relationships (Psalm 150:1-6) Energizing Unity

(Psalm 150:1-6) 

1   Praise the Lord!
     Praise God in His sanctuary;
     Praise Him in His mighty expanse.
2   Praise Him for His mighty deeds;
     Praise Him according to His excellent greatness.

3   Praise Him with trumpet sound;
     Praise Him with harp and lyre.
4   Praise Him with tambourine and dancing;
     Praise Him with stringed instruments and flute.
5   Praise Him with loud cymbals;
     Praise Him with resounding cymbals.
6   Everything that has breath shall praise the Lord.
     Praise the Lord!

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Recently, I came across my diaries and journals, from Junior High and college and into marriage... As I'm reading through these, I can see my spiritual journey and maturity as I learned to trust God more and more; and I'm amazed at how God has worked in my life.  He not only protected me from darkness, bad intentions and situations, He protected me from myself and molded and shaped me into who I am today.  God is not finished with me yet, but I am so very thankful that He has never given up on me and He never will.

Very simply, we should be praising God anytime, anywhere and everywhere, including church.  Especially in church!  Iron sharpens iron!  How else can we equip and encourage each other if we don't meet together?  It is in this togetherness that we can experience God's love and His Spirit of unity, even in our simple acts of expressing approval and admiration for our Lord and Savior, through our actions, words and singing.  

It is interesting that people have no problem spending a lot of money, time and energy, gathering together in stadiums and concert venues to sing out anthems, scream and cheer for those we deem talented, great and awesome.  And if an admired athlete or musician asked us to spend time with them and maybe even run a few errands for them... most people would be ecstatic!  

Well, in this way, and even more so, we should desire to go to God's house, to cheer for Him alongside others, serve and spend time with Him!  We will be blessed and filled with the Lord's strength when we praise Him for everything He has done, is doing, and will do - for everything He does is great and excellent!  The Lord is mighty and most definitely worthy!

relationships (Psalm 149:1-9) Joy in Relationships

(Psalm 149:1-9) 

1   Praise the Lord!
     Sing a new song to the Lord,
     And His praise in the congregation of the godly ones.
2   Israel shall be joyful in his Maker;
     The sons of Zion shall rejoice in their King.
3   They shall praise His name with dancing;
     They shall sing praises to Him with tambourine and lyre.
4   For the Lord takes pleasure in His people;
     He will glorify the lowly with salvation.

5   The godly ones shall be jubilant in glory;
     They shall sing for joy on their beds.
6   The high praises of God shall be in their mouths,
     And a two-edged sword in their hands,
7   To execute vengeance on the nations,
     And punishment on the peoples,
8   To bind their kings with chains,
     And their dignitaries with shackles of iron,
9   To execute against them the judgment written.
     This is an honor for all His godly ones.
     Praise the Lord!

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

We can be confident in the Lord that there will be a day of vengeance and punishment for all those who have fought against God and His people, and He will give us the honor of fighting alongside Him.  This will happen at the end of the Tribulation.  But until that day, vengeance is - and still is - the Lord's.  It is not up to us to determine what and when and how...

In all circumstances, we are to focus on the Lord.  Praising Him and singing praises to Him!  We are to be joyful and rejoice!  Our pastor recently took us through a study on rejoicing, based on the book of Philippians.  Joy is not a feeling that leads us to want to know God, it is a result of getting to know God.  The closer we get to God and the more we know Him, the more joy we will experience.  

"Rejoicing" - is the act of returning to joy.  God is faithful and never leaves or lets go of His children.  It is everyone's choice to become a child of God, or not.  And then it becomes our choice as to how close and how deep of a relationship we want to have with our heavenly Father; who - by the way - tells us not to fear or worry about anything, and desires that we go to Him and rely on Him for everything!  

Therefore, in our other relationships with other believers:  spouses, family members and friends... if we are all putting God first in our lives and we are all being equipped and filled by the Lord, there will be God's joy within all of these relationships.  But it all starts with the Lord and a close relationship with Him.  So let us continue in our returning to and staying close to the Lord, fully embracing all that He is, trusting and resting in Him, and allowing Him to fill us with His joy.

relationships (Psalm 148:1-14) Praise the One Who is Worthy

(Psalm 148:1-14) 

1   Praise the Lord!
     Praise the Lord from the heavens;
     Praise Him in the heights!
2   Praise Him, all His angels;
     Praise Him, all His heavenly armies!
3   Praise Him, sun and moon;
     Praise Him, all stars of light!
4   Praise Him, highest heavens,
     And the waters that are above the heavens!
5   They are to praise the name of the Lord,
     For He commanded and they were created.
6   He has also established them forever and ever;
     He has made a decree, and it will not pass away.

