Gloom, Despair, Agony

On February 10, 2020   /   Word of the Day   /   1 Comment

Psalm 88: 13 – 18

I cry out to you for help, O Lord, and in the morning my prayer will come into your presence. Why do you reject my soul, O Lord? Why do you hide your face from me? Ever since I was young, I have been suffering and near death. I have endured your terrors, and now I am in despair. Your burning anger has swept over me. Your terrors have destroyed me. They swirl around me all day long like water. They surround me on all sides. You have taken my loved ones and friends far away from me. Darkness is my only friend!

Woe is me!! This is the cry of desperation. And yet . . .?

The writer cries out to the Lord which I find interesting, perhaps even amusing because it is the Lord whom he blames for his troubles. Why then, complain to the Lord? Why importune Him for relief? It is because in our heart of hearts, we know that the Lord, our God, did not send us down to the pit. We know He is our salvation, not our tormentor.

The author, for all his despair, has not lost hope and in that we, too, draw encouragement. There has never been a moment in all of history which was without hope, nor shall there ever be, because we have a benevolent God and we know that He is always within reach. His ear is always listening for our prayer.

The heart of human beings knows, instinctively, that God is our hope and our salvation. Our very DNA cries out to Him because our DNA is made of Him. Though we accuse God and cry out against Him; though we blame Him for the ills of the world, in the darkest hour, when it seems darkness is our only friend, our spirits cry out and yearn for the one we know can and will save us from the pain. We have a deep and abiding knowledge coursing through our cells, that our God is our breath and that He is saving grace. He is the hope that is that one little speck of light when darkness threatens to overwhelm us. God is good. He loves us and He is listening for the call of all of His children.

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Cleansing Waters

On February 7, 2020   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Genesis 6: 17

I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish.

Was the flood an act of grace? Does that sound like a ridiculous question? I received a comment mixed in with the prayer requests this week. The author was perplexed at how God could “kill” so many people especially since murder is a sin. It set me to thinking and hence the question I first posed.

How would you analyze this problem? Well, I began by knowing that God is love. If you believe the story of the great flood is true, then do you also believe 1 John 4: 8, “God is love”? I do believe God is love, that His very essence is this thing called love. I also believe that He can do nothing apart from His essential self, love. How, then, can this loving Father have been responsible for the great flood?

I believe it was an act of grace and as you study the Bible, I think you will see more of this. The earth was in bad shape. In fact, it was on the brink of catastrophic destruction. When Satan rebelled and was cast from heaven a host of angels went with him. Later, these spiritual beasts decided that human women were beautiful and so visited earth and fornicated with human women. The result was a race of people who were violent and evil. They killed off many of God’s people and rained havoc in the earth. They would have destroyed everything God created, including humanity, had God not intervened. Only by destroying life on earth could He save it. Therefore, it was because God loved human beings that He sent the flood.

What do you think? Can you see how grace, love and mercy forced God to act in a dramatic fashion? Had He not acted, none of us would be here today as the entire human race would have been wiped out.

When you try to figure out God and the events in the Bible, look for love. The love signature will always reveal the truth of these events.

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God of Hope

On February 6, 2020   /   Word of the Day   /   1 Comment

Romans 15: 13

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

We never have to be without hope because God sent us the Holy Spirit through whom we always have hope. And in hope we can be continuously filled with joy and peace. When you let go of hope you will find that joy and peace leave as well. But we can always abide with all three because wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is hope.

I know the situation looks bleak. I know that the people involved in your crisis do not appear in the least cooperative but don’t forget God. He is able to work out the most contrary and difficult conditions. There is no such thing as hopelessness in God. So, if you are feeling hopeless you just need to press into God and let Him minister hope to your heart. No matter what we say, feel or think, there is always an element that must be figured in. That is the power of the living God. Regardless of the appearance of things He is able to trump all and turn a bad situation around to your good. Don’t give up. Hang in there until the end. Don’t quit believing and hoping. In the end, you will see God’s deliverance.

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Hope Too

On February 5, 2020   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Romans 5: 5

And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given.

Don’t lose hope because, just like love, hope does not fail. Even though the horizon may look troublesome, do not give in to fear and hopelessness. Your hope is in the Lord Jesus, our Father and the Holy Spirit who they sent to us. The love that was poured out to us is the anchor of our hope because that love can never fail. It is pure, secure and determined. That love brought Jesus into the world for the reconciliation and redemption of us all. How can you give up hope when the God of the universe is the one who sent you His own love in order to secure you? Look up. Look upon that horizon with renewed faith and confidence. It may look like storm clouds, but it is really your victory on its way to you. Just don’t give up before it reaches you. Through the love of God, your hope will have its satisfaction.

