Hope in God

In our lives the need for encouragement is constant. I preached yesterday from Colossians 2:1-5 outlining Paul's struggle for the church and his desire for them to be encouraged. He wanted them to be encouraged precisely because they were on the verge of discouragement. There are many things we try to use to encourage each other. We may encourage children with extra play time, a later bed time, or candy. We may encourage an employee with a bonus, a raise or extra play time (like a day off). But what happens to all those things? They run out. They do not replenish themselves. They are insufficient over the long run. The reminder is repeated in Psalm 42&43, "Hope in God." Why? He is sufficient over the long run. He is perfect and complete therefore he does not run out. Hope in God this morning because he is the only sufficient ground for our hope.

My hope and my future, my Lord and my God, lead me in your light to everything I need and all that you would have me to do. Forgive me for my desire for the insufficient. Forgive me for binging on the world and then wondering why I feel empty. I am a fool in need of a teacher. I am a sinner in need of a savior. That is why I hope in you. That is why I hope in Christ. In him is the fullness of wisdom and knowledge. In Christ, the wonderful Mystery, is what I need to be saved and satisfied. Show me today how to hunger for Christ. Allow me today to be used to help others see the glories of Jesus.

You are my hope
Amen

The Holy Muzzle

The weapon we need is not a holy hand gernade because we do not battle a terroristic bunny. All too often our battle is one of words and we do need a muzzle. David committed in Psalm 39 to guard his ways so that he would not sin with his tongue. He promised to guard his mouth with a muzzle as long as the wicked are in his presence. We all know the temptation around particular people to speak particularly venomous words. Certain coworkers, family members, church members, and neighbors get no grace and only wrath from us. We have abundant patience with some people and zero patience with others. David saw this in himself and he saw the root- I will guard my ways. Our words in the presence of difficult people are the product of what we have been doing before we face that person. The problem is not them the problem is 'our ways.' We are selfish with our friends and we are ruthless with our families but often they do not challenge us. Then, when we get around the 'difficult' person and get challenged the venom comes out. Out of the overflow of the heart our mouths speak.

Lord, at your call to confess we confess. You have told us that when we become aware of our wrong we are to come to you openly admitting our guilt instead of covering it with fig leaves. Please do not leave me where I am. My days are short. My life is like a breath. But you give me life. By the blood of Christ do I live and by his life do I find life worth living. Show me how to live my God. Teach me about Jesus so that I won't waste what is so short. Help me Father.

Teach me to number my days so that none will be wasted
Amen

The Ministry of Carrying Stuff

Clans from the tribe of Levi existed to protect the Tabernacle when it was set up. We saw yesterday that they were like Old Testament assassins: if anyone comes near kill them (Num 3:10,38). Today we see that 3 tribes in particular are chosen to carry the tabernacle and it's elements. They aren't allowed to see the elements only carry them. Aaron and his sons would break down the tent and then in would come the Kohathites to carry the elements. If they looked at the elements they would die but they sure could carry them. Would I sign up for that task? Would I be jealous of the sons of Aaron? Would I moan to my wife about being a pack mule will Aaron's sons get all the God time?

Lord, give me a heart that loves to serve. Give me the heart of Jesus. If You should call me to be a Kohathite, Gershonite, or Merarite may I serve with gladness. Keep me from comparing myself to others and keep me from putting spiritual value on tasks. I do not want to be prideful and I do not want to be jealous. I know that's how I want to act. I want to be jealous. I want to be prideful. Lord, please do not rebuke me in your anger and do not discipline me in your wrath. My pride stinks and my jealousy is like a wound that festers. All of this is because I am a fool. I confess my iniquity and I am sorry for my sin. Please do not leave me, do not forsake me. My God do not be far from me. Make haste to help me. Come to me quickly to forgive and to heal. O Lord, my salvation be my refuge from my sin.

In Jesus' name
Amen

Something to chew on

"Apathy toward God is the result of being passionate toward something or someone else."

-Jim Berg, Change Into His Image, page 123

Speak to my soul

In Psalm 35 David cries out for vindication, release from false accusation, and safety in persecution. Throughout the Psalm David affirms his trust in God. Repeatedly David calls on God to act instead of praying God will put the sword in David's hand. When you are innocent and attacked for no reason (how many times does that happen?) remember this psalm.

