relationships (Psalm 12:1-8) Do Not Be Shocked!

(Psalm 12:1-8)  Help, Lord, for the godly person has come to an end,

     For the faithful have disappeared from the sons of mankind.
2   They speak lies to one another;
     They speak with flattering lips and a double heart.
3   May the Lord cut off all flattering lips,
     The tongue that speaks great things;
4   Who have said, “With our tongue we will prevail;
     Our lips are our own; who is lord over us?”
5   “Because of the devastation of the poor, because of the groaning of the needy,
     Now I will arise,” says the Lord; “I will put him in the safety for which he longs.”

6   The words of the Lord are pure words;
     Like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, filtered seven times.
7   You, Lord, will keep them;
     You will protect him from this generation forever.
8   The wicked strut about on every side 
     When vileness is exalted among the sons of mankind.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

We can definitely relate to David's observations of the society that surrounded him!  And as his son, Solomon, pointed out:  there is nothing new under the sun, and all things of this earth is vanity!  Even when the world is striving for peace and unity in their own way, we can see the evidence of garish pomposity by watching something like this year's Olympic opening ceremonies.  

No matter what evil exists, seductive or physically dangerous, the Lord will help us, the believer.  It is difficult for people to be faithful, but God is faithful.  The Lord will keep and protect us.  And our salvation is forever.  Nothing can change that.  God promises us in His word, and His words are pure, holy and true!  Therefore, we can fully trust and depend on Him with great confidence. 

To pray more effectively, it helps us to know what God wants us to do when we are faced with things that are shocking or offensive.  As believers, we do need to be careful how we react, otherwise we will come across as either fearful or prideful and judgmental towards the world.  So how should we react, and what should we do?

(1 Peter 4:12-19)  Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though something strange were happening to you; 13 but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that at the revelation of His glory you may also rejoice and be overjoyed. 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory, and of God, rests upon you. 15 Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; 16 but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And if it is with difficulty that the righteous is saved, what will become of the godless man and the sinner? 19 Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God are to entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.

(1 Peter 3:8-9) To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, loving, compassionate, and humble; 9 not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you would inherit a blessing.

relationships (Psalm 11:1-7) Finding Refuge

(Psalm 11:1-7)   In the Lord I take refuge;

     How can you say to my soul, “Flee as a bird to your mountain?
2   For, behold, the wicked bend the bow,
     They have set their arrow on the string 
     To shoot in darkness at the upright in heart.
3   If the foundations are destroyed,
     What can the righteous do?”

4   The Lord is in His holy temple; the Lord’s throne is in heaven;
     His eyes see, His eyelids test the sons of mankind.
5   The Lord tests the righteous and the wicked,
     And His soul hates one who loves violence.
6   He will rain coals of fire upon the wicked,
     And brimstone and burning wind will be the portion of their cup.
7   For the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness;
     The upright will see His face.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

When faced with struggles, the world would suggest that a person stay and fight, or run for the hills.  But then you are trusting in your own feeble strength and in your own very limited wisdom.  Another thing that the world would suggest is to find any religion and "climb the mountain" to some sort of god or gods, which are created by mankind based on their very limited wisdom!  And/or these religions are inspired by Satan, who is the father of lies, who seeks to deceive, distort, divide and destroy!

So many people say that there are many different ways to climb up the mountain, meaning, they believe there are different ways to get to God.  But, whoever climbs a mountain to try to find God, once they arrive at the top, if they ever do, they will still only find themselves at the top of a mountain.  

Verse 4 tells us that the Lord's throne is in heaven.  And He, being holy and righteous, cannot have a relationship with sin.  Therefore, no one can get into heaven unless they are holy... perfect... righteous... spiritually born again!  This is impossible to achieve in our own strength and wisdom.  The only way anyone can be righteous is to humbly approach and repent and believe in the Lord Jesus, who then forgiveness all sins, and seals us with His Holy Spirit of promise for all eternity.

