Romans 15:4 "For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."
96 Sing to Adonai a new song! Sing to Adonai, all the earth! 2 Sing to Adonai, bless his name! Proclaim his victory day after day! 3 Declare his glory among the nations, his wonders among all peoples!
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.
Sing to Give, Not Get, Praise
God made us to sing songs. I used to sing into my toothbrush, holding it up like a microphone while imagining myself belting out Little Orphan Annie’s songs with all the vibrato of a Broadway star.
Whether you ever dreamed of signing a recording contract or you’re the sort that hums softly under your breath, your vocal cords were designed to make a joyful noise (music). But left to ourselves we often sing in order to be praised.
Psalm 96 urges us to use our voices not in order to earn praise, but to give it.
Three times David tells us to “sing to the Lord.”
This repetition should automatically signal, “Pay attention!”
God created your vocal cords not for your praise but to give praise to Him.
Not Just Any Song
What is this new song we’re to sing?
That number 1 on the latest top 40 on the Hit Parade?
Your favorite classic traditional old hymn from your church’s hymnal?
No No No — a thousand times No!
The newness springs from its daily-ness.
Just as Jesus taught us to pray every day for the bread of life to eat, fruit of the vine to drink, forgiveness for sin, rescue from evil, the psalmist shows us how to respond to God’s answers to our prayers: with all new songs sung every day.
In our consumer culture, we tend to think new means different, changed, or better than the old version.
But in Psalm 96, new means unending and undiminished.
Irish biblical scholar the late Alec Motyer (1924 – 2016) says the new songs commanded here correspond to the new mercies celebrated in
Lamentations 3:22-23. “Just as [God’s] ‘compassion’ is ‘new every morning’ so is [our] responsive song” (Psalms by the Day, 72).
16 He has broken my teeth with gravel and pressed me down into ashes. 17 I have been so deprived of peace, I have so forgotten what happiness is, 18 that I think, “My strength is gone, and so is my hope in Adonai.”
19 Remember my utter misery, the wormwood and the gall. 20 They are always on my mind; this is why I am so depressed.
21 But in my mind I keep returning to something, something that gives me hope — 22 that the grace of Adonai is not exhausted, that his compassion has not ended. 23 [On the contrary,] they are new every morning! How great your faithfulness! 24 “Adonai is all I have,” I say; “therefore I will put my hope in him.
25 Adonai is good to those waiting for him, to those who are seeking him out. 26 It is good to wait patiently for the saving help of Adonai.
We sing from day to day because God’s salvation is at work in us day to day.
The timeless hymn Amazing Grace captures the meaning of new with the line,
“When we’ve been there 10,000 years, bright shining as the sun / We’ve no less days to sing His praise than when we’ve first begun.”
Command and Invitation
The song’s newness also stems from who it is doing the singing. “All the earth” is both a command and invitation cloaked here in mystery, but revealed fully at the cross.
As Paul says in Ephesians 3:6,
“This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.”
Every person in every people group in all the earth is commanded to give God the praise that is His due.
But they are also invited to join in the chorus of joyful worship and noisy praise as they bless His name in response to His grace.
This is not unfeeling obligation, but wide-eyed wonder and heartfelt response to God’s overwhelming goodness!
Scripture reveals that what God commands, He will accomplish.
In Revelation 5, the Apostle John gives us a vision of heaven where the four living creatures and the 24 elders lie prostrate before the Lamb in worship.
Verse 9 tells us they, too, are singing a new song, saying,
Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth (v. 9-10).
This song is full of past tense verbs: of actions accomplished, of vast peoples ransomed, of a kingdom and priests prepared to reign.
What was commanded in Psalm 96—a global response of praise for a great and costly salvation—Jesus has accomplished.
He alone is worthy to open the scroll because He was slain on the cross.
By His atoning blood He ransomed a people from all the peoples for God.
Jesus our Savior is worthy of worship today, tomorrow, and every day for all of eternity.
Our exuberant praises should never cease, our songs never come to an end, they are to be new every morning from today, and forever.
For Reflection
These verses contain five sets of instructions repeated in sets of three. In addition to “sing, sing, sing…to the Lord, to the Lord, to the Lord,” what else does the passage require of God’s people?
What songs do you sing when you’re in the car, in the shower, in the mood to sing? How might you grow your daily musical response to God’s mercy and grace?
Start now. Sing a song of praise to God wherever you are.
In the name of God, the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit …
Praying …
Psalm 98 Complete Jewish Bible
98 (0) A psalm:
(1) Sing a new song to Adonai, because he has done wonders. His right hand, his holy arm have won him victory. 2 Adonai has made known his victory; revealed his vindication in full view of the nations, 3 remembered his grace and faithfulness to the house of Isra’el. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.
4 Shout for joy to Adonai, all the earth! Break forth, sing for joy, sing praises! 5 Sing praises to Adonai with the lyre, with the lyre and melodious music! 6 With trumpets and the sound of the shofar, shout for joy before the king, Adonai! 7 Let the sea roar, and everything in it; the world, and those living in it. 8 Let the floods clap their hands; let the mountains sing together for joy 9 before Adonai, for he has come to judge the earth; he will judge the world rightly and the peoples fairly.
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.
96 1-2 Sing God a brand-new song! Earth and everyone in it, sing! Sing to God—worship God!
2-3 Shout the news of his victory from sea to sea, Take the news of his glory to the lost, News of his wonders to one and all!
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 other day I was driving to my Doctor’s appointment downtown and as our Lord so kindly saw fit, I drove through six consecutive downtown green lights.
I never had to stop or even slow down!
Upon arrival at the hospital, I immediately took satisfaction this rare sliver of grace the Lord extended to me. I’ve even told other people about it. How often does one make six straight green lights over a stretch of rush hour city driving?
I couldn’t help but reflect about all those providential green lights–how much more impactful are the glorious deeds spoken of God extolled in Psalm 96:1-3.
Are we, should we be, regularly be telling, singing, of God’s awesomeness?
We are told to sing (three times), to tell, and to declare the glory of our great God–each of these in the imperative, which means we are commanded to do so.
This command is carried out “from day to day” so we are to continuously praise God.
This applies to when the little things are good–like making six green lights–just as much as when the big things are bad, like what Job experienced (Job 1:20-21; 2:10).
We are to sing, tell, and declare the glory of our great God “among the nations” and “among all the peoples.”
This means His praise should be on our lips while in line at the grocery store, sitting next to our classmates, co-workers, and interacting with our spouses, children, and family members.
Our praising of God should not be limited to church morning or our private prayer lives.
It should flow out of us as naturally as water comes out of the ground.
The psalmist leaves no doubt about what the content of our praise should be:
God’s salvation, God’s glory, and God’s marvelous works.
At the time of this psalm’s writing, the ultimate act fitting this bill would have been God’s deliverance of His people from Pharaoh and into the Promised Land.
But that was only a pointer to the true deliverance, the true land of rest, the true salvation in Jesus Christ.
Thus, our songs of praise, telling of His salvation, declarations of His wonderful works, should always culminate in extolling the person, work of Jesus Christ.
It is Jesus who took the Father’s wrath (Psalm 75:7-8; John 18:11), it is Jesus who paid our debt (Colossians 2:14), it is Jesus who gives us His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21), and yes, it is Jesus who enabled me to make 6 consecutive green lights (Proverbs 16:33).
As a follower of Christ, He should be the primary subject of our continual praise, Raise up! May we be an inspired people of relentless praise of the One true God!
