"I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
With him at my right hand,
I will not be shaken." Psalm 16:8 NIV
Do a concordance search for the word "shaken" and several of the Psalms come up. A recurring theme of the steadiness of God in troubled times is apparent. With Covid-19 sweeping around the world, it does feel like the world is being shaken. Governments are rattled, people are fearing for their lives, and employment has done a somersault. The Psalmist has the solution for times like these and declares :"I keep my eyes always on the Lord." He is the rock and our salvation. He keeps us in the eye of the storm away from the furious winds of panic and despair. The harder we hang on to the world - afraid to lose our lives, our status, our health, the more we are shaken. If we hang on to the lifeline of faith in our Lord, we can soar far above the world even as we are still attached to it, and we will barely feel the violent shaking going on below.
I rejoice in the omnipotence of God who can shake up the world when it needs to be woken up. He will not let us wallow and die in our sins. I praise him for the Scriptures that He has given us so that we can see how He worked in history in the past. I pray that I will use this time of shaking to good purpose.
Friday, May 22, 2020
Sunday, April 19, 2020
The Appaling Lord
"Just as there were many who were appalled at him - his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness-" Isaiah 52:14 NIV
Many were appalled at him. The passage seems to be referring to the physical appearance of the Saviour but something doesn't quite fit. Many people have physical disfigurements but his form is "marred beyond human likeness" as though somehow he is not like other men. Thinking about this, I wonder if it can be taken symbolically to mean that his teaching and presence were appalling to the natural man. God's holiness and goodness is presented to the world but it is viewed as something horrible. How many people recoil in disgust if you try to speak to them about Jesus? How many times is Christianity or the Bible ridiculed and despised? Jesus is so fundamentally different from man that there is no natural affinity between them. The sinful nature of man hates God, and lies to people saying that the love of God is evil. All the disfigurement is in the eyes of the beholder.
I pray that God will give me the right sight to see his holiness and love, and praise him for it.
I pray that I will never consider his essential teachings to be a burden, but that I will see them as his precious gift. I pray that the tawdry trinkets of this world will not distract me from the real beauty of my Saviour.
Many were appalled at him. The passage seems to be referring to the physical appearance of the Saviour but something doesn't quite fit. Many people have physical disfigurements but his form is "marred beyond human likeness" as though somehow he is not like other men. Thinking about this, I wonder if it can be taken symbolically to mean that his teaching and presence were appalling to the natural man. God's holiness and goodness is presented to the world but it is viewed as something horrible. How many people recoil in disgust if you try to speak to them about Jesus? How many times is Christianity or the Bible ridiculed and despised? Jesus is so fundamentally different from man that there is no natural affinity between them. The sinful nature of man hates God, and lies to people saying that the love of God is evil. All the disfigurement is in the eyes of the beholder.
I pray that God will give me the right sight to see his holiness and love, and praise him for it.
I pray that I will never consider his essential teachings to be a burden, but that I will see them as his precious gift. I pray that the tawdry trinkets of this world will not distract me from the real beauty of my Saviour.
Friday, April 10, 2020
Unbounded Love
"Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted." Isaiah 53:4 NIV
The Messiah is prophesied to take our infirmities upon himself. Our fears, our weaknesses, our doubts, our physical ailments are gathered up by the Saviour and become his burden. Our heart-break, our losses, our disappointments are loaded up on the shoulders of the Saviour. Yet as he does this, people think his crucifixion is a punishment from God, that God was angry with him, that God deliberately hurt him. But it is our sins that lead to death, even the death of our Saviour. His unbounded love for us carries all our pain and suffering even as we do not thank him for it, or even recognize it. In spite of our disregard for him, he still died on the cross for us because he loves us unreservedly. His nature is love and he only acts in accordance with his nature.
