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."
14 Turn from all known sin and spend your time in doing good. Try to live in peace with everyone; work hard at it.
15 For the eyes of the Lord are intently watching all who live good lives, and he gives attention when they cry to him. 16 But the Lord has made up his mind to wipe out even the memory of evil men from the earth. 17 Yes, the Lord hears the good man when he calls to him for help and saves him out of all his troubles.
18 The Lord is close to those whose hearts are breaking; he rescues those who are humbly sorry for their sins.
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 my younger days I struggled to express sadness or fear, thinking they made me look vulnerable and weak.
A wise teacher told me, “Emotions are like busy little children. If you don’t acknowledge them, they get louder and louder to grab your attention. Once you acknowledge them, they feel seen and calm down.”
This slowly helped me to see my emotions as valid and to understand myself and my needs.
I remember a former preacher sharing his own struggles with anxiety.
His honesty and reliance on God’s strength gave me the courage to face my own feelings without shame.
This was a powerful reminder that even the people we look up to can experience emotional challenges.
A late friend once confided in me about struggling with depression.
That friend’s openness helped me slowly realize that sharing our emotions with trusted friends can bring comfort and support. Being honest about our feelings can lead to healing and deeper connections. James 5:16
Psalm 34:18 reassures us that God understands our emotions and is present in our struggles. Normalizing our emotions means acknowledging them, sharing them, praying with people we trust, and seeking God’s comfort and guidance.
Feeling a broad range of emotions is normal and healthy. When we embrace our emotions, we can grow wiser, mature from our toughest experiences, leading to greater emotional and spiritual well-being.
Achy Breaky Body and Wildly Disquieted Souls
When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Psalm 32:3–4
Those who work in the fields of psychology, psychiatry, and social services are often confronted with a strong correlation between what is happening in a person’s heart and mind and what is being displayed in that person’s body.
God’s word speaks into this connection and then goes deeper, for it tells us that there is a connection between the state of our body and the state of our soul.
Psalm 32, David speaks very personally to God, acknowledging the heaviness he experienced when he hid in the shadows and refused to confess his sin against Bathsheba and devised the murder of her husband, Uriah (see 2 Samuel 11).
And through David, the Spirit teaches us that there is a link between a tortured conscience and lack of repentance, and our physical wellbeing.
Those who were in David’s immediate company may not have been aware of what was going on inside him spiritually, but they could not have avoided the obvious indications of what was happening to him physically.
The description he provides adds to the account he gives elsewhere:
“My heart throbs; my strength fails me, and the light of my eyes—it also has gone from me. My friends and companions stand aloof from my plague, and my nearest kin stand far off” (Psalm 38:10-11).
It’s a quite devastating picture.
David recognized his condition for what it was: a punishment.
The Bible makes it clear that there is a natural outcome to lust, excess, and a disregard for the commands of God (see Romans 1:24-25)—all of which David was clearly guilty of.
Frailty, weight loss, sleeplessness, a sense of rejection, melancholy, anxiety, despair often haunt individuals who are seeking to hide their sin from God and deny it to themselves.
What restored David was not a health kick or getting to bed earlier but rather dealing with the root cause—his sin:
“I acknowledged my sin to you … and you forgave the iniquity of my sin” (Psalm 32:5).
God kept His hand heavy upon David until David placed his sin into God’s hands and asked Him to deal with it.
It is a blessing to us when God does not allow us to forget our sin—when we feel chronic physical heaviness because of our spiritual sickness. It is His means of bringing us to do what we most need: to confess it and ask for forgiveness for it.
Are you harboring sin?
Do not cloak it; confess it. David experienced liberating relief from his pain and distress when he sought God’s forgiveness.
You too can know that joy, for the promise of God’s word is that
“if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
IF ….
IF …
IF …
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Praying …
Psalm 46 Living Bible
46 God is our refuge and strength, a tested help in times of trouble. 2 And so we need not fear even if the world blows up and the mountains crumble into the sea. 3 Let the oceans roar and foam; let the mountains tremble!
4 There is a river of joy flowing through the city of our God—the sacred home of the God above all gods. 5 God himself is living in that city; therefore it stands unmoved despite the turmoil everywhere. He will not delay his help. 6 The nations rant and rave in anger—but when God speaks, the earth melts in submission and kingdoms totter into ruin.
7 The Commander of the armies of heaven is here among us. He, the God of Jacob, has come to rescue us.
8 Come, see the glorious things that our God does, how he brings ruin upon the world 9 and causes wars to end throughout the earth, breaking and burning every weapon. 10 “Stand silent! Know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation in the world!”
11 The Commander of the heavenly armies is here among us! He, the God of Jacob, has come to rescue us!
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.
9 That night Adonai said to him, “Get up and attack the camp, because I have handed it over to you. 10 But if you are afraid to attack, go down with your servant Purah; 11 and after you hear what they are saying, you will have the courage to attack the camp.” So with his servant Purah he went down to the outposts of the camp.
The 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 Slow Walk to Fear or Spirit-Filled Boldness
Gideon knew a lot about fear and the hesitation it birthed.
He hesitated when God’s angel called him to lead Israel (Judges 6:13, 15).
He hesitated when Israel’s enemies gathered to oppose him (v 36-40).
And, it seems, he hesitated again the night before the battle in which God had promised victory (7:9-10).
And into this fear and hesitancy, God spoke.
Notice God’s grace and patience with Gideon as He says, “But if you are afraid…” and encourages him to take his servant down to the camp with him.
This is a sensitive way to address Gideon’s fear. It recognizes that, humanly speaking, there was great reason to be afraid! He was about to go into battle against an opponent whose soldiers outnumbered his by tens of thousands.
God didn’t rebuke him for his fear; instead, He gave him a valid reason to be bold and confident.
Like Gideon, we need such kind words from our Lord.
We are often slow to remember that we can cast all our cares on Him (1 Peter 5:7). We can boldly approach lay down all of our burdens and fears at His feet.
The veil is torn.
We’re permitted to come to Him and say that we don’t know what to do.
And His response is always filled with grace and sensitivity towards us.
What makes this story even more beautiful is Gideon’s response to God’s gentle suggestion.
During his discreet visit to the enemy camp, he overhears two men discussing a dream, which one soldier interprets as meaning that they will fall under “the sword of Gideon” because “God has given into his hand Midian and all the camp” (Judges 7:14).
When Gideon hears that and realizes that God has indeed gone before him to do what is impossible for him to do alone, what does he do? “He worshiped” (v 15).
There’s such wealth of gratitude and wisdom contained in that response.
