Watch yourself carefully

To put it in the words of 90's pop culture, "Ya betta check yo self before ya wreck yo self." On the edge of the Promised Land God repeats the warning to be careful and watch one's obedience.

Observe [My commandments] carefully- Deut 4:6
Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely- Deut 4:9
Watch yourselves very carefully- Deut 4:15
Be careful not to forget the covenant- Deut 4:23
Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other. Keep his decrees and commands- Deut 4:39&40a

Knowing God is intricately tied to obeying God. Obeying God is intricately tied to joy in God. Joy in God far exceeds any other joy we taste on this earth. I had forgotten the richness of Deuteronomy 4 and I hope to spend more time in that chapter today. I pray it encouraged you and that you make an effort to read it again today section by section thinking about what God says.

My great King, thank you for reminding me today not to drift through life coasting on grace. Give me an undivided heart so that I may fear your name. God I want to praise you with my life. I want to glorify your name forever. Forgive me for not watching myself. Forgive me for presuming on your grace and thinking that because you are compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love I don't have to care about you or your ways. I see this life in my Brother and Savior Jesus Christ. Cover me in His righteousness. Forgive me by his sacrifice. Guide me to know and glorify him. Give me grace to watch myself and a desire to obey your commands.

Give me Christ's heart
Amen

Finding joy

Yesterday's psalm as well as today's answer the question: How do I find joy?

The world tells us that joy comes when people make much of us. I'm happy when my spouse does nice things for me. I'm happy when my boss pats me on the back or acknowledges me before my peers. I experience joy when people compliment my house, car, hair, body, yard, clothes, 4wheeler, children, or anything at all. We scream each morning, "MAKE MUCH OF ME" and then we'll be happy.

Psalm 84:10, "For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness."

This gives me truth that is so hard for me to grasp in our pampered self-centered society: Having God is finding joy, not having stuff. What's the problem then? My sin separates me from God; the source of all joy.

Psalm 85:4-7, "Restore us again, O God of our salvation, and put away your indignation toward us! Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger to all generations? Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? Show us your steadfast love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation."

Sovereign God, give me back what I have neglected and ignored. Restore me God from my shame and shallow pursuit of self-love. Open my eyes to the ways I manipulate people into loving me. Open my eyes that I may see how to love people the way you love people. Forgive me of my pride which makes me think I'm justified in my self-love. Increase my appetite. Do not let me be satisfied with me and with people loving me. Place in me a hunger to know you and know what it is to be loved by you. May your love be sweeter to me than the love of my wife. May your love be sweeter to me than the love of my daughter. Restore me God. Put away your anger toward me. Revive me so that I may truly and abundantly rejoice in you. Show me your steadfast love, O Lord, and grant me your salvation.

Show me the glories of your Son and his sacrifice
Amen

Why can't we just be friends?

Do you ever wonder why no matter what you do for people there are still those that just don't like you?

"But Sihon the king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him, for the Lord your God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, that he might give him into your hand, as he is this day" (Deuteronomy 2:30).

The Lord who is God if salvation is also God of conflict. Our omnipotent Father is not limited to only working through the good stuff of life. He also works through the pain and even through the evil. God worked through Sihon's rebellious heart and God worked through the cross. Read Deuteronomy 2 and Acts 2. Is your theology correct? Does your worship include the power of God over the good as well as the bad?

God please do not let us sale you sort. Do not let me try and cuff you practically with an unbiblical understanding of who you are. I want to know you as you are not as I conceive you to be. Correct my theology with Scripture. Change my mind with your Truth. God I want to know you. Show me who you are.

In Christ
Amen

Christ our city of refuge

How strange are the Psalmist's words in connection with Numbers 35

Why should the nations say,“Where is their God?” Let the avenging of the outpoured blood of your servants be known among the nations before our eyes! (Psalm 79:10)

God, the avenger of blood, will have his justice at the expense of his Son. Our sin demands our death. Christ died for us. When we flee to Him we are given forgiveness and there is forgiveness only in him. The killer could flee to the city of refuge and receive a fair trial. If he was innocent he would be allowed to live in the city. If guilty he would be killed. There was no mercy for the guilty. How glad are you that God has set up Christ as the city of refuge not for the innocent but for the guilty? All murderers flee to Him and be forgiven. All hypocrites run to him and be made true.