In the name of God, the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit …
Praying …
Psalm 148
Creation’s Praise of the Lord
1 Hallelujah! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights. 2 Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his heavenly armies. 3 Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars. 4 Praise him, highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens. 5 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for he commanded, and they were created. 6 He set them in position forever and ever; he gave an order that will never pass away.
7 Praise the Lord from the earth, all sea monsters and ocean depths, 8 lightning[a] and hail, snow and cloud, stormy wind that executes his command, 9 mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, 10 wild animals and all cattle, creatures that crawl and flying birds, 11 kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all judges of the earth, 12 young men as well as young women, old and young together. 13 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted. His majesty covers heaven and earth. 14 He has raised up a horn for his people, resulting in praise to all his faithful ones, to the Israelites, the people close to him. Hallelujah!
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.
24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in alarm. He said to his advisers, “Didn’t we throw three men, bound, into the fire?”
“Yes, of course, Your Majesty,” they replied to the king.
25 He exclaimed, “Look! I see four men, not tied, walking around in the fire unharmed; and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”[a]
26 Nebuchadnezzar then approached the door of the furnace of blazing fire and called, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, you servants of the Most High God—come out!” So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the fire. 27 When the satraps, prefects, governors, the king’s advisers gathered around, they saw that the fire had no effect on[b] the bodies of these men: not a hair of their heads was singed, their robes were unaffected, and there was no smell of fire on them.
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.
King Nebuchadnezzar had made an image of gold and had ordered people to bow down and worship it (Daniel 3:1-6).
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego steadfastly refused to do that, because they did not worship statues, idols or other gods. They worshiped only the true God.
So the king’s astrologers spoke harshly against these men and said they should be thrown into a blazing furnace for their very public display of disobedience .
Let’s look at Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s reply:
Daniel 3:16-18 Christian Standard Bible
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to the king, “Nebuchadnezzar, we don’t need to give you an answer to this question. 17 If the God we serve exists, then he can rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and he can[a] rescue us from the power of you, the king. 18 But even if he does not rescue us,[b] we want you as king to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up.”
They said they would not worship the image of gold for any reason, even if God did not deliver them.
They were hardcore determined to obey God, and they trusted in God to protect their souls even if the fire killed them and burned them up. Many people might expect “realistic compensation” for their actions, but Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego declared that they would always obey God, no matter what happened.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego knew that their first allegiance was to God and they should worship only him.
Nebuchadnezzar did not recognize any authority above his own; he wanted to be the object of worship. He had commissioned a great statue and ordered that everyone must bow and worship his image or face execution by fire in a furnace.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were willing to face the harshest anger of the king and even die rather than deny their heavenly Father, in whose image they were made.
They faced adversity with courage and modeled for the king what it looked like to honor the convictions of their faith.
Their testimony is compelling.
In effect, they resolutely said, “We believe God is able to save us, but even if he does not do that in this life, we will not worship anyone but him.”
This statement enraged the king so much that he raised the temperature by 7 times to the point the soldiers in charge of these men were killed by the heat.
But God protected his servants from the fire, allowed them to leave the furnace unscathed.
After the dramatic rescue of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, the king had a major change of heart and praised God. Their faith mentored the king himself.
Do we have the courage to stand up for our convictions in the face of adversity?
What incredible faith!
God protected them from the fire when they refused to compromise their faith.
Only God can bring hope to the hopeless, and fearlessness to those who fear.
Sometimes, in the middle of our challenges, there might seem to be no end in sight of the mess.
It could be one event after the other that piles upon us, making us so heavy-laden with trepidation that we lose sight of where to turn. Instead of declaring,
“Only God,” we ask, “Why God?”
Even though it might seem like an impossible task to hold on to verses when we are in the middle of problems that seem to have no solution, be assured that Jesus promised to be with us even until the end of the age (Matthew 28:20)
Only God can bring hope to the hopeless, and fearlessness to those who fear.
Sometimes, in the middle of our challenges, there might seem to be no end in sight of the mess. It could be one event after the other that piles upon us, making us so heavy-laden with trepidation that we lose sight of where to turn.
Instead of declaring, “Only God,” we ask, “Why God?”
Even though it might seem like an impossible task to hold on to verses when we are in the middle of problems that seem to have no solution, be assured that Jesus promised to be with us even until the end of the age.
Let us be mindful — when we are facing financial burdens, family problems, or sickness — that our mess could just be the makings of something else: a future message for another brother or sister experiencing a similar hardship.
They might need our story to give them hope and keep the holding steadfast to the Lord.
Let us labor to model our steps after those three rebellious young men of the Old Testament.
Their names were some of my favorites that I loved to repeat as a child: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
Faced with conditions forcing them to come face to face with their faith, they bonded together and took a stand against King Nebuchadnezzar’s commands.
Even though they were thrown into the fire, they did not feel the flames.
You might be standing in the middle of a blazing fire, but trust in the Lord to deliver you from your circumstance.
You may see the flames or hear the crackling, but you will feel no heat because you serve a mighty Father that will bring you through this trial. And when you have broken free from your mess you will have a testimony to say, “Only God.”
The story did not end with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego being rescued from flames unsinged.
It could have, and it still would have, been the glorious testimony of the faith of a few and the power of God.
But, reading this text further, we see King Nebuchadnezzar’s hardened heart was softened.
He even promoted them within the kingdom for their display of integrity and commitment.
Your time is coming.
Hold on to that unwavering faith that can move mountains:
“And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, if ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.” (Matthew 17:20)
In the flames, repeat that nothing is impossible with God.
When you walk away, praise His name and say, “Only God!”
What does it look like to live with courage, clarity, and conviction when everything around you feels uncertain?
The book of Daniel tells the story of faith under fire—of ordinary people who stayed rooted in God while living in a culture that didn’t share their values.
From exile in Babylon to lion’s dens and prophetic dreams, Daniel shows us that even the very smallest acts of faith can anchor us in our uncertain times.
In the name of God, the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit …
Praying …
Psalm 46
God Our Refuge
For the choir director. A song of the sons of Korah. According to Alamoth.
1 God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble. 2 Therefore we will not be afraid, though the earth trembles and the mountains topple into the depths of the seas, 3 though its water roars and foams and the mountains quake with its turmoil. Selah
4 There is a river— its streams delight the city of God, the holy dwelling place of the Most High. 5 God is within her; she will not be toppled. God will help her when the morning dawns. 6 Nations rage, kingdoms topple; the earth melts when he lifts his voice. 7 The Lord of Armies is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah
8 Come, see the works of the Lord, who brings devastation on the earth. 9 He makes wars cease throughout the earth. He shatters bows and cuts spears to pieces; he sets wagons ablaze. 10 “Stop fighting, and know that I am God, exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth.” 11 The Lord of Armies is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold. 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.
32-38 I could go on and on, but I’ve run out of time. There are so many more—Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, the prophets. . . . Through acts of faith, they toppled kingdoms, made justice work, took the promises for themselves. They were protected from lions, fires, and sword thrusts, turned disadvantage to advantage, won battles, routed alien armies. Women received their loved ones back from the dead. There were those who, under torture, refused to give in and go free, preferring something better: resurrection. Others braved abuse and whips, and, yes, chains and dungeons. We have stories of those who were stoned, sawed in two, murdered in cold blood; stories of vagrants wandering the earth in animal skins, homeless, friendless, powerless—the world didn’t deserve them!—making their way as best they could on the cruel edges of the world.
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 love how the Lord employed unlikely people to do extraordinary things.