Facing impossible odds but assured of God’s promise, this fearful, fragile, unlikely leader poured out his heart in worship and praise, and prayer and then utilized his new found God-given gift of steady courage to rally his troops. His boldness came from a private, secret moment between him and the Lord God.
There’s a difference between personality-driven schemes for manipulating people and genuine, Spirit-filled boldness.
One is produced on a purely human plane and is apt to crumble; the other can be discovered only as we humble ourselves before God, we freely acknowledge our inadequacy, and turn to His Word, remember His infinitely greater sufficiency.
That is a firm place on which to take our stand.
The antidote to fear isn’t more fear or more folly to think more highly of yourself, as so many claim. It’s to think more highly, reverently, of God.
It’s to trust in God’s enablement, over our own, which can grant you a holy, humble boldness beyond compare.
What are you fearful of right now?
Why are you delaying?
Why are you procrastinating?
Why are you hanging around, lingering, malingering, in all those shadows?
Why are you, like Jonah, looking for the fastest and most discrete ship to sail far in the opposite direction, to the furthest possible point away from the action?
What are you making what are obviously the world’s worst excuses against?
What responsibility are you really trying your hardcore hardest to avoid doing?
What lie or truth are you really trying your hardcore hardest to avoid learning?
Did Nathan visit your throne room? Is there a Psalm 51 thing you are avoiding?
Is there a truth you are trying your hardcore hardest to keep the deepest secret?
In what way are you tempted to hang back even though God is calling you to walk forward in obedience? Bring your fears to God. Ask Him to show you His ability to do what you cannot. Then trust Him, worship Him, and obey Him.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 32 Complete Jewish Bible
32 (0) By David. A maskil:
(1) How blessed are those whose offense is forgiven, those whose sin is covered! 2 How blessed those to whom Adonai imputes no guilt, in whose spirit is no deceit!
3 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away because of my groaning all day long; 4 day and night your hand was heavy on me; the sap in me dried up as in a summer drought. (Selah)
5 When I acknowledged my sin to you, when I stopped concealing my guilt, and said, “I will confess my offenses to Adonai”; then you, you forgave the guilt of my sin. (Selah)
6 This is what everyone faithful should pray at a time when you can be found. Then, when the floodwaters are raging, they will not reach to him.
7 You are a hiding-place for me, you will keep me from distress; you will surround me with songs of deliverance. (Selah)
8 “I will instruct and teach you in this way that you are to go; I will give you counsel; my eyes will be watching you.”
9 Don’t be like a horse or mule that has no understanding, that has to be curbed with bit and bridle, or else it won’t come near you.
10 Many are the torments of the wicked, but grace surrounds those who trust in Adonai. 11 Be glad in Adonai; rejoice, you righteous! 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.
(1) How blessed are those whose offense is forgiven, those whose sin is covered! 2 How blessed those to whom Adonai imputes no guilt, in whose spirit is no deceit!
3 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away because of my groaning all day long; 4 day and night your hand was heavy on me; the sap in me dried up as in a summer drought. (Selah)
5 When I acknowledged my sin to you, when I stopped concealing my guilt, and said, “I will confess my offenses to Adonai”; then you, you forgave the guilt of my sin. (Selah)
6 This is what everyone faithful should pray at a time when you can be found. Then, when the floodwaters are raging, they will not reach to him.
The 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.
Sin, Guilt and Your Health – A Health Devotional.
This morning, during my quiet time with God, I was reading Psalm 32 and was reminded of the connection between sin, guilt and health. In this Psalm, David writes when he tried to hide his adultery, sending Uriah to his death, refused to confess his sin that he felt weak and miserable and that he groaned all day long. He also writes that his strength evaporated like water in the dry summer heat.
After reading two other Psalm 32 devotionals, I knew that I wanted to write on this topic of sin, guilt and our health and the interrelationship between them.
Sin, Guilt and Health – What the Bible Says
Psalm 32:1-6 Amplified Bible
Blessedness of Forgiveness and of Trust in God.
Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, favored by God] is he whose transgression is forgiven, And whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute wickedness, And in whose spirit there is no deceit.
3 When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away Through my groaning all the day long. 4 For day and night Your hand [of displeasure] was heavy upon me; My [b]energy (vitality, strength) was drained away as with the burning heat of summer. Selah. 5 I acknowledged my sin to You, And I did not hide my wickedness; I said, “I will confess [all] my transgressions to the Lord”; And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah. 6 Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You [for forgiveness] in a time when You [are near and] may be found; Surely when the great waters [of trial and distressing times] overflow they will not reach [the spirit in] him.
Those who work in the fields of psychology, psychiatry, and social services are often confronted with a strong correlation between what is happening in a person’s heart and mind and what is being displayed in that person’s body.
God’s word speaks into this connection and then goes deeper, for it tells us that there is a connection between the state of our body and the state of our soul.
In Psalm 32, David speaks very personally to God, acknowledging the heaviness he experienced when he hid in the shadows and refused to confess his sin against Bathsheba and the murder of her husband, Uriah (see 2 Samuel 11).
And through David, the Spirit teaches us that there is a link between a tortured conscience and lack of repentance, and our physical wellbeing.
Those who were in David’s immediate company may not have been aware of what was going on inside him spiritually, but they could not have avoided the rather obvious manifestations of what was happening to him physically.
The description he provides adds to the account he gives elsewhere: “My heart throbs; my strength fails me, and the light of my eyes—it also has gone from me. My friends and companions stand aloof from my plague, and my nearest kin stand far off” (Psalm 38:10-11). It’s a quite devastating picture.
David recognized his condition for what it was: a punishment.
The Bible makes it clear that there is a natural outcome to lust, excess, and a disregard for the commands of God (see Romans 1:24-25)—all of which David was guilty of. Mood swings, frailty, weight loss, sleeplessness, a deepening sense of rejection, melancholy, anxiety, and despair often haunt individuals who are seeking to hide their “secret” sin from God and deny it to themselves.
What restored David was not a health kick or getting to bed earlier but rather dealing with the root cause—his sin: “I acknowledged my sin to you … and you forgave the iniquity of my sin” (Psalm 32:5).
God kept His hand heavy upon David until Nathan showed up and told him a story which convicted him.
Then David left his throne, placed his sin into God’s hands and asked Him to help him deal with it. It is a blessing to us when God does not allow us to forget our sin—when we feel physical heaviness because of our spiritual sickness.
It is His means of bringing us to do what we most need: to confess it and ask for forgiveness for it.
Fortunately we have a God who loves us incredibly and because of this, he freely reveals his mercy, he forgives us of our sins when we confess our wrongdoings.