God, make your church like the city of refuge. Make us a people that shall rescue the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood. Make us a congregation who will restore sinners by the gospel of Jesus Christ. Father, I want your church to be useful in my community. Do not let us sleep in our sin and rot in your pew. Make us like Christ. Make us intentional. Make us powerful. Make us sacrificial. Make us Christ-centered. Make us the body.

Amen

Read & Pray

Psalm 78:62-66

He gave his people over to the sword and vented his wrath on his heritage.63 Fire devoured their young men, and their young women had no marriage song.64 Their priests fell by the sword,and their widows made no lamentation.65 Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, like a strong man shouting because of wine.66 And he put his adversaries to rout; he put them to everlasting shame.

Read this again then pray for the brothers and sisters you will be worshipping alongside tomorrow. Pray they will see their need for the Savior and pray they will experience the joy of knowing the Savior.

Lord, prepare our hearts to worship. May I learn from history: sin leads to death. I know you are as angry today about sin as you were 3,000 years ago. May my love for you and joy in forgiveness be contagious among your people. Forgive me, put away your sword, cover me with the blood of your Son, my Savior.

Covered by Christ's blood
Amen

They did not believe

Psalm 78:35 "In spite of all this, they still sinned;despite his wonders, they did not believe."

Numbers 20:12 "And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 'Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.'"

Why did the people not enter the Promised Land? They did not believe. Why did Moses and Aaron not enter the Promised Land? They did not believe.

Ultimately, it's not an issue of not going to war, hitting a rock, or not driving out the inhabitants. Ultimately, all sin is about unbelief. Sin is unbelief. We do not believe Christ is the bread of life so we seek to fill ourselves with food, sex, leisure, promotions, family, and power. We do not believe doing God's will is another bread so we do our own will, chicken out, and check out. If we are going to battle sin and win we must realize that the root of sin is not temptation but unbelief. If we believed the promises of God as we should then we would see the foolishness of sin and temptation.

But we do not believe.

Father, I believe yet help my unbelief. I believe Christ is the bread of life and feeding on his flesh is life. I must eat his flesh and drink his blood. I must cherish him above my necessary food because he is better. I believe it. I believe you. But God, in unbelief I sin against you. I trade what is best for trash. Forgive me Father. By the righteous blood of my Redeemer blot out all my sin. I do not want my children to recount my life the way the bible recounts that wilderness generation. I want them to see in me a life of belief. I want to live something different.

Amen

Your sin will find you out

In fact, Moses wanted them to be sure about the fact that their sin would find them out. If they abandoned their people, if they went back on their word, then it would all come out. The same is true for us today.

Luke 12:1-3, "In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, 'Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.' Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops."

That truth gives great value to the work of confession one to another. When we are honest and open about our struggles and sins it removes the coming sting. All the skeletons in our closests are only waiting to be revealed; and they will be revealed. What we are to do is turn from our 'everything is together' painful hypocrisy and confess who we really are: a man/woman in need of a Savior.

Strong Father, may I understand today that everything hidden will be revealed; my sin will find me out. Instead of covering it up with lies I pray for strength to uncover it with honesty and remove it by the blood of Christ. Give me a heart filled with your strength and therefore able to be honest. Raise up a church who will hate my sin as much as you do and love me as much as you do. Make me a member of a church who hates all sin as much as you do and loves all the church as much as you do.

Help us be like Christ
Amen

Horrified at the wrong thing

As I sat at the breakfast table with my huge cup of coffee and bowl of cheerios I could not help but be horrified as I read Numbers 31. How could God command such a thing? "Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man by lying with him" (Num 31:17). 1 year old baby boys the same age as my daugther who loves to hang onto the table and smile at me as I type? Horror.

My sin blinds me but when I put my hand over my mouth and listen God speaks.

"But it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another. For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup with foaming wine, well mixed, and he pours out from it, and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down in the dregs. But I will declare forever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. All the horns of the wicked I will cut off, but the horns of the righteous shall be lifted up" (Psalm 75:7-10).

I do not have the right to pass judgment on God. But, I do have the right to have my throat slit along with the people of Midian. When I shut up I realize what side I should be on and it's not the side that wins. God executes judgment and that is what I deserve.

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this, while we were still sinners Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him?" (Romans 5:8&9).

Gracious and strong Father, teach me today of Jesus the one who took my punishment and drank the foaming wine of your wrath on me. Teach me today of your great love for a great sinner. May I walk in new life. May I encourage others to do the same. Help me speak of the new life of Christ. Help me to live the new life of Christ. I don't want to be on Midian's side. I want to be on Christ's side. Save me from my sin and deliver me from your wrath. Join me to Jesus.

