Tag: christianity

When Our Faith Has Drifted Apart From God? Wake Inattentive Ones! Take Warning Against Neglecting Salvation. Wake Up! Hebrews 2:1-4

Hebrews 2:1-4 Common English Bible

Listen to the Son’s message

2 This is why it’s necessary for us to pay more attention to what we have heard, or else we may drift away from it. 2 If the message that was spoken by angels was reliable, and every offense and act of disobedience received an appropriate consequence, 3 how will we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? It was first announced through the Lord, and then it was confirmed by those who heard him.  4 God also vouched for their message with signs, amazing things, various miracles, and gifts from the Holy Spirit, which were handed out the way he wanted.

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Do We Have Any Strength for Today- “Are We Drifting?”

To drift means to be easily carried slowly away by a current of air or water.

The danger of drifting is not limited to the physical realm, because:  

·       Emotionally and

·       Spiritually,

 There’s always a danger of being carried away by the undercurrent, when evil becomes your pattern.  

Hebrews 2:1 says, “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.”  

Sadly, today, it’s not uncommon for Christians to drift toward destruction, simply because they aren’t spiritually anchored.

That’s why we are told, “We ought to give the more earnest heed…” – He 2:1.

Drifting is an unconscious process. 

In the boat of life, the undercurrents of evil often goes unnoticeable in the physical realm, because the gravitational force that’s driving you away from the shore of righteousness is demonically intended.

And for that cause:  

·       Many Christians have slowly drifted away, and

·       Many churches have gradually drifted into false doctrine,

 Finding themselves far removed from the scriptures.

However, faithfulness to God is like roaring upstream.

But to roar upstream:

·       You must constantly be “adding to your faith…” – 2 Peter 1:5, and

·       You must continue to grow in grace – 2 Peter 3:18.

Because the moment you stop growing, you start going downwards, and the dangers increase with the speed and weight of the drift.  

When you’re drifting, and you can hear the noise of the waterfall, it’s already too late.

In other words, it’s difficult to discern that you’re drifting, when you’ve moved far from God.

And for those who drift spiritually through their own neglect, there shall be no escape from a just punishment – Hebrews 2:1-3. The common signs of drifting are:

·       Prayerlessness,  

·       Not wanting to be with God’s people,

·       A diminishing desire to study. God’s Word, and

·       Not attending praise and worship, and

·       No desire to edify one another – Romans 14:19.

When Christians prefers the companionship of people of the world, rather than fellow Christians, they’re drifting toward the rocks of spiritual destruction! 

Crisis Faith

Psalm 62:1-8 The Message

62 1-2 God, the one and only—
    I’ll wait as long as he says.
Everything I need comes from him,
    so why not?
He’s solid rock under my feet,
    breathing room for my soul,
An impregnable castle:
    I’m set for life.

3-4 How long will you gang up on me?
    How long will you run with the bullies?
There’s nothing to you, any of you—
    rotten floorboards, worm-eaten rafters,
Anthills plotting to bring down mountains,
    far gone in make-believe.
You talk a good line,
    but every “blessing” breathes a curse.

5-6 God, the one and only—
    I’ll wait as long as he says.
Everything I hope for comes from him,
    so why not?
He’s solid rock under my feet,
    breathing room for my soul,
An impregnable castle:
    I’m set for life.

7-8 My help and glory are in God
    —granite-strength and safe-harbor-God—
So trust him absolutely, people;
    lay your lives on the line for him.
    God is a safe place to be.

Faith can seem vague and theoretical—until a crisis hits.

Then, like the spare tire in your trunk when you have a flat, your faith suddenly becomes very important – up to the point of choosing between life and death.

2 Corinthians 3:12-18 English Standard Version

12 Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, 13 not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. 14 But their minds were hardened. For to this day,  when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. 15 Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. 16 But when one[a] turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord[b] is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is  freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord,[c] are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.[d]  For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

In fact, it may be the only way out of the mess you’re in.

In the middle of a crisis of faith, all we usually hope for is some way to get the situation straightened out so that we can move on. No one likes to need faith.

As with the little spare tire that comes with most cars today (you know, the little “donut” spare that’s designed to go just a few miles), most of us are willing to rely on our faith for a little while, only as long as we have need of it.

But just as you’ll want to get a real tire back on your car as soon as you can, so most of us want to move past our personal faith reliance and find a real reason for confidence.

At least that’s how it can seem.

No one likes crises, but it’s not hard to see how God can use our crises to reach into our emergency reserves in ways that he might not reach us otherwise.

Most of us pray differently—more earnestly—in times of crisis.

Our fear can prod us to squint for God through the fog of our uncertainty.

And the more we squint, the more we begin to see the features of God’s face.

How has God used crises in your life to deepen your awareness of His presence?

In the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit …

Praying ….

How Awesome Are Your Deeds

To the choirmaster. A Song. A Psalm.

66 Shout for joy to God, all the earth;
2     sing the glory of his name;
    give to him glorious praise!
3 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
    So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you.
4 All the earth worships you
    and sings praises to you;
    they sing praises to your name.” Selah

5 Come and see what God has done:
    he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.
6 He turned the sea into dry land;
    they passed through the river on foot.
There did we rejoice in him,
7     who rules by his might forever,
whose eyes keep watch on the nations—
    let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah

8 Bless our God, O peoples;
    let the sound of his praise be heard,
9 who has kept our soul among the living
    and has not let our feet slip.
10 For you, O God, have tested us;
    you have tried us as silver is tried.
11 You brought us into the net;
    you laid a crushing burden on our backs;
12 you let men ride over our heads;
    we went through fire and through water;
yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance.

13 I will come into your house with burnt offerings;
    I will perform my vows to you,
14 that which my lips uttered
    and my mouth promised when I was in trouble.
15 I will offer to you burnt offerings of fattened animals,
    with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams;
I will make an offering of bulls and goats. Selah

16 Come and hear, all you who fear God,
    and I will tell what he has done for my soul.
17 I cried to him with my mouth,
    and high praise was on[a] my tongue.[b]
18 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,
    the Lord would not have listened.
19 But truly God has listened;
    he has attended to the voice of my prayer.

20 Blessed be God,
    because he has not rejected my prayer
    or removed his steadfast love from me!

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Drive out of those traffic Jams! Take long, piercing looks at me, your High God, above all the honking car horns Divisive Politics, Above life’s Chaos. Psalm 46:8-11

Psalm 46:8-11 New American Standard Bible

8 Come, behold the works of the Lord,
[a]Who has inflicted horrific events on the earth.
9 He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth;
He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;
He burns the chariots with fire.
10 “[b]Stop striving and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the [c]nations, I will be exalted on the earth.”
11 The Lord of armies is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

The world moves and spins furiously fast.

I certainly sense it.

Work piles higher and higher, requests come quicker and quicker, and the weight of my own expectations weighs heavier and heavier.

As I process more, take on more, and churn out more.

All while striving to keep my head above the deep water.

I know I need to slow down.

I need to stop.

And I definitely need stillness—desperately.

A stilling of my spirit.

A quieting of the swift swirls in my head and heart.

And a slow, inflated inhale followed by a steady, expanding exhale.

Releasing every last spec of stress and tension within. 

You feel the intense speed of your surroundings at times, too, don’t you?

The list never ends.

It’s staring at you today, and it will be there tomorrow.

You yearn for stillness to sweep sweet breaths of life into all of the overstuffed, overburdened overtaxed spaces, of your soul.

And to stay.

You want to be still and know that God is God.

You want your confidence to grow so that you can handle this, because God has this under His full control.

Because you do know with maximum assurance and confidence God indeed has it all. All that you’re doing, all that you’re planning, and all that he has in store.

Our God is God, and that means all the things we are losing stillness over—all the busyness, hustle and bustle wearing us down to nothing but weariness—are unnecessary.

Because God will keep the wheels moving when we take our foot off the gas, if the vehicle is headed where he wants it to go.

Nothing will prevent his ultimate destination from being reached and his purposes from prevailing.

