You Let Me Catch my Breath
Psalms 23 1-3 GOD, my shepherd!
I don’t need a thing.
You have bedded me down in lush meadows,
you find me quiet pools to drink from.
True to your word,
you let me catch my breath
and send me in the right direction.
4 Even when the way goes through
Death Valley,
I’m not afraid
when you walk at my side.
Your trusty shepherd’s crook
makes me feel secure.
5 You serve me a six-course dinner
right in front of my enemies.
You revive my drooping head;
my cup brims with blessing.
6 Your beauty and love chase after me
every day of my life.
I’m back home in the house of GOD
for the rest of my life.
Oh my— just when you think Psalm 23 cannot be more meaningful, you read the scripture in The Message. “I don’t need a thing”—we should say this more often.
“True to your word, you let me catch my breath.” This makes me want to laugh with joy!
“You serve me a six course dinner in front of my enemies. This means I am secure—I do not need to eat on the run. Instead, I feel safe enough to linger, even though the enemy is near.
You lift my head—Your beauty and love chase after me! And, I have a home with You. I didn’t think I could love this Psalm any more, but the translation provided by The Message goes straight to my heart.
Sometimes we just need to look at things through fresh eyes.
May we indeed be reluctant to leave God’s presence, knowing He wants only good for us.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Remembering
2 Peter 1:12-21 (NIV) 12 So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. 13 I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, 14 because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. 15 And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.
16 For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” 18 We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.
19 We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
What a strange thing it must be to write as Peter did in this letter, knowing that his life would soon be over. Who would you write, what important thoughts would you want to convey?
Peter reminds the Gentiles reading his letter of several things. One of the most consequential was his presence, along with James and John, at the Transfiguration. Can you imagine trying to reduce into words being a witness to Jesus, Moses, and Elijah as the glory of God was revealed? It is moments like this, when God’s supernatural presence breaks through the veil that separates the earth from the heavenlies, that define us. You see, these God encounters will lift us and sustain us during times of distress. Peter knew this.
So, Peter reminds the recipients of this letter that between eyewitness testimony and prophetic messages, God has made known His majesty, and through Jesus He has made known His love. And it is vital that we, today, understand that even though we live in the temporal world, our hope is in the eternal.
May we today and every day keep our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. And may we, empowered by the Holy Spirit and His Word, take the name of Jesus with us and share Him with all we meet.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Confirming Our Calling
2 Peter 1:3-11 (NIV) 3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.
10 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Do we understand that God has given us everything we need to live a godly life? What is a godly life? Quite simply, a godly life is the way we are expected to live. But how? How can mortal man live such a life? Allow me to share with you something it took me a lifetime to learn—if God calls us, He also enables us.
Peter reminds us of the stepping stones by which we can live as those who have escaped the allure of anything this world has to offer. The foundation is faith—did you know we are each given a measure of faith? (Rom 12:3) To our faith we are to add goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.
I have sought after holiness for the better part of my life. Why? Because God says, “I am holy, be thou holy likewise.” I like to remind myself and others that this is not a suggestion, it is an expectation. Have I failed in my endeavors? More times than I can count. Yet, I keep trying to walk on the pathway of holiness. It is a pathway that is sometimes rocky, sometimes full of twists and turns. But there are no dead ends!
May we purpose today to remain on the pathway that leads to holiness, knowing, understanding and believing that we are called and empowered to live in a way that reflects Jesus, only Jesus.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Restore, Confirm, Strengthen And Establish
1 Peter 5:10-14 (ESV) 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Final Greetings
12 By Silvanus (Silas), a faithful brother as I regard him, I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it. 13 She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, my son. 14 Greet one another with the kiss of love.
Peace to all of you who are in Christ.
I Stand Amazed In The Presence
By Charles Gabriel
I stand amazed in the presence
Of Jesus the Nazarene,
And wonder how He could love me,
A sinner condemned, unclean.
How marvelous! How wonderful!
And my song shall ever be:
How marvelous! How wonderful!
Is my Savior’s love for me!
On this lovely Friday morning I encounter my God with wonder and amazement, and of course the hymn “O How Marvelous” came to my memory. When I read these last few verses in 1 Peter, I am again assured that the salvation I received through Christ is not for an hour, nor for a day, but for all eternity. And, while I am bound to this earth Christ will restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish me.
Restore—bring back to previous state. We need to understand restoration is so much greater than refinishing or refurbishing. To be restored is to return us to the relationship with God that He intended before sin separated us.
Confirm—to establish the truth. During one of my sermons on the character of God, I said do you know there is one thing God cannot do? A girl around eight years old spoke up loudly and said, “God can do anything.” I answered, “You’re right! God can do anything but lie.” When we are confirmed in Him, we are in a secure position of knowing He is the God of truth.
Strengthen—to make stronger. Again, this is not for a day or even a season. When we walk with God, we are continually made stronger.
Establish—to achieve permanent acceptance. Not temporary and not temporal, but eternal, praise God!
Peter finishes by offering peace to all who are in Christ, and truly, there is no peace apart from Jesus.
May we begin each day by praising God for all He has done, is doing and will continue to do in our lives.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
God, my Deliverer
Psalms 18:1-3 (ESV) 1 I love you, O LORD, my strength.
2 The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised,
and I am saved from my enemies.
Although David lived a somewhat tumultuous existence, during periods of peace he turned his full attention to God, praising Him for his deliverance from his enemies. This psalm was thought to have been penned during such a time, and David clearly understands the source of his strength. Sometimes I wonder if our lives could be enhanced and our Christian walk deepened if we followed David’s example of writing out our praises to God.
David identifies God as the source of his strength, his deliverer, his hiding place, and he knows that nothing is impossible with God. I wonder if we as modern day disciples of Christ have learned where to turn both in good times and in bad. Are we as quick to praise God when we are safe and secure as we are to beg for his help during illness or distress?
The single most valuable lesson we can learn is the constancy of God. One of my favorite hymns is “Great is Thy Faithfulness.” It includes the thought that “there is no shadow of turning with thee.” When we grasp hold of the tenet that God is our everything, and regardless of what is happening in our lives right now, He is waiting for us to to enter into a deep and abiding relationship with him, then we will acknowledge Him as our Lord and praise Him as the One who saves.
May we open our eyes to a new awareness of just how big God is, and how He will inundate us with His love if we only let Him.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Seeking Holiness 