Amen

Who gives this woman to be married to this man?

Do you know why a pastor asks the father of the bride, "Who gives this woman to be married to this man?" Or better yet, do you know why a pastor should ask the father of the bride, "Do you give this woman to be married to this man?" Numbers 30 tells us why this question is asked and recognized by the couple, the parent, and the congregation; it's an issue of responsibility.

While the woman is living with her father she is his responsibility to care for and to raise. He is a compassionate authority over her; looking after what is best for her. When she marries she is no longer her father's responsibility and is now her husband's responsbility. From Ephesians 5 we know that the husband is to treat his responsbility for his wife with loving concern and complete sacrifice.

Father, we pray this morning for husbands. Speak to them about their responsibilities for their wives and daughters. Show them what you require from your Word. Make them men who will fight to the death for their wives and daughters. Make them men who want what is best for their families and make them men who know what is best for their families. Raise up men who know you and love your Son. Raise up men who understand that you are both a gentle Father and a strong Warrior. Make us men like Christ.

Amen

In over my head

In Psalm 69 David confesses he is in over his head. He's in up to his neck. He can't get a foothold. When the waves come they cover his head. His throat is raw calling for help. His eyes are strained looking for God. People accuse him wrongly and he is wrongly punished.

But he has hope.

Clearly, his hope is in God and not in looking religious and being heralded as religious. It seems that everything he does is viewed negatively. Zeal for God's house, weeping, fasting, repentance, and the like are mocked instead of supported. Would you continue? Would you pray to God not with anger but with trust? Call out to God for rescue and call out to God for strength.

Strong Father, give me Your strength. May I stand for You when all others abandon You and make fun of me. Show me what it is to live for You in spite of all difficulty. I don't want to be a fair weather Christian. I don't want to be weak or a wimp. I want to have faith that is useful to You and effective in Your church. I want to fight the good fight. I want to raise up a godly family. I want to love a godly wife. I want to be used to strengthen others who are faltering. Make me like Christ. Make me more like my Savior.

For Christ
Amen

Men's Ministry Old Testament Style

Numbers 25:4&5: And the Lord said to Moses, “Take all the chiefs of the people and hang them in the sun before the Lord, that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel.” 5 And Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you kill those of his men who have yoked themselves to Baal of Peor.”

What happened in Numbers 25 is so foreign to us today and shocking to say the least. It sounds initially more like Islam than Judaism. But times then were different because the battle was different. Then the battle was between nations and for land. God was setting up His people in their land while punishing sin. Now the battle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers and authoirities that stand in opposition to Christ and in kahoots with this world. It's not that there no longer is a battle to fight but that we don't care enough to fight in it. Though the sword of choice is different the battle is still about sin and God's people.

Lord, give me a heart that cares about the spiritual condition of others. May I fight with the sword of the Spirit and not the sword of steel. Give me a concern for what others believe and use me to bring others to Christ. I want to fight the good fight for Christ. Make me strong. Give me endurance. Give me your spiritual insight. Raise up a band of brothers who will fight for souls by giving our lives for others. May the only death be the death to self. May the only life be life in Your Son. Show through me the power of the cross and the promise of the empty tomb.

For Christ
Amen

What God speaks, that I will speak

Repeatedly we have seen Balaam's stand on God's word. Yesterday we saw that in Balaam the committment to speak God's word must be joined with a true fear of God. It's safe to assume that when you see an angel with a drawn sword it puts the fear of God in you. And when you hear your donkey talk it causes you to think a little differently about what God can and cannot do.

"What God speaks, that I will speak."

There is the committment we all need to make. Stop wasting our words on empty flattery, lazy complaints, and destructive attacks. Satan speaks that way. We, Christ's siblings, speak God's words. Our speech is seasoned with salt, full of grace, and proper for building up. This is true when we talk to each other and when we talk to God.

David said, "Come and hear, all who fear God. And I will tell of what He has done for my soul. I cried to Him with my mouth, and He was extolled with my tongue. If I regard wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear; but certainly God has heard; He has given heed to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, who has not turned away my prayer nor His lovingkindness from me" (Psalm 66:16-20).

My great God I know you oppose the proud and if I love sin you will not hear me. Give me a right fear of you. You have ordained my days. You are my creator. You are my judge and you are my redeemer. As my judge you see my heart and all my desires. As my redeemer you cleanse my heart and recreate my desires. Lord, cleanse my heart because it needs cleansing. I want to speak to You; by the blood of my Savior open the way into your presence. I come to you empty handed, full of sin, and in need of Messiah.