Because he is the one driving our lives, he will get us where he wants us to be.

If your soul is starved for stillness today, the Lord would love nothing more than your nestling up with him.

Sitting still beside him in the safety and security of his refuge.

Hearing his whispers of love, receiving his outstretched arms of comfort and care, and then lingering in his peaceful presence.

He wants you to be still.

He wants you to know that he is God and that he will be exalted regardless.

He is honored by your obedience and all your good work, but he also knows you need Shabbat rest.

God loves you, absolutely adores you, and wants you to do just that. To be  still, know, and trust that his greater plans and purposes will still prevail.    

My soul waits in silence for God alone; From Him comes my salvation. For my only hope is from Him. [Psalm 62:1 &2]

We live in noisy times.

Streets echo with the roar of traffic.

Construction projects boom and bang in downtowns, neighborhoods, suburbs.

We fill our ears and elevators with playlists from iPods, our homes and cars with surround sound. Sports events blast out marches, cheers, and taunts.

Many farm and factory workers in earlier generations lost much hearing from the din of clanking machinery.

People damage their ears at rock concerts and with earphones as they shop.

Even at worship services some sound-control people seem to lock the volume on freight train level.

The damage caused by noise is not a new discovery.

It reaches far deeper than our ears.

Centuries ago English poet John Milton portrayed hell as a place of unending noise, of unending howling and roaring and screeching and yelling.

If we bathe ourselves in noise, we might never soak in the silence of God.

We may never exalt or lift up the name of God even above ourselves, to say nothing of exalting God among the nations.

Take a survey of your daily activities.

How many are filled with consistent, continuous, [obnoxious] sound?

Are you letting noise drown out or make you forget things you should hear?

Do you forget about your physical, mental, spiritual well-being?

Do you forget your family?

Your job?

God?

How can you turn down the volume in your life and find some silence for God?

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Praying ….

Psalm 23

A Psalm of David.

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul:
he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Do we seriously want to be used by God? Be a living, active, and fruitful, part of carrying out His will on earth? 2 Timothy 2:20-26

2 Timothy 2:20-26 New American Standard Bible

20 Now in a great house there are not only gold and silver implements, but also implements of wood and of earthenware, and some are for honor while others are for dishonor. 21 Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be an implement for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. 22 Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 23 But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce [a]quarrels. 24 The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, skillful in teaching, patient when wronged, 25 with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive [b]by him to do his will.

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Paul’s opening words – “Now in a great house…” – reminds me of the image he used to describe the church in 1 Timothy 3:15 where he says that he wants the members of the church to “know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth”.

Paul’s point with the image he is painting is the church is the great household of God and God intends to fill his home with people who live to serve him above all else.

The problem, of course, is that when we become part of God’s household, the moment we surrender to Jesus as our Savior, we do not usually understand that we are also being called to surrender to Jesus as our King; we like the benefits of salvation, but we cringe at the expectations for a servant of the King – even if those expectations are for our own good.

Another way to think about this is to think about our natural tendency to come into God’s household as a consumer who enjoys being served by other servants of God but then balk at the expectations of being transformed into contributors expected to serve God by serving others from a pure heart of loving sacrifice.

Having someone sacrificially serve you is much more attractive than being called to become a sacrificial servant for others.

Why is this?

I think it’s because being served does not require moral fortitude or commitment.

But sacrificially serving others – to the point that it really hurts and costs us – this is something that does require moral fortitude, does require unwavering commitment.

This is Paul’s vision for members and leaders within the household of God: That they would be servants of God who are growing in godly character. 

What you are is far more important than what you do because what you do will always flow out of, prove what you really are. 

So how do we become servants of God who are growing in godly character?

Look at the text with me…

2 Timothy 2:20-26 New Living Translation

20 In a wealthy home some utensils are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood and clay. The expensive utensils are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones are for everyday use. 21 If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work.

22 Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.

23 Again I say, don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights. 24 A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. 25 Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth.  26 Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants.

#1: SEE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TRASH CANS AND SERVING DISHES (VV. 20 – 21)

Evaluating and differentiating between trash cans and serving dishes helps us to see current unwanted realities clearly and strive towards a more desirable future. We have to see the difference between trash cans and serving dishes if we are going to become servants of God who are growing in godly character.

This is why Paul reminds Timothy in verses 20 – 21 that, 

“20…in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable.21Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.” 

The reality is that we cannot serve nourishing meals in filthy trash cans.

In Timothy’s day, just like today, every home had trash cans for taking the garbage out and serving dishes for delivering nourishing food.

In God’s house the expectation is that there will be no garbage to take out because God’s house is intended to be perfectly clean.

Therefore, every person who claims the name of the Lord is expected to cleanse themselves from filthy garbage of sin by trusting and obeying the gospel – the message of Jesus, crucified for our sin, risen in victory over death, returning in triumph over Satan.

As you and I trust in the message of the gospel and strive for obedience to the gospel – meaning that we strive after holiness – God transforms us from the trash cans we were into the priceless serving dishes he intended us to be –set apart as holy and useful to God for every good work. 

We must see the difference between being a trash can or a serving dish!

#2: RUN FROM GARBAGE AND CHASE GODLINESS (V. 22)

The foundation of this principle is that we must run away from some things while running after other things.

We cannot live our lives perpetually running towards garbage because we will inevitably be running away from the purity that only godliness can produce.

We also cannot spend our lives merely running away from the destination of garbage without a new destination of godliness in the windshield.

This is why Paul instructs Timothy in verse 22, to 

22So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 

It is foolishness to run from one bad destination without a better destination in our sights.

Early on in my journey with Jesus, a friend and mentor of mine taught me the acronym “G.I.G.O.” – Garbage In Garbage Out – which simply teaches us that if you put garbage into your system then garbage is what inevitably comes out.

Paul is basically reminding Timothy of this principle in verses 21 – 22 when he tells Timothy to run from the bad destination of youthful passions and chase the good destinations of godliness characterized as righteousness, faith, love, and peace.

This is the destination that all who genuinely follow Jesus are chasing after.

The questions for us is:

Which destination am I chasing?

Am I chasing the destination of youthful passions – a destination that looks and smells like the garbage of filth, impurity, rebellion, hate, and conflict?

Or am I chasing the destination of godliness that looks and smells like the godly character traits of righteousness, holiness, purity, faith, love, and peace?

If we are truly going to become and be servants of God who are growing in godly character, then we must run from garbage and chase godliness.

#3: LIVE TO SERVE GOD ALONE (VV. 23 – 26)

I think this final principle is Paul’s bullseye, it is what he has been aiming at all along.

He knows that there are some highly influential leaders in the city of Ephesus who have abandoned their faith (1:15, 2:16 – 18) –

they have become trash cans instead of priceless serving dishes and they have been chasing the garbage of self-exaltation instead of pure godliness – as they spread their cancerous false teaching, seek to draw believers into their prison cell of foolishness.

This is why Paul says, 

23Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. 24And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

A self-serving mentality is a snare of the devil that has wrecked many ships on the shorelines of consumerism.

Serving God alone is the only key to getting and remaining free from the prison cell of our sinful selves.

When it comes to our self-exaltation (serving selfish desires) it is never more clearly seen than the petty and ignorant arguments that often break out among God’s people.

I have been guilty, more times than I can count, of taking the bait of being right and being able to win an argument. Arguing passionately is not always a sin but arguing for the sake of being right or for the sake of winning the fight is a sin.

This is why Paul reminds Timothy that someone who truly wants to serve

God alone, above all else, must not argue to merely argue or to win the fight but instead must practice kindness and patient teaching while enduring all of the evil that gets thrown around when confronting error and falsehood.

The intended goal in someone who wants to serve God alone and grow in godly character is the goal of seeing others repent from sin and trust in the truth of the gospel so they may walk in freedom from the effects of Satan, Sin, Death.

If you and I would live our lives to serve God alone, then we will resist and continue to repent when we get caught up in arguing to win the fight and we will press on in serving God by patiently enduring evil and speaking truth so that others may repent and be set free.

