relationships (Psalm 119:17-24) Best Written Owner's Manual

(Psalm 119:17-24) 

17 Deal generously with Your servant,

     That I may live and keep Your word.
18 Open my eyes, that I may behold 
     Wonderful things from Your Law.
19 I am a stranger on the earth;
     Do not hide Your commandments from me.
20 My soul is crushed with longing 
     For Your ordinances at all times.
21 You rebuke the arrogant, the cursed, 
     Who wander from Your commandments.
22 Take disgrace and contempt away from me,
     For I comply with Your testimonies.
23 Even though rulers sit and speak against me,
     Your servant meditates on Your statutes.
24 Your testimonies also are my delight;
     They are my advisers.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Because all of mankind is lost, God gave us His word to show us the way and explain our purpose in life.  Because as believers, we can feel like strangers here on earth, God gave us the Bible so we can gain deeper understanding to become more equipped with definitive hope, courage and strength in the Lord.  Because we are fallible and God is truth, infallible and all-knowing, the Bible is our best adviser.  Because God created us and knows us better than we know ourselves, He gave us the most complete owner's manual ever written!  We operate best when we are in compliance with His directions... not as some robot, but in a wonderful, personal relationship with the Lord to find fuller, deeper peace, love and joy!

relationships (Psalm 119:9-16) Pure Help

(Psalm 119:9-16)  

9   How can a young man keep his way pure?

     By keeping it according to Your word.

10 With all my heart I have sought You;
     Do not let me wander from Your commandments.
11 I have treasured Your word in my heart,
     So that I may not sin against You.
12 Blessed are You, Lord;
     Teach me Your statutes.
13 With my lips I have told of 
     All the ordinances of Your mouth.
14 I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies,
     As much as in all riches.
15 I will meditate on Your precepts 
     And regard Your ways.
16 I shall delight in Your statutes;
     I will not forget Your word.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Seeking purity from impure sources or methods will always prove futile.  Finding forgiveness in our salvation, and then striving to keep His word, keeps us pure.  So just as David, we can ask God, who is holy and pure, to teach us His word, as well as to help us keep His word!  But it starts with us sincerely wanting to know the Lord personally, as well as wanting to know His word.  

As John 1:1-2 says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God."

"He" being the Lord Jesus.  "He" being God.  "He" being the Word!  When a person admires, respects and loves someone very much, they will sometimes use the saying, "I just want to lap up every word they speak."  How much more delight can we find than in the perfect word of the Lord!

relationships (Psalm 119:1-8) Living By Truth

(Psalm 119:1-8) 

1   Blessed are those whose way is blameless,
     Who walk in the Law of the Lord.
2   Blessed are those who comply with His testimonies,
     And seek Him with all their heart.
3   They also do no injustice;
     They walk in His ways.
4   You have ordained Your precepts,
     That we are to keep them diligently.
5   Oh that my ways may be established 
     To keep Your statutes!
6   Then I will not be ashamed 
     When I look at all Your commandments.
7   I will give thanks to You with uprightness of heart,
     When I learn Your righteous judgments.
8   I will keep Your statutes;
     Do not utterly abandon me!

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Right now, there is a popular philosophy growing, even throughout our churches, especially in those who claim they are "progressive", which distorts and diminishes God's words in order to please themselves and others.  They reason that, since God is love, God accepts everyone just as they are, and therefore everyone is going to heaven.  THEREFORE, they can do just as they please and live by their worldly thinking and fleshly desires.  And although they believe that they can live "by their own truths" and that they are "good enough" and try to be good (here and there), no one is "good enough" to get to heaven on their own merits.

God's unconditional love does not incorporate unconditional acceptance!  Let us not restrict our thinking that God's character is limited to being some form of flippantly fickle love!  God is holy and cannot have a relationship with sin.  God is righteous and just, and therefore cannot have a relationship with what is wrong.  When most people hear that "they are sinners and are going to hell", it's understandable that they feel offended and rejected.  One has to be willing to hear and understand that we are all born in sin, which separates us from God.  But that is only the bad news.

The good news is this - God does love us - whether we reject Him or accept Him and His will.  And because God loves us so very much - He desires that all come to know Him.  Because He wants a personal relationship with us, He came to earth, born in flesh, to be both fully man and fully God, in order to take on all the punishment which is meant for us.  He died in our place, and shed His blood to cover all sin, and then rose again to conquer death.  All we have to do is humbly recognize that we are sinners in need of a Savior and accept His free gift of salvation and forgiveness, which frees us from sin and death, gives us eternal life, and reconciles us to God.

