Taste and See, the Lord is Good
(KJV) 34:1 I will bless the LORD at all times:
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul shall make her boast in the LORD:
the humble shall hear thereof and be glad.
3 O magnify the LORD with me,
and let us exalt his name together.
4 I sought the LORD, and he heard me,
and delivered me from all my fears.
5 They looked unto him, and were lightened:
and their faces were not ashamed.
6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him,
and saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the LORD encampeth
round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
8 O taste and see that the LORD is good:
blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
What a wonderful psalm of praise! David has been running from the Philistines, even feigning madness to escape. Yet he is completely engaged as he praises his God.
David shows us that regardless of our circumstances, we can have an attitude of praise. We can be totally committed to seeking God and placing our confidence in Him.
When life is overwhelming, what if we just model David and, regardless of our situation, we speak the name of Jesus? What if we really could, once and for all, cast our cares on Him, knowing that He cares for us?
Paul says in Roman’s 5:20, “when sin abounded, grace superabounded.” I’ve said before, we can’t out-sin the grace of God or outrun the mercy of God. And that alone is reason to praise God.
May our first response to trouble be praise and may the joy of the Lord come bubbling up to the surface of our very being.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Servanthood
NIV John 13:12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
When our son was young there was a popular children’s song, “If you want to be great in God’s kingdom, you must be a servant of all…” Jesus constantly did the unexpected and washing the disciples’ feet was no exception. While it was a common practice for a servant to wash the dirt off a guest’s feet, for Jesus to do so was not just unexpected, it was unthinkable.
At first Peter flatly denied Jesus the opportunity to wash his feet, until Jesus said do this, or you have no part in me. Peter then went to the extreme by saying that Jesus should wash all of him. How often are we like Peter, thinking that our kingdom work is so important, yet we miss the chance to serve God by serving others? Being an intentional disciple involves more than study, it even involves more than prayer, it includes more than tithing and more than serving on church committees. Intentional discipleship includes servanthood which requires a change of heart.
Just prior to Jesus performing this act of humility, James and John were arguing about who would be greatest in the kingdom. But servanthood means putting others first, sometimes even at own expense. Serving others is not something we can fake. It is something that springs from a heart that has been transformed by the saving grace of Jesus.
May we truly understand the meaning of discipleship as we navigate this life, learning that service to others is a way to glorify God.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
But if it is from God…
(NIV) Acts 5:34 But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. 35 Then he addressed the Sanhedrin: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. 36 Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. 37 After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. 38 Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. 39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”
Read this scripture again. Now read it out loud. But if it is from God, nothing will be able to stop these men. There is such sweet peace in knowing, really knowing, that if our work is kingdom work, then nothing can derail it.
I am reminded of John 15:4-5 (NIV) 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
It is all about the fruit! When we are followers of the One, True and Living God then the fruit we produce reflects Christ. There will always be fruit and it will always look like Christ.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
A Long-Suffering God
(Amp) 2 Peter 3:8 Nevertheless, do not let this one fact escape you, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day. [Ps. 90:4.]
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord does not delay and is not tardy or slow about what He promises, according to some people’s conception of slowness, but He is long-suffering (extraordinarily patient) toward you, not desiring that any should perish, but that all should turn to repentance.
2 Peter 3:15 And consider that the long-suffering of our Lord [His slowness in avenging wrongs and judging the world] is salvation (that which is conducive to the soul’s safety), even as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the spiritual insight given him,
2 Peter 3:16 Speaking of this as he does in all of his letters. There are some things in those [epistles of Paul] that are difficult to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist and misconstrue to their own utter destruction, just as [they distort and misinterpret] the rest of the Scriptures.
2 Peter 3:17 Let me warn you therefore, beloved, that knowing these things beforehand, you should be on your guard, lest you be carried away by the error of lawless and wicked [persons and] fall from your own [present] firm condition [your own steadfastness of mind].
2 Peter 3:18 But grow in grace (undeserved favor, spiritual strength) and recognition and knowledge and understanding of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (the Messiah). To Him [be] glory (honor, majesty, and splendor) both now and to the day of eternity. Amen (so be it)!
1 Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!
Yonder on Calvary’s mount out-poured–
There where the blood of the Lamb was spilt.
Refrain:
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin!
The above hymn came to mind as I was considering today’s scripture. The song, written by Juliet Johnston in 1910, reflects the characteristic of God that allows sinful man to be reconciled to a Holy God—grace.
I skipped over several verses for today’s devotional, as these scriptures deal with the coming “Day of the Lord” and I wanted to focus on God’s patience in dealing with His creation. People have been looking for the return of Jesus since he ascended to heaven more than two thousand years ago, and we are no different today. But why has He delayed? Verse nine suggests that God is giving us time to repent, that none should perish.
Our God is gracious beyond anything we can comprehend. According to the writings of Billy Graham, “The motive of grace is the infinite, compassionate love of a merciful God.” Although we cannot fully understand God’s mercy and His grace, we can be thankful that God continues to extend to all mankind everything necessary to bring about salvation.
Peter finishes by urging us to grow in the grace of our Lord God, which we understand to be sanctification. For the Christian can never be dormant in living out our faith. Growth is expected in both the physical and the spiritual realms. And, as we grow in our faith and relationship with Christ, we should share our faith with others, for that is the meaning of intentional discipleship—first we learn and then we share.
May we start and end each day in relationship with Jesus, sharing Him with all we meet.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Seeking Holiness 