Today's Reading: Psalms 113, 114, & 115

 

Not Unto Us!

Let’s be completely honest here – humans deserve no credit or praise for the good that comes from their lives. For some, that statement might seem a bit harsh, or even hurtful. It may be hard to admit, but it is the cold hard truth. The Bible repeatedly teaches this truth in one way or another - that human beings (left to themselves) are not capable of achieving anything of eternal value by their own efforts. We cannot save ourselves. We cannot transform ourselves. We cannot guide ourselves. We cannot teach, preach, evangelize, or serve in our own human efforts or strength. Only God can do those things, and rightfully only God must get the credit and praise when they happen.

This Psalm begins with the acknowledgement of two important truths: (1) no glory is ours; and, (2) all glory is God’s. In the economy of God, there is no shared glory. There is no self-glory. To the Lord, and Him alone goes all the credit and praise for all the love and faithfulness He has shown to us. When something good happens, we must resist any attempt to take the credit. We, like the Psalmist, must insist that “not unto us, O Lord, not unto us” should glory be given. Only unto Him.

The more a person is used by the Lord, the more they need to be aware of the risk of self-glory. Especially if God uses them in a public setting. The danger of accepting the accolades of people grows in proportion to the visibility and effectiveness of our ministry. A wise pastor who had become quite popular and renown in our community once told me, “I never believe my own press clippings.” This was his way of saying that the praises of people are misplaced if they are praising him rather than giving glory to God. When someone attempts to give us the credit, we must resist the temptation to accept their praise. When praise and glory is addressed to us, it is so important to “forward the mail” to its rightful Recipient - the LORD our God.

Once we know the truth about our own sinfulness, weaknesses, failures, and inabilities there is no rational reason why we would ever take God’s credit or glory. Take a moment now and let the Holy Spirit search your heart for any area of pride, self-glory, or even shared-glory. Then, in humility and honesty say, “Not to me, O Lord, not to me, but to Your Name goes all the glory for your unfailing love and faithfulness.” 

Today's Reading: 1 Chronicles 29

 Cheerful Giving Equals Glad Hearts

King David had already donated an enormous amount of his own wealth (gold, silver, gems, and marble) toward the building of a new Temple for the Lord in Jerusalem. Now, in one of David’s final acts before his death, he makes an additional donation out of his personal stockpile. He explained that he was making these donations “because of my devotion to the house of my God, I give it to the house of my God.” (V3) David deeply loved the Lord and wanted to spare no expense in the construction of His Temple.

After making his personal contribution, David called upon the leaders of Israel to join him by donating to the cause. And donate they did!  They also gave gold and silver along with bronze and iron.

Then it was the peoples’ turn. You can just see David grinning ear-to-ear as he witnesses the cheerful generosity of the congregation of Israel coming forward and giving such things as precious stones to the Lord. “David the king also rejoiced greatly.” (V9) From there, the only thing David could do was turn to God in prayer and thank Him for His blessings and the generous hearts of the people. “Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever.” (V11) It was a day of cheerful giving all around! When people gave, their hearts were glad.

In 2 Corinthians 9, we read the words of the Apostle Paul, “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” The people of Israel were indeed “cheerful givers” that day. The people rejoiced because this wasn’t some kind of “high-pressure” deal where they were forced or coerced into giving. Their hearts were delighted to be part of the work God was doing and because of that they “offered freely to the Lord.”

How about you? Are you a cheerful giver? Do you look forward to donating your time, treasure, and talent to the cause of the Lord? Does your heart rejoice when you have an opportunity to bless others with your financial resources? Or, are you a reluctant giver? Do you hold tightly to your wealth (as small as it may be)? If so, it is time to let go of your selfishness and become a more generous person. If you do this cheerfully from your heart, the Lord will take notice of it and “You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” (2 Corinthians 9:11) When you give, you will bless others, and it is YOUR heart that will be gladdened!

Today's Reading: Psalm 37

 

Serenity Now!

“Serenity Now!” That was the humorous cry of the fictional character, Frank Costanza. And, it is the cry of billions of people around the world looking for just a moment of peace and serenity in their lives.

There is a profound lack of peace and unrest in our world today. People are simply not at peace with their governments, their workplace, their relationships, and, most importantly, themselves. People are struggling with finding rest for their souls. Finding any kind of inner peace or world peace seems to elude billions of people. People are anxious and worried about many things. Even Christians at times experience troubled hearts and lack of peace and serenity. But that’s not what God intended. Our loving Heavenly Father, knowing our propensity towards anxiety and worry, has made a way for every human being to experience “serenity now.”