Often, the outcast was embraced, the sinner was chosen, and the “labeled” was marked by God for an extraordinary divine purpose.
Some of the names in Hebrews 11 are well known.
Others are not.
But all are names of believers through whom God worked to keep his promises.
I find it interesting that the two Israelite spies, sent by Joshua to search out the land of Jericho, went specifically to the house of Rahab the harlot.
While it made sense they would lodge at a house located on the wall of Jericho—for strategic purposes, it doesn’t make sense they chose to lodge with a harlot.
Against the commandments of God, a harlot would normally have been avoided at all cost. Yet, against all of our rationale, God chose Rahab to help His people, and eventually become part of the lineage of Jesus. (see Matthew 1:5)
What a beautiful testimony of God’s character!
He truly sees past the physical and straight to the heart. God looks for those who will be faithful to Him, and often finds them in the most unlikely places.
For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him…2 Chronicles 16:9
By faith, Rahab risked her own life to help the spies escape. It was her belief in the Lord that saved her and her whole family. Unlike the other inhabitants of Jericho, the miraculous things she had heard about God spurred her to action.
Now before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof, and said to the men: “I know that the Lord has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. Joshua 2:8-11
In holy fear of the Lord, Rahab acted in faith.
Instead of closing the door on the spies, she allowed her reverent fear of “God in heaven above and on earth beneath” to motivate her.
The lesson for us here is to let a holy and reverent fear of the Lord motivate our service to Him; to remember what He has done, what He is doing, and what He will do. God stirs us up and does amazing things in the lives of ordinary people.
All He looks for is faith in His Son Jesus—a faith that leads us to do great things for His glory. I don’t know about you, but I want that more than anything.
As we look to ponder and study and pray through Hebrews 11, which is also sometimes described as the Bible’s chapter on “heroes of faith,” we should note that this chapter never uses the word hero. It simply lists the names of those chosen ordinary people whom God used for extraordinary purposes.
Ordinary people stirred by the extraordinary acts of others, faith is something which tethers us to God, pulls pushes us forward—step by step and day by day.
Sports coaches and sports psychologists know the importance of faith.
You’ve got to believe … in yourself.
You have to believe you can do your sport, or you won’t win.
Faith gives drive, momentum, energy, confidence.
Whether novice Christians or matured, any group or solitary journey through Hebrews 11 points us directly to an enormous variety of extraordinary things ordinary people were able to do because they had faith. (Acts 2:14-21 Peter)
And their faith was not in themselves but in God.
Faith in God is assurance in what God has done and confidence in what God can do … and will most definitively do—at the exact right time, in his Kairos time.
True faith focuses both our eyes on God.
It also centers our gravity in such a way it keeps both our feet on the ground even while it lifts our hearts to heaven.
Faith enables us to stand tall and live straight.
It puts a spring in our step.
“You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible” (Matthew 17:20).
Faith that is as small as a mustard seed, said Jesus, can move a mountain!
We have all struggled at one time or another with our ability to fully trust God. I never truly realized the extent to which I wrestled with Him over both the very simplest of things, and the big things. Sometimes we just have more faith in a kitchen chair’s ability to sustain us than we do in God’s ++ ability to sustain us.
One person’s smallest measure of faith can change the world—think of the apostle Paul, for example, or of Martin Luther, John Wesley, Billy Graham.
In chapter 11 the writer of Hebrews gives us a high-speed recitation of history to illustrate the power of faith.
Perhaps you could add the names of some people you know of to the mighty events listed in the closing verses there.
Imagine your name in that list.
Imagine your finger’s trying to hold onto a single Mustard Seed?
What event(s) in your life might be mentioned as an example of faith at work?
In the name of God, the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit … Amen
Praying …
19 1-2 God’s glory is on tour in the skies, God-craft on exhibit across the horizon. Madame Day holds classes every morning, Professor Night lectures each evening.
3-4 Their words aren’t heard, their voices aren’t recorded, But their silence fills the earth: unspoken truth is spoken everywhere.
4-5 God makes a huge dome for the sun—a superdome! The morning sun’s a new husband leaping from his honeymoon bed, The daybreaking sun an athlete racing to the tape.
6 That’s how God’s Word vaults across the skies from sunrise to sunset, Melting ice, scorching deserts, warming hearts to faith.
7-9 The revelation of God is whole and pulls our lives together. The signposts of God are clear and point out the right road. The life-maps of God are right, showing the way to joy. The directions of God are plain and easy on the eyes. God’s reputation is twenty-four-carat gold, with a lifetime guarantee. The decisions of God are accurate down to the nth degree.
10 God’s Word is better than a diamond, better than a diamond set between emeralds. You’ll like it better than strawberries in spring, better than red, ripe strawberries.
11-14 There’s more: God’s Word warns us of danger and directs us to hidden treasure. Otherwise how will we find our way? Or know when we play the fool? Clean the slate, God, so we can start the day fresh! Keep me from stupid sins, from thinking I can take over your work; Then I can start this day sun-washed, scrubbed clean of the grime of sin. These are the words in my mouth; these are what I chew on and pray. Accept them when I place them on the morning altar, O God, my Altar-Rock, God, Priest-of-My-Altar.
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.
8 “Behold, I go forward (to the east), but He is not there; I go backward (to the west), but I cannot perceive Him; 9 To the left (north) He turns, but I cannot behold Him; He turns to the right hand (south), but I cannot see Him. 10 “But He knows the way that I take [and He pays attention to it]. When He has tried me, I will come forth as [refined] gold [pure and luminous]. 11 “My feet have carefully followed His steps; I have kept His ways and not turned aside. 12 “I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have kept the words of His mouth more than my necessary food
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.
Where Is God in this unyielding fiasco called my life?
Years ago, there were two men I knew who had lost a whole lot of money.
I felt sorry for one of them, but not for the other.
The man I didn’t feel sorry for had applied for a hefty business loan and I had suspected provided a bit of false information; he had also continued to lie as he went from bank to bank and applied and borrowed more and more money.
He used this money to invest in wild and clearly high risk speculative schemes and to live a lavish lifestyle. Eventually his web of lies came apart, he left town, and the bank found that the loan would never be repaid. But the bank was large and this was just one unpaid loan, so the bank was able to continue operating.
The man I felt sorry for was an honest Christian.
He had done business with the other man, had been misled, and had been left with a mountain of mounting late payments due him that would never be paid.
But unlike the large bank, this honest man was ruined financially.
He lost nearly everything he owned.
He wondered why God had allowed this to happen to him and his family.
I pray that this man’s pastor and Christian friends were there for him in his time of crisis.
Even though there were no easy answers to the question “Where is God in this?” the book of Job and many prayers in the Psalms teach us that we may always bring our desperate cries to God. (Psalm 63)
The Thirsting Soul Satisfied in God.
A Psalm of David; when he was in the wilderness of Judah.
63 O God, You are my God; with deepest longing I will seek You; My [a]soul [my life, my very self] thirsts for You, my flesh longs and sighs for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water. 2 So I have gazed upon You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory. 3 Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips shall praise You. 4 So will I bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. 5 My [b]soul [my life, my very self] is satisfied as with marrow and fatness, And my mouth offers praises [to You] with joyful lips.
6 When I remember You on my bed, I meditate and thoughtfully focus on You in the night watches, 7 For You have been my help, And in the shadow of Your wings [where I am always protected] I sing for joy. 8 My [c]soul [my life, my very self] clings to You; Your right hand upholds me.