7   Praise the Lord from the earth,
     Sea monsters, and all the ocean depths;
8   Fire and hail, snow and clouds;
     Stormy wind, fulfilling His word;
9   Mountains and all hills;
     Fruit trees and all cedars;
10 Animals and all cattle;
     Crawling things and winged fowl;
11 Kings of the earth and all peoples;
     Rulers and all judges of the earth;
12 Both young men and virgins;
     Old men and children.

13 They are to praise the name of the Lord,
     For His name alone is exalted;
     His majesty is above earth and heaven.
14 And He has lifted up a horn for His people,
     Praise for all His godly ones,
     For the sons of Israel, a people near to Him.
     Praise the Lord!

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

All of creation will bow down and praise the Lord.  And one day, even those who have rejected Jesus, will have no choice but to bow down before Him, as they come before the Lord to be judged for all their sins.  It sounds harsh, but everyone has been given a conscience, a free will and a choice.  

Even if a person never sees a Bible, or hears someone tell them the good news, nature itself is a testimony to God's truth and glory (Romans 1).  Praise the Lord that He knows exactly who will accept Him, and gives each person a fair amount of time and opportunity, as He desires that all come to know Him.  We were all created with the purpose to be in His family and have a close personal relationship with Him!  But because He is love, He will not force anyone to love Him back.

Israel has been given covenants which will be fulfilled in the Millennium, but even there, it requires that each individual has made a personal decision to believe in Jesus.  The Lord chose them to be His missionaries, to be a light to all nations, but they as a nation will only "see" and accept the Light - that is the Lord Jesus - when they see their signs (the judgments) in the Tribulation.

For God's people, and all those who become children of God, the Lord has lifted up a horn.  This is a symbol of royalty, dignity and power, dominion, glory, fierceness and strength.  This will be fulfilled in the Millennium as well as in heaven.  As for right now, God is "on our side" for all of those who are on His side!  In this broken, messed up world, the Lord gives order and makes sense of all things!  He alone is sovereign, just and righteous.  Only the Lord God (Jesus Christ) can save, change, help, and keep us in His way, within the only perfect relationship we can ever have.  Let us not be afraid to praise Him, for He is exalted and worthy!

relationships (Psalm 147:1-20) Being a Light

(Psalm 147:1-20) 

1   Praise the Lord!
     For it is good to sing praises to our God;
     For it is pleasant and praise is beautiful.
2   The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
     He gathers the outcasts of Israel.
3   He heals the brokenhearted 
     And binds up their wounds.
4   He counts the number of the stars;
     He gives names to all of them.
5   Great is our Lord and abundant in strength;
     His understanding is infinite.
6   The Lord supports the afflicted;
     He brings the wicked down to the ground.

7   Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
     Sing praises to our God on the lyre;
8   It is He who covers the heavens with clouds,
     Who provides rain for the earth,
     Who makes grass sprout on the mountains.
9   It is He who gives an animal its food,
     And feeds young ravens that cry.
10 He does not delight in the strength of the horse;
     He does not take pleasure in the legs of a man.
11 The Lord favors those who fear Him,
     Those who wait for His faithfulness.

12 Praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
     Praise your God, Zion!
13 For He has strengthened the bars of your gates;
     He has blessed your sons among you.
14 He makes peace in your borders;
     He satisfies you with the finest of the wheat.
15 He sends His command to the earth;
     His word runs very swiftly.
16 He showers snow like wool;
     He scatters the frost like ashes.
17 He hurls His ice as fragments;
     Who can stand before His cold?
18 He sends His word and makes them melt;
     He makes His wind blow, and the waters flow.
19 He declares His words to Jacob,
     His statutes and His judgments to Israel.
20 He has not dealt this way with any other nation;
     And as for His judgments, they have not known them.
     Praise the Lord!