Lord, take up my cause. When I try to do good I receive evil. Fight for me my God as I fight for your glory. Arm yourself and do your work. Say to my soul, "I am your salvation." Lord, please speak to me. While other's speak venomous words I pray God speak the words of life. Affirm in me that I am your son. Strengthen my faith so that I will trust in you when I am wronged. Give me eyes to see that faithfulness that brings persecution is better than disobedience that brings friends.

Christ is my example. He was faithful to you in everything when opposed and abandoned by everyone. Make me like your Son. Give me a heart that wants to be like your Son. Change me my God.

Amen

Into Your Hand

If you missed the Scripture quoted by Christ on the cross in Psalm 31 please read it again. When verse 5 is seen on the lips of Christ as he suffered under the weight of my sin it enhances the meaning of the psalm even more.

My gracious Father, as Christ trusted in you may I trust in you. Deliver me according to Christ's righteousness. Show me your strength and stability. Show me that there is no better refuge in this life or the next than you. As the weekend approaches may I be faithful. Do not let me use rest as an excuse to neglect you. Do not let all the projects be a stumbling block that keeps me from your word and faithful prayer.

I trust in you, O Lord, my times are in your hand. You are my God. May your face shine upon me.
Amen

Sing Praises

It is truly a blessing that our God commands us to be joyful. It's not a bad thing or a wrong thing to shout because of joy. In fact, it honors God when we shout for joy. Leviticus 23 details numerous feasts the Israelites would partake in every year. Several of those feasts were parties; celebrations of God and his work. The downtroden, stoic, unresponsive, and morbid "Christian" needs to hear God's call to take joy in Him.

Lord, give us joy in you. Give us strength in our trials and endurance in our pain. But please, Lord, do not give just enough strength or just enough endurance. Give an abundance that we may shout for joy even in difficulty. Remind us of your word. Show us that all your work is done in faithfulness. You do indeed love righteousness and justice. Give us eyes to see that the earth is full of your steadfast love. And Lord we confess these blessings are our's only because of Jesus. Your anger is only for a moment because Jesus took it all. Your wrath on your children has been completely consumed. Your anger is for a moment but your joy is for a lifetime. Joy is for right now and joy is for eternity because Christ is for right now and Christ is for eternity. We sing your praises. We sing Christ's praises.

Amen

How to Pray for Virginia Tech

Tim Challies is gathering information and posting prayer requests from ministers in Blacksburg. It is worth your time to read what he has written and pray for the families involved.

http://www.challies.com/

Be Holy Because God is Holy

Those words ring out again and again throughout the book of Leviticus, "You shall be holy to me, for I the Lord am holy."

In my honest moments I hear those words and my response is 'How?' How can I be holy like God? God you know I'm not holy like you how can you demand such a thing? Then God speaks to me through His Word:

Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of your goodness O Lord! Psalm 25:7

For your name's sake, O Lord, pardon my guilt, for it is great. Psalm 25:11

Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me! You have said, "Seek my face." My heart says to you, "Your face, Lord, do I seek." Psalm 27:7&8

Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! Psalm 27:14

Father, my only hope of holiness, my only ground for righteousness is Jesus Christ my Lord. May I rest today in His holiness that makes me holy. May I rejoice today in his righteousness that makes me righteous. Show me your goodness. Give to me the satisfaction that only you can provide. May I walk with you and know you so that David's words will truly become my own:

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)

Show me Christ and fill me up with Him
Amen

Monday's Prayer

It appears that every believer experiences 'dry spells' in their times of worship and prayer. I am learning to detect those warning signs within myself in an attempt by God's grace to avoid the pain and struggle of fruitless days. To do this I have begun reading a book given to me by a fellow minister for the very reason of avoiding uselessness in ministry.

The book is A Minister's Obstacles by Ralph Turnbull. In what I read today he offers this helpful prayer:

Give me neither poverty nor riches,
But a heart at leisure from itself (30).

I pray that we all will follow after God pursuing holiness. May God grant us a freedom from concern for wealth and fear of poverty. With King David let us pray, "Make known to me your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long."