The "upright" and the "righteous" are terms used for those who are believers.  True Christians are those who have put their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.  If we have already done that, why would we not always take refuge in the Lord?  And if someone hasn't done that, until you die, it is never to late - and it is never too soon!  God, who sees and knows everything, AND LOVES US so very much that He came in flesh to suffer and die on a cross to pay the price for all sin... He is the very clear choice!  We should always run to Him, and let Him fight all our battles.

relationships (Psalm 10:1-8) Having Confidence

(Psalm 10:1-18)  Why do You stand far away, Lord?

     Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble?
2   In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the needy;
     Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised.

3   For the wicked boasts of his soul’s desire,
     And the greedy person curses and shows disrespect to the Lord.
4   The wicked, in his haughtiness, does not seek Him.
     There is no God in all his schemes.

5   His ways succeed at all times;
     Yet Your judgments are on high, out of his sight;
     As for all his enemies, he snorts at them.
6   He says to himself, “I will not be moved;
     Throughout the generations I will not be in adversity.”
7   His mouth is full of cursing, deceit, and oppression;
     Under his tongue is harm and injustice.
8   He sits in the lurking places of the villages;
     He kills the innocent in the secret places;
     His eyes surreptitiously watch for the unfortunate.
9   He lurks in secret like a lion in his lair;
     He lurks to catch the needy;
     He catches the needy when he pulls him into his net.
10 Then he crushes the needy one, who cowers;
     And unfortunate people fall by his mighty power.
11 He says to himself, “God has forgotten;
     He has hidden His face; He will never see it.”

12 Arise, Lord; God, lift up Your hand.
     Do not forget the humble.
13 Why has the wicked treated God disrespectfully?
     He has said to himself, “You will not require an account.”
14 You have seen it, for You have looked at harm and provocation to take it into Your hand.
     The unfortunate commits himself to You;
     You have been the helper of the orphan.
15 Break the arm of the wicked and the evildoer,
     Seek out his wickedness until You find none.

16 The Lord is King forever and ever;
     Nations have perished from His land.
17 Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble;
     You will strengthen their heart, You will make Your ear attentive 
18 To vindicate the orphan and the oppressed,
     So that mankind, which is of the earth, will no longer cause terror.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Verses 5 and 13 says, the wicked think that they are getting away with murder, and stealing and...  To the wicked, as well as to believers at times, God may not seem like He is involved or present, but He most definitely is.  The nations will be judged during the Tribulation.  And there will be a day when all unbelievers are brought to account and punished for all crimes.  

Meanwhile, for right now, we must know - the Lord hears and sees everything.  The Lord is everywhere.  The Lord is King, forever and ever... not just for in the future, but He has been in the past, and He is right now.  He helps and strengthens those who humbly seek Him and commit to Him and desire to know Him better.  

In a personal relationship with the Sovereign Lord, we do not have to fear or worry about anything or anyone.  This is not to be oblivious.  We are to be alert, while knowing and trusting and being confident in that - God's got this!!!

relationships (Psalm 9:1-20) Having Constant Communication

(Psalm 9:1-20)  I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart;

     I will tell of all Your wonders.
2   I will rejoice and be jubilant in You;
     I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.

3   When my enemies turn back,
     They stumble and perish before You.
4   For You have maintained my just cause;
     You have sat on the throne judging righteously.
5   You have rebuked the nations, You have eliminated the wicked;
     You have wiped out their name forever and ever.
6   The enemy has come to an end in everlasting ruins,
     And You have uprooted the cities;
     The very memory of them has perished.

7   But the Lord sits as King forever;
     He has established His throne for judgment,
8   And He will judge the world in righteousness;
     He will execute judgment for the peoples fairly.
9   The Lord will also be a stronghold for the oppressed,
     A stronghold in times of trouble;
10 And those who know Your name will put their trust in You,
     For You, Lord, have not abandoned those who seek You.