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

When we consider the nation of Israel and the unique relationship and covenants that they have with the Lord, keep in mind that Israel as a nation was meant to be the light to all other nations.  Anyone could immigrate to Israel and become one of them.  As well, before Jesus came in flesh, anyone anywhere in the world could believe in Him and be saved.  (Galatians 3)

The relationship with God is the same now with anyone who believes in Jesus and His work on the cross.  When we put our faith in Him, we become children of God with a special and close relationship with the Lord, who promises to keep us forever.  And just like Israel, God wants us to be a light to other people, so that others can also find and have that close relationship with Him.  

It might be a scary thought to stand out and be a light, but it really is simpler than we think.  It is all about living for God.  Fearing people is to put them ahead of God.  Fearing God is to show Him the respect that He deserves by putting Him first in our lives.  Waiting for the Lord is to trust that He will help us live for Him.  And because of everything He has done, is doing, and will do for us, we should be praising, singing and thanking the Lord.  And as we are doing these things, because of what the Lord is doing for us, in us, with us and through us, we will be a light for Him!

relationships (Psalm 146:1-10) We All Have to Depend on Someone

(Psalm 146:1-10) 

1   Praise the Lord!
     Praise the Lord, my soul!
2   I will praise the Lord while I live;
     I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
3   Do not trust in noblemen,
     In mortal man, in whom there is no salvation.
4   His spirit departs, he returns to the earth;
     On that very day his plans perish.
5   Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
     Whose hope is in the Lord his God,
6   Who made heaven and earth,
     The sea and everything that is in them;
     Who keeps faith forever;
7   Who executes justice for the oppressed;
     Who gives food to the hungry.
     The Lord frees the prisoners.

8   The Lord opens the eyes of those who are blind;
     The Lord raises up those who are bowed down;
     The Lord loves the righteous.
9   The Lord watches over strangers;
     He supports the fatherless and the widow,
     But He thwarts the way of the wicked.
10 The Lord will reign forever,
     Your God, Zion, to all generations.
     Praise the Lord!

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Many people see Christianity as just some sort of "crutch", thinking that a person has to choose to be pathetically weak and naive to "buy into" this system of belief.  But even in the world's thinking that they don't need any help in life, because they are somehow blessed, strong and smart all on their own, but no matter how smart, strong or rich anyone is, we are all still social beings who depend on others.  

There are those who live off the grid, but against any sort of invasion, they are way more vulnerable than they think.  And the person who works hard and thinks they are so independent and does everything for themselves, I'd ask them if they have any people they do rely on.  Like, managers, PR people, advisors, lawyers, accountants, assistants, tech support, party planners, personal trainers, doctors, drivers, drycleaners, gardeners, cleaning services, people who cook for them and serve them...  Let's not forget the government and all of their agencies who maintain the infrastructure, and provide safety, law and order... I mean, the list is endless, really.  No one is that self-sufficient or that smart or strong!

And then there is the sovereign Lord God, who created all things, so that He could have people (children) to love;  and so, desires to save us for all eternity, and help us through life, spiritually, physically, mentally and emotionally.  He even comes down to us, giving us every opportunity to believe in Him and follow after Him.  So, the Lord saves and helps those who seek Him, put their hope and trust in Him, and give Him thankful, grateful praise.  These are the ones who are...

vs. 8 - the blind whose eyes have been opened:  those who realize God's truth and want to see and understand His salvation and His will, which provides a better way

vs. 8 - the ones who are bowed low:  those who humble themselves before the Lord, realizing that the Lord is so much bigger than them, realizing their need for His salvation and help

vs. 8 - the righteous:  those who have been saved by putting their faith in the Lord, accepting His forgiveness and being clothed in His righteousness

vs. 7 - the hungry:  those who crave to hear more about the Lord and come to His table, to enjoy sweet fellowship with Him, to be filled and satisfied with His peace, love and joy, to be nourished and strengthened by His word and His power, and to be equipped with His wisdom

vs. 9 - the stranger:  those who are aliens in this world, because their home is no longer here on earth, but is now in heaven with their heavenly Father, awaiting their arrival one day

vs. 9 - the fatherless and the widow:  those who are "alone" because they have chosen to put the Lord first in their lives, whether those around them understand this or not

vs. 7 - the oppressed and the prisoner:  because they are being persecuted for standing up for Jesus

At first glance, a lot of these traits and situations may not seem desirable, but as verse 5 points out, blessed are these people!  And as verse 6 points out, God keeps faith forever, so we have everlasting security.  Once we become a child of God, nothing can undo that, not even ourselves.  And then, as we ask and allow, He does everything for us, and then blesses us for it!  So, do I want or need a crutch in life?  Well, yes!  Since we come into this world with spiritually broken legs!  My answer is, yes, please, and thank you!!!

relationships (Psalm 145:1-21) Having the Best Dad Ever!

