Today's Reading: Psalms 38 & 41

 

Be Generous - Be Happy

When my six year-old grandson was asked what he would do if he had ten thousand dollars, he replied, “I would buy two tents for the homeless and get them warm jackets and lots of food.” Boy, was I convicted! When considering my own answer to the same question, I was entirely selfish, focusing on my own needs and desires.

Here in Psalm 41:1, the Lord tells us that the one who considers the poor in their day of trouble will be blessed. The word “blessed” means “oh how happy.” This verse expresses the wonderful and happy experience of helping the poor in their time of need. If you’ve had this experience, oh how happy you must be! If you’ve not had this experience, I would encourage you to find a way to make a difference in another person’s life.

The word “consider” in this verse means to look upon, give attention to, to have insight. It expresses the opposite response many people have when they see the poor in their situation. Our fallen human nature defaults to “looking away” from them. Our selfish tendency is to turn away. What are we afraid of when we try to avoid looking a homeless person in the eyes? For some, catching their eye makes them feel obligated to do something their fleshly nature doesn’t want to do – give. One website I looked at actually said, “Stop looking at homeless people, the ‘bums’ don’t deserve your help.”  This approach is quite the opposite of what our God considers kindness and love toward others.

I’m not saying you should give to every poor person you see. You must use some divine discernment to give only to those truly in need and avoid those seeking money for drugs or alcohol or other inappropriate use. But I am saying you should go before the Lord and ask Him to search your heart on this matter. Ask the Holy Spirit to convict you of any form of selfishness in your heart towards the poor and needy. Pray for a generous and open hand towards others.

If you give to the poor, it is YOU who will be blessed – perhaps even more so than the recipient of your kindness. Our LORD looks upon us when we look upon the poor. He makes us “oh how happy” when we yield to His leading to give to those in need. In Proverbs 19:17, it says, “Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.” When you give to the poor, don’t look for a return from them, but just look to the Lord to return it to you. Because really you are lending to the Lord, and He actually pays fantastic interest! You cannot outgive God! The blessings you receive will far outweigh the investment you make!

Today's Reading: 2 Samuel 21 & Psalm 5

 

God Hears Your Groans

When we pray, we are accustomed to using words to express ourselves to the Lord. But did you know that God doesn’t need you to put your requests into words? In Psalm 5, king David asks God to listen to him. Specifically, he asks God to hear his words, his groaning (or meditation), and his cries.

There are times in all of our lives where we have difficulty putting our prayer requests into words. Perhaps because we don’t fully understand what to pray for, or perhaps because our heart is so burdened that words become nearly impossible and all we can do is groan or cry. Whatever the reason, be confident that God hears your groans and, in His wisdom, He can - and does - fully understand the deepest desires of your heart. We may not always know what to say, but God knows our hearts.

Interpretation of our groans and cries is one of the ministries of the Holy Spirit. In Romans 8:26, the Apostle Paul said, “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” When we are wordless and don’t know what to pray for as we ought, the Holy Spirit intervenes, helping us to utter groans and sighs and cries that God will understand and respond to.

God hears our groans, and pays attention to our cries. Our prayer doesn't need to be understandable in human language, it just needs to be the expression of our heart. God can comprehend our nonverbal prayers. As David prays, “Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether” (Psalm 139:4). 

Yes, God listens to the prayers we put into words. But He also hears every “wordless” prayer that our hearts cry out. He listens to your thoughts and yearnings as they happen. In Psalm 38:9, David acknowledges that “all my longing is before you; my sighing is not hidden from you.”

So, dear follower of Christ, groan! Sit in the presence of God and pour out your heart. Use words if you can find them, but don’t stop there: groan, cry, sigh, yearn, grunt, or just whimper. The Lord will give ear to your words and will give attention to your non words.

Today's Reading: 2 Samuel 20 & Psalm 42

 

Thirsting For God

Of all the Psalms in the Bible, eleven are attributed to the “Sons of Korah.” You may remember Korah as the man who led a revolt against Moses and lost his life when the earth opened up beneath him and swallowed him down into a sink hole. Several of Korah’s younger children were spared in that incident and found favor in God’s sight. Seven generations later, Korah’s descendants were appointed by David as the leaders of music in the house of the Lord. During their service under king David, they penned these eleven beautiful songs which express a deep spirit of gratitude and humility towards God. Their words express a spiritual thirst that they had come to learn could only be satisfied by a deep connection with God, Himself.

In Psalm 42, they depict their thirst for God as a dry and thirsty deer panting for the flowing streams of fresh water.  There is within every human heart a thirst for God. Down deep inside of everyone there is a dry soul thirsting after a meaningful relationship with Him. It is an internal sensation that causes us to know that we are lacking. We know that we need something more than what we have yet experienced. There must be more to life than this. In reality, it is God – and only God – that can truly satisfy the human heart.

