Seeking Spiritual Fitness. Psalms 69-70; First Timothy 4

May the mumbling commence!

Often times, living the godly life is all about proper perspective and attitude.  If we get our perspective and attitude into a godly place, then the rest will follow.  Read Psalm Seventy:

Please, God, rescue me!

Come quickly, Lord, and help me. 

May those who try to destroy me

be humiliated and put to shame.

May those who take delight in my trouble

be turned back in disgrace. 

Let them be horrified by their shame,

for they said, "Aha! We've got him now!" 

But may all who search for you

be filled with joy and gladness.

May those who love your salvation

repeatedly shout, "God is great!" 

But I am poor and needy;

please hurry to my aid, O God.

You are my helper and my savior;

O Lord, do not delay!

Do you see yourself as poor and needy?  Too much in our culture preaches to us self-reliance.  I will look out for number one – myself.  All other considerations are thrown aside.

That is not the way to be.  That kind of attitude will lead to destruction of life.  That kind of attitude will delight in the trouble of other people.

Let’s put that way to the side and search for God.  We are promised that we will be filled with joy and gladness if we do.  What joy and gladness have we ever found when we were looking out only for ourselves?  None, I tell you.

Let’s remember that we cannot make it on our own.  We are interdependent on one another.  My welfare is tied up in yours.  Our welfare is tied up with the poorest and most vulnerable people.  And, yes, our welfare is tied up in our enemies – those who seek to destroy and humiliate us.

With this in mind, it is easy to see that I am poor and needy.  I need a savior.  Jesus is that Savior.  I love that salvation that I have claimed for myself.

God is great!  Hurry to our aid and deliver us.  Do not delay.

So, let’s waste less time majoring on the minors of our faith.  Let’s seek our spiritual exercises together so that we may grow spiritually strong in Christ Jesus.  Read from First Timothy chapter four:

Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives' tales. Spend your time and energy in training yourself for spiritual fitness.  Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is much more important, for it promises a reward in both this life and the next.  This is true, and everyone should accept it.  We work hard and suffer much in order that people will believe the truth, for our hope is in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and particularly of those who believe. (Verses 7-10)

Yes, it’s true that our country is physically unfit – obese and unhealthy.  The same can be said for our spiritual fitness.  Time to train together through Scripture, song, prayer, fellowship and fasting.   

Enough mumbling for now…  

Peace Out

Shouting for Joy! Psalms 65-66; First Timothy 2

May the mumbling commence!

Shout for joy to the Lord.  Join all the earth in praising the name of God.  Why praise the Lord?  We have only to remember the wonderful things God has done for us… and shout about them from the rooftops.  Read from Psalm Sixty-six:

Shout joyful praises to God, all the earth! 

Sing about the glory of his name!

Tell the world how glorious he is. 

Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds!

Your enemies cringe before your mighty power. 

Everything on earth will worship you;

they will sing your praises, shouting your name in glorious songs."

Interlude 

Come and see what our God has done,

what awesome miracles he does for his people! 

He made a dry path through the Red Sea, and his people went across on foot.

Come, let us rejoice in who he is. 

For by his great power he rules forever.

He watches every movement of the nations;

let no rebel rise in defiance.

Interlude (Verses 1-7)

This is no whisper.  It is a full-bodied shout.  God is awesome.

Think about the awesome deeds that God has done in our lives.  The Hebrew people had the exodus to remember and relive each year.  What do we have?

We have the exodus from sin rather than from Egypt.  We have the work that Jesus has done for us of reconciliation and peace and salvation.  We have the personal experiences of God caring for us as we walk through the fires of life and swim out into the deep and troubled waters.

Shout about these things from the rooftops to everyone… whether they are likely to listen and understand or not.  It makes no difference.  Allow the Holy Spirit of God to work through you.

In other words, get out of the way and let God be God.  And pray for all people… especially our leaders even when we do not agree with them.  Read from First Timothy chapter two:

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. As you make your requests, plead for God's mercy upon them, and give thanks.  Pray this way for kings and all others who are in authority, so that we can live in peace and quietness, in godliness and dignity.  This is good and pleases God our Savior, for he wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.  For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and people. He is the man Christ Jesus.  He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message that God gave to the world at the proper time. (Verses 1-6)

There it is.  God’s salvation through Christ is for everyone who chooses to accept it.  Let’s pray people into relationship with us and with our Lord!

