Today's Reading: 1 Chronicles 22 & Psalm 30

Joy Comes With The Morning

My wife is a “morning person.” It is not unusual for her to awaken with a joyful heart and song on her lips. For her, joy comes with the morning.  For me, on the other hand, “joy” is not a word I would use to describe myself after first waking up. I’m not grumpy per-se, I’m just a little “happy challenged” when morning comes. I might be awake, but speak to me at your own risk.

When David the Psalmist says, “joy comes with the morning,” he is not referring to our daily wake up patterns. His point is that trials and troubles don’t last forever in our lives. At some point, the darkness will lift and our joy will return. Specifically, David is commenting on the duration of God’s discipline in our lives.

There are times in all of our lives where we undergo God’s correction and discipline. Part of the process of finding wisdom and listening to our Father’s instruction includes receiving discipline from our Father. If we are to grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord, Jesus Christ, there are times when God must discipline us for our “bad behavior.”

Sometimes we grieve the Lord by our insistence on sinning. Sometimes, even when we mean well, we can do foolish things and “miss the mark” of God’s righteous standards. In those times, our loving Father may choose to “jab” us with trials and difficulties to get us back in line with His perfect plan for our lives.  Part of our training is for God to administer discipline. 

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” (Hebrews 12:5-6) How does God discipline us? God can and does use various methods of discipline. He may use trouble at work, hardship at home, or challenges in the ministry. He may allow us to experience loss.  He may even allow physical ailments into our bodies. These can be the consequences of our sin. The reason we are corrected by Him is “so that we will not be finally condemned with the world” (1 Corinthians 11:32).

Remember, God’s discipline – when received by us – will always result in restoration of our joy in Him. Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning. The result of God’s discipline is growth in holiness and maturity. And, ultimately, our dark times will always give way to the light of His presence – either now in this life – or in eternity in His kingdom.

 

Today's Reading: 1 Chronicles 21

 

That Which Cost Me Nothing

The angel of the Lord had instructed David to go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.  In the Bible, there was no machinery, so the process of separating the grain from the straw and husks was done on a smooth, flat, hard surface known as the threshing floor.

So David went up to do what the Lord had commanded him. When Araunah, who was busy threshing wheat at the time, saw David approaching, he left his threshing floor and bowed before David with his face to the ground. David then offered to buy the threshing floor from Araunah for the amount of its full market value. At first, Araunah declined David’s offer and offered to let him have it for free. But David refused saying, “No, I insist on buying it for the full price. I will not take what is yours and give it to the Lord. I will not present burnt offerings that have cost me nothing!” 

As king, David could have confiscated anything he needed without cost. Here was an offer for a threshing floor – and it was free. But He was not willing to build an altar to the Lord when it cost him nothing. This tells us so much about David’s true heart. As followers of Christ, we need to keep coming back to this truth – it is not true giving if it cost me nothing. When we give to the Lord or to the needs of others, it is only when it truly costs me something that it is true sacrificial giving.

So often we give to God from our surplus. Perhaps we throw a five-dollar bill into the collection plate on Sunday. Or, we give twenty dollars to a homeless person on the street. In reality, these types of gifts don’t cost us much, if anything. But when was the last time you gave to the Lord and it really cost you something? When was the last time you had to “go without” in order to give to someone in need? When was the last time you dipped into your “nest egg” to make an investment in the work of the Lord?

Perhaps it is time to assess your own heart on this matter of giving. Perhaps you need to make a sacrifice to the Lord that costs you in terms of your time, talent, or treasure. It is not a true sacrifice if it costs you nothing. The investment we make in worship to our God conveys the value we place on our relationship with Him. 

Today's Reading: 2 Samuel 24 & Psalms 98, 99

 

Tremble and Quake

Psalms 98 and 100 are both joyful and glad songs expressing thanksgiving to Yahweh for His love and faithfulness. In stark contrast to these two songs (and sandwiched right between them) is Psalm 99 which emphasizes Yahweh’s holiness and demands that we tremble in His holy presence.

Psalm 99 begins with, “The Lord reigns; let the peoples tremble!” The Hebrew word for tremble used here is a verb which means to be agitated, quiver, quake, disturbed. In our present day lingo, we might say "shaking in his boots" to reflect the literal quivering and trembling presented here. Because our God is holy and omnipotent, it would be a grave mistake for people to take Him lightly or casually. The very presence of God should cause a great disturbance in peoples’ spirits as they come to understand how unholy and unworthy they are to even stand before Him. He sits on the throne of eternity and He alone has the fate of every person in His hand.

The Psalm falls into three parts, each one concluding with a declaration of God’s holiness. Verses 1-3 emphasize Yahweh’s future position when He returns to earth – He reigns over all the earth. He sits on his throne between the cherubim. The Lord sits in majesty in Jerusalem, exalted above all the nations. Because of His position, the people must praise His great and awesome name. His name is holy! He is the King of kings and Lord of lords!

Verses 4-6 emphasize Yahweh’s justice and fairness. He has acted with justice and righteousness throughout Israel. He makes no mistakes in His judgments, but acts with uncontaminated integrity. Because of this untainted righteousness and justice, the people must exalt the Lord our God! Bow low before his feet, for he is holy!

Verses 7-9 emphasize Yahweh’s punishment for sin and His forgiveness available to all who come to Him. To those who go wrong and reject His lovingkindness, God’s punishment awaits. Alternatively, He is an infinitely forgiving God to those who choose to follow Him. Because of this, people must not take Him lightly or casually, but must come before Him in deep awe of His greatness and holiness. Tremble in His presence. Shake in your boots at the very thought of how unholy you are compared to His flawless holiness and purity.

Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the Lord our God is holy!

Today's Reading: Psalms 95 & 97

Let Us Stoop Down

Psalm 95 is an invitation to come before God and worship Him.  Sadly, the meaning of the word “worship” has been degraded over many generations. In our day, it has come to mean “that portion of our church service where we sing songs together.” In many churches, you will hear the pastor say something like, “let’s worship,” as the musicians start into the melody and lyrics of a song for the congregation to sing. But worship is more than a “sing-along.” Way more!

The original Hebrew word for “worship” used in verse 5 is, “Šāhâ.” This word literally means “to stoop down.”  In verses 5 & 6, we are exhorted to bow down and prostrate ourselves as an act of reverence and worship to our Creator. By this act of stooping down, we are expressing the superiority of the One to whom we bow. Yes, this stooping down can be done with song. But it can also be done in complete silence. In reality, worship is not an expression of our voices, it is an expression our soul declaring the worthiness of our God. By our bowed hearts, we are acknowledging the glory and greatness of our Creator.

Why should we worship Him? This Psalm gives us several reasons as the basis of our bowed hearts. First, because He is great – “For the Lord is a great God” (V3). The word “great” means to be massively large in magnitude, extent, intensity, and importance. We stoop down to God because He is enormously great.  Second, because no one compares to Him – He is “a great King above all gods” (V3). People worship many so-called “gods,” but not one of them is the true and living God. There is only one true God – and nothing compares to Him. He alone is worthy of our worship. Third, we worship Him because of His creative and sustaining power – “In his hand are the depths of the earth… his hands formed the dry land” (V5). It is right to bow down to the One who made the universe and who sustains it with the might of His power. Finally, we worship Him because He is our Great Shepherd – “we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand” (V7). This mighty and great Creator with vast and endless power is the very One who cares for us with His deep love – as a shepherd cares for his sheep. For these reasons, and more, we stoop down before Him with our heartfelt expressions of worship.

So, today if you hear His voice – don’t harden your heart! Instead, turn your heart toward Him and stoop down in His presence. He is a great God and worthy of your worship!

Today's Reading: 2 Samuel 23

Light to Rule Justly

We are nearing the end of king David’s reign and life. In fact, verse 1 of chapter 23 tells us that “these are the last words of David.” A person’s last words can be anywhere from poignant to mysterious. In David’s case, these words are reflective words and wise observations – the culmination of his life and his service to Yahweh. As someone through whom God spoke on many occasions, David’s words carry deep meaning for God’s children. The last words of great and good people are worthy of our attentive observation.

In verse 3, David talks about a ruler's responsibility to rule justly. Anyone who leads or rules over other people must do so in justice and the fear of God. To do otherwise always results in unjust and corrupt leadership. David’s observation here tells us that when a ruler submits to God and His ways, that God will shed the light of divine wisdom on his/her decisions.

If you are in a position of leadership to any extent (whether over one person or tens of thousands), it is critical that you rule in the fear of God. This means that you reverently take God’s truth into account and consider the effect of your decisions from the perspective of His truth.

To an unbeliever, “the fear of God” means to fear His judgment and His power to sentence them to eternal death. The only ones who are to "fear" God in the sense of "being afraid" are those who have not placed their faith in Jesus Christ. To the believer, on the other hand, “the fear of God” is something much different. To us, it is our reverence, respect, and awe of Him. A proper view of God includes a deep reverence and respect for our Creator and Savior. In Christ, we need not be afraid of God, but we are to fear Him and deeply respect His revealed truth.

To fear God as a ruler means to submit your leadership and your decision making to the truth of His word. It means not being prideful or self-exalting and not relying on your own human judgment. To fear God means to respect Him and His ways so deeply that you submit to His leading rather than your own whims or human intellect or popular opinion. The ruler that is submitted to God’s will in this way will discover a wonderful experience – God’s wisdom will dawn on him like the morning light, like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning.

 

Today's Reading: 2 Samuel 22

God Makes No Mistakes

In chapter 22, we have the words of David singing a song of deliverance to celebrate being rescued out of the hands of his enemies by the LORD. A variation of this song is also recorded for us in Psalm 18.

David began this song by praising God who constantly answered his prayers and saved him from death. He is awestruck by God’s almighty power over earthquakes, wind, rain, lightning, thunder and darkness. And he is most-humbled by the fact that God used these powers on David’s behalf. In verse 31, David sings about trusting God saying because He is perfect in all his ways. Because God is perfect and His word is true, David could always depend upon Him.

As David looks back in celebration, he also looks forward with joy and confidence. He assures himself of the kindness God has in store for him and for all those whose hearts are right with Him.

This God – His way is perfect! This means that God makes no mistakes. If a person’s heart is right with God, and if he/she is trusting God’s loving guidance, there is absolutely zero chance of Him making a mistake with any aspect of their life.  God's way is perfectly wise and good and holy, perfectly adapted to fulfil the purposes of His love towards His children. Ultimately, His way leads to an end that is perfectly good – eternity in His presence! Never doubt your loving God’s perfect ways. Unlike Mary Poppins who was “practically” perfect in every way, your God is completely flawless and perfect in His ways and in His love for you.

His word proves true! Put it to the test. Scrutinize it. Analyze it. You will find that His word is impeccable and totally true. It can be fully relied upon and trusted. So, when His word says to you that, “He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6), you can rest assured that His word will come true in every way. “And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified” (Romans 8:29-30).

The logical conclusion of these truths about our perfect God and His true word is that we can – and should – take refuge in Him. He is perfect – He is true – and He is safe. He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him!

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!