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Hope

On February 4, 2020   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Acts 2: 26

Therefore my heart was glad and my tongue exulted; moreover my flesh also will abide in hope.

It is a horrible thing to live without hope, and yet there are many people who are doing just that. But you don’t have to be without hope any longer. Jesus brought hope into the world. Now you can be free of dejection, depression and sorrow.

When Jesus went to the cross, died and rose again, he accomplished more than salvation for your eternal soul. He brought hope into a dying world. He became hope. He died that we might live. He told us in John 10: 10 that he came to give us abundant life. Jesus conquered hell and the grave that we might live in joy and victory, his victory, the victory that he won for us. When we couldn’t overcome, he overcame for us. When we were downtrodden, he arose, lifting us up with him.

You see there is no reason for you to be overcome with the anguish of this world any longer. Although we know that the world dishes out pain and suffering, Jesus said for us to take heart because he has overcome the world (John 16: 33). You do not have to despair any longer. Jesus has made a way for you to be comforted and enjoy the good fruit of his victory.

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Holy Hill

On February 3, 2020   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 87             GW

The city the Lord has founded stands on holy mountains.

2 The Lord loves the city of Zion
more than any other place in Jacob.

3 Glorious things are said about you, O city of God!

          Selah

4 The Lord says, “I will add Egypt and Babylon
as well as Philistia, Tyre, and Sudan
to the list of those who acknowledge me.
Each nation will claim that it was born there.”

5 But it will be said of Zion,
“Every race is born in it.
The Most High will make it secure.”

6 The Lord will record this in the Book of Nations:
“Every race claims that it was born there.”

          Selah

7 Singers and dancers will sing,
“Zion is the source of all our blessings.”

The Lord has built His glorious city atop the mountains. He has built us a home and every nation, every people will claim they come from that holy city, and it is true.

Life flows from that holy city. All life derives its sustenance from that holy hill because from there the Lord rules. He sends out His life force from His city to all the inhabitants of the earth and everything which has breath feeds, ultimately, on God, Yahweh as the source of life.

“Zion is the source of all our blessings.” Everything that is good, every blessing comes down from the Lord. His reign is more like “rain” because He rains down His goodness upon us. Look up. He has glory and righteousness in His hands. Mercy and lovingkindness are His gifts. Everything good comes from above and is for the children of God.

In the end, all will look up and see the glory of God shining from the Holy Mountain. Light beams will radiate love and life from that Holy Hill and every person who has ever lived will know the truth. Love reigns supreme. Love rains.

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Doing Christianity

On January 31, 2020   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 119: 112

I have inclined my heart to perform Thy statutes forever, even to the end.

The New Testament equivalent of this verse is found in James 1: 22 where James, the half-brother of Jesus, importunes us to “prove” ourselves “to be doers of the word, not merely hearers.” James teaches us that it is not enough to go to church and listen to a minister tell us about the Word of God. We need to take the word we hear and put it into action.

The psalmist from this passage in Psalm 119 has made that transition. He knows that his success is tied to applying the statutes of God, not only hearing them and learning them. He has decided, has set his heart, to doing all he sees in the Word of God.

We all need to be like the psalmist. We need to make a quality decision that we will let the Word of God lead us. We should let God’s word be the final authority in our lives. Everyone wants to hear from God. Meanwhile we have His Word lying on our coffee tables and yet ignore it. He is speaking to you; it is His Word; His words to you. He is trying to lead you to the calm waters and into the green pastures but many of His kids are not listening. He wants to lead you to the paths of success, happiness and joy.

It seems that it should be enough for us that God Almighty has made a decree. That ought to be reason enough for us to set our hearts to obey. But when you begin to understand why He has made the decree you ought to want to run to perform all that He has said because everything that He tells you to do, every rule that you fuss over, every bit of guidance He is giving you is for your benefit. He is not leading you into dark alleys where something bad is laid in store for you. He is leading you into your promised land. Rush quickly to do all that God is telling you to do. If you don’t think He has told you something specific for you to do, then pick up your Bible and He will show you something. There is plenty there for us to work on. Make up your mind that you are going to dedicate yourself to doing all that you find in the Word of God. Decide that you are going to devote yourself to performing all of His statutes. Then you will find favor and every blessing.

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