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

Searching Earnestly for God. Psalms 63-64; First Timothy 1

May the mumbling commence!

In this land of hustle and bustle, it is hard to find God at times.  It takes earnest searching.  Read from Psalm Sixty-three:

O God, you are my God;

I earnestly search for you.

My soul thirsts for you;

my whole body longs for you

in this parched and weary land where there is no water. (Verse 1)

Every part of our beings thirsts for God.  Nothing else can quench that thirst.  We need God.  And that earnest search will not be in vain.  In the Lord, we will find shelter… an echo of yesterday’s Psalms.  Read from the end of Psalm Sixty-four:

The godly will rejoice in the Lord and find shelter in him.

And those who do what is right will praise him.  (Verse 10)

Rejoice.  Find a joy that you would not have thought possible.  Shelter your life in God.  Do what is right… the path God has set before you.  In doing right, we praise the Lord.  It is that simple… and that hard.

Thank God for the salvation and reconciliation that is made possible through the work of Christ Jesus.  It is Good News for sinners like me and you.  Read from First Timothy chapter one:

This is a true saying, and everyone should believe it: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – and I was the worst of them all.  But that is why God had mercy on me, so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life.  Glory and honor to God forever and ever. He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen. (Verses 15-17)

Jesus came to the world to save sinners.  Let’s accept that gift anew each day.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

God Our Mother. Psalms 58-62

May the mumbling commence!

Happy Mother’s Day!  When I think of my mother, I think of a place of security and protection and comfort.  Most of the time, we think of our God as Father.  But there are attributes of God that align just as well with motherhood.  Read from Psalm Sixty-one:

From the ends of the earth, I will cry to you for help,

for my heart is overwhelmed.

Lead me to the towering rock of safety, 

for you are my safe refuge,

a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me. 

Let me live forever in your sanctuary,

safe beneath the shelter of your wings!         

Interlude (Verses 2-4)

God is a towering rock of safety, a place of refuge in the raging storms.  Yes, God is a fortress, a mighty fortress.  Now, I ask myself a question:  Who did a run to for protection and safety and comfort when I was young?  I ran to my mother.

Yes, God is like a mother hen gathering her chicks under the safety of her wings.  There we find shelter.  Let’s thank God our Mother.

Themes of refuge and safety are prevalent in the Psalms.  Just look at the ones I noticed in the five Psalms (58-62) that I noted:

But as for me, I will sing about your power.

I will shout with joy each morning because of your unfailing love.

For you have been my refuge,

a place of safety in the day of distress. 

O my Strength, to you I sing praises,

for you, O God, are my refuge,

the God who shows me unfailing love. (Psalm 59:16-17)

There is great power and strength to be found in unfailing love – the love of a mother.  Read on:

I wait quietly before God,

for my hope is in him. 

He alone is my rock and my salvation,

my fortress where I will not be shaken. 

My salvation and my honor come from God alone.

He is my refuge,

a rock where no enemy can reach me. 

O my people, trust in him at all times.

Pour out your heart to him,

for God is our refuge.

Interlude (Psalm 62:5-8)

Is there any doubt?  God is the place to run to in times of distress.  God is a place of comfort and safety and refuge.  That sounds like my mother to me!

With God our Mother at our side, we can wait quietly… if not patiently (waiting well).  With God our Mother at our side, we can stand firm in our conviction.  With God our Mother at our side, we can trust and pull out a fullness of the unfailing love that we receive from Her.  For we have  hope in Her!

Enough mumbling for now…  

Peace Out

Tireless in Praise of God. Psalms 56-57; Second Thessalonians 3

May the mumbling commence!

Even in the darkest of times, there is reason to hope.  What is the reason for my confident hope?  God is my hope.  I have no need for another.  Awake and arise this new day knowing that the Lord is God and He is good… all the time.  Read from Psalm Fifty-seven:

My heart is confident in you, O God;

no wonder I can sing your praises! 

Wake up, my soul!

Wake up, O harp and lyre!

I will waken the dawn with my song. 

I will thank you, Lord, in front of all the people.

I will sing your praises among the nations. 

For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens.

Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. 

Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens.

May your glory shine over all the earth. (Verses 7-11)

God is breathing new life into this day.  I await the day with joyous expectation.  Maybe I will follow Jesus better today than I did yesterday.

I am confident because of God’s unfailing love and faithfulness.  Even when I am not faithful, God is.  God can be no other way than faithful.