9 But those who seek my life to destroy it Will [be destroyed and] go into the depths of the earth [into the underworld]. 10 They will be given over to the power of the sword; They will be a prey for foxes. 11 But the king will rejoice in God; Everyone who swears by Him [honoring the true God, acknowledging His authority and majesty] will glory, For the mouths of those who speak lies will be stopped.
Jesus, cried his own prayer from the cross, will bring our cries to his Father.
One of the metaphors that the Bible says about life is that it is a test.
God continually tests people’s character, faith obedience, love, integrity, and loyalty. Christian Character is both developed and revealed by testing.
And the truth of the matter is – All of Life is a Test.
You are always being tested.
God is constantly watching how you respond to people, problems, success, conflict, illness, disappointment and even the weather.
What I like to do today is offer several ways God’s people have been tested.
For you see trials can be:
1. A Test of Patience.
Trials and tribulation can be a test of patience.
The Lord has a timing for fulfilling His plans and purposes.
Often His plans take much longer than we expect.
In the meantime we go through severe trials and tribulations and they seem to last forever.
These seasons are tests of our patience.
Are we willing to wait for God’s timing?
Listen to what the scripture says in James chapter 1.
“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trial, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” (NKJV)
Job’s life was a test of patience.
In fact the Bible says in book of James,
“Remember the patience of Job.”
2. A Test of Faith.
Trials can be a test of our faith.
Do we believe in God even in the midst of pain and suffering?
Do we believe in the promises of God even when everything looks impossible?
Do we trust in God even if He does not deliver us?
Do we trust in God even when we do not understand His ways and working in our lives?
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were tested and showed their faith.
Daniel 3:16-18 (HCSB)
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to the king, “Nebuchadnezzar, we don’t need to give you an answer to this question. 17 If the God we serve exists, then He can rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and He can rescue us from the power of you, the king. 18 But even if He does not rescue us, we want you as king to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up.”
“It’s not that we can’t do it. – It’s that we won’t do it.”
Thought: How do you know if you are faithful unless you are tempted with unfaithfulness?
3. A Test of Love.
Trials can most definitely test our love.
They can reveal whom or what we love most in our lives.
They reveal our priorities and desires.
The Lord wants us to love Him more than anybody else or anything else.
The depth of our love to God is revealed during the seasons of trials.
Peter is an example of this test.
John 21:15-17(HCSB)
15 When they had eaten breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said to Him, “You know that I love You.” “Feed My lambs,” He told him. 16 A second time He asked him, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” “Yes, Lord,” he said to Him, “You know that I love You.” “Shepherd My sheep,” He told him. 17 He asked him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved that He asked him the third time, “Do you love Me?” He said, “Lord, You know everything! You know that I love You.” “Feed My sheep,” Jesus said.
4. A Test of Endurance.
Trials can be a test of our endurance.
How much are we willing to endure for the Lord?
Will we give up easily from following the Lord?
Will we endure till the end?
The life of Paul is an example of endurance.
2 Corinthians 11:24-27(HCSB)
24 Five times I received from the Jews 40 lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. I have spent a night and a day in the depths of the sea. 26 On frequent journeys, [I faced] dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own people, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the open country, dangers on the sea, and dangers among false brothers; 27 labor and hardship, many sleepless nights, hunger and thirst, often without food, cold, and lacking clothing.
5. A Test of Humility.
Trials can be a test of humility.
The Lord humbles us by allowing us to go through seasons of trials.
The Lord wants us to have the mind of Christ who humbled Himself to take the form of a lowly servant and became obedient even to the death of the cross.
Moses went through times of trial and his humility shone forth.
Numbers 12:1-3 (HCSB)
1 Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses because of the Cushite woman he married (for he had married a Cushite woman). 2 They said, “Does the Lord speak only through Moses? Does He not also speak through us?” And the Lord heard [it]. 3 Moses was a very humble man, more so than any man on the face of the earth.
Thought: Humility is not thinking less of yourself. It is thinking of yourself less.
6. A Test of Sacrifice.
Trials can be a test of our sacrifice.
Are we willing to sacrifice everything for the Lord?
Are we clinging to the possessions and treasures of this world?
Are we crucified to the world?
When we lay ourselves on the altar and die to our self then we can bear much fruit for the Lord.
The Lord leads us to the point of total surrender by leading us through the path of trials.
He tests the level of our willingness to sacrifice for Him.
He tested Abraham in this way.
Genesis 22:7-8 (HCSB)
7 Then Isaac spoke to his father Abraham and said, “My father.” And he replied, “Here I am, my son.” Isaac said, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” 8 Abraham answered, “God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” Then the two of them walked on together.
7. A Test of Obedience.
Trials can be a test of our obedience to God.
Are we willing to obey God even when He commands us to do what we do not like or what we wish to avoid?
The Lord teaches us obedience by leading us through trails.
Jesus is the prime example of obedience.
Matthew 26:39(HCSB)
Going a little farther, He fell facedown and prayed, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.”
Philippians 2:8 (HCSB) He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death—even to death on a cross.
Jesus Passes the Test for Us
Matthew 4:1-11 New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The Testing of Jesus
4 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tested by the devil. 2 He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterward he was famished. 3 The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But he answered, “It is written,
‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,
‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’ ”
7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ”
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, 9 and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! for it is written,
‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’ ”
11 Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.
Since the beginning, human beings have failed God’s test.
In Eden, Satan asked, “Did God say . . . ?” and then misquoted God’s words.
Adam and Eve responded by questioning the word of God and then doing what seemed right in their own eyes.
So do we. Jesus, the Son of God, came to live among us as a human being.
And, in his case, the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be severely tempted.
There Satan made some suggestions that sounded rather reasonable—“have something to eat; show your power; fall into the arms of God.”
Jesus responded to each temptation with a quote from the Scriptures.
Without twisting God’s words, said, in effect, “No, I live by the Word of God.”
This is still our challenge as well.
Will we live by God’s Word, or will we do what seems right in our own eyes?
Like Adam and Eve, we are experts at twisting God’s words to suit our own purposes. We lie, we lust, we get angry, we are greedy, we gossip—and so on.
Rarely does a day pass in which we don’t knowingly yield to some temptation.
We need to rely on the only One who passed the test.
He was “tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin” (Hebrews 4:15).
What’s more, Jesus also laid down his life to pay the price for our sin—so that we can live forever with God. (Philippians 2:5-11)
If we posses as little as .001% of that mindset…what miracles becomes possible?
In the name of God, the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit … Amen
Praying ….
A Psalm of Fearless Trust in God.
A Psalm of David.
27 The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom should I fear? The Lord is the [a]defense of my life; Whom should I dread? 2 When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh, My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell. 3 If an army encamps against me, My heart will not fear; If war arises against me, In spite of this I am confident.
4 One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, To behold the [b]beauty of the Lord And to [c]meditate in His temple. 5 For on the day of trouble He will conceal me in His [d]tabernacle; He will hide me in the secret place of His tent; He will lift me up on a rock. 6 And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me, And I will offer sacrifices in His tent [e]with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.
7 Hear, Lord, when I cry with my voice, And be gracious to me and answer me. 8 When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You, “I shall seek Your face, Lord.” 9 Do not hide Your face from me, Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not abandon me nor forsake me, God of my salvation! 10 [f]For my father and my mother have forsaken me, But the Lord will take me up.
11 Teach me Your way, Lord, And lead me on a level path Because of my enemies. 12 Do not turn me over to the [g]desire of my enemies, For false witnesses have risen against me, And the violent witness. 13 I certainly believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living. 14 Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord.