We must remember that a self-serving mentality is a snare of the devil that has wrecked many ships on the shorelines of consumerism. 

Serving God alone is the only key to getting and remaining free from the prison cell of our sinful desires.

CONCLUSION…

In conclusion, a servant of God who is growing in godly character must see the difference between being a trash can and being a serving dish. We must run from garbage and chase godliness, and we must live our lives to serve God and God alone instead of our own selfish desires.

I pray about everything I have just said, and it all rings true, it all sounds good.

But it all feels impossible sometimes; doesn’t it?

I am way too prone to being more like a trash can with my thoughts, words, and actions than I wish I was.

I am way too prone to run towards garbage instead of chasing godliness. Sadly, I find myself chasing self-exaltation instead of living my life to serve God alone.

Someone picks a fight with me based on some kind of foolishness and I go off halfcocked, ready to decimate their argument and destroy them in the process;

I act like a trashcan.

I feel the guilt and shame of my sin and I let my thoughts and my eyes linger on impure things that bring a momentary sense of pleasure to escape the pain;

I chase garbage.

I want to prove I am better than I really am, so I jump back into the argument with a renewed sense of winning and rightness; I wind up exalting myself.

What a wretched sinner I really am.

Who will deliver me from these sinful habits (Rom. 7:24)?

How can I be set free from these shackles so that I can freely serve God and grow in godliness?

The only answer I have is in verse 21 of our text where Paul says, 

“if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.” 

The only hope I have is to be cleansed from my sin.

The only way to be cleansed from my sin is to trust in the finished work of Christ at the bloody cross of calvary; to rest assured in Christ’s powerful victory in the empty tomb; and to stand in hope-filled expectation of Christ’s faithful promise to rescue me once and for all from this sin-infected life in eternity.

The gospel and the gospel alone, is what frees me to serve God and to grow in godliness so that I may be a serving dish; so that I may chase godliness; so that I may live my life to serve God and to serve him alone above all else. – Amen!

1 Timothy 6:11-16 New American Standard Bible

11 But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness , faith, love, [a]perseverance, and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and for which you made the good  confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 I direct you in the presence of God, who [b]gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate, 14 that you keep the commandment without [c]fault or  reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which He will [d]bring about at the proper time—He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of [e]kings and Lord of [f]lords, 16 who alone possesses immortality, dwells in unapproachable light, whom [g]no one has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.

12 Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and for which you made the good confession in the full presence of many witnesses. 

Psalm 18:1-19 Names of God Bible

1 I love you, O Yahweh, my strength.
2 Yahweh is my rock and my Metsuda and my Savior,
    my El, my rock in whom I take refuge,
        my Magen, and the strength of my salvation,
            my stronghold.
3 Yahweh should be praised.
    I called on him, and I was saved from my enemies.

4 The ropes of death had become tangled around me.
    The torrents of destruction had overwhelmed me.
5         The ropes of the grave had surrounded me.
            The clutches of death had confronted me.

6 I called on Yahweh in my distress.
    I cried to my Elohim for help.
        He heard my voice from his temple,
            and my cry for help reached his ears.

7 Then the earth shook and quaked.
    Even the foundations of the mountains trembled.
        They shook violently because he was angry.
8 Smoke went up from his nostrils,
    and a raging fire came out of his mouth.
        Glowing coals flared up from it.
9 He spread apart the heavens
    and came down with a dark cloud under his feet.
10 He rode on one of the angels[b] as he flew,
    and he soared on the wings of the wind.
11 He made the darkness his hiding place,
    the dark rain clouds his covering.
12 Out of the brightness in front of him,
    those rain clouds passed by with hailstones and lightning.
13 Yahweh thundered in the heavens.
    Elyon made his voice heard with hailstones and lightning.
14 He shot his arrows and scattered them.
    He flashed streaks of lightning and threw them into confusion.
15 Then the ocean floor could be seen.
    The foundations of the earth were laid bare
        at your stern warning, O Yahweh,
        at the blast of the breath from your nostrils.

16 He reached down from high above and took hold of me.
    He pulled me out of the raging water.
17 He rescued me from my strong enemy
    and from those who hated me,
        because they were too strong for me.
18 On the day when I faced disaster, they confronted me,
    but Yahweh came to my defense.
19 He brought me out to a wide-open place.
    He rescued me because he was pleased with me.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Confidence Rooted in Christ: In him and through faith in him we may all approach God with freedom and with confidence. Ephesians 3:8-13

Ephesians 3:8-13 Revised Standard Version

8 To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to make all men see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in[a] God who created all things; 10 that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places. 11 This was according to the eternal purpose which he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and confidence of access through our faith in him. 13 So I ask you not to[b] lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

In our success driven society which prizes self-confidence and a positive self-image, we might be tempted to think our relationship with God should make a priority of focusing on ourselves, our own needs, and our sense of self-worth.

But consider what happens when self-assured people pray to God.

People who believe their relationship with God is based in their own merit and their own interests will find prayer an empty ritual.

They tend to see little need for prayer, and don’t see the results they expect.

Prayers offered in our own strength rise no higher than the roof over our heads.

But as believers in Christ, we must always remember what God through Christ has accomplished for us.

The key to effective prayer?

To turn fully and completely away from an exclusive trust in our own selves to a total reliance on our Savior. [Proverbs 3:5-8]

“In [Jesus Christ] and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.”

Jesus is the only mediator of our salvation and of all other dimensions of our relationship to God.

Our confidence is based on what Christ has accomplished!

Even when we struggle with doubt and sin, through Christ we have access to God the Father.

Paul eloquently describes that assurance in Romans 8:37-39:

Romans 8:37-39 Modern English Version

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.  38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities nor powers, neither things present nor things to come, 39 neither height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Confidence Rooted in Christ or principalities and powers in the heavenly places?

Stirring ourselves up to be confident in ourselves is like riding a roller coaster, where one day we are on a high and feel good because someone affirmed us, and next we are on a deep-dive downward because someone said or did something that utterly shook our self- confidence to the core and swept us off our feet.

Unfortunately, our culture pushes us to act confident, even if we don’t feel it or believe it, to “fake it till we make it,” with the thinking behind this popular and trendy saying being that faking it is motivational, acting like we are confident when we are not, will automatically or by osmosis, help to build our confidence until we fool ourselves to believe it ourselves and able to achieve and reach it.

Sadly, we are pushed and prodded to hide our weaknesses and frailties, to prove ourselves confident in all that we do, to everyone around us; to show ourselves as smarter, stronger, and more productive than everyone else, in an effort to demonstrate our worth and value.

But with God, we do not have to prove ourselves to be “worthy” through performance.

Firstly, because we have no way to prove that we are worthy in ourselves.

Secondly, because we already belong to Him, so there’s nothing to prove.

It’s a waste of time, effort and energy to even try to do so, and completely unnecessary also.

God deems us worthy not because of anything we do on our own, but because of Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross.

As Ephesians 2:8 explains, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.”

Because it’s not because of anything we’ve done or are doing, as Hebrews 4:16 urges,

“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

As well, we can come to God confident in the work of Christ on the cross, and not ourselves, rather than pretending we are holier than we are,

as Hebrews 10:19-22 encourages, 

“Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, His body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.”

THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON
  1. Where are you finding your confidence, in yourself or in God? Take some time to consider where you’re drawing it from.
  2. Look for ways to cultivate confidence in Christ through studying His word, spending time in prayer, and letting the truth of scripture strengthen your faith.
  3. Practice being rooted in confidence in Christ this coming week, by stepping out and approaching God, free from fear, knowing He loves you and is calling you to come before Him.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Praying …..

Psalm 92 New King James Version

Praise to the Lord for His Love and Faithfulness

A Psalm. A Song for the Sabbath day.

92 It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
2 To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night,
3 On an instrument of ten strings,
On the lute,
And on the harp,
With harmonious sound.
4 For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work;
I will triumph in the works of Your hands.