I pray that I will remember the depth and strength of Jesus's infinite love for me. The cross so graphically shows the result of our sins - the darkness, cruelty, suffering and death that come out of sin . Jesus hates to see our rebellious spirits crashing into evil so he stands in the way of our darkness and overcomes it with his love.
yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted." Isaiah 53:4 NIV
The Messiah is prophesied to take our infirmities upon himself. Our fears, our weaknesses, our doubts, our physical ailments are gathered up by the Saviour and become his burden. Our heart-break, our losses, our disappointments are loaded up on the shoulders of the Saviour. Yet as he does this, people think his crucifixion is a punishment from God, that God was angry with him, that God deliberately hurt him. But it is our sins that lead to death, even the death of our Saviour. His unbounded love for us carries all our pain and suffering even as we do not thank him for it, or even recognize it. In spite of our disregard for him, he still died on the cross for us because he loves us unreservedly. His nature is love and he only acts in accordance with his nature.
I pray that I will remember the depth and strength of Jesus's infinite love for me. The cross so graphically shows the result of our sins - the darkness, cruelty, suffering and death that come out of sin . Jesus hates to see our rebellious spirits crashing into evil so he stands in the way of our darkness and overcomes it with his love.
Friday, April 3, 2020
Healing the Blind
"He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village...Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly." Mark 8:23, 25 NIV
The miracles performed by Jesus are not only records of people being healed, but they are also allegories of spiritual matters. Here we have a blind man who is brought to Jesus for healing. The first thing Jesus does is lead the man out of the village, away from his peers, away from the community where he feels comfortable. Alone with Jesus, he has his sight restored and he sees things clearly. It is often when we are alone with Jesus, away from other influences, that our spiritual sight is restored . Even our Christian friends and family can sway us to follow ideas that are not in line with the Bible. Listening to the Holy Spirit in the quiet of private time with Jesus helps us to clearly see and assess everything in our lives, in the lives of friends and family, in the happenings of the world. Outside the village, holding Jesus hand, is a place of light and understanding.
I pray that I will look for opportunities to walk outside my village holding Jesus hand. I pray that I will listen wholeheartedly to his word in the Bible and let the Holy Spirit be my teacher. I thank God for his gift of revelation and his desire for us to see his goodness, his love, his creativity clearly.
The miracles performed by Jesus are not only records of people being healed, but they are also allegories of spiritual matters. Here we have a blind man who is brought to Jesus for healing. The first thing Jesus does is lead the man out of the village, away from his peers, away from the community where he feels comfortable. Alone with Jesus, he has his sight restored and he sees things clearly. It is often when we are alone with Jesus, away from other influences, that our spiritual sight is restored . Even our Christian friends and family can sway us to follow ideas that are not in line with the Bible. Listening to the Holy Spirit in the quiet of private time with Jesus helps us to clearly see and assess everything in our lives, in the lives of friends and family, in the happenings of the world. Outside the village, holding Jesus hand, is a place of light and understanding.
I pray that I will look for opportunities to walk outside my village holding Jesus hand. I pray that I will listen wholeheartedly to his word in the Bible and let the Holy Spirit be my teacher. I thank God for his gift of revelation and his desire for us to see his goodness, his love, his creativity clearly.
Thursday, February 20, 2020
Peace with God
"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. " Romans 5:1 NIV
Peace with God. No more guilt, no more fear, no more uncertainty. Peace with God. We have been justified, we have been made righteous in the sight of God, through our faith in Jesus. No work of our own can get rid of our sinfulness, but Jesus, in a miraculous way, gives us a clean standing before God. There is a hymn titled Blessed Assurance. How could anything be more blessed than to be assured that we are at peace with God.
If I start to be bothered by anxiety or irritation, I can remember that I have peace with God, the creator of the universe. Everything else will shrink in significance when I take that gift of peace into my heart.
Peace with God. No more guilt, no more fear, no more uncertainty. Peace with God. We have been justified, we have been made righteous in the sight of God, through our faith in Jesus. No work of our own can get rid of our sinfulness, but Jesus, in a miraculous way, gives us a clean standing before God. There is a hymn titled Blessed Assurance. How could anything be more blessed than to be assured that we are at peace with God.