11 Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion;
     Declare His deeds among the peoples.
12 For He who requires blood remembers them;
     He does not forget the cry of the needy.
13 Be gracious to me, Lord;
     See my oppression from those who hate me,
     You who lift me up from the gates of death,
14 So that I may tell of all Your praises,
     That in the gates of the daughter of Zion 
     I may rejoice in Your salvation.
15 The nations have sunk down into the pit which they have made;
     In the net which they hid, their own foot has been caught.
16 The Lord has made Himself known;
     He has executed judgment.
     A wicked one is ensnared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion Selah 

17 The wicked will return to Sheol,
     All the nations who forget God.
18 For the needy will not always be forgotten,
     Nor the hope of the afflicted perish forever.
19 Arise, Lord, do not let mankind prevail;
     Let the nations be judged before You.
20 Put them in fear, Lord;
     Let the nations know that they are merely human. Selah

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

We have all been born into sin, and where there is sin, there is death.  Therefore, there is a need for blood to be shed.  This is why the Lord Jesus Christ shed His blood on the cross, in payment for all sin, of all time, for all people (retroactively), and He rose again to have victory over death.  Whoever humbly goes to the Lord to repent and believe, is forgiven all sins and is reborn and adopted into God's family forever.  Our salvation is eternal and secure.

Verse 10 sums it up another way.  Those who seek the Lord, and come to know Him in a personal relationship, to understand that He loves and cares about us, will trust in His word and His will.  To truly trust in what God wants for our lives, is to be obedient.  I know, this sounds so draconian, but God doesn't just hand out laws and commandments willy-nilly so that we'll feel stifled.  In reading through the Bible and taking notes on all the "do's and don'ts", I actually saw that there aren't that many.  They can be summed up into ten main commandments.  And those, Jesus summed up very nicely - first, love God - and then love people!

As a believer, we have been set free from the law and from sin!  But understand, we should still do as God says, not because we have to, but because we want to... because God wants the best for our lives, and by doing as He says, we will experiences the best outcomes.  And in striving to do as He says, He will use us in mighty ways to be a testimony to others.

We should also never forget that the Lord is fair and just, and there will come a day of reckoning - for everyone.  Believers will be judged and rewarded according to the good deeds done with pure motives.  Unbelievers will be judged by their sins.  So another point to meditate on and consider is - what are we doing and saying so that others will come to know that they are merely human and in need of saving and having Jesus in their lives?  

I used to be so intimated by this, but I've come to understand that it is so much easier when we focus on living out God's purpose for our lives - all in His strength and wisdom - asking the Lord to do everything FOR us!  As we all need the Lord Jesus to save us from our sins, we all still continue to need the Lord to help us in all things.  Just like in any human relationship, Jesus desires that we stay in constant communication with Him:  to rely on Him in both good times and bad times, as well as to get to know Him better and better through His word.

relationships (Psalm 8:1-9) Being Overseers

(Psalm 8:1-9)  Lord, our Lord,

     How majestic is Your name in all the earth,
     You who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens!
2   From the mouths of infants and nursing babies You have established strength 
     Because of Your enemies,
     To do away with the enemy and the revengeful.

3   When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
     The moon and the stars, which You have set in place;
4   What is man that You think of him,
     And a son of man that You are concerned about him?
5   Yet You have made him a little lower than God,
     And You crown him with glory and majesty!
6   You have him rule over the works of Your hands;
     You have put everything under his feet,
7   All sheep and oxen,
     And also the animals of the field,
8   The birds of the sky, and the fish of the sea,
     Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.

9   Lord, our Lord,
     How majestic is Your name in all the earth!

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Our Lord and Savior created all things with splendor and majesty.  And then created us with a purpose and a value that is even greater than all those things.  On top of that, He allows us to govern these things.  

We may not be the best rulers, or grounds-keepers, or the greatest ambassadors, but He loves and cares for us, still.  He did not come to pay the price for all sin for nothing.  God's love and care for His children will never diminish!