And it is graduation season.  I will be going to the second graduation ceremony in as many Saturdays.  It is a time to celebrate the closing of one chapter of life and the opening of another.

We are joyful among all the people and nations.  Our hearts burst with songs of praise and adoration for the Lord God.  To You be the glory, O God!

In honor of Your holy Name, may we graduate into a new level of obedience to Your will, O Lord.  May we not be idle.  May we find the work You have given us and never tire of doing it… just as the Apostle Paul encouraged the Thessalonians near the end of Second Thessalonians.  Read from chapter three:

Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and wasting time meddling in other people's business.  In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we appeal to such people – no, we command them: Settle down and get to work. Earn your own living.  And I say to the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good. (Verses 11-13)

Never tire of doing good that bring glory and honor and praise to the Most High God.   May it be so in our lives!

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

Decepticons Beware! Psalms 54-55

May the mumbling commence!

We have seen the enemy.  And we are terrified.  I am talking about the enemy within each of us.  Look in the mirror and see your worst enemy.  Read from Psalm Fifty-five:

Destroy them, Lord, and confuse their speech,

for I see violence and strife in the city. 

Its walls are patrolled day and night against invaders,

but the real danger is wickedness within the city. 

Murder and robbery are everywhere there;

threats and cheating are rampant in the streets. (Verses 9-11)

The greatest threat comes to us through avenues that we would not expect.  The enemy within!  It was the way in the Psalmist’s day.  And so it was true in the days of the Apostle Paul.  Read from Second Thessalonians chapter two:

For this lawlessness is already at work secretly, and it will remain secret until the one who is holding it back steps out of the way.  Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will consume with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.  This evil man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles.  He will use every kind of wicked deception to fool those who are on their way to destruction because they refuse to believe the truth that would save them.  So God will send great deception upon them, and they will believe all these lies.  Then they will be condemned for not believing the truth and for enjoying the evil they do. (Verses 7-12)

Sin is deceptive… devious… counterfeit.  It looks good, but it’s foul.  Sin bars the way of life.

May we be aware of the enemy within us – individually and as the Body of Christ.  There is no where that is safe from the deceptive wiles of Satan.  Let’s be on our toes and test every spirit against the holy word of God.

Do NOT be deceived.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

Living as if There is No God? Psalm 52-53; Second Thessalonians 1

May the mumbling commence!

It is foolish not to believe in God.  It is equally foolish to believe in God and not follow after the Lord with all your being.  Everyone falls short of seeking God.  Read from Psalm Fifty-three:

Only fools say in their hearts, "There is no God."

They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; no one does good! 

God looks down from heaven on the entire human race;

he looks to see if there is even one with real understanding, one who seeks for God. 

But no, all have turned away from God; all have become corrupt.

No one does good, not even one! (Verses 1-3)

We may wish to condemn atheists, but we should be careful.  Even though we may claim to know God exists and claim to follow the Lord, we need to look carefully at our own actions and thoughts and attitudes.  Do we live as if there were no God?  Do we benefit from a corrupt system that widens the gap between the rich and the poor?

Corruption eats away at all our hearts.  It is a systemic disease that is embedded in our society.  No one is immune to its corrupting touch.  We need God – you and me.  May we live the life that Christ calls us to regardless of the consequences in the moment.  May we be like the people of Thessalonica.  Read from Second Thessalonians chapter one:

Dear brothers and sisters, we always thank God for you, as is right, for we are thankful that your faith is flourishing and you are all growing in love for each other.  We proudly tell God's other churches about your endurance and faithfulness in all the persecutions and hardships you are suffering.  But God will use this persecution to show his justice. For he will make you worthy of his Kingdom, for which you are suffering, and in his justice he will punish those who persecute you.  And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and also for us when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don't know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus.  They will be punished with everlasting destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power when he comes to receive glory and praise from his holy people. And you will be among those praising him on that day, for you believed what we testified about him. 

And so we keep on praying for you, that our God will make you worthy of the life to which he called you. And we pray that God, by his power, will fulfill all your good intentions and faithful deeds.  Then everyone will give honor to the name of our Lord Jesus because of you, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the undeserved favor of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ. (Verses 3-12)

To combat the corrupt nature that we have, we need to have endurance and faithfulness through any trial or test.  God’s justice will be seen to completion.  We will have rest – if we claim it.  Rest in the Lord.

Praise the Lord!

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out