Make me useful my God. Make my day a testimony to you. May I seek ways to serve. May I seek opportunities to make you known. Do not let me rush about wasting my time making money without thought of you. May I work hard with the desire to serve you. May I truly earn what I am paid and work so that others see those good works and give praise to you, my Father in heaven.

In Christ
Amen

The humility of asking for help

Today, in God's good providence, I was able to meet with a few people seeking help. All of them were at or near the end of their rope and were seeking help. As I have sat pondering all the wrong things I said and asking for some serious supernatural intervention I thought of the humility involved and why it is so late in coming.

Better late than never is true but these lives would have been so much better if the humility would have come earlier. Why do we wait until our lives and relationships need a defibulator to seek help? The answer is simple- pride. By God's grace, both the people got it today and without me calling them prideful. God showed them and the light has come on. Pray that light comes on for me and that the doctor takes his own medicine.

Psalm 65:1 Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion,and to you shall vows be performed.2 O you who hear prayer,to you shall all flesh come.3 When iniquities prevail against me,you atone for our transgressions.4 Blessed is the one you choose and bring near,to dwell in your courts!We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,the holiness of your temple!

Lord, wash me, this church, and Your Church of pride. Forgive me of the sin of "I can do all things BY MYSELF!" Give me the humility of "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." God I thank You that You chose to bring me near today. I am amazed that you would use me to bring people near to You. May I dwell in your courts so that I may be able to point others in the right direction. May I speak only your words and never sale out. I am satisfied in the goodness of your house. The holiness of your temple is wonderful. Praise you my Father.

Thank you my King
Amen

Make time to listen

Please listen to this Mp3

http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/MediaPlayer/2160/Audio/

It's John Piper preaching about what every child needs to know about the gospel. If you want to understand the gospel and if you want others to understand the gospel then you need to make time to listen.

Give me Jesus or I will die

John 3:16 is defined not by lifting banners at football games but by lifting a bronze serpent on a pole.

"14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life”  (Jn 3:14&15).

Believing in Jesus is not just a matter of admitting that he lived, died, and rose again. Believing in Jesus is understanding that without Jesus there is no life only death. It's saying, "If I don't get to Jesus then I will die. I've been biten by sin and it's venom pulses through my body and soul. The only cure is Christ. Give me Jesus or I will die."

Imagine a man biten by the snake, feeling it's pain, and knowing his coming death. With the intensity of a bull in a china closet he would fight to get to the bronze serpent. Why do we not act like this with Jesus? We don't understand the surety and totality of our deaths outside of him. We don't understand the fullness of life found in him. We don't talk this way. We don't live this way. We don't preach this way. We don't pray this way. Things need to change.

Lord, teach me to want Jesus like a dying man would want the bronze serpent in the wilderness. I complain about things in the church that are miniscule because I don't understand the real problem. The problem is not the preaching, schedule, or music. The problem is I'm dying and do not know it. Lord, show Your church the surety of death. May we feel on Saturday the fear of imminent death so that we can feel on Sunday the joy of salvation. Speak to me about my sin. Convince me of my death. Tune my heart to sing your praise and to lift Christ up over all things.

I want Jesus!
Amen

Just do what He says

Just do what He says and nobody gets hurt. In fact, if you would have done what He said then you'd be living in a land filled with milk and honey. But since you didn't, you are dying of thirst. Moses, since you didn't do what He said you won't enter the Promised Land and Aaron you're about to die.

Why do we not obey? The answer is simple- we don't want to. We don't trust God to be king but we definitely trust ourselves to be king. The Creator doesn't know what is best but the creation sure does. Pride and lack of trust keep us from obeying.

Lord, give us hearts that want to obey. May we truly believe that you are a fortress against all who would harm us. May we truly believe that Your way is better than our way. Bring men and women into our lives who obey and believe so we can learn. Challenge me with the godly. Convict me with my folly. Show me that You are trustworthy and strong.

In Jesus' Name
Amen

The ashes of a heifer

"For if the sprinkling of defiled persons with the blood of goats and bulls and with the ashes of a heifer sanctifies for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God" (Hebrews 9:13&14).

If the ashes of a heifer brought purification for the flesh how much more does the blood of Christ bring purification for the conscience! If the sacrifice of an unwilling unknowning animal is beneficial then the willing and intentional sacrifice of Christ for us is of tremendous value.