Because of the magnitude of his mercy and his forgiveness of our sins, believers should be able to freely surrender over any guilt or shame that they feel.
God does not want us to experience the heaviness associated with chronic guilt.
His desire is that we live in peace and joy which is available to us when we confess our wrongdoings and believe that God gives us mercy, forgives us.
Peace and joy are health-promoting compared to chronic guilt which can be damaging to our health in more ways than anyone dares to acknowledge.
Are we harboring sin?
Do not cloak it; confess it. David experienced liberating relief from his pain and distress when he sought God’s forgiveness.
You too can know that joy, for the promise of God’s word is that
“if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
A Few Questions to Reflect On:
Are you holding on to guilt and shame because of some past or current sin in your life?
Are you perhaps weak and miserable or plagued with a chronic health related condition – Headaches, High Blood Pressure, tiredness, fatigue, heart ailments that could be caused by the physical strains of coping with long-term guilt?
As soon as possible, to rule out any potentially serious disorder, go see your Primary Care Medical Team for proper assessment, evaluation and treatment
How about issues of anxiety, mood disorders, depression, post traumatic stress disorder, mood swings, irritability, shorter than usual temper control etcetera.
As soon as possible, seek out Licensed Professional Mental Health providers for a proper clinical assessment, evaluation, and therapeutic treatment modalities.
Relieving The Burden of our Guilt and God’s Grace
Psalm 32:6 Amplified Bible
6 Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You [for forgiveness] in a time when You [are near and] may be found; Surely when the great waters [of trial and distressing times] overflow they will not reach [the spirit in] him.
Psalm 32 reminds me that a moral compass is embedded within everyone’s heart. When we do not chart our lives by that compass, we feel genuine guilt.
David spoke to that reality in Psalm 32. He had made a total mess of his life. His moral failures included adultery, conspiracy and murder. David acknowledged that when we mess up, we are eaten up inside if we keep quiet until a someone tells us a story, we convict ourselves. David had an inner urge to confess his sin.
Once confronted by Nathan, thus came his release. David confessed his sin to the Lord. Yes, there were people in his life with whom David needed to come clean. But only God could grant the full pardon his soul craved. When we mess up, our guilt is first of all toward our Creator, whose law we have violated.
How do you find real forgiveness?
If you have not confessed sins which you feel guilty of, I urge you to prayerfully make that confession to God so you and those around you or those you will soon meet, can return to feeling peaceful and joyful, which is God’s will for your life.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 42 Complete Jewish Bible
Book II: Psalms 42–72
42 (0) For the leader. A maskil of the descendants of Korach:
2 (1) Just as a deer longs for running streams, God, I long for you. 3 (2) I am thirsty for God, for the living God! When can I come and appear before God?
4 (3) My tears are my food, day and night, while all day people ask me, “Where is your God?” 5 (4) I recall, as my feelings well up within me, how I’d go with the crowd to the house of God, with sounds of joy and praise from the throngs observing the festival.
6 (5) My soul, why are you so downcast? Why are you groaning inside me? Hope in God, since I will praise him again for the salvation that comes from his presence. 7 (6) My God, when I feel so downcast, I remind myself of you from the land of Yarden, from the peaks of Hermon, from the hill Mizar. 8 (7) Deep is calling to deep at the thunder of your waterfalls; all your surging rapids and waves are sweeping over me. 9 (8) By day Adonai commands his grace, and at night his song is with me as a prayer to the God of my life. 10 (9) I say to God my Rock, “Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, under pressure by the enemy? 11 (10) My adversaries’ taunts make me feel as if my bones were crushed, as they ask me all day long, ‘Where is your God?’ ”
12 (11) My soul, why are you so downcast? Why are you groaning inside me? Hope in God, since I will praise him again for being my Savior and 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.
As followers of Jesus, we are committed to living by God’s standards, such as integrity—saying what we mean and doing what we say.
Proverbs 21:3 says, “To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.”
Integrity means being “honest” and “whole and undivided.” First, we have to be honest with ourselves by asking:
Do I say I will do things that don’t get done?
Do I make excuses for not following through?
Do I substitute words when actions are needed?
Ecclesiastes 5:2 says, “Do not be quick with your mouth…”
The Bible doesn’t teach us not to use words, but to use them wisely and back them up with consistent actions.
Jesus says, in Matthew 25:21, the “master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’”
The master says “well done,” not, “well said.”
If we struggle with integrity, there is hope. Romans 8:1 says. “.. there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
Start with the first tiny step of an honest self-assessment.
Then choose to follow Jesus to the next step in integrity, and keep following Him day by day.
Psalm 78:65-72 The Message
65-72 Suddenly the Lord was up on his feet like someone roused from deep sleep, shouting like a drunken warrior. He hit his enemies hard, sent them running, yelping, not daring to look back. He disqualified Joseph as leader, told Ephraim he didn’t have what it takes, And chose the Tribe of Judah instead, Mount Zion, which he loves so much. He built his sanctuary there, resplendent, solid and lasting as the earth itself. Then he chose David, his servant, handpicked him from his work in the sheep pens. One day he was caring for the ewes and their lambs, the next day God had him shepherding Jacob, his people Israel, his prize possession. His good heart made him a good shepherd; he guided the people wisely and well.
Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Amen.
An Integrity Filled Heart
When we are talking about the qualities that are necessary for a Christian heart, integrity is one quality that cannot, and should not, ever be ignored.
The reason is because that’s the exact type of heart which God desires and uses.
72 So David shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart; And guided them with his skillful hands.Psalm 78:72 Amplified
It was with such an integrous heart that God commended David.
In Acts 13:22 the Lord’s testimony of David says, “I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.”
If David had a heart after God’s heart, and if David’s heart was integrous, therefore it can be concluded that integrity is an integral part of God’s own heart, in other words, integrity is one of God’s qualities we should seek after.
This is seen in something Moses said about God’s character.
“God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” (Numbers 23:19 NKJV)
And so, a Christian’s heart needs to be an integrous heart because an integrous heart, a heart filled with integrity is part of God’s own heart, we should desire it with the same fervor, tenacity as God Himself possesses it, desires to share it.
Therefore, I think it’s safe to say that integrity is needed now more than ever.
There are several reasons why.
First, we also live in a society where what was once called good and integrous, is now being called hate-filled and evil, and what was once called hateful and evil is now being called good and true and the most desirable to be possessed by all.
What is evil is being taught, advocated for and celebrated in schools at all levels.
What is good and righteous is declared to be extremist, worthy of a prison cell.
What was once considered backwards, abhorrent is fast becoming acceptable conduct, praise worthy conduct, taught to be an acceptable medical practice.