(Psalm 145:1-21)

1   I will exalt You, my God, the King,
     And I will bless Your name forever and ever.
2   Every day I will bless You,
     And I will praise Your name forever and ever.
3   Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised;
     And His greatness is unsearchable.
4   One generation will praise Your works to another,
     And will declare Your mighty acts.
5   On the glorious splendor of Your majesty 
     And on Your wonderful works, I will meditate.
6   People will speak of the power of Your awesome acts,
     And I will tell of Your greatness.
7   They will burst forth in speaking of Your abundant goodness,
     And will shout joyfully of Your righteousness.

8   The Lord is gracious and compassionate;
     Slow to anger and great in mercy.
9   The Lord is good to all,
     And His mercies are over all His works.
10 All Your works will give thanks to You, Lord,
     And Your godly ones will bless You.
11 They will speak of the glory of Your kingdom,
     And talk of Your might,
12 To make known to the sons of mankind Your mighty acts,
     And the glory of the majesty of Your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
     And Your dominion endures throughout all generations.
     The Lord is faithful in His words,
     And holy in all His works.

14 The Lord supports all who fall,
     And raises up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look to You,
     And You give them their food in due time.
16 You open Your hand 
     And satisfy the desire of every living thing.

17 The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
     And kind in all His works.
18 The Lord is near to all who call on Him,
     To all who call on Him in truth.
19 He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
     He will also hear their cry for help and save them.
20 The Lord watches over all who love Him,
     But He will destroy all the wicked.
21 My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
     And all flesh will bless His holy name forever and ever.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

How could anyone not want to know the Lord personally after reading this passage?  The Lord is powerful and great beyond all measure, doing mighty acts!  He is holy, righteous and truth.  He is gracious, compassionate, merciful and faithful!  He is kind, abundantly good to all, and satisfies desires!  This is so that people might taste the Lord and see that He is good and worthy, so that they can make an educated decision as to whether or not they will make Him Lord and Savior of their life.  But if they reject His free gift of forgiveness and salvation, one has to understand that, because He is holy, He cannot have a relationship with sin, and because He is just, He will destroy the wicked.  

Recently I met yet another person who believes that all people are born as children of God, and therefore everyone has God in them, and therefore everyone will go to heaven.  If one takes verses 6, 9, 14, 16 and 21 out of context, it might be easy to believe that.  But from many other verses, we know that we are created in the image of God, but because Adam and Eve brought sin into the world, this separated us from the Lord.  Therefore, we are born with a sinful nature, and all fall short of God's glory.  But, because He desires that all come to know Him, He came in flesh to accomplish His work on the cross so that we can be reconciled to Him.  We can be born again and become a child of God, forever.

Verses 14, 15, 18, 19 and 20 tells us about all the advantages we have when we become a child of God.  The Lord nourishes us and fulfills our desires.  The Lord will be near, watch over us, hear, help and raise us up.  As our heavenly Father, of course He is going to give us extra special treatment!  Because He helps those who are weak/humble, who rely on and call upon, and look to Him.  He works in the lives of those who bow down to exalt, bless, praise and thank Him, because they fear and greatly respect, honor and love Him.  And out of our thankfulness, our desire and response to His love and greatness, we will listen and mediate on His words, then speak, tell, and declare them loudly so others will hear this good news.

Imagine that we are a child again, and we have this most awesome Dad who loves, helps and cares for us.  He is the kind of Dad we just want to be around, to get his advice, hear his stories and do things together.  And we know that we can go to him with anything.  No problem is too big or too small.  So when we are out on the playground, and the other kids start bragging about how big their dads are, of course we are going to chime right in and say just how awesome our dad is!  Well, with God, it's like that, but far, far more so!!!

relationships (Psalm 144:1-15) Being Equipped and Prepared

(Psalm 144:1-15) 

1   Blessed be the Lord, my rock,
     Who trains my hands for war,
     And my fingers for battle;
2   My faithfulness and my fortress,
     My stronghold and my savior,
     My shield and He in whom I take refuge,
     Who subdues my people under me.
3   Lord, what is man, that You look after him?
     Or a son of man, that You think of him?
4   Man is like the breath;
     His days are like a passing shadow.