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.
17-24 You got me when I was an unformed youth, God, and taught me everything I know. Now I’m telling the world your wonders; I’ll keep at it until I’m old and gray. God, don’t walk off and leave me until I get out the news Of your strong right arm to this world, news of your power to the world yet to come, Your famous and righteous ways, O God. God, you’ve done it all! Who is quite like you? You, who made me stare trouble in the face, Turn me around; Now let me look life in the face. I’ve been to the bottom; Bring me up, streaming with honors; turn to me, be tender to me, And I’ll take up the lute and thank you to the tune of your faithfulness, God. I’ll make music for you on a harp, Holy One of Israel. When I open up in song to you, I let out lungsful of praise, my rescued life a song. All day long I’m chanting about you and your righteous ways, While those who tried to do me in slink off looking ashamed.
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
You know that space between heartbeats?
In the dead of night, when the house is finally quiet, the scroll wheel on your mouse has lost its zing – slows down, the mouse wont track or stops working?
That’s where it finds you.
A vague, shapeless ache.
A whisper thumps in your eardrums, hammering away; This can’t be all there is!
You signed up for life, and life more abundant.
You memorized the Bible verses about peace that pass understanding and joy unspeakable.
But on a sunny afternoon, and you’re stuck in traffic with a low fuel light and a lower spirit, and then the gospel feels like a theory. A beautiful, distant theory.
And you wonder, is it just me? Is my faith broken?
What if it’s not?
What if the problem isn’t the absence of faith but a misunderstanding of its fingerprint? What if the life of a believer isn’t about a glowing, ethereal perfection but a series of quiet, counterintuitive, and deeply human postures that, over time, carve the image of Christ into the very grain of our being?
This isn’t about performing for an audience.
It’s about the seven things that happen when the Audience of One truly takes His seat in your heart as a real Christian.
1. They Listen to a Different Whisper
Speaking from experience, I know for a fact the world’s voice is a crescendo.
It’s the algorithm’s curated envy, the news cycle’s curated panic, and the marketplace’s curated lack of profit for your new roof. It shouts of what you must have, what you must fear, and who you must become to be enough. It’s a heavy yoke, and it’s a yoke we often pick up and carry without a second thought.
But what if somewhere along the way we have learned to tune your ear to a completely different frequency? A lower, quieter, older sound.
It’s the sound you have to get still to hear.
It’s not in the earthquake or the fire, but the “still small voice” (1 Kings 19:12).
A real Christian isn’t someone who never hears the world’s noise; they’re just someone who has practiced recognizing the timbre of the Shepherd’s voice over the din of the crowd.
“My sheep hear my voice,“ Jesus said, “and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27).
This is the first, most fundamental difference.
It’s not that real Christians are never afraid; it’s that they’ve learned which voice to answer when fear calls their name. They turn down the volume on the chaos to hear the whisper that says, “I am with you. I am for you. Be still.”
2. They See the World Through a Lens of Ownership—Not Tenancy
Most of us live as tenants.
We pass through spaces—our jobs, our neighborhoods, even our families—with a temporary mindset.
We complain about the mess but feel no real responsibility for cleaning it.
We see the brokenness but feel powerless to mend it.
“It’s not our house; it is not our problem we’re just passing through.”
But a real Christian operates from a wild, paradoxical truth: they are both a pilgrim and a steward.
They understand they are “a stranger and a pilgrim” on this earth, as stated in Hebrews 11:13-16; their ultimate citizenship is elsewhere.
Hebrews 11:13-16 The Message
13-16 Each one of these people of faith died not yet having in hand what was promised, but still believing. How did they do it? They saw it way off in the distance, waved their greeting, and accepted the fact that they were transients in this world. People who live this way make it plain that they are looking for their true home. If they were homesick for the old country, they could have gone back any time they wanted. But they were after a far better country than that—heaven country. You can see why God is so proud of them, and has a City waiting for them.
Yet, this freeing truth doesn’t breed detachment; it fuels radical engagement.
Because they know the Earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it (Psalm 24:1-2).
24 1-2 God claims Earth and everything in it, God claims World and all who live on it. He built it on Ocean foundations, laid it out on River girders.
They are not temporary tenants; they are only stewards of the King’s estate.
This changes everything.
It means the trash on the sidewalk is litter on the King’s highway.
The lonely neighbor is a subject of the King who needs companionship.
The injustice in the city is a stain on the King’s dominion.
They don’t see a world they are trying to escape from, but a creation they are entrusted to care for on behalf of its rightful Owner.
Their work, their charity, their civic engagement, ministry and mission—it’s all an act of stewardship, a way of tending the garden until the Gardener returns.
3. They Hold Their Plans With Open Hands
We clutch our five-year plans like life rafts adrift in the crashing waves.
We white-knuckle our careers, our relationships, and our dreams.
We see a closed door as a personal failure and a detour as a disaster.
Our identity gets tangled up in our itinerary.
But have you ever noticed how often God’s greatest works begin with a divine interruption? A detour on the road to Damascus. A change of route that leads to a Macedonian call. A Messiah who arrived in a feeding trough, not a palace?
The real Christian has a paradoxical relationship with control.
They make plans, yes.
They are diligent.
But they hold those plans loosely, writing “if the Lord wills” in the margins of their life.
Just like it clearly says in James 4:15, “For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live and do this or that.”
Nothing but a Wisp of Fog
13-15 And now I have a word for you who brashly announce, “Today—at the latest, tomorrow—we’re off to such and such a city for the year. We’re going to start a business and make a lot of money.” You don’t know the first thing about tomorrow. You’re nothing but a wisp of fog, catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing. Instead, make it a habit to say, “If the Master wills it and we’re still alive, we’ll do this or that.”
This isn’t passive fatalism.
It’s active trust.
It’s the difference between being the author of your own story, frantically trying to control the story plot, and our images of being a beloved character in God’s great narrative, trusting the author’s pen – never in His auto-pen
It’s the freedom that comes when your identity is rooted in who you belong to, not what you are accomplishing.
Understanding the closed door isn’t a tragedy but a redirection.
The interruption isn’t an annoyance; it’s an invitation to a better story.
4. They Find Strength in the Unmasking
The world teaches us to curate.
To present our highlight reel. To armor up with confidence, success, and togetherness. Vulnerability is seen as a weakness, a crack in the façade.
But the kingdom of God operates on a different economy. It’s a kingdom where strength is “made perfect in weakness”(2 Corinthians 12:9).
The real Christian isn’t the one who has it all together in the church foyer.
The real Christian is the one brave enough to unmask in a small group and say, “My marriage is struggling,” or “I’m battling a fear I can’t shake,” or “I feel so alone.”
They understand church is not a museum for saints but hospital for sinners.
It’s in the honest confession of our brokenness that the light of grace gets in.
It’s in admitting we are weak we finally tap into a strength that isn’t our own.
This is the scandalous exchange: our anxiety for His peace, our weariness for His rest, and our mess for His mercy.
We don’t have to pretend anymore.
We can bring our whole, tired, tangled selves to the foot of the cross and find that we are met not with condemnation, but with a love that heals precisely where we are most wounded.
5. They Practice a Gratitude That Doesn’t Ignore the Pain
It’s easy for us to be thankful on the mountaintop. When the sun is shining and the bank account is full and the kids are healthy.
But according to 1 Thessalonians 5:18, the call is to “in everything give thanks.”In everything. Not for everything.
There’s a profound difference.
A real Christian develops a gratitude that is not blind to the darkness but that chooses to acknowledge the single point of light.