How radically backwards has become so common place and acceptable in our day to day conversations in such a short span of time is truly mind-boggling.
How bad is this in the eyes and heart of God.
Remember, integrity is a part of God’s own heart.
Well, Isaiah prophesied this, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness…” (Isaiah 5:20 NKJV)
But also, our society drowning in lies.
We are living in a world that is living more by the lie than by the truth, and the sad part is that most people shrug shoulders, don’t think it is that big a deal.
But it is a big deal, and the Bible calls it sin.
In fact, it’s such a huge deal to God in how it hurts our relationship with Him and others that He makes it one of His big ten, that is, the Ten Commandments.
This one is the ninth to be exact.
“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:16 NKJV)
But, before we can continue looking at what is an integrity filled heart, I believe it is vitally important we come to know and understand what integrity means.
Understanding What Integrity Means
Psalm 15 Amplified Bible
Description of a Citizen of Zion.
A Psalm of David.
15 O Lord, who may lodge [as a guest] in Your tent? Who may dwell [continually] on Your holy hill? 2 He who walks with integrity and strength of character, and works righteousness, And speaks and holds truth in his heart. 3 He does not slander with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor takes up a reproach against his friend; 4 In his eyes an evil person is despised, But he honors those who fear the Lord [and obediently worship Him with awe-inspired reverence and submissive wonder]. He keeps his word even to his own disadvantage and does not change it [for his own benefit]; 5 He does not put out his money at interest [to a fellow Israelite], And does not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.
Having integrity is adhering to truth and a code of values, and for Christians, it means adhering to the Way and the Truth and the Life found only God’s Word.
Synonyms would include: being honest, a person of high moral character, a person of virtue, who lives their lives in accordance with the morals, ethics and values set forth by God Himself in the Bible, values they say they believe in.
Therefore, integrity is about being honest, fair, and having a strong sense of what is right and wrong.
It’s adhering to the moral and ethical principles set forth in God’s Word, which speaks directly to a person’s private, public character, being, who they truly are.
But it also has a second definition, and that is a person who is undivided and thus unwavering in their belief and trust in God.
Integrity is not so much about what we do as it is about who we are.
It means we privately, publicly live according to what we say and believe in.
It’s about who we are on the inside more than what we portray on the outside.
It’s doing right even when no one else is looking, and who we are, how we each act and behave in the dark more than what we do in the light.
Integrity, therefore, is best defined by how it’s fleshed out in our lives.
• It’s about keeping our word even when it hurts.
• It’s about being honest in all our dealings.
• It’s practicing morality in both our bodies and in our minds.
• It’s about admitting mistakes and doing what’s necessary to make them right.
This is why integrity of heart is something God is searching for in His people.
King David said that it’s only with an integrous heart that we can dwell in God’s presence.
So, if we want to dwell in the presence of God, then we have to have integrity, and thus walk and talk and live our lives by it.
“Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart.” (Psalm 15:1-2 NKJV)
In fact, God is pleased when we do walk with integrity in our hearts.
Proverbs 11:18-20 Amplified Bible
18 The wicked man earns deceptive wages, But he who sows righteousness and lives his life with integrity will have a true reward [that is both permanent and satisfying]. 19 He who is steadfast in righteousness attains life, But he who pursues evil attains his own death. 20 The perverse in heart are repulsive and shamefully vile to the Lord, But those who are blameless and above reproach in their walk are His delight!
In Proverbs 11:20 the Lord says that while He detests people with crooked and twisted hearts, He does mightily and muchly delights in those with integrity.
Integrity of Job
Job 27:3-6 Amplified Bible
3 As long as my life is within me, And the breath of God is [still] in my nostrils, 4 My lips will not speak unjustly, Nor will my tongue utter deceit. 5 “Far be it from me that I should admit you are right [in your accusations against me]; Until I die, I will not remove my integrity from me. 6 “I hold fast my uprightness and my right standing with God and I will not let them go; My heart does not reproach me for any of my days.
Job was such a man with a heart filled with integrity
Job said, “As long as my breath is in me … my lips will not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit … Till I die I will not put away my integrity from me. My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go; my heart shall not reproach me as long as I live.” (Job 27:3-6 NKJV)
In fact, not only is God pleased with such an integrous heart, but He also brags on it. We actually see God brag on Job when Satan came before God’s throne.
The Lord said,
“Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?” (Job 1:8 NKJV)
God, therefore, looks for integrity and an integrous heart is what He desires for His leaders.
It was a heart of integrity that distinguished the leadership of King David.
“And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.” (Psalm 78:72 NIV)
While an integrous heart is manifested in our lives, in other words, people can see it, people can readily and instinctively recognize it, it’s really an inside job.
Integrity is an Inside Job
Matthew 23:25-26 Amplified Bible
25 “Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of extortion and robbery and self-indulgence (unrestrained greed). 26 You [spiritually] blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the plate [examine and change your inner self to conform to God’s precepts], so that the outside [your public life and deeds] may be clean also.
In speaking about the hypocrisy of the religious leaders, Jesus said,
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.” (Matthew 23:25-26 NKJV)
The term “hypocrite” in the Greek language comes from the theater.
In Greek theater one actor would often play more than one part, so they wore masks to cover their face for the different parts.
Hypocrisy therefore means someone is wearing a mask (or masks) to hide his or her true nature; therefore, hypocrisy is in direct opposition to integrity.
Integrity, therefore, begins on the inside, which is probably why Jesus tells us to cleanse the inside.
Psalm 51:5-8 Amplified Bible
5 I was brought forth in [a state of] wickedness; In sin my mother conceived me [and from my beginning I, too, was sinful]. 6 Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part [of my heart] You will make me know wisdom. 7 Purify me with [a]hyssop, and I will be clean; Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. 8 Make me hear joy and gladness and be satisfied; Let the bones which You have broken rejoice.
When we do, we will then be clean on the outside, or in how we deal with others.
If integrity is an inside job, and seeing how within the human heart, that is, the spiritual side of our hearts, there exists nothing but evil and wickedness bent on deceiving, as the Lord says in Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked,” how can we possibly clean it?
We can’t wash it out with soap and water, but we can confess and repent.
Psalm 51:1-6 The Message
51 1-3 Generous in love—God, give grace! Huge in mercy—wipe out my bad record. Scrub away my guilt, soak out my sins in your laundry. I know how bad I’ve been; my sins are staring me down.
4-6 You’re the One I’ve violated, and you’ve seen it all, seen the full extent of my evil. You have all the facts before you; whatever you decide about me is fair. I’ve been out of step with you for a long time, in the wrong since before I was born. What you’re after is truth from the inside out. Enter me, then; conceive a new, true life.