What is also interesting, is that people are offended when they hear that they are not going to heaven unless they become Christians which is only available through the Lord Jesus Christ.  Another popular philosophy is that God has many names (that all gods are God), and that there are many ways to God.  Just think about all the inconsistencies in this reasoning!  Meanwhile people will so easily claim that there are inconsistencies within the Bible itself - without any evidence - - - because there is none!.  Many people have tried to find errors in the Bible, but come to realize that the Bible is the infallible word of God!  In fact, they soon realize that there is (historical and scientific) evidence which supports the Bible being 100% true.

Here is more proof of God's perfect love, that He doesn't just leave us hopelessly wandering about in this life with aimless direction.  God speaks to us very clearly in His word, so we can understand Him better, and get along in life in the best way possible.  Because He loves us and wants the best for us, He guides us towards that - AND - helps us do that!  Besides changing us from the inside out, and sealing us with His Holy Spirit of promise as soon as we become believers, when and as we ask Him, He works in and through us, in His strength and wisdom.  We receive His peace, comfort and joy.  There alone are great blessings!

As we diligently strive to live in God's will according to His word, we will not be ashamed.  As we are living in such a way to please Him, He blesses and establishes us in various ways!  Therefore, we will be at a point in our spiritual walk with the Lord that it will not matter to us if anyone does make fun or look down on us (because there will always be those people who simple choose not to understand).  And no matter what we are feeling or no matter what happens around us or to us - we will know that God is always with us - because God's word is truth and God's word tells us so!!!

relationships (Psalm 118:1-29) Having the Perfect Parent

(Psalm 118:1-29) 

1   Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
     For His mercy is everlasting.
2   Let Israel say,
     “His mercy is everlasting.”
3   Oh let the house of Aaron say,
     “His mercy is everlasting.”
4   Let those who fear the Lord say,
     “His mercy is everlasting.”

5   From my distress I called upon the Lord;
     The Lord answered me and put me in an open space.
6   The Lord is for me; I will not fear;
     What can man do to me?
7   The Lord is for me among those who help me;
     Therefore I will look with satisfaction on those who hate me.
8   It is better to take refuge in the Lord 
     Than to trust in people.
9   It is better to take refuge in the Lord 
     Than to trust in noblemen.

10 All nations surrounded me;
     In the name of the Lord I will certainly fend them off.
11 They surrounded me, yes, they surrounded me;
     In the name of the Lord I will certainly fend them off.
12 They surrounded me like bees;
     They were extinguished like a fire of thorn bushes;
     In the name of the Lord I will certainly fend them off.
13 You pushed me violently so that I was falling,
     But the Lord helped me.
14 The Lord is my strength and song,
     And He has become my salvation.

15 The sound of joyful shouting and salvation is in the tents of the righteous;
     The right hand of the Lord performs valiantly.
16 The right hand of the Lord is exalted;
     The right hand of the Lord performs valiantly.
17 I will not die, but live,
     And tell of the works of the Lord.
18 The Lord has disciplined me severely,
     But He has not turned me over to death.

19 Open the gates of righteousness to me;
     I will enter through them, I will give thanks to the Lord.
20 This is the gate of the Lord;
     The righteous will enter through it.
21 I will give thanks to You, for You have answered me,
     And You have become my salvation.

22 A stone which the builders rejected 
     Has become the chief cornerstone.
23 This came about from the Lord;
     It is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day which the Lord has made;
     Let’s rejoice and be glad in it.
25 Please, O Lord, do save us;
     Please, O Lord, do send prosperity!
26 Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord;
     We have blessed you from the house of the Lord.
27 The Lord is God, and He has given us light;
     Bind the festival sacrifice to the horns of the altar with cords.
28 You are my God, and I give thanks to You;
     You are my God, I exalt You.
29 Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
     For His mercy is everlasting.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION: 

Our walk with Jesus will not be without struggles.  We still live in a fallen, broken world, and we still make mistakes because our flesh is weak.  Therefore, we continue to need the Lord's help, even after we have been saved.  So, as verse 18 says, the Lord will discipline us (sometimes severely - allowing consequences into our lives) but He will not turn us over to death... He will not disown us.  

