Posts Tagged ‘LORD’

I wonder if the LORD ever gets jealous of “nature” when we speak of natural and supernatural events and circumstances. Do we realize the LORD is in all things?

When we overlook the LORD as sustainer of everything, we fail to give credit where credit is due. In Colossians 1:17b, we read that “in Him all things hold together.” Hebrews 1:3 reminds us the Son is “sustaining all things by His powerful word.” In Isaiah 46:4 the LORD reminds the children of Israel that He is their sustainer. “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.” (NIV)

The reason we can pray “I shall not want” from Psalm 23 is that God holds all things together. Do we realize that “our daily bread” comes from the LORD’s sustaining power, or do we just credit “nature” for the provision of food?

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:17 NIV)

James, the brother of Jesus, enlightens us, his readers, regarding reasons for not obtaining our desires. Sometimes we don’t acquire what we wish for because we just don’t ask; or we may have asked wrongly or with an unacceptable motivation. We can make improperly motivated requests to God; this implies it is possible to have pure motivations. So what motivates us? How should we approach the Throne of Grace?

Hezekiah provides us with a positive example of pure motivation in Isaiah 37. Sennacherib, the wicked king of Assyria, sent a message of imminent destruction to Israel and Hezekiah. King Hezekiah responded by laying the pages of the message out before the LORD and praying the following prayer.

“O LORD Almighty, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Give ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; listen to all the words Sennacherib has sent to insult the living God.

“It is true, O LORD, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste all these peoples and their lands. They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands. Now, O LORD our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O LORD, are God.” (Isaiah 37:16-20 NIV)

This prayer isn’t a plea for God to provide anything for Hezekiah or even for the people he ruled as king. In great humility, Hezekiah praises the LORD, exalts the Most High, and makes a plea for God to act in such a way that the LORD’s glory will be evident to the nations of the earth. Do we care about the world’s perception of our God? Do we pray to our LORD with the understanding that it isn’t about us – that we exist to bring glory to our Creator? Or, are we motivated by personal comfort, personal reputation, personal peace, and squandering God’s blessings on our own passions?

Sometimes, when I am reading through the Scripture, I come across a statement that just doesn’t “feel right” and I begin to question God in my heart. Exodus 9:12 states, “the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh…” God holds Pharaoh accountable and judges him for his actions and attitude. How can that be fair or righteous when the LORD was the one to do the hardening? Even prior to Moses returning to Egypt (Exodus 4) the LORD said to Moses, “I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go.” Did Pharaoh have a chance? Could he have made a different choice?

Maybe the fact that this bothers me just shows that I am idolatrously placing my free will on a pedestal. My idea of ‘fairness’ is that I get to make all final decisions that concern me. I am the boss of me! God can only do what I give him permission to do. Ouch! Time for repentance of my attitude; but that doesn’t provide a satisfactory answer to the “it isn’t fair” worry.

Why would the LORD harden the heart of Pharaoh and then still hold Pharaoh accountable for his hard heart? Romans, chapter one, gives some insight into how this might be appropriate and within the character of God. Verses 18-32 lay out a strong case for why God can justly and righteously turn individuals over to their own impure lusts, dishonorable passions, and debased minds. God has clearly revealed himself to ungodly and unrighteous men, but they (we?) suppress the truth. Since they (we?) do not see fit to acknowledge God, He is actually allowing their (our?) free will to rule; he is just giving them (us?) what they (we?) think they (we?) want.

Are we endangering our relationship with the LORD by trusting in ourselves more than in Him? Are we acknowledging Him in all our ways? The only ‘unfair’ action that God may be accused of is demonstrating His love for us while we are sinners.

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (ESV)

Is reading this blog part of whatever? Is eating and sleeping and going to work part of whatever? How do we do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus?

The answer to those questions must become a life-long pursuit.

As people, we like to measure things and look at the numbers. How big is our paycheck? How much can we count on for retirement? How many square feet do we have in our home? How many ‘friends’ do we have on facebook? Even pastors and churches get into the quantification games. How many members does our church have? What was the attendance for each service or event? How big was the offering?

In 1 Samuel 13 and following, you can read about Israel’s first human king and his propensity to be guided and led by the numbers. Saul noticed that the enemy had mustered troops like the sand on the seashore in multitude. Apparently, his own soldiers were noticing the same thing and his numbers began to dwindle as they hid themselves in caves and in holes and in rocks and in tombs and in cisterns, and some found communities to blend into. Saul recognized that if he didn’t do something soon, his whole army might just disappear, so he took it upon himself to make a sacrifice without waiting for Samuel, the prophet-priest. Samuel immediately arrived and pointed out to Saul that he should have obeyed God instead of trying to do things on his own. At that time, Israel’s army numbered only about 600.

Saul’s son, Jonathan, was still among that number and he and his armor bearer snuck away; not to hide in a hole or a cave, but to go up against a strong garrison of the Philistines. Jonathan recognized that God could use a great number or a few to fulfill his purposes. Because of these two men, the Philistines were routed.

The contrast between Jonathan and his father is apparent in how they viewed the numbers. The numbers were the same for each of them but the language, heart, and faith of the two are polar opposites. Saul saw the people scattering from him and wanted to make a show of worship to convince the 600 that he still had, not to leave also. Jonathan saw those same 600 and said, “It may be that the LORD will work for us, for nothing can hinder the LORD from saving by many or by few.”

