that we have made the same resolution before and failed despite our best efforts, so we start this year with a new resolve.
For individuals desiring lasting change, our reference text seems rather appropriate for the start of 2007. What better resolution to make than to incline our ears to the sayings of our God? The Holy Spirit directed Solomon to record that these sayings are “life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.” and seeing all of our actions, thoughts, and all the issues of life springs from our heart, we are also admonished to keep our heart “with all diligence”. Two great resolutions, 1) Incline your ear to my sayings, and 2) Keep your heart with all diligence! I would imagine that if we can do both things, most of the times, if not all of the times, we would be in good shape towards becoming the kind of persons we were intended to be.
In my own experience, my resolutions are made daily as I strive with each passing day to be as God intended. I find daily is necessary given all the various challenges we experience in our individual lives. I find it absolutely necessary to remind myself of the Lord’s sayings as in a somewhat cold and unforgiving world they provide me with the inner peace that so many people are looking for. They cause me not to worry but to think of God’s sovereignty over all things, while reminding me that regardless of my outside circumstances, as long as I remain under His care, I am in good hands.
So my New Year starts the same way the old ended, and that is with the resolve to incline my ears unto even more of His sayings. Most of us who have tried to walk in our own way from time to time can profess to the fact that at the end of the day we are sometimes rudely reminded that there really is no other way but His way. That His way is best, and if we hope to rest in the comfort of His care, we have to surrender our own desires, plans, and methods under the Lordship of Christ and allow Him to have His own way.
There are some sayings that I have found extremely helpful in keeping not only my heart with diligence, but also my mind, and I share these below with readers in the hope that these verses will serve as the foundation for a very successful 2007. I have framed these sayings and put them in a spot where I can see and be reminded of them all the time. Please feel free to do likewise.
* Be (anxious) for nothing; but by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known unto God, And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
* If ye abide in me and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
* And it shall come to pass, that before (you) call I will answer, and while (you) are yet speaking, I will hear.
* … For verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as small as a mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
* Is anything too hard for the Lord?
* … As truly as I live saith the Lord, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you.
* … Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
(Philippians 4: 6,7, John 15:7, Isaiah 65:24, Matthew. 17:20, Genesis 18:14a, Numbers 14:28, 1 Corinthians 2:9)
To you and yours, God’s very best for a wonderful 2007.
So, what is/are your resolution(s) for the New Year? According to the experts, most resolutions are broken within the first week of the New Year, yet despite the futility, some of us start the year committing to changes we hope to carry out during the year. I would guess that most of the desired changes are behavioral and are perhaps things that we have struggled with from time to time, and in some cases, perhaps for a very long time. It could be that we have made the same resolution before and failed despite our best efforts, so we start this year with a new resolve.
For individuals desiring lasting change, our reference text seems rather appropriate for the start of 2007. What better resolution to make than to incline our ears to the sayings of our God? The Holy Spirit directed Solomon to record that these sayings are “life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.” and seeing all of our actions, thoughts, and all the issues of life springs from our heart, we are also admonished to keep our heart “with all diligence”. Two great resolutions, 1) Incline your ear to my sayings, and 2) Keep your heart with all diligence! I would imagine that if we can do both things, most of the times, if not all of the times, we would be in good shape towards becoming the kind of persons we were intended to be.
In my own experience, my resolutions are made daily as I strive with each passing day to be as God intended. I find daily is necessary given all the various challenges we experience in our individual lives. I find it absolutely necessary to remind myself of the Lord’s sayings as in a somewhat cold and unforgiving world they provide me with the inner peace that so many people are looking for. They cause me not to worry but to think of God’s sovereignty over all things, while reminding me that regardless of my outside circumstances, as long as I remain under His care, I am in good hands.
So my New Year starts the same way the old ended, and that is with the resolve to incline my ears unto even more of His sayings. Most of us who have tried to walk in our own way from time to time can profess to the fact that at the end of the day we are sometimes rudely reminded that there really is no other way but His way. That His way is best, and if we hope to rest in the comfort of His care, we have to surrender our own desires, plans, and methods under the Lordship of Christ and allow Him to have His own way.
There are some sayings that I have found extremely helpful in keeping not only my heart with diligence, but also my mind, and I share these below with readers in the hope that these verses will serve as the foundation for a very successful 2007. I have framed these sayings and put them in a spot where I can see and be reminded of them all the time. Please feel free to do likewise.
* Be (anxious) for nothing; but by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known unto God, And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
* If ye abide in me and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
* And it shall come to pass, that before (you) call I will answer, and while (you) are yet speaking, I will hear.
* … For verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as small as a mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
* Is anything too hard for the Lord?
* … As truly as I live saith the Lord, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you.
* … Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
(Philippians 4: 6,7, John 15:7, Isaiah 65:24, Matthew. 17:20, Genesis 18:14a, Numbers 14:28, 1 Corinthians 2:9)
To you and yours, God’s very best for a wonderful 2007.
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