The Lord loves us, and this is exactly why He disciplines us... to get us back on track in our relationship with Him, with Him as our perfect, loving heavenly Father.  But let's just say, like a misguided parent, if God simply told us that we were "good, just the way we are" and if He would allow us to do whatever we wanted, we would never mature or learn from our mistakes.  We'd even find ourselves in situations that are very frustrating, delusional and/or dangerous.  Therefore, it helps to know that God knows exactly what He is doing, and what is needed in our lives.

Even though there are people who can and will help us, it is still far better to rely on the Lord as our help!  As for help which benefits us for all eternity, this is only possible through Jesus, who is the gate to righteousness and heaven.  And this is only because of Jesus' work on the cross.  As verse 22 prophesied, by being rejected and put to death, Jesus could pay the price for all sin.  And because He rose again, He became the chief cornerstone.  He, alone, is the firm foundation that we need to build upon.

Jesus is the Lord, the Son of God!  Verse 27 says, "The Lord is God!", He is good, and He is our light!  So as we rely completely on Jesus and give Him the thanks, praise and the glory, it is in this way that we fear and exalt Him!  And for those who fear and exalt Him, He blesses!

relationships (Psalm 117:1-2) Love, Honor and Respect

(Psalm 117:1-2) 

1   Praise the Lord, all nations;  sing His praises, all peoples!

2   For His mercy toward us is great,
     And the truth of the Lord is everlasting.
     Praise the Lord!

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

None of us deserve it, but God extends His mercy to those who seek Him.  And with His sacrificial work on the cross, to take on our punishment and pay the ransom, our debt is so massive, we could never come even close to repaying what we owe!  But in our faith, He forgives all our debt!  THAT is how great His mercy is!!!

The Lord has also given us His word, so that we can closely examine every detail, to fully know and understand that His truth is infallible, unchanging and eternal.  Therefore, without a doubt, our faith in Him can be confident in His grace and what He says, that when He saves us, it is eternal and cannot be undone!  And without a doubt, we can trust that His plans and directions for us are in our best interest, so we can have courage to live in His truth and by His truth, with His strength and help!

In this, we should desire to praise and sing to the Lord!  Afterall, it is human nature to want to sing love songs to those we love, and sing anthems to those institutions and things we honor and respect.  As we place God first in our lives, how much more do we love, honor and respect Him!

relationships (Psalm 116:1-19) Gestures of Thankfulness

(Psalm 116:1-19) 

1   I love the Lord, because He hears 
     My voice and my pleas.
2   Because He has inclined His ear to me,
     Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.
3   The snares of death encompassed me 
     And the terrors of Sheol came upon me;
     I found distress and sorrow.
4   Then I called upon the name of the Lord:
     “Please, Lord, save my life!”

5   Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;
     Yes, our God is compassionate.
6   The Lord watches over the simple;
     I was brought low, and He saved me.
7   Return to your rest, my soul,
     For the Lord has dealt generously with you.
8   For You have rescued my soul from death,
     My eyes from tears,
     And my feet from stumbling.
9   I shall walk before the Lord 
     In the land of the living.
10 I believed when I said,
     “I am greatly afflicted.”
11 I said in my alarm,
     “All people are liars.”

12 What shall I repay to the Lord 
     For all His benefits to me?
13 I will lift up the cup of salvation,
     And call upon the name of the Lord.
14 I will pay my vows to the Lord;
     May it be in the presence of all His people!
15 Precious in the sight of the Lord 
     Is the death of His godly ones.
16 O Lord, I surely am Your slave,
     I am Your slave, the son of Your female slave,
     You have unfastened my restraints.
17 I will offer You a sacrifice of thanksgiving,
     And call upon the name of the Lord.
18 I will pay my vows to the Lord,
     May it be in the presence of all His people,
19 In the courtyards of the Lord’s house,
     In the midst of you, Jerusalem!
     Praise the Lord!

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Looking closely at verse 15, we see prophecy as well as doctrinal teaching.  When a believer dies, we will go to God's heavenly home for all eternity.  And when we become a believer, we die to sin!  Verse 16 continues this teaching, that God releases us from the slavery to sin.  Therefore - out of sincere gratitude - we should willingly become a slave to the Lord, even though we have been set free, no longer to serve sin, but to serve the God of truth, righteousness, mercy, grace and love.