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9 NKJV)
So, a heart of integrity is a heart that is free from hypocrisy and a heart that is honest about it’s true condition before a holy and righteous God.
It’s a heart that does not put on a mask to hide its true identity making people think that it’s someone who is not and something that it’s not, but rather it’s a heart that honestly and openly confesses its faults, shortcomings, and sins, and actively seeks to turn them over to His Father God and far far away from them.
Another aspect of integrity I like to talk about is that what erodes our integrity.
Erosion of Integrity
Genesis 3:8-13 Amplified Bible
8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool [afternoon breeze] of the day, so the man and his wife hid and kept themselves hidden from the [a]presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to Adam, and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 He said, “I heard the sound of You [walking] in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.” 11 God said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten [fruit] from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 And the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me—she gave me [fruit] from the tree, and I ate it.” 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent beguiled and deceived me, and I ate [from the forbidden tree].”
Now the simple answer is sin, but it isn’t the one time sin that does it; rather it is a combination of sins that are not being dealt with, that is, they are not being confessed or repented of, or as some would say, it is all those wee little mistakes we allow without seeking them out, mining them and out making them right.
This then leads us to the second thing about integrity.
Integrity is About the Little Things
Integrity isn’t built nor is it destroyed in one fell swoop, but in little bits and pieces.
In Solomon’s song he says that it’s the little foxes that spoil the vine, and therefore they must be captured (Song of Solomon 2:15).
Rome was never built in a day, and neither was it destroyed in a day.
It was over an extended period, especially in its downfall as it decayed from the inside through moral and ethical perversion.
And it’s this same moral and ethical decay we’re seeing in our own country.
America is no longer the shining beacon to the world, instead it has been decaying little by little, year after year, and the cracks are getting bigger, crumpling the integrous foundation laid by our nations’ founding fathers.
Someone I know bought a nice house in an exclusive neighborhood, but the foundation wasn’t laid correctly, the concrete did not have enough rebar.
And so, the house has cracks not only in its foundation, but also throughout its walls and into the ceiling.
With one really good shake the house could conceivably come down.
Jesus said,
“Everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” (Matthew 7:26-27 NKJV)
Therefore, integrity doesn’t happen overnight, nor is it lost overnight because of one mistake or sin.
Rather, integrity is built over time and lost the same way.
We need to be careful then and not blame our circumstances when these cracks begin to develop.
This leads me to another aspect of having an integrous heart.
If we fail to come to belief in Jesus Christ, then our foundation won’t be built on anything solid, when the storms of life hit and rage all around us, then the risk is that our foundation will crumble, and the houses of our lives will come down.
When we violate God’s word or break one of His commands, when our integrity is compromised, small cracks begin to form in the foundations of our lives, and if left neglected, that is, unconfessed, unrepented for, then the firm foundation and our lives will begin to crumble.
How can we prevent the small cracks from getting bigger?
They must be sealed through the process of confession, forgiveness, and heart felt Psalm 32 and Psalm 51 repentance.
This will restore the foundation and make it as stronger than it ever was.
Jesus said,
“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.” (Luke 16:10 NKJV)
If people can’t trust us in the small matters, how can trust us when things get serious, and our help is really needed.
Integrity Is Not Determined by Circumstances
“But the child (Samuel) ministered to the Lord before Eli the priest. Now the sons of Eli were corrupt; they did not know the Lord.” (1 Samuel 2:11b-12 NKJV)
Even though our upbringing and the circumstances we face in this life affect us, we still have the power to choose either good or evil.
Two people can grow up in the same environment, even in the same household, but turn out completely different.
One may have integrity, while the other may not.
Take for instance the high priest Eli’s two sons and Samuel.
They all grew up in the tabernacle under Eli’s tutelage.
Samuel grew up to be a man of integrity, while Eli’s two sons were corrupt.
If circumstances really could determine our ability to be a person of integrity, Joseph would be the classic example to follow.
Circumstances weren’t kind to Joseph as he was sold by his brothers into slavery, lied about by Potiphar’s wife, and thrown into prison and forgotten by a top official in Pharaoh’s court.
Yet he never allowed the negative circumstances he encountered to dictate his actions, rather he kept his integrity through it all.
Looking at the circumstances that assailed Joseph and his not wavering in keeping his integrity leads me to the last aspect about having integrity.
Integrity is Expensive
Matthew 16:24-26 The Message
24-26 Then Jesus went to work on his disciples. “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for?
Joseph’s integrity cost him dearly.
It cost him his freedom, but in the end, God blessed him, raised him up into a position of highest responsibility and saved his family through him as a result.
There is something that I tell everyone I counsel when things don’t go their way and they are tempted to take the easy way out.
I tell them that when we honor God, God will honor us.
Having an integrous heart will lead to problems, relational conflicts, loss of business, and possibly loss of a job – but in the end, it will lead to real benefits.
Benefits and Blessing of Integrity
a. Safety and Security
“He who walks with integrity walks securely.”(Proverbs 10:9 NKJV)
b. Protection
“Let integrity and uprightness preserve me.” (Psalm 25:21 NKJV)
c. Guidance
“The integrity of the upright will guide them.” (Proverbs 11:3 NKJV)
d. Family
“The righteous man walks in his integrity; His children are blessed after him.” (Proverbs 20:7 NKJV)
And so, while our integrity will cost us, in the end it will bring real and lasting benefits that money can’t buy.
Now that we’ve determined a heart of integrity, the question becomes “What Does an Integrous Heart Do?”
What Does an Integrous Heart Do?
Speak the Truth
Luke 6:43-45 The Message
Work the Words into Your Life
43-45 “You don’t get wormy apples off a healthy tree, nor good apples off a diseased tree. The health of the apple tells the health of the tree. You must begin with your own life-giving lives. It’s who you are, not what you say and do, that counts. Your true being brims over into true words and deeds.
Jesus said that the mouth speaks what the heart is full of (Luke 6:45).
And so a heart that is integrous is going to speak the truth.
Jesus said, “All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” (Matthew 5:37 NIV)
Long explanations are not necessary, a simple yes or no will do the trick.
Our words need to be so reliable that nothing more than a simple statement or word is needed.
Solomon said, “Put away from you a deceitful mouth, and put perverse lips far from you.” (Proverbs 4:24 NKJV)
A person with an integrous heart won’t be found speaking from both sides of their mouth.
Hypocrisy and lies would not be considered acceptable.
And while speaking the truth will cost, there is a larger cost involved when we tell a lie.