Lord, write on my heart today the value of Christ's sacrifice. You tell me that with Christ's sacrifice comes the cleansing of the conscience. Lord, my conscience needs cleansing. Wash away every guilty stain. By the blood of my King remove all my iniquity; blot out all my sin. Affirm to me what true forgiveness is in my Lord. Expose all my motives that I might me made pure. Thank you for Christ and the power of His blood.

Amen

It's like butter

Psalm 55:20&21 "My companion stretched out his hand against his friends; he violated his covenant. His speech was smooth as butter, yet war was within in his heart; his words were softer than oil yet they were drawn swords."

What is within your heart? Do you despise authority? Do you butter people up so you can use them for your own selfish gain? These are devastating words for me. I want to be in authority and I know how to manipulate people. My almost 1 year old daughter knows how to manipulate me. It is frightening how early and effectively we learn how to hurt people, break our promises, manipulate with a compliment, and maniuplate with a cut-down all to get what we want.

I will be preaching Colossians 2:8-10 this coming Sunday. As the Hebrew people struggled against Moses and Aaron, as we struggle against authority, we must learn that all the fullness of God is found only in Christ. Our lasting satisfaction will be gained in God and on his terms. May we turn from empty and vain philosophies based on the world of me. May we turn to the fulfilling and true philiosophy based on Christ.

My God, forgive me and change my heart. I love to be in authority and have people do what I want without consideration to your authority and what you want. Forgive me for wanting to Lord over people and for relishing in pride when I do. I want to be useful to you. I want to want you. I want others to want to be useful to you and I want others to want you. Do a great work in our hearts. Make us like Jesus.

Amen

You have gone to far!

Numbers 16 is an account of pride and refusal to recognize authority. Korah's complaint is that "all in the congregation are holy, every one of them and the Lord is among them." In essence, everyone should be the leader and not Moses. In all honesty, Korah probably doesn't want a democracy but a Korahocracy. Moses is then accused of being power hungry and greedy by Dathan and Abiram. Then, to add inusult to injury, the people's lack of faith and refusal to follow God is then blamed on Moses. When God makes it clear that Aaron is the priest and Moses is the leader by swallowing Korah and his family alive then even that is blamed on Moses!

How do we know Moses and Aaron weren't power hungry authority abusers? They were concerned about the people. Moses prayed for the people and feared for their safety in the face of God's righteous punishment. Aaron, instead of running from the plague, ran into it to make atonement, not for his sins, but for the sins of the people. They put their lives on the line for people who wanted them gone.

In most churches today there is the same type of struggle over authority. We are a royal priesthood which means you can't tell me what to do. The individual claims Christ as the only authority not realizing that it is God who instituted authority in the home, authority in the government, and authority in the church. We say we want God as our authority then we do not do what He says. (Read Psalm 52 and keep in my Moses and Korah)

Lord, give us godly leaders who love You and Your people. Give us men who are not hungry for power but but are passionate to see Your people mature in the faith. I pray for my pastor this morning. God, may he love You more than power. May he love us more than the things of the world. God help this church, all of whom are holy, follow the leadership You have installed. May our recognition of authority be pleasing in Your sight. May Christ be praised by the way we handle things in the church.

In Christ and under His authority
Amen

A Sabbath breaker executed

When we compare the sins and punishments of Numbers 15 and Psalm 51 the differences are striking. In Numbers 15 a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath is stoned to death by the congregation. In Psalm 51 a man who committed adultery and murder is forgiven. No prophet is sent to the Sabbath breaker. On the day he committed his sin he was brought forth for judgment. Nathan visited David and possibly a number of months past by before this confrontation.

What are we to make of this? God is a God of wrath and God is a God of mercy. No one has the right to presume on God and God will not be forced into the confines of our sense of right and wrong. He knew the Sabbath breaker's heart and He knew David's heart.

He knows your heart.

Lord, grant us repentance. May we hate the gathering of sticks as well as the breaking of the marriage covenant. Do not let me wink at sin. Forgive me for playing fast and loose with your mercy. I do not want to sin against you. My God, I fear the potential for evil that lies within me. I know what I am capable of and I pray you will continue to shape me, correct me, and forgive me. Broken before You I cry out for grace. I am a man who is in need of mercy. I am a man who is in need of Christ my great High Priest. Purify my conscience with His blood. Accept me into Your presence by His righteousness. Forgive me my Father.