5   Bend down Your heavens, Lord, and come down;
     Touch the mountains, that they may smoke.
6   Flash forth lightning and scatter them;
     Send out Your arrows and confuse them.
7   Reach out with Your hand from on high;
     Rescue me and save me from great waters,
     From the hand of foreigners 
8   Whose mouths speak deceit,
     And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

9   God, I will sing a new song to You;
     On a harp of ten strings I will sing praises to You,
10 Who gives salvation to kings,
     Who rescues His servant David from the evil sword.
11 Rescue me and save me from the hand of foreigners,
     Whose mouth speaks deceit 
     And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

12 When our sons in their youth are like growing plants,
     And our daughters like corner pillars fashioned for a palace,
13 Our granaries are full, providing every kind of produce,
     And our flocks deliver thousands and ten thousands in our fields;
14 May our cattle be bred 
     Without mishap and without loss,
     May there be no outcry in our streets!
15 Blessed are the people who are so situated;
     Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Even as a trained soldier, David knew that this life is not about depending on our own feeble wisdom and/or physical strength, even when and especially when facing our greatest enemies.  We are fooling ourselves if we think we can go through life without ever having an enemy or coming across a person who will oppose us.  And we are fooling ourselves if we think we can depend on ourselves.  We can only fully depend on God, because only He is sovereign.  And understand that we are unable to reach up to the Lord.  Instead, the Lord reaches down, and comes down to us!

We can look at how David applied these truths in his life, and see how God worked things out for him.  When David faced a literal giant, he relied on the Lord's help, and then gave Him all the glory when Goliath, with a massive spear, was defeated by a small stone.  Then, David was asked to serve the king by playing music to him, as Saul wrestled with spiritual oppression.  Godly songs vs spears of death had the victory.  As David played, Saul would either experience a spiritual sense of peace for that moment, or there were times when he was filled with enough rage to kill.  The Lord protected David in all of these crazy circumstances, and so, David knew to go to the Lord for protection and help in all circumstances.  

This passage echoes Ephesians 6:10-24, regarding the spiritual armor needed.  Because in life, we all face spiritual battles.  First, we have to choose the side that we will be on, and then in the Lord's salvation, we need to allow God to fully equip and prepare us.  This battle is His.  Only He can save us.  Only He can prepare us.  Only He is able to fight for us.  And only in and through Him do we have the victory, because He has the victory!  It is in this way that, as we go through life and its struggles, we are able to experience His strength, peace, joy and blessings.

relationships (Psalm 143:1-12) True Maturity

(Psalm 143:1-12)

1   Hear my prayer, Lord,
     Listen to my pleadings!
     Answer me in Your faithfulness, in Your righteousness!
2   And do not enter into judgment with Your servant,
     For no person living is righteous in Your sight.
3   For the enemy has persecuted my soul;
     He has crushed my life to the ground;
     He has made me dwell in dark places, like those who have long been dead.
4   Therefore my spirit feels weak within me;
     My heart is appalled within me.

5   I remember the days of old;
     I meditate on all Your accomplishments;
     I reflect on the work of Your hands.
6   I spread out my hands to You;
     My soul longs for You, like a weary land. Selah 

7   Answer me quickly, Lord, my spirit fails;
     Do not hide Your face from me,
     Or I will be the same as those who go down to the pit.
8   Let me hear Your faithfulness in the morning,
     For I trust in You;
     Teach me the way in which I should walk;
     For to You I lift up my soul.
9   Save me, Lord, from my enemies;
     I take refuge in You.

10 Teach me to do Your will,
     For You are my God;
     Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
11 For the sake of Your name, Lord, revive me.
     In Your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble.
12 And in Your faithfulness, destroy my enemies,
     And eliminate all those who attack my soul,
     For I am Your servant.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

No human being can live righteously.  This is why we need the Lord's salvation.  And until we reach heaven, we will still struggle, so we need His help, each and every day!  This all requires that we put our faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ!  Then as we allow, He teaches and leads us, just like David asks of the Lord in verses 8 to 12.