“As a deer pants for water” describes the intensity of its thirst. It meant that he was becoming exhausted, worn out and depleted from being pursued by the enemy and he had reached the point inside of himself that he wanted to lay down and just give up.  For the deer, it was ‘find water or die’. It is the same for us, just as the deer intensely seeks water, we too must find spiritual ‘water for our soul’ or die.

Deer do not need to be trained to pant—and they do not need to be trained to drink water. Thirst, and a knowledge of how to satisfy that thirst, comes naturally to them. In the same way, the thirst of our soul for God comes naturally to us as well. Everyone is searching for a way to have that thirst satisfied. Some seek to satisfy that thirst in healthy ways, others in unhealthy ways (e.g. through sin, pleasure, education, entertainment, etc.). What this passage reminds us of is that not one of these unhealthy pursuits can truly satisfy our panting soul - there is only one true way to have our thirst for God satisfied.

Jesus gave us the answer to this deep thirst in the human spirit. He cried out, "If any man thirsts, let him come unto Me and drink. And he who drinks of the water that I give out of his innermost being, there shall flow rivers of living water" (John 7:37-38). It is only in Him that our spiritual thirst will ever be truly quenched. So, come to Him. Pant after him. Drink the living water that He gives freely to all who will come.

Today's Reading: 2 Samuel 19 & Psalm 64

Rejoice – Take Refuge – Exult

Psalm 64 is a prayer of David. He is complaining about the dread of the enemy and the secret plots of wicked people. About halfway through this Psalm, David’s eyes turn off of his troubles and his enemies and back onto God whom he sees as the Helper who can defeat his foes. He concludes this prayer by saying rejoice, take refuge in the Lord, and exult.

Rejoice! The Hebrew word for “rejoice” means to gladden, cheer up, and become gleesome. It is a happy word that teaches us to celebrate the goodness of God – even when the pressure from our enemies is bearing down on us. Notice that he says, rejoice "in the Lord.” It is not always possible to rejoice in your circumstances or situation. Sometimes situations become hard and stressful. It is not reasonable to always be glad about your situation. But it is totally reasonable to always rejoice in the Lord. Gladden and cheer up – the Lord is here, and He never changes! Your God is always a cause for rejoicing, even when troubles and enemies bear down on you. He is worth being glad about. So, dear follower of Christ, REJOICE!

Take refuge!  “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.” (Psalm 118:8) When you take refuge in something, you are hiding yourself in its protection. In a pouring rain, for example, you might take refuge under a canopy or umbrella. During a tornado, the wise person takes refuge in the storm cellar. And during the storms of life, the wise person finds his/her "safe place" in the protective arms of God. Taking refuge in Him is finding a safe place where He can protect you during the stormy moments of your life. Taking refuge in Him means to transfer your troubles and cares off of yourself and placing them in His care. He is a mighty refuge for those who hide in Him. So, dear follower of Christ, TAKE REFUGE IN HIM!

Exult! The Hebrew word for “exult” means to make a visible show of celebration. The root word carries the idea of being “foolish in your show of boasting and giving praise.” Once we have taken refuge in Him and transferred our care to Him, there’s nothing left to do but boast about Him, celebrate Him, and give Him praise. This verse exhorts us not to do so quietly or secretly, but to elevate our celebration to a public show of praise to our amazing God. Don’t be afraid to look “foolish” – just exult in Him with a great display of pomp. Become a spectacle in your praise that others can see. So, dear follower of Christ, LET YOUR HEART EXULT IN HIM! 

 

Today's Reading: Psalms 58, 61, & 62

Power Belongs to God

What amazing power (force, strength, might) belongs to God. He is made of intensity of force. No greater power exists than the power of our almighty God! Think about it – what awesome and impressive power He has.

Among God’s most powerful works is the creation of all things out of nothing. This is a power only He has. In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth. The universe is all of space and time and their contents, including planets, stars, galaxies, and all other forms of matter, energy, and life forms. The human mind cannot even conceive of such power! It is vast beyond all measure. What power He has! “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things that do appear.” (Hebrews 11:3) God said it, and it was done! Power belongs to God.

Another incredible demonstration of God’s limitless power was His act of raising Jesus Christ from the dead! Again, we cannot fathom such power! In 1 Corinthians 2, the Apostle Paul wrote of his message of Christ crucified and raised from the dead which communicated the supernatural power of God. He reminds us that the resurrection of Christ was God’s “demonstration of the Spirit and of power.” Death defeated! Our God has power over the grave! Power belongs to God.

One of the most active powers of God in our world today is the power to give new life! He is constantly at work taking people who were dead in their sins and resurrecting them to new life in Christ by His power. This largely goes unnoticed by the world around us, but is one of the most incredible miracles we witness in our day. Power belongs to God.