It’s a defiant act.
It’s giving thanks for the single flower growing through the crack in the pavement of a devastatingly dry year.
It’s the “sacrifice of praise,” like in Hebrews 13:15, that costs us something—our pride, our self-pity, and our right to be the center of our own tragic story.
This gratitude isn’t a plastic smile.
It’s the raw, honest prayer of the Psalmist who cries out in
Psalm 13:1, 5, “How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?”
and then, in the very next breath, declares, “But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.”
Real Christians can hold the pain and the promise in the same hand and thank God that the story isn’t over yet.
6. They Extend the Mercy They Themselves Desperately Need
We are natural scorekeepers.
We keep mental ledgers of who has wronged us, owes us, and who has failed us.
We withhold forgiveness until we feel the other person has suffered enough.
But then you really, truly understand the gospel.
You realize you are a debtor who has been forgiven a debt so astronomical it could never be repaid.
Ten thousand talents worth.
And that person who cut you off in traffic, relative who betrayed your trust, that coworker taking credit for your work—their debt against you is, by comparison, a hundred pence (Matthew 18:23-35).
The real Christian doesn’t forgive others because they are a doormat.
They forgive because they have been lifted off the floor themselves.
They extend mercy because they are living on a daily supply of it.
They know holding onto offense is like drinking a 10 gallon jug of hemlock and waiting for the other person to get sick.
The command to love our enemies isn’t a weapon for guilt; it’s a prescription for freedom. Matthew 5:43-48
It’s the only way to unlock our own hearts from the prison of bitterness.
7. They Live from a Future Promise in a Present Tense
This is the thread that ties all the others together. Everyone lives with an underlying narrative about how the story ends. For some, it’s a quiet hope in personal legacy. For others, it’s a grim certainty of decay and nothingness.
However, the real Christian lives with a blessed assurance.
A “hope both sure and steadfast” (Hebrews 6:19).
Hebrews 6:17-20 Christian Standard Bible
17 Because God wanted to show his unchangeable purpose even more clearly to the heirs of the promise, he guaranteed it with an oath, 18 so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us. 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain. 20 Jesus has entered there on our behalf as a forerunner, because he has become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
This hope is not a vague wish but an anchor for the soul.
It’s the settled conviction the story ends with restoration, reconciliation, and resurrection.
That every wrong will be made right, and every tear will be wiped away.
And that future promise changes everything about the present tense.
It means our suffering is not meaningless.
It means our labor in the Lord is not in vain.
It means that when we stand for justice, when we create beauty, when we offer comfort, we are not just delaying the inevitable darkness.
We are planting seeds of a coming kingdom. Matthew 13 Parable of the Sower
We are living now as citizens of the world to come.
We are, as Anglican Bishop N.T. Wright says,
“celebrating Easter in the midst of Lent.” We live in the tension of the “already” but “not yet,” and it infuses our present moment with eternal significance.
So the next time that ache finds you in the quiet dark, don’t dismiss it as a failure of faith.
See it as a homing device.
A reminder that you were made for more than this world can offer.
The difference for real Christians isn’t in the absence of the struggle.
It’s in the presence of a companion within it.
It’s not about doing more.
It’s listening, receiving, responding to a love that has already done everything.
In the name of God, the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit ….
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.
44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
The Parable of the Pearl of Great Value
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, 46 who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
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.
Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island is a story about pirate gold, stolen from Spanish sailors, who stole it from the Incas in South America, who had invaded the lands of other people and built an empire in the Andes Mountains.
The pirates had buried the gold on a Caribbean island. After the treasure map was lost and later found, people from all over England went in search of it.
This is a cautionary tale of mutiny, bloodshed, and—in the end—untold riches.
It is a parable about people’s ill-gotten gains and all of the trouble it brings.
In Jesus’ parable about hidden treasure, our Lord doesn’t focus on where the treasure came from, who might have known about it in the past, and so on.
That isn’t why he told the parable. The important points here are that
(1) the kingdom of heaven is a hidden treasure worth more than anything else we could ever have, and (2) sometimes people stumble upon it unexpectedly.
How easy it is to be utterly wrapped up in the struggles of life:
getting an education, landing a job, finding a spouse, raising kids, fending off health problems, growing old, saving for retirement, eventually, facing death.
How easy it would be to brush off eternal life as vague religious stuff, and to listen to the continuous barrage of sneers of people who call it “pie in the sky.”
But what a surprise to find that Jesus came to show God’s love for us sinners!
Eternal life and the kingdom of heaven are as solid as treasure found in a field.
These two parables are like conjoined twins.
They are very similar but they also have marks of individuality.
They both teach the truth that the supreme blessing, by far the most priceless discovery in life, is the discovery of God.
To be in His Kingdom, to be a member of his family, to receive Him and His love and power is the true treasure of living.
They also teach that God is not only VALUABLE but ACCESSIBLE.
John 3:16-21 English Standard Version
For God So Loved the World
16 “For God so loved the world,[a] that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
We can all have Him, we all have unlimited access to Him from the very poorest dirt farmer to the wealthiest pearl merchant, the seaman upon the raging seas.
We may find Him in different ways but we have Him when we value Him above all else.
Romans 5:1-5 English Standard Version
Peace with God Through Faith
5 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith[b] into this grace in which we stand, and we[c] rejoice[d] in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that our sufferings produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
I. THE VALUE OF DISCOVERING GOD.
The two pictures are simple but powerful.
In first century Palestine, when armies marched across the land, people saved their possessions by burying them.
Rabbis had a saying, “There is only one safe repository for money – the earth.”
A poor dirt farmer is plowing somebody else’s field.
He does it to feed himself and his family.
He knows every clod in that old patch and probably hates each one.
When his plow goes deep and hits something hard he curses the rock. But when he digs it out it is not a rock but a chest – a chest filled with more money than he has ever seen. He buries it and sells everything he owns so he can buy the field.
The second man is a wealthy pearl merchant.
The pearl in that day was like our diamond, a rare treasure.
One day he came across the most beautiful, valuable pearl he had ever seen.
He too sold all he had so he could buy it.
The pearl and the treasure represent, of course, the Kingdom of God, all those blessings and benefits that are ours in being rightly related to Christ.
We often think of religion as something which takes all the joy out of life but, instead, it’s like daily work, finding buried treasure, like finding a perfect jewel.
When God opens our eyes we get our priorities right.
We see that which is truly valuable.
Passengers on a cruise ship give little thought to the life jackets under their bed.
They are crude and ugly and rough and uncomfortable.
But let the ship start to go down and the jackets are prized above all items.
To many, Christianity, like those jackets, is something to fall back on in life’s emergencies, but the rest of the time it is a hindrance to full and free living.
To others, however, Christianity is as valuable, every day and in every way, as a life jacket is to a drowning man.
Jesus is the Bread of Life.
He is the Water of Life.
Just as our bodies starve without bread and water, so our higher nature starves without Him who satisfies the hungers and thirsts of our souls.
Jesus is the most valuable thing in life, the one thing we could not do without.
In the name of God, the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit amen …
Praying …
Ascribe to the Lord Glory
A Psalm of David.
29 Ascribe to the Lord, O 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 holiness.[b]
3 The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over many waters. 4 The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon. 6 He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord flashes forth 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 forests bare, and in his temple all cry, “Glory!”
10 The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord sits enthroned as king forever. 11 May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless[d] his people with peace!
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.