It helps to remember all that the Lord has already done in our lives.  I think that there are moments, as we mature in our walk with the Lord, that we can become self-reliant, thinking that we are now mature enough to handle a few things on our own.  But that is actually not being a mature Christian.  Now that it has been almost 60 years of being a Christian, I understand more and more that true maturity is understanding that we need the Lord and His help all of the time, for everything!

The Lord continually protects us and changes us from the inside out, in His faithfulness and righteousness - not ours.  Our purpose in serving the Lord and living a righteous life is to bring Him glory.  So, because we need His righteousness, the only way we can glorify God, is do everything in Him and through Him!

relationships (Psalm 142:1-7) To Whom Can We Vent?

(Psalm 142:1-7)

1   I cry out with my voice to the Lord;
     With my voice I implore the Lord for compassion.
2   I pour out my complaint before Him;
     I declare my trouble before Him.
3   When my spirit felt weak within me,
     You knew my path.
     In the way where I walk 
     They have hidden a trap for me.
4   Look to the right and see;
     For there is no one who regards me favorably;
     There is no escape for me;
     No one cares for my soul.

5   I cried out to You, Lord;
     I said, “You are my refuge,
     My portion in the land of the living.
6   Give Your attention to my cry,
     For I have been brought very low;
     Rescue me from my persecutors,
     For they are too strong for me.
7   Bring my soul out of prison,
     So that I may give thanks to Your name;
     The righteous will surround me,
     For You will look after me.”

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

It's one thing to vent to someone who is loving, compassionate, understanding, and might even have a few words of wisdom for us, but it quite another thing to be able to go to the Lord and vent.  And while a person can be somewhat patient, they can get weary from hearing us vent, but God is not only faithful, He will never get tired of hearing from us!  In fact, He asks that we go to Him with everything!

It is so awesome to know that we can "pour out" all our complaints to the Lord.  Think of a cup filled with complaints.  If we pour it out, it should all be gone.  And when we have given everything to the Lord, we can take refuge and rest in Him.  Even if our troubles are stronger than we are, the Lord is all-powerful.  And because He cares for those who look to Him, He will look after us.  So why just vent, why not seek the help that we actually need?  Why not vent to the One who can actually help us?

relationships (Psalm 141:1-10) Mentors and Self-Discipline

(Psalm 141:1-10) 

1   Lord, I call upon You; hurry to me!
     Listen to my voice when I call to You!
2   May my prayer be counted as incense before You;
     The raising of my hands as the evening offering.
3   Set a guard, Lord, over my mouth;
     Keep watch over the door of my lips.
4   Do not incline my heart to any evil thing,
     To practice deeds of wickedness 
     With people who do wrong;
     And may I not taste their delicacies.

5   May the righteous strike me with mercy and discipline me;
     It is oil for the head;
     My head shall not refuse it,
     For my prayer is still against their evil deeds.
6   Their judges are thrown down by the sides of the rock,
     And they hear my words, for they are pleasant.
7   As when one plows and breaks open the earth,
     Our bones have been scattered at the mouth of Sheol.

8   For my eyes are toward You, God, the Lord;
     In You I take refuge; do not leave me defenseless.
9   Keep me from the jaws of the trap which they have set for me,
     And from the snares of those who do wrong.
10 May the wicked fall into their own nets,
     While I pass by safely.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

It can be dangerously misleading to get a taste of a "worldly delicacy" because it might feel good in the moment, which could tempt one to continue searching for that "next high" (whatever "delicacy" it is, be it drugs, sex, fame, money, power...).  And for a time, it might even feel like freedom, but all of these paths are traps to keep one enslaved to sin.  And all of these paths lie in the midst of others who are really only out for themselves.  And so, all of these paths only lead to deception, destruction and disappointment.

The path of sin also leads to shame and humiliation, because God has created everyone with a conscience.  Many try to harden their hearts so that they won't feel guilty, but the only remedy is for one to repent and turn to the Lord.  If a believer has been sinning, they will feel guilt and remorse because the Holy Spirit convicts our hearts.  The only remedy is for us to humbly confess and get back to closely walking with the Lord.  Understand the difference though, "humiliation" is the defeat of sin, while "being humble" is a choice to accept eternal life and victory in the Lord Jesus Christ.  And so, it is only on this path that we will experience true freedom, fulfillment and joy.