I'm just so very thankful that God oversees us overseeing His creation.  Because He is Sovereign, no matter how badly mankind messes things up, God does and will step in where and when needed.  And always, we can ask for help and guidance - to be the best stewards of everything He has given to us!!!

relationships (Psalm 7:1-17) Getting Through Consequences and Tests

(Psalm 7:1-17)  O Lord my God, in You I have taken refuge;

     Save me from all those who pursue me, and rescue me,
2   Or he will tear my soul like a lion,
     Dragging me away, while there is no one to rescue me.

3   O Lord my God, if I have done this,
     If there is injustice in my hands,
4   If I have done evil to my friend,
     Or have plundered my enemy for no reason,
5   Let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it;
     And let him trample my life to the ground 
     And lay my glory in the dust. Selah 

6   Arise, Lord, in Your anger;
     Raise Yourself against the rage of my enemies,
     And stir Yourself for me; You have ordered judgment.
7   Let the assembly of the peoples encompass You,
     And return on high over it.
8   The Lord judges the peoples;
     Vindicate me, Lord, according to my righteousness and my integrity that is in me.
9   Please let the evil of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous;
     For the righteous God puts hearts and minds to the test.
10 My shield is with God,
     Who saves the upright in heart.
11 God is a righteous judge,
     And a God who shows indignation every day.

12 If one does not repent, He will sharpen His sword;
     He has bent His bow and taken aim.
13 He has also prepared deadly weapons for Himself;
     He makes His arrows fiery shafts.
14 Behold, an evil person is pregnant with injustice,
     And he conceives harm and gives birth to lies.
15 He has dug a pit and hollowed it out,
     And has fallen into the hole which he made.
16 His harm will return on his own head,
     And his violence will descend on the top of his own head.

17 I will give thanks to the Lord according to His righteousness
     And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Becoming a believer through Jesus's work on the cross is the only thing that will shield us from judgment, punishment and eternal death, because we are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.  Repentance and confessing our sins is what makes our hearts upright.  Being clothed with the righteousness of Jesus is our hope.  God will only judge and reward His children on their good deeds done with righteous motives.  

Meanwhile, here on earth, God will allow us to experience consequences when we mess up.  In verses 3-5, David even asks that he receive God's discipline if he has done anything wrong.  In this way, we can know to return to God and His will, in order to reconcile these matters with God and those we have hurt.

Even when we haven't done anything wrong, God will allow us to go through tests, which will help us to grow and mature in our relationship with the Lord, as well as be a testimony to others.  In all these things, the only way to pass the test is to look to Him for all our answers and solutions. 

The Lord should be the most important relationship we have  It is Jesus who gives us true hope, joy and purpose, contentment and fulfillment.  Only Jesus can "complete" us.  When we realize this and embrace Him, we will desire to serve, give thanks and sing praises to our Lord and Savior, and we will be very eager to work on our relationship with Him!  And in doing all of this, the Lord will help us work on all other relationships around us.

relationships (Psalm 6:1-10) Knowing and Embracing Truth

(Psalm 6:1-10)  Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,

     Nor discipline me in Your wrath.
2   Be gracious to me, Lord, for I am frail;
     Heal me, Lord, for my bones are horrified.
3   And my soul is greatly horrified;
     But You, Lord—how long?

4   Return, Lord, rescue my soul;
     Save me because of Your mercy.
5   For there is no mention of You in death;
     In Sheol, who will praise You?

6   I am weary with my sighing;
     Every night I make my bed swim,
     I flood my couch with my tears.
7   My eye has wasted away with grief;
     It has grown old because of all my enemies.

8   Leave me, all you who practice injustice,
     For the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping.
9   The Lord has heard my pleading,
     The Lord receives my prayer.
10 All my enemies will be put to shame and greatly horrified;
     They shall turn back, they will suddenly be put to shame.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

David was being very honest with God about his feelings, but even David realized that his weariness was "getting old".  Feelings are not truth.  We can vent to God, but then we must at some point turn those feelings of despair into hope, seeking God's word to embrace His truth.  In this we can know that God does hear our prayers for healing and help, and God will rescue us.