It might cost us our marriage, our relationship with God, our children’s future, as well as friendships, career, and the list goes on.
Paul adds a quality to our need to speak the truth, and that is the quality of love (Ephesians 4:25).
25 What this adds up to, then, is this: no more lies, no more pretense. Tell your neighbor the truth. In Christ’s body we’re all connected to each other, after all. When you lie to others, you end up lying to yourself. (The Message)
We are told to speak the truth in love.
The reason is because we have the tendency to launch the truth at people like a guided missile intending to blow away all opposition to our point of view.
In the end we may feel good for speaking the truth, but the other person is laying there with their guts splattered all over the place.
So, an integrous heart speaks the truth through a loving spirit, looking to heal; not hurt.
But besides speaking the truth, an integrous heart also stands for the truth.
Integrity Stands for the Truth
Standing for the truth is taking our speaking the truth to the next level by putting it into action.
“For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.” (2 Corinthians 13:8 NKJV)
In our society today there’s a prevalent attitude that whatever someone believes in, that it is affirmed and above board honest truth, whether it’s true or it’s not.
It’s called subjective truth.
It means that whatever is true for one person must automatically be true for all others, whether it is or not.
What this is doing is kicking objective truth to the curb or throwing it out the window.
Today subjective truth is going by the name of political correctness, tolerance, which when bisected and exposed to the light of God, is anything but tolerant.
What is needed are Christians who are willing to stand for the truth and against the wrongs of society.
We are to be people of an integrous heart that not only speaks the truth, but also witnesses to the truth and testifies to it and stand upon the truth of God’s Word.
The Apostle James says, “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” (James 4:17 NKJV)
Therefore, not speaking the truth and standing for what is wrong is sin.
More Thoughts on Our Desiring an Integrous Heart
Integrity is a vital element to a Christian’s heart and one that needs to be constantly nourished and maintained, because it’s out the abundance of our heart we speak, and it’s our hearts that determine who and what we are, therefore we need to guard our hearts, and the best defense is a heart that is totally sold out for Jesus Christ and is filled with the truth of God’s Word.
I would like to end with what I said at the beginning, because when we finally understand this, having a heart of integrity will be something that we strive for.
And it was about King David.
If David had a heart after God’s heart, and if David’s heart was integrous, therefore it can be concluded integrity is an integral part of God’s own heart.
Therefore, our hearts need to be disciplined, integrous, because an integrous heart, a heart filled with integrity, is part of God’s own heart He readily shares.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Confessing My Lack Of Integrity And Praying To Change
Psalm 51:7-15 The Message
7-15 Soak me in your laundry and I’ll come out clean, scrub me and I’ll have a snow-white life. Tune me in to foot-tapping songs, set these once-broken bones to dancing. Don’t look too close for blemishes, give me a clean bill of health. God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life. Don’t throw me out with the trash, or fail to breathe holiness in me. Bring me back from gray exile, put a fresh wind in my sails! Give me a job teaching rebels your ways so the lost can find their way home. Commute my death sentence, God, my salvation God, and I’ll sing anthems to your life-giving ways. Unbutton my lips, dear God; I’ll let loose with your praise.
Heavenly Father, Your are good and righteous altogether and I come to You today, confessing that I have not lived my life the way that You would have wanted, nor did I choose the path that You would have wished for me to take.
I confess my lack and come to You in humility of spirit, knowing that in Your loving-kindness, You forgive those that are of a contrite heart. Father, I want to turn my life around and live in a way that is transparent before You. I want to live a godly life that is pleasing to You and a life that brings glory to Your name. Lord, I do not want to grieve or quench the work of the Holy Spirit in my life any more, and know that the only way to please You is to walk in spirit and truth, and to live each day in submission to Your guidance, and empowered by Your grace.
Cleanse my heart of sin, forgive my stupidity and teach me Your ways I pray. Lord, I want to change my behavior to reflect those of the Lord Jesus, I want the thoughts of my mind to be pleasing in Your sight. I want to be a person of integrity, and live a life that is godly and full of grace, and I can only do so as I abide in You and rest in Your love. Teach me Your ways and give me a teachable spirit so that in the days to come I may live godly in Christ Jesus, knowing that this is Your will for my life.
Thank You that You have been faithful to me even when I proved unfaithful, and in Your grace, I step out into the future with my hand in Yours. In Jesus’ name I pray.
It’s easy to see God’s goodness when life is tastes like an Ice cold glass of lemonade on the hottest days of Summer.
When our hearts are happy our eyes are open to His glorious presence, His plan for our lives, and the beauty of His creation all around us.
But sometimes life is just so hard.
Life is just too bitter.
Life is just too disappointing.
Life seems to be so completely empty of anything which might be even loosely, so minimally defined, as being “good” and being “worthy.”
It’s in these times we must hold fast to this simple truth: “God is good” “God is GOOD all the time.”
But can we, will we, could we, should we, sing of it, actually “mean it?”
Psalm 27 The Message
27 Light, space, zest— that’s God! So, with him on my side I’m fearless, afraid of no one and nothing.
2 When vandal hordes ride down ready to eat me alive, Those bullies and toughs fall flat on their faces.
3 When besieged, I’m calm as a baby. When all hell breaks loose, I’m collected and cool.
4 I’m asking God for one thing, only one thing: To live with him in his house my whole life long. I’ll contemplate his beauty; I’ll study at his feet.
5 That’s the only quiet, secure place in a noisy world, The perfect getaway, far from the buzz of traffic.
6 God holds me head and shoulders above all who try to pull me down. I’m headed for his place to offer anthems that will raise the roof! Already I’m singing God-songs; I’m making music to God.
7-9 Listen, God, I’m calling at the top of my lungs: “Be good to me! Answer me!” When my heart whispered, “Seek God,” my whole being replied, “I’m seeking him!” Don’t hide from me now!
9-10 You’ve always been right there for me; don’t turn your back on me now. Don’t throw me out, don’t abandon me; you’ve always kept the door open. My father and mother walked out and left me, but God took me in.
11-12 Point me down your highway, God; direct me along a well-lighted street; show my enemies whose side you’re on. Don’t throw me to the dogs, those liars who are out to get me, filling the air with their threats.
13-14 I’m sure now I’ll see God’s goodness in the exuberant earth. Stay with God! Take heart. Don’t quit. I’ll say it again: Stay with God.
Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Amen.
Freedom and Confidence “In the Land of the Living”
Psalm 27:13-14Amplified Bible
13 I would have despaired had I not believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living. 14 Wait for and confidently expect the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for and confidently expect the Lord.
