the extent of Your reign

Clap your hands, all peoples!

Shout to God with loud songs of joy!

For the LORD, the Most High, is to be feared,

a great king over all the earth.

Psalm 47:1-2

Sometimes I forget, Lord

that You are King of this whole earth

that nothing escapes Your rule

my perspective sees a remnant in worship

but Your command is global

All peoples are called to praise You!

There is no hermit nation

there is no isolated island

that You don’t control fully!

You are the Great King

I remind myself that You reign

and despite nations raging against You

despite the gospel often hated

millions ARE turning to You

and Your glorious kingdom stretches broad

You command our history.

You control our destiny.

You provide our eternity.

The world is Yours!

Great King over all the earth… rule on!

what to give to make a difference

“And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the LORD your God.”

Leviticus 23:22

At the most crucial moment of annual blessing in the agricultural rhythm of ancient Israel, the nation was called to care for the neediest as they reaped the yield of their hard work. Two commands are given by God and emphasized as absolutely crucial as God invokes His covenant name. First, farmers were to leave rows of unharvested produce at the edges of their fields. Secondly, the needy among them were to be given access to ALL of the field to glean remnants behind the harvesting crews. This way all could work for their bread… even the destitute and the immigrants could work at harvest time. A culture of care was mandated by God. He insisted that the resources be made accessible so nobody needed to go hungry.

Now I know this is a command to Israel in a culture of agriculture. Times are certainly very different now. Most of us are far removed as consumers from the production of the food we eat. Yet I believe some principles must carry over to help Christians have a godly response to poverty in our times. With the holidays soon upon us, some folks will at least have a passing thought for the less fortunate. Some actions we might want to consider are… First and foremost God seriously cares about the poor and wants His people to care about them too. It is the very root of the gospel that God gave His Son completely to care for ALL of us at the deepest place where we could not in our soul poverty care for ourselves. Jesus saves sinners from their eternal, ultimate poverty. God gave Himself to make the difference. 

In an extension of this, God also expects that we provide ways for the needy among us to be involved in their own provision and care. The workers in Israel LET the poor into the field to glean and left places for them to harvest for themselves. And however Christians adapt that principle to make choices to help those in need, we need to do so in a manner that dignifies the work so that people can own their own recovery efforts. Bottomless handouts are not the solution and do nobody any good in eliminating the problem. Being generous in providing opportunity to help the poor and the needy seems to be the call and the principle to keep clear. It extends in Christian charity today. 

Yes, we must give. God will make a difference as we do. But we should also counsel, care, educate, providing work skills and money management skills, supporting the poor through hard work and celebration of their accomplishments, and we must work hard ourselves to diminish the suffering of poverty in the richness of God’s kingdom.

not sensing God

Rise up; come to our help!

Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love!

Psalm 44:26

Life with God is wonderful, but this psalm reminds us that it is not easy, and sometimes our experience of God doesn’t quite jive with our expectations from God. The psalm is a cry from a perplexed people, who though to the best of their reckoning believe they are committed to obeying their covenant with God, aren’t really experiencing much from God in return. Read the psalm. They feel defeated and rejected. They admit their bewilderment while still stubbornly clinging to their faith.

There has been a contemporary saying I’ve heard most of my Christian life: “Trust God when you cannot trace Him.” Yes, I know Jesus has sent His Spirit and is “with us always”. Yet there are indeed real seasons I have experienced the power of that truth because God felt distant. There can be times where I am puzzled at God’s lack of activity, praying hard in that season, but finding very little in terms of answers. I may feel God’s seeming absence. 

And just as this psalm reminds us, when I can’t sense God I must still surrender to Him. Faith presses into these seasons… crying out for help… asking God to rise to the occasion… appealing to His purposes and trusting His amazing grace. And eventually those times will turn. They always do. I’ve experienced them, and God never fails. Never. 

My feelings fail me. My faith may feel inadequate and totally stretched. I may falter. But God is always faithful. So in seasons of God’s seeming disregard, trust Him all the more! Appeal to Him! Ask God to be God… and you can know for sure that He will.

the reward of discipleship

Then Peter said in reply, “See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?”

Matthew 19:27

Peter’s question may sound selfish or out of line, but Jesus does not rebuke him for it. The question was legit based on the events that proceed it. It is a rare recorded instance in the gospels of Jesus inviting someone into discipleship and them turning Him down. For that reason alone we should really make sure we understand what is going on.

A young man came to Jesus sincerely wanting an answer to the MOST IMPORTANT of all questions: “What must I do to have eternal life?” Jesus pointed him first to God’s Law as the standard for “good deeds” and the young man welcomes the authority of God’s Word. He knows keeping God’s commands is what God required of the Jews, but he also knows something was still incomplete as he asks Jesus, “what do I still lack?” Matthew 19:20. He sees in Jesus a glimmer of the “something more” his soul is missing.