1 How well God must like you— you don’t walk in the ruts of those blind-as-bats, you don’t stand with the good-for-nothings, you don’t take your seat among the know-it-alls.
2-3 Instead you thrill to God’s Word, you chew on Scripture day and night. You’re a tree replanted in Eden, bearing fresh fruit every month, Never dropping a leaf, always in blossom.
4-5 You’re not at all like the wicked, who are mere windblown dust— Without defense in court, unfit company for innocent people.
6 God charts the road you take. The road they take leads to nowhere.
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.
Finding, embracing our Happiness in What We Avoid
Psalm 1
The Two Ways
1 How happy is the one who does not walk in the advice of the wicked or stand in the pathway with sinners or sit in the company of mockers! 2 Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted beside flowing streams[a] that bears its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
4 The wicked are not like this; instead, they are like chaff that the wind blows away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand up in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to ruin.
Happiness includes having the courage to avoid destructive situations. We can draw the line in uncertain friendships. We can walk away from compromising situations. We can say no to opportunities that could lead to wrongdoing.
This is how God describes his followers who seek to honor him and to live by his Word. When we are supplied with wisdom from God, we can avoid misfortunes, regrets, and many troubles by learning to exactly how say no before it’s too late.
Rather than walking in step with the wicked, “those who belong to Christ Jesus” can “keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:24-25).
In Christ, we are given new life and “called to be free” (5:13).
It doesn’t mean we are free to follow our old sinful nature. Rather, we are called to “serve one another humbly in love” (5:13), following the whole law of God.
If we walk in the way of the wicked, stand proudly with sinners, or sit dutifully among mockers, we will be just like them, and we will not enjoy the happiness of life that God wants for us.
We will be blown away like dust in the wind, for “the way of the wicked leads to destruction.”
Psalm 1 is often described as teaching about the two ways: the way of godly wisdom, and the way of foolish wickedness. “Blessed [or happy] is the one who . . .” avoids the way of wickedness but delights in the way of the Lord.
God’s truth will always outweigh and outlive all its detractors.
As the prophet Isaiah proclaims, “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever” (Isaiah 40:8).
As the Psalter opens, we find that the blessed person—the truly happy one—delights in the enduring truth of God’s word.
The very words of the Lord are precious to them; each word tastes sweeter than honey (Psalm 19:10).
Yet such a person doesn’t only delight in the law of the Lord; they also meditateupon it.
Meditation is akin to the process of digestion.
It is possible, in physical terms, just to stick food in your mouth and do nothing with it, but that will add nothing of nutritional value to your body.
We risk the same with God’s word if we come to it Sunday by Sunday and turn to it day by day without intentional meditation.
Often we feel as if our lives are racing by at 100 miles an hour.
Daily time in God’s word becomes a chore to complete, just to say we’ve done it.
Instead, we need to continually find ways to store up God’s word in our hearts (Psalm 119:11).
We need consciously to take time to chew it over, to ask throughout the day, “What does this verse really mean? How should it shape my thoughts and actions in this situation? What is it showing me about the glory of God? How might God use it to conform me to the image of Christ?”
We are not called to snack on the Scriptures but to feast on them.
There is no end to God’s excellencies, there is no end to the riches of His word.
What will it mean for you to meditate on it?
By prayer, seek the help of the Spirit of God to harness your heart and mind to the text.
Carefully consider what the Bible has to say.
Ponder it.
Probe it.
Chew on it
throughout the day to release as many soul-nourishing nutrients as you can.
Psalm 139:23-24 Christian Standard Bible
23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. 24 See if there is any offensive[a] way in me; lead me in the everlasting way.
What does Psalm 1:2 teach us?
It explains that in which true blessedness –deep, rich, real, God-bestowed, God-centered happiness– consists. And it does so in the very first sentence.
Psalm 1:1-2 “Blessed is the man” . . . [whose] “delight is in the law of the Lord.”
Notice there is no opposition of blessing and obedience, or of delight and duty.
What is the simple explanation of Psalm 1?
Psalm 1 is called a wisdom psalm because we learn that happiness results from our choice to follow God’s direction of life.
In this psalm the writer sets forth two ways or two directions in life.
One is the right way that leads to happiness, and the other is the wrong way that leads to misery.
What is the moral of Psalms 1?
Psalm 1 proclaims truths echoed in the book of Proverbs: that
following the wisdom of God is the best and wisest way to live.
Like Proverbs, this psalm declares that those who obey God’s teachings can avoid serious consequences arising from committing to sin and disobedience.
What is the warning in Psalm 1?
This Psalm has a warning and a promise.
The warning describes the downward journey of a person who would rather listen to the chorus of this world rather than the word of God.
While the great promise of His happiness is for the righteous only.
And as you meditate on the law of your Lord, ask God not just to increase your knowledge of Him but o change you from the inside out to be more like His Son.
As you see His word go to work in your heart and mind and life, you will come more and more to experience continuous delight in reading it and living by it.
In the name of God, the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit
Praying ….
Psalm 32
The Joy of Forgiveness
Of David. A Maskil.
1 How joyful is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! 2 How joyful is a person whom the Lord does not charge with iniquity and in whose spirit is no deceit!
3 When I kept silent, my bones became brittle from my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was drained[a] as in the summer’s heat.Selah 5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not conceal my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah
6 Therefore let everyone who is faithful pray to you immediately.[b] When great floodwaters come, they will not reach him. 7 You are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with joyful shouts of deliverance. Selah
8 I will instruct you and show you the way to go; with my eye on you, I will give counsel. 9 Do not be like a horse or mule, without understanding, that must be controlled with bit and bridle or else it will not come near you.
10 Many pains come to the wicked, but the one who trusts in the Lord will have faithful love surrounding him. 11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones; shout for joy, all you upright in heart.
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.
15 When one of those who reclined at the table with him heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is the one who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!”
16 Then he told him, “A man was giving a large banquet and invited many. 17 At the time of the banquet, he sent his servant to tell those who were invited, ‘Come, because everything is now ready.’
18 “But without exception[a] they all began to make excuses. The first one said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. I ask you to excuse me.’
19 “Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m going to try them out. I ask you to excuse me.’
20 “And another said, ‘I just got married, and therefore I’m unable to come.’
21 “So the servant came back and reported these things to his master. Then in anger, the master of the house told his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the city, and bring in here the poor, maimed, blind, and lame.’
22 “‘Master,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, and there’s still room.’
23 “Then the master told the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges and make them come in, so that my house may be filled. 24 For I tell you, not one of those people who were invited will enjoy my banquet.’”
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.
Praying, thinking, pondering, meditating about the synoptic gospels reminds us that at the very heart of the Christian faith is a life- changing message of joy.
That’s why I like this parable so much.
Jesus uses a powerful metaphor to describe life with Him in the kingdom of God: a great banquet.
In Jesus’ day, banquets often celebrated important events in the community.
In fact, Jesus’ first miracle took place at a wedding banquet.
To spare this family from social embarrassment when their wine had run out early, Jesus turned several 50 gallon jugs of water into wine (John 2:1-11).
In Luke 14, Jesus tells a story about a wealthy man who is hosting an enormous banquet for his friends.
They all accept the initial invitation, the day of the banquet comes and they are told the food is ready, they make ridiculous excuses, flat rejecting the host’s generosity. The angry frustrated host opens his table to whoever wants to come.
This becomes a picture of the kingdom we are invited to enjoy.
Sometimes this parable is summed up in a way like this:
“God is throwing a party. Are you coming?”
I love that!