5 O Lord, how great are Your works!
Your thoughts are very deep.
6 A senseless man does not know,
Nor does a fool understand this.
7 When the wicked [a]spring up like grass,
And when all the workers of iniquity flourish,
It is that they may be destroyed forever.

8 But You, Lord, are on high forevermore.
9 For behold, Your enemies, O Lord,
For behold, Your enemies shall perish;
All the workers of iniquity shall be scattered.

10 But my [b]horn You have exalted like a wild ox;
I have been anointed with fresh oil.
11 My eye also has seen my desire on my enemies;
My ears hear my desire on the wicked
Who rise up against me.

12 The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree,
He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13 Those who are planted in the house of the Lord
Shall flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They shall still bear fruit in old age;
They shall be [c]fresh and [d]flourishing,
15 To declare that the Lord is upright;
He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Our salvation requires all of us to turn back to God and stop all of our silly futile efforts to save ourselves. Isaiah 30:15-17

Isaiah 30:15-17 New King James Version

15 For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel:

“In returning and rest you shall be saved;
In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.”
But you would not,
16 And you said, “No, for we will flee on horses”—
Therefore you shall flee!
And, “We will ride on swift horses”—
Therefore those who pursue you shall be swift!

17 One thousand shall flee at the threat of one,
At the threat of five you shall flee,
Till you are left as a [a]pole on top of a mountain
And as a banner on a hill.

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

I believe that we need to return and rest. 

I used to read this verse as, “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength.” 

We do need to repent. 

Repentance is turning our backs away from sin, but the idea here, from the words chosen, is that repenting is, is our returning; coming home to God.

We repent from sin and return to God. 

Repentance is returning.

The idea that Isaiah is speaking against, or the ailment for which he speaks the cure; is doing our own thing and not resting. 

And this is a word for believers.

The believers were in trouble. 

They needed deliverance. 

God gave them a way. 

And just as quickly they shouted, “no thanks.”

How can this be and how might we be like this?

  • They and we are believers who won’t repent.
    • Self-righteous.
    • Unbelieving believers.
    • We belong to God, but refuse to be transformed.
    • We are sheep without a shepherd, gone astray, to our own ways.
  • They and we could not and would not, under any circumstance rest.
    • We are too busy being obsessed with building our houses, our lives, our selves.
    • We are burned out and need renewal.
    • We are stale and need refreshing.
    • We are spiritually dead and need reviving.
    • We don’t, won’t hear God, because we won’t stop and listen long enough.
    • We are frustrated God won’t help us build, when He want’s us to let Him build.
  • They and we were constant talkers.
    • We have an opinion on everything and we are always right and righteous.
    • We have lost that listening is loving.
    • Our depths of quietness is our iron clad sign of faith.

I want to repent and return to God. 

I want to rest. 

And I want to be quiet.

But that is not our personality profile-it never has had any influence on my life.

What if we confess that His presence is always available to us, lifting our spirits, restoring our souls and behind the curtains is helping us with power and grace.?

Learning the infinite reaches, very finest art, of “stillness” so we can hear His voice and view ourselves, others and our surroundings through His eyes.

trusting the rhythms of rest

In quietness and trust we find strength: smiling at the comparision to the recent uncertainty in my life, I glanced back. The unpredictability of which way the logs might shift kept me tentative as I crossed over the small stream.

Sometimes the Lord’s object lessons provide the perfect illustration; my experience with the instability of the logs exactly depicted the current state of uncertainty plaguing my life.

quietness and confidence of mind

What does it mean in quietness and confidence is our strength?

It really pays to be quiet and trust God. 

It slowly gets you deeper with God, even through more difficult situations.

Thanks be to God for His ministry of quietness and trust and with Christ.

There is this growing, maturing, deep down sensation of confidence, a palpable sensation of inner strength, of Holy Spirit sourced spiritual wellbeing .

Being able to spend more time with Christ without our thoughts wandering from planet to planet and from star to star, galaxy to galaxy and back again.

Perhaps our biggest challenge in uncertain times is starting that education, gaining strength of discipline and achieving a consistent quietness of mind.

Memory testifies to this truth, for an evening, though quite still in our favorite chair, our disquieted mind starts trying to unravel the chaos abiding there.

Culture in general places little value on quietness, rest and trust, especially as it relates to a spiritual posture.

Preferring instead fast paced internet connections, strength and confidence; lauding those who strive, acquire and conquer, obtain those immediate results.

In God’s Kingdom, however, the more we pursue quietness of mind, leaning far into God, the more certainty and confidence we find. 

For the effect of His righteousness will be His peace, His Shalom and the result of righteousness, quiet and trust forever. (Isaiah 32:17-20)

Isaiah 32:17-20 The Message

15-20 Yes, weep and grieve until the Spirit is poured
    down on us from above
And the badlands desert grows crops
    and the fertile fields become forests.
Justice will move into the badlands desert.
    Right will build a home in the fertile field.
And where there’s Right, there’ll be Peace
    and the progeny of Right: quiet lives and endless trust.
My people will live in a peaceful neighborhood—
    in safe houses, in quiet gardens.
The forest of your pride will be clear-cut,
    the city showing off your power leveled.
But you will enjoy a fortunate life,
    planting well-watered fields and gardens,
    with your farm animals grazing freely.

true sources of strength

In times of uncertainty we long for strength and confidence; yet we will seldom work to connect them with periods of quietness, rest and trust. True strength and confidence come when we hammer pause, step back and get clarity buttons.

In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it. Isaiah 30:15

Sledge Hammering that Emergency Stop Button

At times when faced with mounting chaos in the form of rapid fire uncertainty, I shift into “slam it shut.” Uncertainty resembles psychological clutter, making us uncomfortable; prompting rushed attempts at removing that same clutter.

In that mounting chaos of uncertainty, hammering away at that Emergency Stop button until it breaks tells you enough is enough of “out of control.”

An intentional pause positions us for hearing instruction from God, strengthening our trust in Him for the unpredictable road ahead. 

Embracing rhythms of rest in times of unpredictability, introduces the power of God into the chaos.

Psalm 29

The Voice of the Lord

A psalm of David.

1 Ascribe to the Lord, you heavenly beings,[a]
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
worship the Lord
in the splendor of his holiness.[b]

3 The voice of the Lord is above the waters.
The God of glory thunders—
the Lord, above the vast water,
4 the voice of the Lord in power,
the voice of the Lord in splendor.
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
the Lord shatters the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
and Sirion, like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord flashes flames of fire.
8 The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth[c]
and strips the woodlands bare.
In his temple all cry, “Glory!”

10 The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
the Lord sits enthroned, King forever.
11 The Lord gives his people strength;
the Lord blesses his people with peace.

Isaiah 30:15 reminds us in confidence, quietness, trust, we find strength in the power of God through all the promises found in throughout the Word of God.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Praying ….

Psalm 61

Security in God
For the choir director: on stringed instruments. Of David.

1 God, hear my cry;
pay attention to my prayer.
2 I call to you from the ends of the earth
when my heart is without strength.
Lead me to a rock that is high above me,
3 for you have been a refuge for me,
a strong tower in the face of the enemy.
4 I will dwell in your tent forever
and take refuge under the shelter of your wings. Selah

5 God, you have heard my vows;
you have given a heritage
to those who fear your name.
6 Add days to the king’s life;
may his years span many generations.
7 May he sit enthroned before God forever.
Appoint faithful love and truth to guard him.
8 Then I will continually sing of your name,
fulfilling my vows day by day.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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I am the Lord, God of all mankind. Is anything impossible for me? I am the Lord, God of all Creation! I will never be overshadowed by evil’s darkness. Jeremiah 32:17-27

Jeremiah 32:17-27 Revised Standard Version

17 ‘Ah Lord God! It is thou who hast made the heavens and the earth by thy great power and by thy outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for thee, 18 who showiest steadfast love to thousands, but dost requite the guilt of fathers to their children after them, O great and mighty God whose name is the Lord of hosts, 19 great in counsel and mighty in deed; whose eyes are open to all the ways of men, rewarding every man according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings; 20 who hast shown signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, and to this day in Israel and among all mankind, and hast made thee a name, as at this day. 21 Thou didst bring thy people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and wonders, with a strong hand and outstretched arm, and with great terror; 22 and thou gavest them this land, which thou didst swear to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey; 23 and they entered and took possession of it. But they did not obey thy voice or walk in thy law; they did nothing of all thou didst command them to do. Therefore thou hast made all this evil come upon them. 24 Behold, the siege mounds have come up to the city to take it, and because of sword and famine and pestilence the city is given into the hands of the Chaldeans who are fighting against it. What thou didst speak has come to pass, and behold, thou seest it. 25 Yet thou, O Lord God, hast said to me, “Buy the field for money and get witnesses”— though the city is given into the hands of the Chaldeans.’”