Peace, in the Bible, comes in four “flavors.” First, is peace with God. Peace with God is, at its core, a spiritual reconciliation between family members. It's a restored relationship between our Heavenly Father and His wayward and rebellious children. The way to peace with God is only through faith in Jesus Christ – “Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1)

The second form of peace is cessation of war between fighting factions, countries, or people. We refer to this elusive experience as “world peace.” It is something we all long for and pray for. True world peace can only come when the people and governments of the world submit themselves to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Only then will peace reign.

The third type of peace is inner peace, or serenity. We call this the “peace of God.”  It is a spiritual calmness that invades your soul and replaces your anxiety and worry. This type of inner peace comes only to the follower of Christ and only when they are trusting God with the affairs of their life – “And the peace of The Christ will rule in your hearts, to which you are called in one body” (Colossians 3:15) If you are dealing with unrest and worry in your life, today is the day Jesus is calling you to “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) Take a moment right now to be still in the presence of God. Lay your burden down. Ask Him to remove your unrest and replace it with His indescribable peace. Trust Him with your troubles and rejoice in His peace.

Finally, we come to future peace. This is the peace spoken of in Psalm 37:11. On the day when we enter into God’s eternal presence, one of our most remarkable experiences will be being astounded at the “abundance of peace.” We will simply be blown away by Heaven’s perfect peace and calmness and serenity. It will be like nothing we’ve ever experienced! For sure, that will be “serenity now!”  What an experience this will be. It will be beyond our greatest expectations as we “delight ourselves in abundant peace!”

Today's Reading: 1 Chronicles 28 & Psalm 112

 

The Legacy of Good Advice

King David, the man after God’s heart, had lived a good life. Although he had many struggles and failures, his life was marked by the blessings of God.  Now, he is about to die at “a good age, full of days, riches, and honor.” (1 Chronicles 29:28) In his final few days, he made it a point to pass on his legacy to those who would follow behind him. First, he addresses the leaders of Israel. Then he turns his focus on his son, Solomon.

In verses 9-21, we read of David’s charge to his son. He passes on the plans for construction of the Temple in Jerusalem and encourages Solomon to remain strong and courageous as he takes on this important project. The most profound and poignant portion of this charge is found in verse 9: “And Solomon, my son, learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately. Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind. For the Lord sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If you seek him, you will find him. But if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.” (NLT)

David’s charge to Solomon to “know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart” is one of the most repeated pieces of advice found in the Bible. With these words, David reminds his son that the MOST IMPORTANT pursuit ahead of him was to maintain a right relationship with the Lord. All of his other challenges and pursuits in life pale in comparison to this one most important pursuit. David knew that he could no longer “carry” Solomon along in the faith – it is something he must make personal and do for himself.

The dictionary defines “legacy” as an amount of money or property left to someone in a will. But this definition of legacy falls far short of God’s definition. In God’s kingdom the most important legacy you can leave to your children and grandchildren is a vibrant faith and love for God. All the riches and property in the world are worthless compared to the vast wealth of knowing God and serving Him.

As a parent or grandparent (or brother, sister, cousin, friend, neighbor, coworker) your most sacred duty is to leave a legacy of faith for those who come behind you. Make sure that you constantly advise them that they must know and follow God and that “if you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever.”

Today's Reading: 1 Chronicles 27 & Psalm 111

 

Holy and Awesome!

On the day we finally arrive in Heaven and look back on the history of our planet, there will be three things we will declare about our experience with our Creator: (1) He sent redemption to His people; (2) He has commanded His covenant forever; (3) Holy and awesome is His name!

He sent redemption to His people. Yahweh is a God of redemption. In Hebrew, this word "redemption” literally means “to place a distinction or division between, thus to liberate.” God repeatedly throughout history is seen liberating His people. By placing a distinction between Noah, who found grace in His sight, and the rest of the corrupt population, God liberated Noah and his family from the flood waters. God placed a distinction between the Jews and the Egyptians when, through Moses, He liberated the slaves from their bondage. Repeatedly in the history of Israel, we see God stepping in and sending judges to liberate them from the hands of their oppressors. Later He sent Ezra, Nehemiah, and Zerubbabel to liberate them from Babylon. And, in the most profound act of liberation, God sent His Son, the Lord Jesus to redeem an entire lost world from sin, misery, and eternal death.

He has commanded His covenant forever. Yahweh has made a legal agreement with the human race. This covenant contains His binding oath that He will perform certain things on behalf of those who accept the terms of His agreement and agree to follow Him. The New Covenant is the unchanging promise that God makes with humanity that He will forgive sin and restore fellowship with those whose hearts are turned toward Him. “’But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day,’ says the Lord. ‘I will put my law in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people’”  (Jeremiah 31:31-33). This is His forever, permanent covenant with mankind – it will never be rescinded or broken.