Let's not wait on wealth but on the Lord. Let's not be concerned with getting more but be concerned with knowing God and his ways. May God free us from the ordinary.

Amen

Thursday's Prayer

My Father, you have done amazing things! When I look to the heavens I see your wisdom and your might. You are intelligent and creative. Your strength and size are beyond my comprehension. You are a great big God.

You have given your people good things. You have given me good things. You revive, make wise, rejoice the heart, enlighten the eyes, and give me what is better than fine gold. What you give is sweeter than honey. Your word is good and when I seek it you even give rewards.

I praise you God for the atonement you have made for me. I thank you for Jesus Christ. I thank you Jesus for being my sacrifice. Do not let me grow used to the idea or cold toward the truth of your atoning work for my condemning sin. My Christ you are great and you have done great things. You went into the holy of holies as the perfect priest and you offered up your body and blood as the perfect sacrifice. And all this for me!

Keep me from sin and make me useful. Make me walk in manner worthy of your calling. May I bring you glory and praise today.

In Christ my sacrifice
Amen

Wednesday's Prayer

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12).

My God, this morning I join David in saying, "I love you, O Lord, my strength." You are my rock, fortress, and refuge. You are worthy to be praised and you have saved me from my enemies.

God please give me victory against my enemies. I know they are not flesh and blood human enemies but spiritual enemies. The god of this age is strong but no match for You. Satan has his strength but it is weakness compared to Your power. Train my hand for war. Give me strength that I might bend a bow of bronze. Use me this day and all my days to advance your kingdom. Christ promised the gates of hell will not prevail against your kingdom. Use me in the advance. Show me where to fight the battle of sacrifice. Make me merciful, blameless, pure, and humble. You light my lamp and lighten my darkness. I trust you my King. Guide me steps.

Amen

Tuesday's Prayer

My Lord, cleanse me that I may be able to pray like David with the assurance of purity. Please increase my trust in you that I may be able to give all vindication to you. So often I want to be the judge but I am not righteous. So often I want to be the executioner but I am without mercy. Satisfy me with who you are so that I will not look for satisfaction in revenge. Strengthen my faith in Christ so that I will not have to cling to the false hope of getting even. Be my refuge and my strong tower.

Give me Christ
Amen

Monday's Prayer

Save me God because only you are my refuge. You are my God and I have nothing that is good apart from you. You are my strong delight and my lasting joy. Fill up my times of celebration in you because the time of mourning over sin and loss is not far away. Bless the godly; give me delight in their company and correction. Grow men and women to be more like you. Change me to be more like you.

Lord, you are my chosen portion. Lord, you are my cup and you hold my life. I thank you that the life you have given me is pleasant. My wife, daughter, and church are such blessings that are from you and based only on grace. When I look to Christ I understand that I have a beautiful inheritance. You are so good to me!

Give me counsel my Lord, please instruct my heart from your word. Forgive me for setting myself before me and seeking my own way. Replace me with you. May I set you always before me and my I stand firm in your will because you are beside me. Show me who you would have me to reach out to. Show me the lost with whom I can share the glories of salvation. Show me the weak whom I can encourage with Christ's fullness, joy, and pleasure.

My Christ, you have made my soul glad. My whole being rejoices and my flesh rests in you. Though I will one day die there will be the resurrection. You will not abandon me to hell or to the grave. I will be with you in Spirit and one day my body will be raised. All of this through Christ and all of this is from Christ. He is and has shown me the path of life. God he is the fullness of joy in your presence. He is the lasting pleasure at your right hand. Show me Christ today and guide me how best to show others.

In Christ
Amen

Saturday's Prayer

Father, your words are pure words; they are like the finest silver purified over and over again. You have given us words of life that guard us from death. And you have shown us plainly that you are righteous, you love righteous deeds, and the upright shall see your face. You have also shown us what happens to the unrighteous; men like Nadab and Abihu.

Lord, be sanctified in my life. May my eyes see you as holy, may my ears hear your holy words, and may my life be lived for your glory. Father, do not let me waste my life on what I think is best for you when I'm wrong. Correct me before my well intentioned mistake becomes fatal. Send men into my life who love you and have sanctified you in their lives. Send men who will encourage me, challenge me, and correct me.