God’s Assurance of the People’s Return

26 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 27 “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too hard for me?

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Jeremiah 32:14 Revised Standard Version

14 ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Take these deeds, both this sealed deed of purchase and this open deed, and put them in an earthenware vessel, that they may last for a long time.

Our Scripture for today describes a real-estate transaction.

Money is transferred from buyer to seller; witnesses and officials sign the transfer papers; there are multiple copies of documents and arrangements for preserving the documents.

This is not unlike what would still happen today in a land sale, except for a few things:

  • Jeremiah, the buyer, cannot take possession of the land because it’s behind enemy lines.
  • This real-estate closing is taking place in a Jerusalem prison, and Jeremiah is the prisoner.
  • Jeremiah knows (because God has revealed it to him) that his nation will not win against the enemy.
  • Will Jeremiah or his assigned heirs return in 70 years and prove ownership?
  • Will any of these legal document’s survive Jerusalem’s coming destruction?

Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon will destroy Jerusalem and exile the Israelites to a place a thousand miles away.

Indeed, Jeremiah the prophet is in prison because he has preached against the King and his advisors and has preached only what God has revealed to him.

There are moments when a situation grows so large that words begin to fail.

You have a compass in your hand and have thought it through, tried what you can, prayed what you know, still, it stands as reinforced concrete; unyielding, unmoved, perpetually mocking all of your strongest efforts.

You may not say it or scream it out loud, but something inside starts shrinking God to the size of the problem. 

You still believe God can do many things, but you quietly struggle and wonder if perhaps this one has crossed the line into the chasm rightly called impossible. 

Then Jeremiah opens his mouth, and what comes out gives a holy eruption of perspective: “Ah Lord GOD!” That “Ah” is the sound of a soul remembering.

It is the gasp of worship returning to the heart.

It is Jeremiah stepping out of the tight cage of human calculation and lifting his eyes to the One who cannot be measured.

“Behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee.” 

He is facing a real crisis, yet he chooses to anchor himself in the truest reality that God is Creator- that absolutely nothing is impossible for God to complete.  

But God has also revealed through Jeremiah that after 70 years the people will return to build homes and farms in the land. Truly a long-term investment!

The theme of God’s unlimited power and sovereignty is a central motif in the book of Jeremiah.

Throughout the book, Jeremiah conveys the message that God is in control of all things, and nothing is beyond his ability to accomplish.

This theme is particularly significant in the context of the historical events surrounding the book of Jeremiah, where the people of Judah were facing the impending total sacking, destruction of Jerusalem and the exile to Babylon.

In the midst of this crisis, Jeremiah’s message serves as a reminder that God’s power is not limited by human circumstances, that he continuously remains in control even in the face of overwhelming adversity.

In the book of Jeremiah, the prophet is commanded by God to purchase a field in his hometown of Anatoth, even though the city was under murderous siege by the Babylonians and facing imminent destruction.

In the face of this seemingly illogical command, Jeremiah questions God, expressing his astonishment at the situation.

However, his doubt is quickly dispelled as he acknowledges the limitless power of God as was demonstrated in the creation of the heavens and the earth.

This acknowledgment leads Jeremiah to recognize that nothing is too difficult for God.

This verse encapsulates the central message of the book of Jeremiah, which is a covenant call to trust in the sovereignty and power of God, even in the midst of overwhelming circumstances.

If God can create, He can recreate.

If God can command light, He can command clarity.

If God can open wombs that nature said were closed, He can open doors that life says are shut.

If God can turn a wilderness into a meeting place, He can turn your dry season into a testimony.

The point is not that you will never face impossible things, but that impossible things are not meant to swallow you.

They are meant to push you into a deeper revelation of who God is.  

Today, don’t reduce your prayers to what feels realistic. 

Let your heart borrow Jeremiah’s “Ah” again, let worship rise where fear is resident.

Say it slowly and mean it: Lord, nothing is too difficult for You, my situation is not difficult for you.

Then place the situation back in His hands without keeping a corner of it for anxiety. Wait on Him with expectation, not because you understand His process, but because you know His nature; the God of all flesh is not limited. 

Still today, God calls us to live our lives and to devote ourselves and the gifts he has given us to long-term things—things that will last.

Isaiah 6:6-10 Revised Standard Version

6 Then flew one of the seraphim to me, having in his hand a burning coal which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth, and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin forgiven.” 8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” 9 And he said, “Go, and say to this people:

‘Hear and hear, but do not understand;
see and see, but do not perceive.’
10 Make the heart of this people fat,
    and their ears heavy,
    and shut their eyes;
lest they see with their eyes,
    and hear with their ears,
and understand with their hearts,
    and turn and be healed.”

And the number-one example of a definitive long-term investment that fits God’s plan is to make sure we, like Isaiah the Prophet, voluntarily give of our resources and our time and energy to help bring others into God’s kingdom.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Praying …

46 (0) For the leader. By the descendants of Korach. On ‘alamot [high-pitched musical instruments?]. A song:

2 (1) God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
3 (2) Therefore we are unafraid,
even if the earth gives way,
even if the mountains tumble
into the depths of the sea,
4 (3) even if its waters rage and foam,
and mountains shake at its turbulence. (Selah)

5 (4) There is a river whose streams
gladden the city of God,
the holy habitation of ‘Elyon —
6 (5) God is in the city.
It will not be moved —
when daybreak comes, God will help it.
7 (6) Nations were in turmoil,
kingdoms were moved;
his voice thundered forth,
and the earth melted away.

8 (7) Adonai-Tzva’ot is with us,
our fortress, the God of Ya‘akov. (Selah)
9 (8) Come and see the works of Adonai,
the astounding deeds he has done on the earth.
10 (9) To the ends of the earth he makes wars cease —
he breaks the bow, snaps the spear,
burns the shields in the fire.
11 (10) “Desist, and learn that I am God,
supreme over the nations,
supreme over the earth.”

12 (11) Adonai-Tzva’ot is with us,
our fortress, the God of Ya‘akov. (Selah)

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Tell God; do you understand praying all thanks be unto God for Creation’s miraculous depths of beauty beyond what the eye of mankind can behold? Job 38:1-7

Job 38:1-7 Common English Bible

The Lord answers from a whirlwind

38 Then the Lord answered Job from the whirlwind:

2 Who is this darkening counsel
    with words lacking knowledge?
3 Prepare yourself like a man;
    I will interrogate you, and you will respond to me.

The establishing of order

4 Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundations?
    Tell me if you know.
5 Who set its measurements? Surely you know.
    Who stretched a measuring tape on it?
6 On what were its footings sunk;
    who laid its cornerstone,
7     while the morning stars sang in unison
        and all the divine beings shouted?

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

The opening chapters of Genesis teaches us just how the universe was created.

The Voice of God booming forth from the Whirlwind in the end of The Book of Job tells us that and much more.

God set the foundation of the universe, stretched out the measuring lines in the dawn of creation (when the morning stars sang together with all the heavenly host), but God is also very much still in the act of creation.

He knows where the storehouses of snow and hail are, where all the bolts of lightening gather before their use.