Now, here’s the amazing thing – when something belongs to you, it is yours. You have the right to keep it or to give it to whomsoever you wish. Yes, power belongs to God, and He has the right to keep it to Himself, but He chooses to impart His miracle working power into the lives of everyone who, by faith, chooses to follow Jesus. Oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him—endless energy, boundless strength! (see Ephesians 1:17-20). Meditate on that for a minute – the power that raised Christ from the dead is the power God has imparted to you!  Yes, power belongs to God. Power also belongs to YOU because He has bestowed it upon you.

Today's Reading: Psalms 26 & 40

Waiting Patiently for the Lord

We often think of God being patient with us. But, are you patient with Him? With few exceptions, I believe that one of the most difficult things that we have to do in this life is to wait. For most of us, waiting is uncomfortable, or even frustrating. We live in a “right now” generation where we expect instant results. We barely tolerate waiting on God. We long for Him to answer our prayers, but often find ourselves waiting longer than we want. For many of us, it is easy to lose our patience. To be honest, sometimes waiting on the Lord can be like watching grass grow; when is it going to happen?

However, God has a greater purpose in our waiting. When we do it God’s way, there is great value in waiting on the Lord. God is truly desiring to work out patience in our lives. But what is our part in this?

The Lord wants us to wait PATIENTLY. Don’t rush the process. Rather, “Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:4). There is a surrender that is involved in this, because we have to allow patience to have its proper place in our life, with the end result being that we will be brought to spiritual maturity. Waiting patiently helps us to grow.

The Lord wants us to wait EXPECTANTLY. “Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains” (James 5:7). Expect God to work! But remember, He doesn’t always work in the specific way we are looking for, and He often doesn’t work on our timeline. Trust His timeline as you wait expectantly for His blessing.

The Lord wants us to wait STEADFASTLY. “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58) There is a certain frame of heart, mind, and spirit that we should possess as we wait upon the Lord. We should remain resolute and firm. We should not allow anything to move us away from our expectation.

The Lord wants us to wait TRUSTINGLY. At times, we might feel unable to continue to wait patiently on God, but in fact, we have access to all the patience we need in Christ. We can trust the Spirit to give us the strength to bear our circumstances and enable us to use this time of waiting to grow in our intimacy with the Lord. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace… PATIENCE.” (Galatians 5:22) Trust the Holy Spirit to bring forth true patience in your soul as you wait upon Him.

“In His time.  In His time. He makes all things beautiful in His time.” (Linda Ball; Maranatha! Music) Wait patiently for Him and He will incline His ear to you and hear your cry… in His time.

Today's Reading: 2 Samuel 18

 

Died In Your Place

David deeply loved his son, Absalom. His love for his son is considered one of the greatest examples of fatherly love in the Old Testament. And, one of the greatest examples of the grief that love can sometimes produce. David’s love for his rebellious son teaches all of us about God’s love for us when we, in our human sinfulness, rebel against Him.

Absalom was described as the “handsomest man in Israel” and was known for his luscious and thick head of hair. (2 Samuel 14) Other than being David’s son and growing up in the household of a father who was a “man after God’s heart,” not many positive things are recorded in Scripture about him. In fact, most of the Biblical record describes the evil things he did. He murdered his brother Amnon, committed fornication in public to torment his father, and rebelliously set up his own kingdom with the goal of overthrowing David as king.

In this final chapter of Absalom’s life, David sent out military troops to attack and defeat Absalom’s rebellious uprising. His command to his military leaders shows us the love and concern David still felt for his son: “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.” David wanted the uprising to be put down, but out of love for his son, he ordered that Absalom not be harmed. David longed to be reconciled to the son he loved.

David’s care for his son is an example of our Heavenly Father’s love toward us. Although we are infected with a sinful nature, and commit sins that offend our Father deeply, and although we don’t deserve His love and forgiveness, He loves us and longs for us to be reconciled to Him. Romans 5:12 says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  You may be far from God today. Perhaps you have offended Him by your rebellion and backsliding. But be certain of this – He still loves you and wants to restore you to a right relationship with Himself.

Tragically, despite David’s command to protect his son, Absalom was killed during the battle. When David learned of his son’s death, his heart broke. You can feel the depth of his grief when he realizes that the son he loved so deeply is never coming back. David is so grieved that he actually wishes that he had died in Absalom’s place. As a Father loves his child, David would have preferred to die himself, rather than have his son die in an unreconciled state.

Tragically, David could not die for Absalom’s sins. There is only One Man in history who could die for others’ sins – Jesus Christ, Himself. Our Heavenly Father loves us so much that He gave His only begotten Son for the sole purpose of taking our sins upon Himself and opening the door to be reconciled to Him. “He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness.” (1 Peter 2:24) Your Heavenly Father loves you so much and longs for you to return to Him. “We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God!” Come to Him now – He is waiting! (2 Corinthians 5:20)