Any time we start looking at numbers and assuming that our security is in how many or how much, we have taken our eyes off of God. Saul never really gets it. When his own army had swelled to over 200,000 he was winning a lot of battles and he kept doing things his own way. God had commanded Saul to totally destroy the Amalekites for how they had treated God’s people, and not to take anything from the spoils. Saul decided he knew better than the LORD and spared the king and some of the finer things and some of the best livestock. When Samuel confronted Saul, Saul tried to cast blame on the people and then say that the animals were for a sacrifice to the LORD.

Samuel responded with the following quote – a quote that gets repeated numerous times in Scripture.

“Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry, because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected you from being king.” (1 Samuel 15:22-23 ESV)

Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart. Man counts and enumerates, but God provides. Instead of just taking account of what we have or how strong we think our position is by the numbers, let us look to the LORD and determine that our hearts are fully devoted and steadfast in seeking and knowing Him.

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children…and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord… Look carefully then how you walk… understand what the will of the Lord is… be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.  (Ephesians 5:1, 10, 15a, 17b, 18b-21 ESV)

The Apostle Paul acknowledges the existence of anger in followers of Jesus, and warns them in Ephesians 4:26-27, “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.”

How would allowing anger to linger into the night hours provide a foothold for the devil? Well, our hearts’ desire becomes our tutor as we sleep.

“I will bless the LORD who has given me counsel; My heart also instructs me in the night seasons. I have set the LORD always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.” (Psalm 16:7-8 New King James Version)

“I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.” (Psalm 16:7-8 English Standard Version)

These verses shed some light on a truth, a premise, which the devil may be attempting to latch onto. Apparently, David was aware of a principle that we could all take advantage of in our walk with God. Our hearts instruct us in the night seasons. If we go to bed angry, our heart will reinforce that anger. If we go to bed full of the Peace that surpasses all understanding, our hearts will instruct us in the way of peace.

Luke 6:45 tells us that “The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks..”  Just like gravity causes objects to come together, the substance of our hearts affect anyone within earshot of our mouths (including ourselves). How might we insure that our hearts be filled with the abundance of God’s Word? How careful are we being to feed the heart with pure and upright thoughts? What steps are we taking to resolve that we only consume a “healthy heart” diet?

¹² Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience… ¹⁴And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. ¹⁵And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. ¹⁶Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. ¹⁷And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:12-16 ESV)

Thanks be to God! These verses describe Sunday’s body life at AICF from sunrise to sunset. Thank you, Choir, for guiding our hearts to the throne of God in music. Thank you, Rick, for powerfully narrating the despair of the Cross and following it up with the hope of the Resurrection and a Peace that passes all understanding. Thank you, Dorothy, for giving of yourself on the piano and drawing us into Christ’s presence. Even Cliff demonstrated a heart of love as he “got stuck with the offering.”

Today, Monday, let us continue to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly; let us continue to give thanks to God the Father through the Lord Jesus.

“And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah…” (Hebrews 11:32a ESV)

What should be said about Samson? How does he make it into the Hebrews Hall of Faith? An angel of the LORD announces his birth, first to his mother and then to both his mother and father. Samson is to be a Nazirite to God from the womb and he is to begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines. In Contrast, An angel of the LORD announced the birth of Jesus to His mother, and then to Joseph. Jesus came to seek and to save the lost.

Samson appeared to be led by lust, greed, anger, vengeance, and self-centered pleasure seeking. Jesus only did what the Father showed Him to do.

Samson violated every aspect of his “set-apartness” while Jesus lived out a life of perfection and obedience.

Samson went to the grave asking God if he could take vengeance on the Philistines in his death. Jesus placed himself on a cross in order to provide the perfect sacrifice for the remission of our sins.

I cannot imagine much more contrast between two lives than we witness between the life of Samson and the life of Jesus. Samson appears to be the perfect “anti-example” of a savior. And yet, Samson’s name appears in the list of ‘so great a cloud of witnesses’ in Hebrews 11. God isn’t talking to perfect people, religious people, or reformed sinners in the book of Hebrews. He is talking to all of us – those of us that need to look to Jesus and realize that nothing we can do will perfect our faith. Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah were listed in Hebrews 11, not because of who they were, but because of who God is. He takes the weak and makes us strong, He takes the fearful and provides courage; our LORD takes the lost and becomes our “founder and perfecter of our faith.”

Praise be to God!

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1-2 ESV)

Jesus Christ is the Bread and the Word. Part of God’s plan for us is that we are humbled and hungry – we must learn to feed on Him. The children of Israel often grumbled that they were well fed in Egypt and wanted to go back to that familiar place of comfort rather than die in the desert from hunger. Like us, they had short memories regarding their own actions and God’s provision. They were not satisfied in Egypt and had grumbled in those circumstances. God brought them out of Egypt in a most miraculous manner and chose to be in their presence; they refused to accept communion with Him. Moses spoke of bread and word during one of his final sermons to the congregation.

“And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.” (Deuteronomy 8:3 ESV)

Jesus quotes this verse during a time of temptation; He shows that Scripture is a great way to combat temptation; he demonstrates an understanding of what man needs for life.

“But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”” (Matthew 4:4 ESV)

Jesus unmistakably speaks of himself as the bread that satisfies in John 6, right after feeding five thousand and walking on water.

“Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.’” (John 6:35 ESV)

Of course, the reason belief in Christ quenches thirst is that he provides living water in abundance to those that ask.

“Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.’” (John 4:10 ESV)

“On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” (John 7:37-39 ESV)

So God allows us to be humbled and hungry, in order that we look to Jesus. He is the bread that we need, and the Word that satisfies.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men… And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:1-4,14 ESV)