In a culture, in any society that prizes self-confidence and on a positive self-image, we are most surely and certainly tempted to think, if not wholeheartedly believe, that any relationship we claim to have with God should make a priority of focusing exclusively on ourselves, our own needs, our sense of self-worth.
But now, please consider what happens when self-assured people pray to God.
People who believe their relationship with God, not God’s relationship based on them, is based in their own merit and interests, will find prayer an empty ritual.
They will almost certainly tend to see little need for prayer, take little time for actual prayer and they don’t and probably will not see the results “they” expect.
Prayers offered in our own strength rise no higher than the roof over our heads.
Fervent and sincere Prayers “offered up to God” in our own confidence of our being “blessed by the goodness of God” being answered by God in our own way will invariably be the source of the “bitterness of our own disappointments.”
the “bitterness of our disappointments” will become our “bitterness’s in our God.”
Bitterness in anything translates to the severe diminishment in our confidence in whatever or why ever or whoever it is we have become badly embittered by.
The Word of God for His Children reveals what happens to the embittered heart:
Genesis 27:33-34 Amplified Bible
33 Then Isaac trembled violently, and he said, “Then who was the one [who was just here] who hunted game and brought it to me? I ate all of it before you came, and I blessed him. Yes, and he [in fact] shall be (shall remain) blessed.” 34 When Esau had heard the words of his father, he cried out with a great and extremely bitter cry and said to his father, “Bless me, even me also, O my father!”
Our Bitterness in the Goodness of Man or Confidence in the Goodness of our God in the Land of the Living?
“I am 100% confident that all of mankind is inherently bad and bitter.”
What emotion(s) does that global statement stir up inside of your soul?
“I am 100% confident in saying that God is good, all the time, God is good.”
What emotion(s) does that statement of affirmation and faith stir up in you?
I know for some one statement stirs up much anger and resentment in all that is associated with all of the actions and activities of mankind upon this earth.
I know that for some the other phrase stirs up within them unspeakable joy, while others of us seem to be overly immune to any one emotion in our lives.
I believe the issue for many of us is that the repetition of phrase “God is good” is so frequently said, so frequently exhorted and so infrequently experienced.
For many of us we are just told that God is always good from a young age, but we are seldom given the chance to experience any negativity in that goodness.
Negativity is something God has always meant to be experienced by mankind.
Disappointment in mankind, disappointment in God were always meant by God to be experienced by mankind that the experiences of all our disappointments might be utilized by God, should be transformed by God into a stronger faith.
Job 1:20-21 Amplified Bible
20 Then Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head [in mourning for the children], and he fell to the ground and worshiped [God]. 21 He said,
“Naked (without possessions) I came [into this world] from my mother’s womb, And naked I will return there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
Bitterness is something we were always meant to experience and mature from.
Disappointment is something we were always meant by God to experience – not to be protected nor to be shielded from by the highest of parental castle walls.
Perhaps mankind is too embittered, too disappointed by the fact that it is 100% impossible for them to build and fortify their walls enough to prevent the bad, to prevent the bad and the ugly from being seen and then “max” experienced.
Ecclesiastes 3:11-15 Amplified Bible
God Set Eternity in the Heart of Man
11 He has made everything beautiful and appropriate in its time. He has also planted eternity [a sense of divine purpose] in the human heart [a mysterious longing which nothing under the sun can satisfy, except God]—yet man cannot ever hope to find out (comprehend, grasp) what God has done (His overall plan) from the beginning to the end.
12 I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good as long as they live; 13 and also that every man should eat and drink and see and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God. 14 I know that whatever God does, it endures forever; nothing can be added to it nor can anything be taken from it, for God does it so that men will fear and worship Him [with awe-filled reverence, knowing that He is God]. 15 That which is has already been, and that which will be has already been, for God seeks what has passed by [so that history repeats itself].
Everyone always want the better side of living life for the coming generations.
But this too is the worst expression of vanity mankind can have confidence in.
We all need the fullness of both in our and our children’s lives to know we will always need the fullness of something far greater than all our bitterness in life, that being the absolute fullness of Goodness which only comes from our God.
Goodness is something which was meant by God, always meant by God, to be, by measures and degrees experienced, then believed, not the other way around.
From Psalm 27 verse 13 David said that he had the highest confidence he would look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
He could in highest confidence say such a thing, possess such a high level of “blessed assurance in God” because he had also known the greatest bitterness.
In his great personal failures as a father – with his relationship with Absalom.
In his relationship with his wife and his adultery with Bathsheba, his personal relationship and deep personal confidence, friendship with Uriah the Hittite, the husband of Bathsheba, Uriah the Hittite whom David conspired to murder.
Ultimately confronted by Nathan with the indescribable scope of his failures, of his crimes against his family and friends, David recognized the greater and far more to be prioritized, valued, and be treasured, Goodness of God (Psalm 32)
From within his own greatest bitterness, his greatest disappointments, He had already seen God’s goodness in his life and believed that he would see it again.
READ, STUDY AND PRAY INTO THE DEPTHS OF DAVID’S HEART: PSALM 51
He also knew for a fact that ultimately he was missing the mark in life but God was always on target, always good, ergo, he sought to experience goodness.
It’s that same heart that the Sons of Korah had in the famous Psalm 84, singing,
“How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God . . . For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness”(Psalm 84:1-2,10).
It sounds like the worship of a good God, a goodness that is to be experienced.
Intersecting the Facts of Life with our Faith in God.
When was the last time you experienced the goodness of God?
Psalm 33:5 says, “The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.”
God’s goodness is always here, and always just waiting to be experienced.
James 1:17, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”
God is always good, every good and perfect gift you’ve received is from God!
He demonstrates his goodness to us in innumerable ways, all the time.
How is it then that we don’t recognize it?
How is it then we are always quicker to recognize bitterness, disappointment?
How is it that we can be surrounded by God’s goodness and not experience it?
God has repeatedly proven throughout Scripture that God works in our midst, continuously, perpetually, demonstrating His goodness, but we have to cast off our bitterness so as to take time to listen and respond to these demonstrations.
In Psalm 27verse 4 God says to David, “Seek my face,” and David responds, “All the days of my life My heart (confidently) says to you, your face, Lord, do I seek.”
When God says “seek” He uses a Hebrew word that is meant for more than one person.
God calls all of us, God’s Children, to “set bitterness aside”“confidently seek my face.” then in our natural response we are to say, “Your face, Lord, do I seek.”
Take time to consider the depths of your bitterness and disappointments.
Take time today to prayerfully respond to God’s invitation of His Goodness.
Seek to look upon his face and to experience his goodness.
He has laid a banquet table before us in the presence of our enemies named “bitterness and disappointment.”