He carries the light of day to its place every morning, and then ushers it out again every night.

He helps the eagle soar, the lion roar, He watches over and tames Leviathan when it roils the deep waters.

God announces he is present in the terrific and the mundane.

God is everywhere.

Active.

Thoughtful.

Crafting the ebb and flow of creation, and each day’s journey.

But, why is this here?

Why in Job?

Literarily it serves as the answer to all of Job’s questions: 

Sit down you silly boy, you have no idea what’s going on in the universe around you. You have no idea Who it is that you’re talking to.

But, in a book about dealing with 1000/1000 magnitude of tragedy, and dealing with it in a truly faithful manner, it serves as a reminder of the Bigger Picture.

Yes, our problems matter.

And when we’re grieving and mourning, those who we mourn for matter.

Our tears are real.

Our pain is real.

Our confusion, denial, and anger are real.

But, we begin the process of healing when we re-engage the world around us.

When we pick up our heads and we look around at the vastness of earth, and the intricacies of life.

In the midst of grief we feel rudderless and beyond help.

Adrift.

Lost.

But, we aren’t.

The world still turns on its God assigned axis.

The sun still rises and sets.

God is still on his throne in heaven, and the mighty eagle still soars above.

The Whirlwind comes across as a reproach—in the context of Job’s narrative, that’s indeed what it is.

But, it’s more than that.

It’s the first dawn when we are lifted out of the fog, and remember that we’re in the Presence of God Almighty.

The God who created the heavens and the earth, and the God who still creates.

“Life is but a Weaving” (The Tapestry Poem) by Corrie ten Boom

February 21, 2018 by Jane Beal

My life is but a weaving
Between my God and me.
I cannot choose the colors
He weaveth steadily.

Oft’ times He weaveth sorrow;
And I in foolish pride
Forget He sees the upper
And I the underside.

Not ’til the loom is silent
And the shuttles cease to fly
Will God unroll the canvas
And reveal the reason why.

The dark threads are as needful
In the weaver’s skillful hand
As the threads of gold and silver
In the pattern He has planned

He knows, He loves, He cares;
Nothing this truth can dim.
He gives the very best to those
Who leave the choice to Him.

Corrie ten Boom

“Life is but a Weaving” (The Tapestry Poem) by Corrie ten Boom

In this poem, the Dutch writer Corrie Ten Boom compares her life to a tapestry woven by God.

She says that God weaves both joy and sorrow into her life, and it is as though she sees only the back of the tapestry.

She says she cannot understand how the strands could ever make something beautiful.

But God understands and has a plan for how everything in her life will come together for his beautiful purpose.

Job, to whom God is speaking in our reading today, is a bit like that—seeing only the back of the tapestry of his life.

Job has had to deal with terrible suffering and tragedy, he does not understand why it all happened.

God responds with a poetic speech about the creation of the world.

God is the one who created everything, including things that are so mysterious that we don’t even know how to speak about them.

God reminds Job of this in order to both challenge and assure him.

God challenges Job to be humble about his own knowledge.

And God assures Job he has a plan, even though it may be hard to under­stand.

We are like Job in this way too.

There are many things about God’s purposes that we do not understand.

But God promises to provide for us and for the world he has beautifully made.

Psalm 23 Expanded Bible

The Lord the Shepherd

A psalm of David.

23 The Lord is my shepherd;
    I ·have everything I need [L will lack nothing].
2 He ·lets me rest [makes me lie down] in green pastures.
    He leads me to ·calm [quiet] water.
3 He ·gives me new strength [T renews my soul].
He leads me on paths that are ·right [righteous; or straight]
    for the ·good [sake] of his ·name [reputation].
4 Even if I walk through ·a very dark valley [or the shadow of death],
    I will ·not be afraid [T fear no evil],
because you are with me.
    Your rod and your shepherd’s staff comfort me.

5 You prepare a ·meal [L table] for me
    in ·front [the presence] of my enemies.
You ·pour oil of blessing on my head [anoint my head with oil; C oil was a means of refreshment in a hot, dry environment];
    you ·fill my cup to overflowing [L make my cup overflow; C a cup of blessing].
6 Surely your goodness and ·love [loyalty; T mercy] will ·be with [pursue; T follow] me
    all my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord ·forever [L for length of days].


In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Praying ….

Psalm 56:8-13 Expanded Bible

God,

8 You have ·recorded [recounted] my ·troubles [wanderings].
    You have ·kept a list of my tears [L put my tears in your bottle].
Aren’t they in your records?

9 On the day I call for help, my enemies will ·be defeated [L turn back].
    I know that God is on my side.
10 I praise God for his word to me;
    I praise the Lord for his word.
11 I ·trust [have confidence] in God. I will not be afraid.
    What can people do to me?

12 God, I must keep my ·promises [vows] to you.
    I will give you my ·offerings to thank you [thank offerings],
13 because you have ·saved [protected] me from death.
    You have kept ·me from being defeated [L my feet from falling].
So I will walk ·with [L in the presence of] God
    in light ·among [of] the living.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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“Lord, I confess! I am so unsettled by nagging fears and doubts.” When it is far too hard to trust God in all those day to day worst case circumstances. Genesis 15:1-7

Genesis 15:1-7 English Standard Version

God’s Covenant with Abram

15 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” 2 But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue[a] childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” 4 And behold, the word of the Lord  came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son[b] shall be your heir.” 5 And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 6 And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

7 And he said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.”

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

How much do I trust God? ⁠
⁠
That question is something God has really been challenging me on recently.

I mean, when you look at the Scripture as a whole, it is one long test of faith and trust after another. ⁠
⁠
Adam and Eve, don’t eat from this one tree. Do you trust me? ⁠
⁠
Noah, build a boat the size of a football stadium. Do you trust me? ⁠
⁠
Abraham, leave your native land and go to the land I will show you. Oh, and I want you to sacrifice your son too. Do you trust me?⁠
⁠
Joseph, be a good slave and prisoner and you’ll eventually be a ruler. Do you trust me? ⁠
⁠
I’m not even out of Genesis yet. Moses, Gideon, Hannah, David, Esther, Daniel, Jeremiah, Mary, Jesus, Paul. Over and over and again. How much do I trust God? ⁠
⁠
Then last week I was reading in 1 Samuel to prepare for our small group and I read about Samuel telling Eli some horrible news from God about him and his family. Basically, that God was going to wipe them out for their disobedience. ⁠
⁠
1 Samuel 3:18 So Samuel told Eli everything; he didn’t hold anything back. “It is the LORD’s will,” Eli replied. “Let him do what he thinks best.”⁠
⁠
Wow! “Let Him do what He thinks is best.” Now, I don’t know if that was said in apathy or sadness, acceptance, surrender, either way, God is God and I am not! ⁠
⁠
Psalm 135:6 The LORD does whatever pleases him throughout all heaven and earth, and on the seas and in their depths. ⁠
⁠
Psalm 115:3 Our God is in heaven; He does as He pleases.⁠
⁠
The reality is just that: God is in heaven and He does as He pleases. ⁠
⁠
The greatness of God is that He always does what He knows is good. Always! ⁠
⁠
Not everything that happens is caused by God, but everything God causes is always good! ⁠
⁠
So, how much do I trust God? ⁠
⁠
That no matter what He asks me to do. No matter where He asks me to go. No matter what He asks me to sacrifice. No matter what He says is coming my way. Am I willing to say, “It is the LORD’s will. Let him do what he thinks best.”?
⁠
How much do I trust God? ⁠
⁠
How much do you? ⁠
⁠
I want to trust Him with ALL my heart! ⁠

But …

However, …

Despite having great faith, Abra­ham could still be unsettled by nagging fears and doubts.

That is why, in the opening of Genesis 15, God says to him,

“Do not be afraid. . . . I am your shield, your very great reward.”

Abraham was struggling to believe. God’s promise to make him the father of a great nation was now about ten years old, and he and Sarai did not have a child.