Holy and awesome is His name. Because Yahweh has sent redemption to His people and established His forever covenant with them, there is nothing left to say but that He is holy and awesome. The word “holy” means to be like none else. It reflects the fact that Yahweh alone is unique and separate from all other beings. It carries the idea of being pure and sacred and free from defilement of any kind. And His name is “awesome!” The Hebrew word here means to stand in awe, reverence, and honor of the One who is like no other.

What will you be doing in Heaven? Praising your God’s holy and awesome name as you reflect on His redemption and eternal covenant. That day can’t come soon enough!

Today's Reading: 1 Chronicles 26 & Psalm 145

The Satisfier of Every Need

As God was creating the world, He had to take into account the dietary and nutritional requirements of each living thing. He had to make sure that there were the proper kinds of foods for the various classes of animals, plants, and other living organisms. Imagine the failure it would be for you to purchase, say, a horse but not purchase the necessary hay and feed it would need to remain healthy and strong. Now, imagine the colossal failure it would have been For God to have created a particular type of animal and placed it in our world, but didn’t create the necessary food to sustain that animal. Fortunately, as our genius and unfathomably wise Creator made all of the living organisms, He placed them in an environment that would “satisfy the desire of every living thing.” 

From the smallest organism to the largest plants and animals, our God made sure to create a world where there were adequate supplies for all. He created phytoplankton, bacteria and other protozoa for the microscopic organisms to feed on. At the same time, He made sure there was an adequate supply of plants, fruits, and vegetables for the herbivores to eat and a variety of smaller animals for the larger carnivores to be satisfied. What a hand this is that holds in it all the food that meets the desires and necessities of His universe of creatures! 

Implied in this verse is the truth that God has not left nature, He is in it. The great Spirit of God is embedded in all the wheels of His machinery. There is a Personal God in personal action, in all of the natural world. He is not a God who is far off, or who is disinterested in the daily affairs of our world. No, in fact, He is constantly opening His hand and satisfying the necessities of “every living thing.” As Jesus said, “not a single sparrow falls to the ground without your Father's knowledge” (Matthew 10:29). Wherever there is a creature that God has made to need anything, that creature shall have what its necessities determine.

This verse goes on the say that the Lord who meets the needs of His creation, does so with righteousness and kindness. Some may view our God as an angry ogre “in the sky” just waiting to inflict pain and punishment on those He chooses. But our God is far from that. In the kindness and gentleness of His heart, He is just waiting to impart righteousness, peace, and joy on those who call upon Him. The deepest desire of this “living thing” we call a human being is the deep need to be connected to and in fellowship with his/her Creator. His hand is open. He is waiting to satisfy that desire in your life. Come to Him and discover the greatest kindness you can imagine. He opens His hand and satisfies the desire of every living thing.

 

Today's Reading: Psalms 143 & 144

Lead Me to the Level Plain

This Psalm is a cry for help.  Here in verse 10, David the Psalmist prays that the Lord would teach him “how to live to please you, because you’re my God.” David’s strong desire was to know and follow God’s will for his life. David wanted to do in his life what God wanted to do through his life. It was his desire to live his life according to the will of God and not according to the will of David.

The phrase “lead me on level ground” at the end of this verse has a very interesting meaning in the original Hebrew language. Translated as “lead me into the land of uprightness” in the King James Bible, this verse literally means “guide me to level plain.” It carries the picture of a being on a hike in the wilderness with a wise and experienced guide - someone who can lead you out of the thorns and thickets and away from the cliffs and rocks and confidently into the solid level clearing. In the Scriptures, the “level plain” was a safe and proper place for God's children to walk – the place of holiness and righteousness and faith and obedience. It alludes to a spiritual condition in which there is a firm foundation of solid ground underneath us – a spiritual level ground so to speak.

David genuinely recognized his own wretchedness and his own human inclination toward sin and selfishness. He knew that because his heart was deceitful and his nature inherently selfish, he would never discover God’s highest calling for his life by his own efforts or “good intentions.” He knew he must be submitted to God’s Holy Spirit and yielded to His teaching and guidance. Jesus said, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth” (John 16:13). Oh what a blessing it is to know that we are not on our own trying to find out God’s will by “trial and error” in our lives. We recognize that being led to the “level plain” is solely the work of the Holy Spirit and that all I must do is ask Him to teach me and guide me and then yield to His will.

David knew that if his plea to fulfill God’s will with his life were to become reality, he would have to be taught by God. Doing God’s will does not come from human consciousness or our mind, intellect, reasoning, or emotions. In fact, if we are NOT taught by God what His will is, we have no hope of discovering that will, let alone doing it.

What about you? Do you want to live your life according to the will of God? Do you want to discover His highest and greatest calling for your life? If so, are you pleading with God to teach you what that will is? Stop trying to figure it out with human reasoning or problem solving. Simply acknowledge your own wretchedness and cry out to Him to teach you His will and to lead you to the place of holiness and righteousness.