David says, in verses 13-14, that to show his thankfulness for salvation and every benefit from God, he lifts up his cup of salvation to walk with and call upon the Lord, serving and giving in the presence of other believers. These are big gestures that we can do, which is not only directed to the Lord, but doing this outwardly demonstrates and proclaims to the rest of the world the awesomeness of God.

It is because of the Lord's sacrificial and unconditional love that we can be saved.  The debt that He paid to redeem us is beyond anything we could ever imagine.  We could never repay the Lord for all that He has done, is doing and will do for us.  And all that He wants from us - is our willing hearts!

God inclines His ear to those who fear Him.  He favors those who desire to live in His will.  Therefore, whenever we find ourselves in sin, we should be confessing this to Him, because we know that sin impedes our prayers (Psalm 66:18, 1 Peter 3:7).  Therefore, whenever we find ourselves in trouble or struggling, we should be calling upon Him, even asking the Lord to search our hearts and reveal to us anything that needs addressing.  Therefore, in our desire to remain steadfast in walking with Him, we should be continually talking with Him.  And we can know that He most certainly hears us, and desires to help us - to maintain a close relationship with Him!

relationships (Psalm 115:1-18) Who Deserves the Glory?

(Psalm 115:1-18) 

1   Not to us, Lord, not to us,
     But to Your name give glory,
     Because of Your mercy, because of Your truth.
2   Why should the nations say,
     “Where, then, is their God?”
3   But our God is in the heavens;
     He does whatever He pleases.
4   Their idols are silver and gold,
     The work of human hands.
5   They have mouths, but they cannot speak;
     They have eyes, but they cannot see;
6   They have ears, but they cannot hear;
     They have noses, but they cannot smell;
7   They have hands, but they cannot feel;
     They have feet, but they cannot walk;
     They cannot make a sound with their throat.
8   Those who make them will become like them,
     Everyone who trusts in them.

9   Israel, trust in the Lord;
     He is their help and their shield.
10 House of Aaron, trust in the Lord;
     He is their help and their shield.
11 You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord;
     He is their help and their shield.
12 The Lord has been mindful of us; He will bless us.
     He will bless the house of Israel;
     He will bless the house of Aaron.
13 He will bless those who fear the Lord,
     The small together with the great.
14 May the Lord increase you,
     You and your children.
15 May you be blessed of the Lord,
     Maker of heaven and earth.

16 The heavens are the heavens of the Lord,
     But the earth He has given to the sons of mankind.
17 The dead do not praise the Lord,
     Nor do any who go down into silence;
18 But as for us, we will bless the Lord 
     From this time and forever.
     Praise the Lord!

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Many people prefer to make or choose gods created in their own image.  People have even created their own versions of Christianity, redefining Jesus in their own image, in order to please themselves.  Except for true Christianity according to God's word, all other religions require people to work their way to heaven (or their version of heaven, be it utopia, nirvana, some higher status, another form, a certain level of enlightenment, etc.).  

Doing this then glorifies the person and their efforts and good works, especially since their gods and/or idols have done absolutely nothing for them.  Yet, mankind is continually focused on searching for a greater companionship and someone or something to worship, even if it means that they are worshipping themselves.  And still, if they really searched their hearts, they'll find discontentment and emptiness.

This is because God created all of us with a soul, which only can be filled by Him, so that we can have a close, personal relationship with Him.  The Lord saves those who fear (awesomely respect), love and have faith in Him, and then fills us, changes us from the inside out, protects us, moves us, helps us and blesses us.  This should only make us desire to fear (awesomely respect), trust, praise and worship Him all the more.

If we just glorify ourselves, or if God were to glorify us, this takes the focus off of God.  This means that we are not seeing the bigger picture of who God really is, and what He has all done, is doing, and will do for us!  And if we are not giving God the glory, other people will be wondering where our God is, or wondering if He does anything for us at all.

God created us, as well as the heavens and the earth, so why would we want to worship someone or something that was created by God, or created by mankind, instead of worshiping the Creator, Himself?  The Lord is most worthy of glory, but our own glory is really worth nothing.  The only glory that is worthy enough is from the Lord Himself.  Anything that we do of worth is because of Him, so let us fear and worship Him, and give Him praise and the glory, for the Lord alone is worthy!