Could you, Would you, Should you, Will you, still trust God?⁠

We all know the pain of promises unfulfilled; they can leave an aching void in our hearts and homes.

Perhaps we follow God’s call and step out in faith.

We risk something for his kingdom, but we don’t see the hoped-for results.

At times like that, it can be hard to keep trusting in God.

Like the psalmist we cry out, “How long, Lord, how long?” (Psalm 6:3).

The good news is that God understands our doubts and fears.

He graciously responds to the prayer that says, “Lord, I believe. Help me overcome my unbelief.

Help me trust you more—even when I don’t see or understand your ways, even when it seems to be taking so long” (see Mark 9:24).

God explains that his ways are higher than we can imagine (Isaiah 55:9).

And his timing is impeccable—never early, ­never late.

Trusting in these truths allows us to experience God’s peace and rest.

Contemplate ….

Psalm 13 English Standard Version

How Long, O Lord?
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

13 How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
    How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I take counsel in my soul
    and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

3 Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
    light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,
4 lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,”
    lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.

5 But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
    my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
6 I will sing to the Lord,
    because he has dealt bountifully with me.

Still, “How can I know if this will actually come true … ?”

Genesis 15:8 Expanded Bible

8 But Abram said, “Lord God, how can I · be sure [L know] that I will ·own this land [possess/inherit it]?”

“How can I know … ?”

Whatever age we are, we can all think of a time when we wanted to be sure of something.

We have all wanted someone to repeat a promise they’ve made or to make clear what is still not certain.

Abram asked God to affirm his promises one more time. While our reading today confirms that Abram believed, it’s also clear that he asked for certainty.

Is it all right to ask God to repeat his promises, or make clear what seems cloudy?

We may not immediately receive an answer from the Lord, but one thing we can be sure of is that God understands we are like young inquisitive children on a long bus journey to the zoo, who will inevitably ask, “Mom, are we there yet?”

God shows his patience with Abram, and we can be sure God is patient with us.

What is the source of certainty, the key to the promise?

In this conversation, God not only repeats his promise to Abram but also makes clear that in this covenant arrangement the key is our own trust in God himself.

Instead of asking Abram to walk between the halves of the animals, God moves through them as pictured by a smoking firepot and a blazing torch.

God explains Abram’s descendants will be enslaved and mistreated for a time but that they will also prosper and will eventually have all the land Abram could see around him. And God would be with them always–ever faithful, ever sure.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Praying ….

Psalm 16 Expanded Bible

The Lord Takes Care of His People
A miktam [C perhaps “inscription”] of David.

16 ·Protect [Guard] me, God,
    because I ·trust [take refuge] in you.
2 I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord.
    ·Every good thing I have comes from you [I have no good apart from you].”
3 As for the ·godly people [holy ones; saints] in the ·world [or land],
    they are the ·wonderful [noble] ones I ·enjoy [take pleasure in].
4 But those who ·turn to [run/hurry after] ·idols [other gods]
    ·will have much [multiply] pain.
I will not ·offer [pour out offerings of] blood to those idols
    or even ·speak [L take on my lips] their names.

5 No, the Lord is ·all I need [L my portion and my cup].
    ·He takes care of me [L You hold my lot; C a device like the Urim and Thummim whereby God reveals one’s future; Ex. 28:30].
6 ·My share in life has been pleasant [L The boundary lines fall for me in pleasant places];
    my ·part [inheritance] has been beautiful.

7 I ·praise [bless] the Lord because he advises me.
    Even at night, ·I feel his leading [L my innards instruct me].
8 I keep the Lord before me always.
    Because he is ·close by my side [L at my right hand],
    I will not be ·hurt [L moved; Acts 2:25].
9 So ·I rejoice and am glad [L my heart exults and my glory/soul/or innards is glad].
    Even my body ·has hope [dwells securely; Acts 2:26],
10 because you will not ·leave [abandon] me in ·the grave [or the underworld; L Sheol].
    You will not let your ·holy one [saint; loyal one] ·rot [L see the Pit; C the grave; Acts 2:27; 13:35].
11 You will teach me ·how to live a holy [L the path of] life.
    ·Being with you will fill me with joy [L In your face/presence is the fullness of joy; Acts 2:28];
at your right hand I will find pleasure forever.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Finish what you started in me, God. Your love is eternal—don’t quit on me now. Do not let me quit on You! Psalm 138

Psalm 138 Complete Jewish Bible

138 (0) By David:

(1) I give you thanks with all my heart.
Not to idols, but to you I sing praise.
2 I bow down toward your holy temple
and give thanks to your name for your grace and truth;
    for you have made your word [even] greater
    than the whole of your reputation.
3 When I called, you answered me,
you made me bold and strong.

4 All the kings of the earth will thank you, Adonai,
when they hear the words you have spoken.
5 They will sing about Adonai’s ways,
“Great is the glory of Adonai!”
6 For though Adonai is high, he cares for the lowly;
while the proud he perceives from afar.

7 You keep me alive when surrounded by danger;
you put out your hand when my enemies rage;
with your right hand you save me.
8 Adonai will fulfill his purpose for me.
Your grace, Adonai, continues forever.
Don’t abandon the work of your hands!

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Most of us get excited to start something new.

Keeping that excitement in the middle of that project as it grows in complexity, is what potentially wears us down – then to keep on going and reach that goal of a finished product becomes less a priority and we put it away for another day.

Usually, there may be at least one unfinished project somewhere in our lives.

Undoubtedly, confession or no confession, many of us have too many to count.

God’s not like that.

He finishes what He begins, no matter how much time it will take.

That includes each of us.

Philippians 1:3-6 Christian Standard Bible

Thanksgiving and Prayer

3 I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you,[a] 4 always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you[b] will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

He will ‘bring to an end’ – which is what ‘perfect’ means i n the Hebrew – work and labor which is about what His Plan desires from us to grow His Kingdom on earth, spread the Gospel, and He will not forsake the work He has started in us.

Of course, you can also highly desire those things outside of God’s will for you.

He does not help with those things, but works either around them, or though them, to bring you closer to Himself.

That is always His goal – to bring us closer to Himself, either here in this life, and certainly, in the eternal life.

God created humanity to labor in His Garden, harvest the first fruits of His love and when our work is accomplished on earth to go and live with Him in heaven.

Sin, because of our selfish human desires, complicated that original goal, but God has worked so His original goal is still possible – our eternal life with Him.

We are always major works in progress, but we will not be unfinished projects—because His love endures forever. Jesus’s life, death and resurrection shows that God keeps going in the middle of this project that is us seeing Him face-to-face.

You don’t have to worry – God will fulfill His purpose for you!

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me – Psalm 138:8

Read Psalm 138:8: (Click on the verse to read it in various translations.)

“The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.” ESV

What a powerful declaration!

The psalmist acknowledges that God has a specific purpose for his life, and he expresses his unwavering faith that the Lord will see it through to completion.

This verse reminds us; each of us has a unique purpose and calling in this world.

Our lives have meaning and significance in the grand tapestry of God’s plan, and because God’s great love for us endures forever, we can have confidence that faithfully, He will never forsake that sacred work He has begun in our lives.

It is important to note that God’s purpose for our lives may not always match up with our own expectations or desires.

Sometimes, we may face challenges, setbacks, or detours along the way.

But even in those moments, don’t worry, you can take heart in the truth that God’s purpose remains unshakable.

He is not limited by our circumstances or hindered by our failures.

In fact, He often works through them to shape you and me, teach us, and ultimately bring His vision of our future reality which is His perfect plan.

This past year I have wrestled with the idea that God accomplishes His purpose and His plan, His way, without my help.

I thought my labor was to help Him achieve His plan for me and my family.

But He clearly showed me that is not the case!

1 Corinthians 15:58 Amplified Bible

58 Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord [always doing your best and doing far more than is needed], being continually aware that your labor [even to the point of exhaustion] in the Lord is not futile nor wasted [it is never without purpose].

We labor in His fields tilling up those soils which are classed as impossible.