And God is simply asking, inviting, us to come forward and dine with Him.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 27 The Message
27 Light, space, zest— that’s God! So, with him on my side I’m fearless, afraid of no one and nothing.
2 When vandal hordes ride down ready to eat me alive, Those bullies and toughs fall flat on their faces.
3 When besieged, I’m calm as a baby. When all hell breaks loose, I’m collected and cool.
4 I’m asking God for one thing, only one thing: To live with him in his house my whole life long. I’ll contemplate his beauty; I’ll study at his feet.
5 That’s the only quiet, secure place in a noisy world, The perfect getaway, far from the buzz of traffic.
6 God holds me head and shoulders above all who try to pull me down. I’m headed for his place to offer anthems that will raise the roof! Already I’m singing God-songs; I’m making music to God.
7-9 Listen, God, I’m calling at the top of my lungs: “Be good to me! Answer me!” When my heart whispered, “Seek God,” my whole being replied, “I’m seeking him!” Don’t hide from me now!
9-10 You’ve always been right there for me; don’t turn your back on me now. Don’t throw me out, don’t abandon me; you’ve always kept the door open. My father and mother walked out and left me, but God took me in.
11-12 Point me down your highway, God; direct me along a well-lighted street; show my enemies whose side you’re on. Don’t throw me to the dogs, those liars who are out to get me, filling the air with their threats.
13-14 I’m sure now I’ll see God’s goodness in the exuberant earth. Stay with God! Take heart. Don’t quit. I’ll say it again: Stay with God.
Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Amen.
Guided Prayer:
1. Take time to quiet yourself and receive God’s presence. Meditate on this verse:
“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”Psalm 16:11
2. Respond to his goodness by telling the Lord:
“My heart says to you, Your face, Lord, do I seek.”Psalm 27:8
3. Make David’s prayer yours today:
“One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.”Psalm 27:4
Take time to make that prayer your own throughout your day today.
Memorize it.
Write it on your heart so you can experience the goodness of God throughout your day.
It only takes a moment to receive his presence and have the joy and the perfect peace, the SHALOM, SHALOM, that can only be found in our Savior Christ Jesus.
32 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up[b] as by the heat of summer. Selah
5 I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah
6 Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found; surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him. 7 You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. 9 Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you.
10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord. 11 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
The Word of God for the Children of God. Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.
Notice the first two verses of Psalm 32 tell us about a threefold liberation—our transgressions forgiven, our sins covered, and our sin is not counted against us.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow, bless my soul and pass the joy!
But then we run headlong into this qualifier: “… in whose spirit is no deceit.”
In deceit we deliberately misrepresent ourselves; we retreat to our secret places, we deliberately and with much malice, give a false impression of our goodness.
Does God then count our sins against us?
I am still forgiven, but there is little less magnitude of max joy to pass around!
Deceit is about our deliberately, intentionally initiating a “secret conspiracy” to cover ourselves up, starting with covering up our failures even unto ourselves.
Without much effort at all we will immediately, if not sooner deny our sin, we will white wash it, reason it away, we will rationalize it out of existence, make excuses for it, compare ourselves to others whom we judge to be worse sinners.
From all of our best, worst efforts, to wall ourselves away from the bitter reality of exactly what is in front of us, with our deceit we no longer sense God’s grace.
Psalm 32:3-4 English Standard Version
3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up[a] as by the heat of summer. Selah
David himself confesses the dangerous effects of the magnitude of his deceit .
And his own personal awareness of God doing a “romp and stomp” on his soul.
“For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away …. through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped.”
Talk about “Where’s the joy?”!
It was more like David was killing his own Joy with every secret effort he made.
But then David came to his senses:
Psalm 32:5 English Standard Version
5 I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah
David acknowledged the magnitude of his deceit to God, no longer tried to cover it up, no longer tried to keep it locked up behind a thousand doors, locked up by a thousand and one different misshapen keys, deep in unwritten secret places.
With deceit finally confessed, sin is covered by God’s forgiving, healing grace.
When we deceive ourselves, we try to hide our sin.
When we deceive ourselves, we try to reason with our sin.
When we deceive ourselves, we try to rationalize it away.
Reasoning with sin is quite literally and scripturally impossible.
Rationalizing it away is quite literally and scripturally impossible.
When has anyone ever long kept a secret hidden away from God?
Isaiah 1:18-20 English Standard Version
18 “Come now, let us reason[a] together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. 19 If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; 20 but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be eaten by the sword; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
Isaiah 2:1-4 English Standard Version
The Mountain of the Lord
2 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
2 It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, 3 and many peoples shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law,[a] and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 4 He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.
The reality is that mankind will be judged by God and God alone
The reality of it all is the “nation of sin” will be judged by God alone.
The reality of it all is the relationship between man and sin will be judged.
The reality is God judges both the “nations of man” and “nations of sin” either trying to “live” in close harmony with each other or “at each other’s throats.”
The reality is God alone judges the maximum strength, durability of the walls these two “nations” have constructed to hide their efforts from “prying eyes.”
1 Chronicles 28:9 English Standard Version
David’s Charge to Solomon
9 “And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever.
But there are only two true hiding places.
The Mountain of God – where we will all gather to learn only of His ways.
The Cross of Jesus Christ where Christ settled the matter – once for all time.
John 19:28-30 English Standard Version
The Death of Jesus
28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” 29 A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
Our choices are crystal clear – believe God is deliberately trying to hide Himself from us, therefore we try hiding our sin from God, to live in harmony with sin, all the while moaning and groaning, crying and whining from our inequalities,
Or… Just brutally surrender ourselves to the .01% possibility of irrepressible joy.
Psalm 32:6-7 English Standard Version
6 Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found; surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him. 7 You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah
“You are my hiding place,” the psalmist says to God.
Being covered by Grace is so much easier that covering over our deceit.
Being covered by Grace is so much better than covering over our deceit.
Being covered by Grace is so much healthier than covering up our deceit.
Being covered by Grace is so much the wiser choice than destroying our Joy.
Will we this day … Receive this Grace for the very first time?
Will we this day … Receive a fresh anointing of this Grace today?
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Lord Jesus Christ, you are the name above every other name. Your name is like a fortified tower in which I can find safety and security. When I am troubled, I can find refuge and peace in your name. When I feel weak, I can find refuge and strength in your name. When I feel overwhelmed, I can find refuge and rest in your name. When I feel surrounded by pressures on every side, I can find safety, stability in your name. Your name is revealed! Your name is beautiful, Lord, help me to rely on you. Through Jesus Christ, our Savior. Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! 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). 