If I start to be bothered by anxiety or irritation, I can remember that I have peace with God, the creator of the universe. Everything else will shrink in significance when I take that gift of peace into my heart.
Saturday, February 8, 2020
A Downward Trend
"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers." Psalm 1:1 NIV
The book of Psalms starts with this verse. It sets the stage for everything else in the book. A life blessed by God means to not browse through and accept the advice of unbelieving people. Don't spend time with people who encourage you to rebel against God. A progression occurs in this verse. First, one is walking in the counsel of the wicked. Perhaps that is casually moving in ungodly circles. Next, is the standing with sinners. One is now stationery in the company of sinners, not going forward in a search for the truth. Finally, one sits in the seat of mockers. Firmly entrenched, at rest, and making a home with those who laugh at God is the final destination.
Blessings come when we keep our hearts on God and his teachings. In a world that so often ridicules godliness and righteousness, we need to recognize the wicked counsel, the influence of sinners and the beckoning words of those who mock God and his people. Let me be firm in my walk with Jesus and steer clear of listening to ungodly people. God knows this is how I will be blessed.
The book of Psalms starts with this verse. It sets the stage for everything else in the book. A life blessed by God means to not browse through and accept the advice of unbelieving people. Don't spend time with people who encourage you to rebel against God. A progression occurs in this verse. First, one is walking in the counsel of the wicked. Perhaps that is casually moving in ungodly circles. Next, is the standing with sinners. One is now stationery in the company of sinners, not going forward in a search for the truth. Finally, one sits in the seat of mockers. Firmly entrenched, at rest, and making a home with those who laugh at God is the final destination.
Blessings come when we keep our hearts on God and his teachings. In a world that so often ridicules godliness and righteousness, we need to recognize the wicked counsel, the influence of sinners and the beckoning words of those who mock God and his people. Let me be firm in my walk with Jesus and steer clear of listening to ungodly people. God knows this is how I will be blessed.
Wednesday, December 4, 2019
The Slippery Slope of Envy
Do not envy the wicked, but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord. Proverbs 23:17 NIV
Envy strikes without warning. We are happily going about our day when a friend mentions an exciting holiday they have taken. Suddenly joy leaves and dark envy fills the void. A colleague gets a promotion when we never seem to be noticed. Envy twists our hearts. Our life which seemed pleasant now feels dull and unfulfilling. We may envy the wicked, but we can also envy our brothers and sisters in Christ. Out of our envy sprouts greed, anger, frustration, pride. With grumbling hearts, we chaff against the provisions that God has made for our lives. We turn our backs on God and lust after money, adventure, relationships. God's goodness is now not enough.
When envy catches hold of me, I denounce it for its destructiveness. I remind myself that God is giving me exactly the life I need. He is weeding out the evil in me, including envy. He wants to fill me with love; He wants me to be close to him and know his peace. I pray that I will be quick to smack envy out of my life. God is good, all the time.
Envy strikes without warning. We are happily going about our day when a friend mentions an exciting holiday they have taken. Suddenly joy leaves and dark envy fills the void. A colleague gets a promotion when we never seem to be noticed. Envy twists our hearts. Our life which seemed pleasant now feels dull and unfulfilling. We may envy the wicked, but we can also envy our brothers and sisters in Christ. Out of our envy sprouts greed, anger, frustration, pride. With grumbling hearts, we chaff against the provisions that God has made for our lives. We turn our backs on God and lust after money, adventure, relationships. God's goodness is now not enough.
When envy catches hold of me, I denounce it for its destructiveness. I remind myself that God is giving me exactly the life I need. He is weeding out the evil in me, including envy. He wants to fill me with love; He wants me to be close to him and know his peace. I pray that I will be quick to smack envy out of my life. God is good, all the time.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)