Delight Yourself in the Lord

"Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart." (Psalm 37:4)

Sometimes when we read a verse like this we can almost let ourselves be stymied by the second half. We get hung up on thoughts like, "I can't seek God with such an impure motive" or "How can God really bless me if I seek Him so He will give me the desires of my heart?" Those thoughts aren't bad and actually reveal a heart that wants to honor the Lord, but we do need to get past them.

There are some things that we can consider that will help. The first is that we rarely seek God with a perfectly pure heart. Being human, we have issues, and we bring our issues wherever we go. The good news is that God is the fix for our issues. Seek the Lord and let Him deal with the issues. As you press into Him the impurities of your heart will begin to melt away. The Lord wouldn't have given us such a wonderful promise to hang us up in its application.

The other thing that helps is just to get after the first part of the verse. Delight yourself in the Lord. The second comes because of the first -- it really is a sowing and reaping in our walk with Him. Ask Him to help you do it. Press in and spend time with the Lord. Spend time in worship and prayer and in the Word. As you spend time with Him you will begin to delight in Him.

By Him All Things Consist

"Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures." (Luke 24:27)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1)

For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. (Colossians 1:16)

What we believe about Jesus Christ is absolutely central to the Christian faith and our walk with God. Jehovah Witnesses believe that He is was the son of God, but not God Himself. Mormons offer up a pretty convoluted view of Jesus where Jesus is a son of God along with Satan, and earned deity status through righteous works. Islam teaches that He was a great prophet. A lot of people believe that he was some sort of sage or good teacher or revolutionary. All those beliefs, while containing a portion of the truth, are false because they deny the full power and glory of Jesus Christ.

The challenge before us in rightly interpreting and understanding the Word of God is always in dealing with the sections that challenge us. The books of the Bible were not written as large collections of individual sayings. Context, continuity, and consistency matter. Some understanding of the Old and New Covenants will help us to understand the whole. Grasping the whole truth of Jesus Christ will help us to see the Word and God's pursuit of mankind in all its fullness.

I love Colossians 1 and the statement Paul makes about Jesus Christ--

He is the image of the invisible God.
All things were created by Him and for Him.
He is before all things.
By Him all things consist.

Paul makes a powerful case for the deity of Christ. Jesus is more than a good man or teacher. He is the very one who created all that we see and by Him all things consist. That word consist in the Greek means placed or banded together. He came to redeem His very creation that He holds together. That is powerful!

In Luke 24 the resurrected Jesus encountered two men on the road the Emmaus. They spent some time together in conversation and in verse 27 we read how "beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself." I would have loved to have been a part of that conversation.

Philippians 2:11 tells us that one day "every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

I find it interesting that one common thread of false teachers is that while they claim to honor and respect Him they always deny the full reality of who He is. It's easy to like the partial Jesus. Find the verses where Jesus said things we like (Judge not seems to be a favorite) and ignore the ones that make us uncomfortable. That one about denying yourself and taking up your cross and following Him seems to be particularly onerous to some people. We want Jesus the lamb, but not Jesus the judge. We want the Jesus who ate with tax collectors and sinners, but not the Jesus who said, "Go and sin no more." We want a Jesus who makes us feel better about ourselves without actually challenging us.

The real Jesus is far more awesome than we can often conceive. He is worthy of our worship and worthy of our lives. Knowing and walking with Him is the pinnacle of human achievement. He changes everything. He is Lord and He is God!

Rejoice Today!

"This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118:24)

Sometimes the challenges of the day can seem overwhelming. That's when we need to change our focus from the challenges to the possibilities. We need to change our focus from our circumstances to an expectation that our wonderful Heavenly Father is there for us today. We have his Spirit dwelling within and so many wonderful promises from God's Word. If we look for Him in the midst of the day we will find Him! He doesn't leave us or forsake us. He is a very present help in time of need. He has made this day! Rejoice and be glad in it!

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble." (Psalm 46:1)

Come Apart Before You Come Apart

"For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you." (2nd Corinthians 1:12)

Simplicity is a good thing. In a culture that strives to find happiness in the acquisition of material things simplicity is almost a foreign concept. Stress seems to be a present reality for most folks. Fear about the economy and the world situation compounds our anxiety.

There really is something to be said for a peaceful and quiet life. We really need to take some time to unplug. You can't be of much help to others if you are overwhelmed yourself. A friend of mine used to say, "Come apart or you will come apart." It's something you really have to be intentional about. It is amazing how voids in our schedules can quickly get filled up. My oldest son is working two part-time jobs and going to school. A few weeks ago he had a situation where he got the inevitable text from a coworker-- "What are you doing Friday evening?" This person wanted him to work for her. He didn't actually have anything going on that evening. That didn't mean he was obligated to work her shift. He declined the opportunity.

Take some time to come apart. Spend time with the Lord. Take a walk. Go sit by a lake and watch the water. Do what it takes to recharge your batteries. Take a look at your life and see what's not working. Take a look at what is working and what is not. Ask the Lord to direct your steps!

"You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore." (Psalm 16:11)

Praise The Lord!

"Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; Praise Him in the heights! Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts! Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all you stars of light! Praise Him, you heavens of heavens, And you waters above the heavens! Let them praise the name of the LORD, For He commanded and they were created." (Psalm 148:1-5)

It is easy to get caught up in the stress of life where all out prayers and thoughts seem to get focused on dealing with our issues and struggles. Sometimes we just need to step back, take our gaze off of our circumstances and place it squarely on the Lord. Praising Him is a wonderful way to do that. If you don't know what to say open up the book of Psalms. The Psalms are filled with wonderful declarations of praise and worship.

Here is the rest of Psalm 148 for your enjoyment.

"He also established them forever and ever; He made a decree which shall not pass away. Praise the LORD from the earth, You great sea creatures and all the depths; Fire and hail, snow and clouds; Stormy wind, fulfilling His word; Mountains and all hills; Fruitful trees and all cedars; Beasts and all cattle; Creeping things and flying fowl; Kings of the earth and all peoples; Princes and all judges of the earth; Both young men and maidens; Old men and children. Let them praise the name of the LORD, For His name alone is exalted; His glory [is] above the earth and heaven. And He has exalted the horn of His people, The praise of all His saints-- Of the children of Israel, A people near to Him. Praise the LORD!" (Psalm 148:6-14)

Rejoice Today

"This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118:24)

In troubled times and economic uncertainty it is easy to look down the road and be fearful of the future. That kind of fear will rob you of the joys of today. Embrace this day as a gift from God. Live it to His honor and glory. Jesus told us to not worry (be fearful) about tomorrow. Today is a blessing! Take some time to be thankful for all the wonderful things the Lord has done. Run the race today with an expectation that you will see God's hand in your day.

Have a wonderful day in Jesus!