Like fragrant incense, or a well-prepared feast, in a close walk with the Lord, our worship and prayers will be pleasing to Him, because we will be striving to do all things in His strength, love and wisdom!  Like David does here, ask God to help us speak and act accordingly!  And when we pray, it will please Him when we pray in His will.  Obviously, it helps to know God's will, as well as have other believers who will guide us and help keep us accountable, in a loving and godly way.

Here, we need to understand that word "discipline".  This does NOT mean that we are to punish each other, or whip each others into shape, or even berate fellow Christians into feeling shame and humility.  We cannot control others, nor should we try to control or manipulate - even if it is "for their own good".  Consider how we would like to be approached if and when we are struggling with something.

So what does that word "discipline" actually mean?  Think of an athlete in training, or a musician refining and learning more skills.  There is a coach/instructor present who knows and understands what is needed, and they are there to teach, guide and encourage.  And if they observe something that will hinder one's best performance, they will point it out and offer suggestions as to how to avoid doing that by doing something else, which will be the right way, or a better way.  

Even if a mentor is there only some of the time, a lot of the time, or all of the time, all the responsibility actually falls on the athlete or musician to become more and more self-disciplined, to take the instructions and feedback to heart, and be determined enough to put in the necessary practice and preparation.  Even the most seasoned athletes and musicians know the importance of practicing the basics daily, like warm-ups, drills and scales, as well as the opportunity to learning new things in order to improve even more.

While it still might sound scary, we should have the courage to desire this from the Lord, as well as from other believers.  And to be this kind of mentor for others.  Everything should be Spirit-led, which will in turn encourage us to continue being Spirit-led, in order to stay on the path of victory, fulfillment and joy, which is to have a close, personal relationship with the Lord, who protects us from others as well as ourselves, and disciplines, guides, molds and shapes us.

relationships (Psalm 140:1-13) True Security

(Psalm 140:1-13) 

1   Rescue me, Lord, from evil people;
     Protect me from violent men 
2   Who devise evil things in their hearts;
     They continually stir up wars.
3   They sharpen their tongues like a snake;
     The venom of a viper is under their lips. Selah 

4   Keep me, Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
     Protect me from violent men 
     Who intend to trip up my feet.
5   The proud have hidden a trap for me, and snares;
     They have spread a net at the wayside;
     They have set snares for me. Selah 

6   I said to the Lord, “You are my God;
     Listen, Lord, to the sound of my pleadings.
7   God the Lord, the strength of my salvation,
     You have covered my head on the day of battle.
8   Do not grant, Lord, the desires of the wicked;
     Do not bring about his evil planning, so that they are not exalted. Selah 

9   “As for the head of those who surround me,
     May the harm of their lips cover them.
10 May burning coals fall upon them;
     May they be cast into the fire,
     Into bottomless pits from which they cannot rise.
11 May a slanderer not endure on the earth;
     May evil hunt a violent person violently.”

12 I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted,
     And justice for the poor.
13 Certainly the righteous will give thanks to Your name;
     The upright will dwell in Your presence.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

"Selah" means that we are to pause and think about these things.  David was referring to issues that he was facing, which were huge!  Instead of hastily rushing into some fray or trap, David stopped to think, and to pray.  And then he waited, trusting in God to handle things, since the Lord is all-powerful, and He does care.

There is false security in thinking that we are safe by living in certain areas of a city or out in the countryside, surrounding ourselves with security cameras, etc.  But our own physical wisdom and strength is very limited, and there is evil everywhere.  NOT that we should live in fear or worry.  In fact, God tells us to fear Him, and then we do not - should not - be afraid or worry about anyone or anything else.  The key here is that we find our security in the Lord, and in His wisdom and strength.  This does not mean that we should test God and do silly things like walk into back alleys and flash around money, or act out in menacing ways.  That would not be wise.

Wisdom is to live in God's will.  This is discovered through reading His word, praying, and asking Him to guide us and help us, in every situation... even before we find ourselves in a situation.  We can know that God will hear and answer these prayers, since He wants us to remain obedient and steadfast in Him.  And because we can know and be so very sure that we cannot lose our salvation, we should be so very thankful to the Lord.  When we are on the Lord's side, He is on our side!  Therefore, we can and should go to the Lord for everything.