In God We Trust
(NIV) Psalm 91
1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
Did you know when you make your dwelling place with God, it is the same as choosing to abide with Him? There is a permanence in abiding, a stability not found in “just passing through.”
When we dwell with the Lord we are promised rest, and with rest comes the ability to trust. I am not sure we fully recognize the value in this type of trust.
Two of the scariest words I ever hear are “trust me.” If a person is trustworthy, is it really necessary to affirm that fact?
Trusting involves letting one’s guard down. Trusting means we are vulnerable and vulnerability means we are exposed.
May we today cast our cares upon the One, True and Living God. He doesn’t have to ask us to trust Him. It is part of His nature.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Lead Me To The Rock
(NIV) Psalm 61:1 Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. 2 From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
3 For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe.
I was raised in church. Sitting between one aunt who sang soprano, and another who sang alto, I learned to love the songs we sang on Sunday morning, particularly those songs that mirrored Scripture. In fact, my love for God’s Word was probably birthed in me by singing the songs written in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. I easily memorized the songs of Fannie Crosby, Albert Brumley and others whose themes ranged from salvation to a heavenly destination.
I mourn the loss of these songs of the faith. There are probably two generations who will never know the joy of singing “I’ll Fly Away” or the peace of “How Great Thou Art.” And with the passing of these songs, many of which were intrinsically tied to the Word of God, we are witnessing the growth of biblical illiteracy.
David understood the importance of song. King Saul, plagued by depression and paranoia, could only be calmed by hearing songs praising the One, True and Living God.
I learned years ago as I visited folks in nursing homes that diseases which robbed people of their memories were powerless to steal the comfort found in singing “ I Love to Tell the Story,” or “Victory in Jesus.” They clung to these songs like a lifeline, and I realized that the diseases which viciously attacked the brain had less power over the heart.
David’s prayer encompasses truths we would do well to remember: there is no place on earth where we cannot find God’s presence, the God of our youth is still the God of our old age, and just as He has delivered us before, He will do so again.
Jesus is the rock of our salvation, and a very present help in the time of need. May we continue to allow the songs pointing us to Jesus to reverberate in our hearts and may these old songs inspire us to fall in love once more with God’s holy word.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Humble Yourself
1 Peter 5:5 …Clothe (apron) yourselves, all of you, with humility [as the garb of a servant, so that its covering cannot possibly be stripped from you, with freedom from pride and arrogance] toward one another. For God sets Himself against the proud (the insolent, the overbearing, the disdainful, the presumptuous, the boastful)–[and He opposes, frustrates, and defeats them], but gives grace (favor, blessing) to the humble. [Prov. 3:34.]
6 Therefore humble yourselves [demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you,
7 Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. [Ps. 55:22.]
1Peter 5:7 has always been one of my favorite scriptures, but to grasp the full meaning we need to begin our reading earlier In the text. And, to understand the text on an even deeper level, try reading it in the Amplified Bible.
In real estate, everything is about location, but in the Bible, it is all about context. If we begin our reading with the promise of 1 Pet 5:7 we are starting at the end of the verse, thereby missing the necessary frame of reference.
Peter’s instruction to “clothe yourself in humility” for protection against being prideful informs us that God opposes the proud. Why? Because pride is a sin, elevating the creation above the Creator.
If we want to depend on God to care for us, we must approach Him in humility. Then, we can lay everything, once and for all, at His feet.
May we strip ourselves of every falsehood, knowing that God’s watchcare is far better than anything we can accomplish on our own.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Lord, Our Refuge
(NIV)Psalm 9:7 The LORD reigns forever;
he has established his throne for judgment.
8 He rules the world in righteousness
and judges the peoples with equity.
9 The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
10 Those who know your name trust in you,
for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.
Don’t you love the Psalms? The comfort and assurance found there is unmatched.
Do you recall in 1 Chronicles 21 when David went against God and ordered a census throughout Israel? God said David had to be punished and gave David three choices—two choices involved the judgment of man, but one was from God.
David, in his wisdom, chose the judgment of God, because he reasoned perhaps God would show mercy—not so with man. David was keenly aware of the character of God, and he was confident that God would be fair, never forsaking His people.
Today, regardless of the obstacles before us, let us take a moment to thank God for what He has already brought us through. We can know, believe and understand that God is our hiding place and He will never forsake us.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Growing in Grace
(NIV) 1 Peter 2:1 Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
I am not a model Christian, but I am, and have been most of my life, one who seeks holiness. Why? Because when God said, I am holy, be thou holy likewise, I understood it was not merely a suggestion.
Peter’s letters, written to believers surrounded by pagan practices, are little instruction manuals for holy living.
Peter’s directive to rid ourselves of malice, hypocrisy and deceit seems intuitive. Yet, we each are burdened with a sin nature and as such, we are presented with choices.
I choose to begin my days in the Word, knowing that I need both the grounding and the hope found within its pages. And as I ruminate on the Scripture, I share my thoughts with others, recognizing we each have our own spiritual battles and perhaps something I have experienced and overcome can encourage a fellow believer.
When Peter says we are to grow into our salvation, I understand that this process lasts for a lifetime. The grace poured out on me when I was yet dead in my sins continues to be made manifest in my life, and I am thankful.
May we each seek the holiness that is found only from spending time with our Savior, and may our spiritual growth charts reflect that we are, indeed, growing in grace.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and if the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Seeking Holiness 