Do not let me waste my life like Nadab and Abihu. Show me how to live that I might encourage others not to waste their lives. There are so many vain and empty pleasures that threaten to shipwreck my faith. Set Christ squarely in my center that all of life may be purposeful and ordered. Give me strong affections for Christ that I may sanctify you and glorify you in my life.

Give me Christ
Amen

Challies Dot Com :: Putting The Fun In Fundamentalism

Challies Dot Com :: Putting The Fun In Fundamentalism

Check out the blog entry "Astonished At My Own Ignorance" from April 05

Thursday's Prayer

I give thanks to you my GOd with all my heart; today and all my days I will tell others of all your wonders. I am glad in you and I joy in you; I sing praises to your name, O Most High. You are all I need and all this world needs. You are my joy and my gladness. You order my life with strength and purpose. I give thanks to you my God.

As I read what will happen to your enemies I tremble. You will judge righteously and I am unrighteous. Each day seems to bring either a new struggle or renew an old struggle. My unrighteousness is plain to my eyes so it must be that much clearer to you.

You are a stronghold for the oppressed. I know you and I put my trust in you. I trust in you because you will not forsake those who trust you. I trust you and I trust in Christ whose blood you require for my forgiveness. I trust in Christ my strong king. You have made yourself and your Son known. Thank you Father for showing me Christ who is my righteousness.

Christ is the Alpha and the Omega; he is the beginning and the end. Jesus is my beginning and my end. He is a lion and a lamb. He is full of power and full of humility. He is the epitome of all that is good and gracious. He makes me good and pours out his grace on me. I praise Jesus Christ. I give thanks to you my Lord with all my heart; I rejoice in all your wonders. You have made me glad and filled me with joy. I sing praise to you for you are worthy.

Amen

Tuesday's Prayer

My God, today you have put the spotlight on my sin. If I will come to your house, if you will hear my prayer, it will only be because of your great mercy. I come only by the blood of Christ who is the guilt offering for all my sin. I speak now though heavy with sin only because of Christ who is my perfect sacrifice.

Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my sighing. Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. This morning I you hear my voice, I lay my requests before you, and I wait in expectation.

Guide my every step. Light my path with your Word that I might bring you praise and that I might bear fruit for your glory. You do not take pleasure in evil so Lord may I bring you pleasure with the good. The wicked cannot dwell with you so cleanse me that I might dwell in your house forever. The arrogant cannot even stand in your presence so humbly I knell before you with only Christ as my plea. You hate those who do wrong, destroy those who tell lies, and abhor bloodthirsty and deceitful men. Lord, make me slow to sin and quick to repent. Lead me in your righteousness God. Lead me by Christ who makes and keeps me righteous.

I trust that only through Christ you have heard my cry for mercy and accepted my prayer. I rest in my Savior. I trust in my God.

Amen

Monday's Prayer

There is a companion book that follows our through the bible reading titled, For the Love of God, written by DA Carson. If you are interested, we are following volume 1. In the book for today's reading Carson wrote, "Here the people of God are to learn that God prescribes what is right and wrong, and that he has a right to do so; that holiness embraces all of life; that there is a distinction between the conduct of the people fo God and the conduct of the surrounding pagans, not merely a difference in abstract beliefs" (April 2).

My merciful God, you expect me to be different; holy as you are holy. You know the abundance of my sins. Even in Old Testament times you knew how quick humans are to run into intentional and unintentional sins and you provided the way of forgiveness. During Passion Week, looking to Easter Sunday, my mind cannot help but think of Christ and his perfect sacrifice. He doesn't offer himself offer and offer but once.

Along with David I pray to you because you are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. You are the one who sustains me when I am awake and when I asleep. Though my city and country cry out telling me there is no salvation for me in you I know they are wrong. I know Jesus is my salvation. Salvation belongs to you and you give it to whom ever you desire. I praise you and thank you with weak words. I wish I had better words to praise you with. You have done great things. You have atoned perfectly for my great sins. You are a great God. You are the God of righteousness.

Amen