No matter how long it will take to do it, new ground will be made ready for planting, previously impossible will transformed into new opportunities.

Do you ever wrestle with this notion too?

Matthew 9:35-38 Christian Standard Bible

The Lord of the Harvest

35 Jesus continued going around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every[a]  disease and every sickness.[b][c] 36 When he saw the crowds, he felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. 38 Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.”

Do you find it hard to remain still, plant yourself in your brand new Lazy Boy recliner, as the God of the universe (Elohim) works out His purpose in your life?

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen ….

Praying …..

Psalm 16
Confidence in the Lord
A Miktam of David.

1 Protect me, God, for I take refuge in you.
2 I[a] said to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
I have nothing good besides you.”[b]
3 As for the holy people who are in the land,
they are the noble ones.
All my delight is in them.
4 The sorrows of those who take another god
for themselves will multiply;
I will not pour out their drink offerings of blood,
and I will not speak their names with my lips.

5 Lord, you are my portion[c]
and my cup of blessing;
you hold my future.
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me
in pleasant places;
indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

7 I will bless the Lord who counsels me—
even at night when my thoughts trouble me.[d]
8 I always let the Lord guide me.[e]
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.

9 Therefore my heart is glad
and my whole being rejoices;
my body also rests securely.
10 For you will not abandon me to Sheol;
you will not allow your faithful one to see decay.
11 You reveal the path of life to me;
in your presence is abundant joy;
at your right hand are eternal pleasures.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Surly His Word shall not fail you–He promised; Believe Him, and all will be well: Then go to a world that is dying, His perfect salvation forever to tell! Hebrews 12:1-3

Hebrews 12:1-3 Lexham English Bible

The Example of Jesus’ Suffering

12 Therefore, since[a] we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, putting aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us[b], let us run with patient endurance the race that has been set before us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the originator and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider the one who endured such hostility by sinners against himself,[c] so that you will not grow weary in your souls and give up.

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Eyeballing The Example of Jesus’ Suffering

How many of us know and love the famous hymn, Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus?

There really is a sense of purity and weightiness to many of the hymns we sing.

But this one strikes a particularly intimate chord, beckoning us to look up and out beyond our distractions, disappointments, and even our despair.

Not only is it calling us to shift our perspective, but to fix our gaze on the face of our Lord.

It is there that all of the cares of this world dim and fade in the light of His love and glory.

This hymn truly is one of my absolute favorites.

I actually wasn’t exposed to it until a bit later in life, but it was so influential that decades later, I still have a vivid memory of the first time I heard it.

I was driving my car to Gatlinburg Tennessee when Michael W. Smith first shared a beautiful rendition of these beloved lyrics. 

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.”

There is so much in our world that clamors for our attention.

In such a time of turbulent and volatile days as we are embroiled in right now, it is difficult to know exactly what or who we should be looking at or looking for.

Our challenges, our worries, our incessant need to be busy, and our constant pursuit of “happiness.”

All of which depletes our faith, steals our peace, and leaves us feeling lost, anxious, and hopeless.  

This is the slippery slope that can so easily lead us astray.  

Often, our distance from the Lord is not due to intentional rebellion but rather to a slow fading of affection.

As famously quoted by Corrie ten Boom,

“If the devil can’t make you bad, he’ll make you busy.”

True satisfaction can only be found in Him.

Nothing else will ever satisfy. 

In preparation for sharing about this hymn in today’s devotional, I conducted a little research to learn more about its origin and authorship.

The hymn was penned by Helen Lemmel in 1922.

Her own words were inspired by the life and poetry of a female missionary named Lilias Trotter, who encouraged those around her to

“turn your soul’s vision to Jesus, and look and look at Him… for ‘He is worthy’ to have all there is to be had in the heart that He has died to win.”

Jesus was, is, and always will be the answer to our questions, the treasure to our pursuit of riches, and the fulfillment of our innermost desires.

The God-shaped hole in each of our hearts will never be satisfied by the lesser things of this world.

The struggle truly is real.

The noise and allure of all that surrounds us will constantly bombard our hearts and minds. It will never go away while we remain in this fallen world. As such, it requires focused intentional effort on our part to break free of earthly bonds. 

But when we really think about it, the effort is so minimal.

All we have to do is look up and gird ourselves for what our Savior presents.

Just set down our phones, walk away from our planners, close our computers, or turn off the TV, and simply shift our gaze from the temporal to the eternal.

The Lord has already done all the hard work for us. 

“For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” – Hebrews 12:2 (NIV)

The thing He is asking of us is to turn our eyes upon Him. As soon as we do, the things of this world will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.

Hebrews 8:6-13 The Message

6-13 But Jesus’ priestly work far surpasses what these other priests do, since he’s working from a far better plan. If the first plan—the old covenant—had worked out, a second wouldn’t have been needed. But we know the first was found wanting, because God said,

Heads up! The days are coming
    when I’ll set up a new plan
    for dealing with Israel and Judah.
I’ll throw out the old plan
    I set up with their ancestors
    when I led them by the hand out of Egypt.
They didn’t keep their part of the bargain,
    so I looked away and let it go.
This new plan I’m making with Israel
    isn’t going to be written on paper,
    isn’t going to be chiseled in stone;
This time I’m writing out the plan in them,
    carving it on the lining of their hearts.
I’ll be their God,
    they’ll be my people.
They won’t go to school to learn about me,
    or buy a book called God in Five Easy Lessons.
They’ll all get to know me firsthand,
    the little and the big, the small and the great.
They’ll get to know me by being kindly forgiven,
    with the slate of their sins forever wiped clean.

By coming up with a new plan, a new covenant between God and his people, God put the old plan on the shelf. And there it stays, gathering dust. 

The New Covenant of Grace

I can still remember the first time I really understood the gift of God’s grace.

I had been used to the idea of “earning” favor and approval from people, and that extended into ultimately seeking that everlasting approval from God.

It was a familiar pattern: Perform well, and you will be rewarded. Fail, and you are left with guilt and consequences. 

But grace is not like that.

It depends not on our performance but on God’s promises—sealed through Jesus. 

The writer of Hebrews contrasts the old covenant, which was based on laws and rituals, with the new covenant of grace established by the sacrifice of Jesus.

The old covenant required continuous sacrifices for sin, but Jesus, through his sacrifice of himself once for all, has made it possible for us to draw near to God, being loved and forgiven. 

The new covenant means that we no longer need to fear God’s judgment.

We are invited into an intimate relationship with God, marked not by our obedience but by God’s perfect love.

No matter what our mistakes are, God’s grace is always greater.

This is the good news of salvation—the new covenant in our Savior Jesus. 

As we reflect on all this, let’s envision the freedom that comes with His grace.

No longer bound by old rules, we can live, love and move in His hope and peace, knowing God has established a new way for us to be fully loved and forgiven.

Do you feel overwhelmed, distracted, or lost?

If so, how do you attempt to comfort yourself or ease your worries?

I encourage you to take some time today to listen to the timeless truths of this hymn.

I pray it ministers to your aching or anxious soul as we finally lift our sin laden, sin poisoned human eyes to ultimately cast your gaze upon Him and Him alone.

And may we all remove our blinders to behold Him in His light, love, and grace. 

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Praying ….

Psalm 19 New American Standard Bible

The Works and the Word of God.

For the music director. A Psalm of David.

19 The heavens tell of the glory of God;
And their expanse declares the work of His hands.
2 Day to day pours forth speech,
And night to night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words;
Their voice is not heard.
4 Their [a]line has gone out into all the earth,
And their words to the end of the world.
In them He has placed a tent for the sun,
5 Which is like a groom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices like a strong person to run his course.
6 Its rising is from [b]one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the [c]other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

7 The Law of the Lord is [d]perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.
10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much pure gold;
Sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, Your servant is warned by them;
In keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.
13 Also keep Your servant back from presumptuous sins;
Let them not rule over me;
Then I will be innocent,
And I will be blameless of great wrongdoing.
14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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