In Christ
Amen

Their god was their belly

Those who are not satisfied with God, those who live as though Christ is not enough, can never be satisfied. Now, they set about a false standard believing that if it is met they will be happy: if I get some meat, if I make a certain amount every year, if I find a spouse, if we have a child, if I hear this type of music in my church, if I hear this type of preaching. The false standard is set and it is false because once the standard is met they are not happy. The problem is not the particular desire in this case. It's not wrong to want to eat meat, get married, have a child, like certain music more than others, or enjoy a certain type of preaching more than others.

What is wrong is the heart's desire to make a fortress out of a single brick. In Psalm 48 we see the repeated truth that God is a fortress. It is in him that we are to live, find protection, and be satisfied. This was true in the Old Testament and given even more glory in the New Testament in the person of Jesus Christ. We must do battle with our hearts which seem to be constantly chasing after lesser pleasures. Monetary pleasure, physical pleasure, influence, companionship, and wasteful ease tempt us to turn from Christ and be satisfied in them. When you do not get your way and feel yourself preparing for battle ask yourself, "am I chasing after quail?"

What happened? They got their meat and they met their deaths. If they didn't die they had so much meat it was running out of their noses. Would the quail make them happy? Only for a moment until the sin set in.

Lord, forgive me for loving and searching for meat more than loving and searching for You. Forgive me for complaining about truly stupid things that do not matter. Make me a man who is satisfied in You and Your Son by the power of Your Spirit. Show me immediately when I start to chase after lesser things. Prepare me now as I pray to turn immediately from those debilitating desires when I see them and run to Jesus. I want to rest in God my fortress from the inside instead of tremble with fear on the outside. As I think on your steadfast love, your right hand filled with righteousness, I am glad because in Christ I experience your love and I am given righteousness. You are forever and you will guide me forever. I praise you my king.

In Christ
Amen

The Cloud

I may be the only one but I struggle sometimes with the way God did things in the Old Testament and how He does things today. I'm not talking about the wrath/grace issue. I'm talking about guidance. Today, we read in Numbers 9 concerning the cloud of God's glory that covered the tabernacle. When it was time to move the cloud moved. When it was time to stop the cloud stopped. I think, "wouldn't that be great!?!"

Think about life's decisions: Who do I marry? The girl with the cloud over her. Where do I work? The place with the cloud. Who do I share the gospel with? The guy with the cloud. Do I go right or do I go left? Well, where is the cloud? It may sound a little silly but we need to know why there is no more cloud.

Many passages in Scripture speak to this issue but I will give you two that I think are the most helpful in answering this question and living our lives. It's Easter Sunday at the tomb:

Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God’ ” (John 20:16&17. ESV)

Then from John 14

15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. (John 14:15-17. ESV)

Do I want a relationship with the Father, Son, and Spirit or do I just want answers? Do I realize the riches that are in Christ and that those riches are given by the Spirit's enlightenment? The tabernacle is gone. The cloud no longer goes here and moves there. But the Spirit will be with us forever. He will not just be with us He will be in us.

God, teach me today what it is to know the Holy Spirit. Show me how He is my helper. Jesus told Mary not to cling to him because he must ascend. With that ascension came the sending of the Spirit. Do not let me wander into error as I seek to know Him. The dangers of denying the Spirit's power and sensationalizing His work are before me. Do not let me miss the blessings of relationship with Him because I am too afraid of error. Let me see Him. Let me know Him. As your child He dwells with me and by Him I cry out to You as my Father. Father, teach me today to know Your Spirit.

Amen

When it won't stop raining

We keep a few flowers in front of our house that end up mistreated for the most part. If it rains they get water and if it doesn't rain they struggle. Lately we have been getting plenty of rain; to flash flood warning stage. It is amazing that the right amount of water is perfect but too little or too much will kill. We talk often of loving and trusting God in the drought but what about in the flood? That seems to be where we find the Sons of Korah in Psalm 44. From their perspective they have been obedient and faithful. They confess that God knows the heart and have apparently kept nothing hidden from Him. Yet they struggle and are defeated.

Father, help us through our struggles. Give us faith and strength to continually cry out to You when we don't understand why. May you rise up and help us. Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love. Though we are led like sheep to the slaughter we know that in Christ we are more than conquerors. Give me faith that loves the blessings and promises of Christ more than my immediate comfort and success. Make me the type of person who can praise you when I win and praise you when I lose. May my faith in you grow bigger than my circumstances. May my joy in Christ grow larger than my situation.

For His Praise
Amen