This sounds like good news to me!
except, am I even .000001% willing to see that life in Jesus is better and more delightful than anything this world offers?
Am I ready to unbuckle myself from everything worldly and run to the feast?
How the Parable of the Banquet Should Mess With Our Imagination
Studying the Parable(s) of the Banquet, there’s a fairly obvious question we can ask – why is the Kingdom of God described as a banquet in the first place?
It’s a good biblical theme, with roots in Isaiah 25, and a banquet is a picture of fellowship and acceptance, which speaks of God’s grace.
However, all that said, I wonder if we need to embrace the picture in order to give us a more powerful vision of what God’s Kingdom is.
It’s been said people find it easier to envision hell than heaven, and that’s a shame, because surely it’s better to focus our imaginations on the Kingdom of Heaven, the Kingdom of God, both in the future and right here and right now.
So why not take some quality time to envision, picture, how, why God’s image of a indescribably sumptuous banquet should easily capture our imaginations.
Because God’s great banquet isn’t quiet.
God’s great banquet isn’t serious and dull.
There’ll be laughing and singing and dancing.
There’ll undeniably be joy and hope and tears of gratitude.
For those who have been hungry there will be food to eat, and not just rationed portions but an all-you-can-eat perfectly prepared buffet you smell as soon as you walk through the door, cuisine from France and Italy, Japan and China and India and Pakistan, the very best English fish and chips you’ll have ever eaten.
For those of us who are heart-broken, there’s the chance to sit with someone in the kitchen and talk it through, but when we’re ready there’ll be music we can dance to without any guilt.
Those who’ve been down on their luck are still invited in, even if they’re wearing an old pair of trainers and jeans from Oxfam, and the angels on the door may even dig out a tuxedo or a Ralph Lauren evening dress for you.
And for those who are ashamed, who feel like they don’t deserve to be there, who feel like their sins and their past are too shameful for them to even step over the threshold, Jesus himself heads straight for them, he takes their coat and pours their drink because they need to know that the King of Kings who hosts this party wrote their name on the welcome list himself.
Simply because he loves them and wants them to be there, he wants them all to be there so much that he willingly went to the cross to make 100% sure the door to this great banquet could be thrown open to all who want to come.
Eating together, sharing a meal together, is how the Bible shows acceptance and fellowship, and that’s why the central ritual in Christianity isn’t a hymn or sermon, it’s a a simple meal of bread and wine that ultimately reminds us of what Savior Christ did for us that day, and of God’s great love for his people.
The realization of that can change lives: Zacchaeus is a tax collector hated by all, but one meal with Jesus and he’s giving away a fortune to make amends; a woman gatecrashes a party just to anoint Jesus’s feet, and he ends up telling her that she’ll be fondly remembered forever for the truly beautiful thing she did.
Parties with Jesus aren’t about a table of vol au vents and a few glasses of wine, they are all an opportunity for grace, and when you end up partying with Jesus…
Psalm 23:5-6Authorized (King James) Version
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.
Psalm 34:8 Authorized (King James) Version
8 O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
…Life is going to change forever.
In the name of God, the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit
16 Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. 2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.”
3 As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.[b]
4 The sorrows of those who run after[c] another god shall multiply; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names on my lips.
5 The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. 6 The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.
7 I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.[d] 8 I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being[e] rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. 10 For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.[f]
11 You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
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.
6 Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in [union with] Him [reflecting His character in all the things you do and say—living lives that lead others away from sin], 7 having been deeply rooted [in Him] and now being continually built up in Him and [becoming increasingly more] established [a]in your faith, just as you were taught, and overflowing in it with gratitude.
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.
Christ-like or Christ-less?
What does it mean to fake it till you make it?
Fake it till you make it refers to the idea of
projecting a level of self-confidence in order to convince yourself that you can attain a goal that you feel as though you do not yet have the skills to achieve.
In behavioral psychology, the idea of “act as if” and “fake it till you make it”can be a pivotal therapeutic intervention.
This is simply because it is much easier to act ourselves into feeling better than to think ourselves into feeling better, be talked by someone into feeling better.
What causes fake life?
Being dishonest with yourself creates a fake life.
If you are not being honest and lying to yourself about the state of health, or the state of your peace, or happiness, you are living a fake life. The repertoire of lies that we say to others do not harm us as much as the lies we say unto ourselves.
It’s very likely you have heard the famous Las Vegas advertising tagline: “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.”
Think for a moment about what this actually implies.
Hey, you want to cheat on your spouse in Vegas? No problem, it all stays there.
Want to gamble away all your savings? Vegas will never tell.
Want to party until you puke? Fine. The smell will never make it to your home.
The implication of this approach is that it’s okay, even desirable, to live one way in complete secrecy in Las Vegas, then another “normal” way at home.
I fear that for Christians, too many live out their faith in a similar way.
“What happens away from church, stays away from church.”
This reveals a weak, shallow, empty faith that attracts an enormous weight of guilt and frankly, is a lousy way to live.
It’s a compartmentalized faith – a pick-and-choose lifestyle in which a person basically wanders and weaves at will in around and between a Christlike life and a Christ-less life.
Typically, such a person chooses to live God’s way when the church lights are on, sermons are preached, prayers are prayed and Christian friends are looking, but behind closed car and house doors, when no eye can see him, all bets are off.
Here’s my own personal experience following my open heart surgery: when I’m spiritually empty, I will naturally gravitate toward a compartmentalized faith.
I hate to admit it, but when I’m not feeling close to God, the actions of the world are attractive and even seductive to me. Thankfully, as I have matured in my faith, I have also learned how to recognize the signs of my spiritual emptiness.
Now I can usually catch myself before I experience the negative consequences of my actions.
I talk to a lot of Christians who believe living for God means not blowing it in big areas of life: committing adultery, stealing money, murder—kind of thing.
Wrong!
A non-compartmentalized, fully integrated faith means obedience in the small areas too.
Obedience to a managed thoughtful life, speaking kind words and the call to follow God’s way.
It’s what we think at night when no one is around.
It’s that extra jab we do (or don’t) when we have an argument with a friend or spouse. It’s the degree to which we keep (or lose) our cool while fighting traffic.
What’s the solution?
Obedience is much easier when we’re living topped off and spiritually refueled.
When we are consistent in connecting with God, our hearts are full and we’ll desire to live a consistent (non-compartmentalized) faith.
Today, Psalm 46:10-11 it, take time to refuel, by stopping, by being quiet and by making a connection with God.
This can take seconds or hours and it can take place anywhere and at any time.
GOING DEEPER:
In what areas of your life do you find yourself most likely to compartmentalize your faith?
Write out three reasons why you need to be spiritually refueled and focus on the one that gives you the biggest challenge.
In the name of God, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit…
Praying …
Psalm 12 Easy-to-Read Version
To the director: With the sheminith. A song of David.
12 Save me, Lord! We can no longer trust anyone! All the good, loyal people are gone. 2 People lie to their neighbors. They say whatever they think people want to hear. 3 The Lord should cut off their lying lips and cut out their bragging tongues. 4 Those people think they can win any argument. They say, “We are so good with words, no one will be our master.”
5 They took advantage of the poor and stole what little they had. But the Lord knows what they did, and he says, “I will rescue those who are poor and helpless, and I will punish those who hurt them.”[a]
6 The Lord’s words are true and pure, like silver purified by fire, like silver melted seven times to make it perfectly pure.
7 Lord, take care of the helpless. Protect them forever from the wicked people in this world. 8 The wicked are all around us, and everyone thinks evil is something to be praised!
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.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 