Jesus then powerfully makes this young man the same offer he made all twelve disciples: “Go, sell everything, give it all away, and follow me.” If this young man had followed through, church history would have been different. We would always have a list of 13 apostles instead of twelve. So this is significant. There is a decision made at that moment that is heartbreaking to read. This rich, young, influential (he was a “ruler” according to Luke 18), moral, and seriously religious man walked away from Jesus. The one thing he still lacked, he chose to still lack at the end. Wealth was his stumbling block.

The disciples are amazed at both Jesus’ offer AND this guy’s rejection of Jesus. They marvel that Jesus demanded such a price. It moves Peter to ask his question. After all, the twelve of them HAD all left past careers behind to follow Jesus when He chose them. What were they going to get? 

Jesus gives them two answers. First, in the kingdom yet to come 12 apostles will serve as ruler over the 12 tribes of Israel. That’s the eschatological far view of the end game. More immediately, a second answer was that any person who will surrender life to follow Jesus receives blessing now and eternal life. The reward of following Jesus is Jesus… now and forever. It is that second answer that all followers of Jesus can know right now. My life is magnitudes better following Jesus! My life in Him grows, stretches, expands, and matures in a glorious present of worship RIGHT NOW and forever with Jesus. Jesus now and forever is the reward of discipleship.

talking to myself

Why are you cast down, O my soul,

and why are you in turmoil within me?

Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,

my salvation and my God.

Psalm 42:5

This refrain rings twice in Psalm 42 and it is quite interesting and very practical. It is spiritual self-counsel that I am reminded I need. The psalmist is confronting his emotional state. He is questioning his soul and pushing beyond an emotional perspective to deeper truth. The psalm does not deny the reality of feeling depressed. It sums it up succinctly. There were two symptoms of deep sadness described early in the psalm: 1) tears flowing easily any time of day or night. 2) wishful thinking focused on a perceived better past.

So the self-counsel asks “why”. Why am I so down? But is also maintains true faith perspective beyond just a mere emotional outlook - “Hope in God!” Yes, it is okay to talk to yourself… to ask yourself why you feel how you feel. And in doing so, lean into faith beyond your feelings! God is your hope. God is bigger than this for He is worthy of praise. He is salvation. He is God.

I have seasons of possessing a downcast soul like this. In fact, what medical prognosticators call “Seasonal Affective Disorder” is something I experience to one degree or another at this time of year. Some years it is mild. Some years it is worse. I know this about myself. It is one reason why I have been hovering in the Psalms lately. As daylight shortens I catch myself feeling sad at losses, dreading longer nights, even angry that my “free time” mornings and evenings are spent in darkness. Even now, my early morning devotional time is surrounded by darkness as sunrise is still a ways away. It feels so long. 

During late fall and early winter I can slip into comparison with the past as well, tending to remember decades past with a wistful sadness, grieving life change. Feeling like pre-empty nest parenting was the fun and easy summer of life. Unrealistically comparing past decades of ministry as “better” (wake-up call: they were hard too!). Just feeling wistful over nearly everything! Feeling like the best of times are gone for good. But that is not true. Those are feelings, and attributing actual fact to them is a lie. When I cherish these feelings in my heart, I am no longer hoping in God.

To “put my hope in God” involves repenting of my false treasures of long days or past ministry experiences. Instead I trust God to keep doing the new thing even in what feels like shorter days… He commands His grace now. His song is with me now. (Psalm 42:8). And talking to my soul, I choose to trust God. And the earth will turn by His command… the coming winter will be spring soon enough. God… not time… not my feelings… not my wants… is my salvation.

unrestrained mercy; faithful grace

As for you, O LORD, you will not restrain

your mercy from me;

your steadfast love and your faithfulness will

ever preserve me!

Psalm 40:11

King David was not tenuous in his bold trust in the saving grace of God. His confidence came from a firm faith in God’s deliverance of His people (Psalm 40:9). As a result, David was an exuberant worshipper, telling God’s good news and celebrating God’s faithfulness in worship with the congregation gathered in corporate praise (Psalm 40:9-10). David penned this psalm with specific instruction for it to be given “to the choirmaster”. His desire was for all of Israel to praise God’s saving work as enthusiastically as the king himself did.

God is worthy of our praise. David’s observations of God’s mercy, grace, and faithfulness are magnified by massive degrees of magnitude in Jesus Christ! We ought to feel overwhelmingly excited when we think about the gospel. Unrestrained mercy flows from the cross to sinners! His mercy saves all who will turn to Jesus from their sins, believe the gospel, and start following Jesus as Lord. Never again does sin condemn them to judgment. Instead mercy covers us! All of us! All parts of us! Amen! God is great in mercy.

Faithful grace also preserves us in Jesus. He who began our salvation is faithful to complete it! We can confidently praise the God Who sustains, keep, beautifies, and transforms our lives by His steadfast love and everlasting grace. God is great in grace.

Brevity: reflections on the 39th Psalm

Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths,

and my lifetime is as nothing before you.

Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! Selah

Psalm 39:5

What is the measure of my days?

It is fleeting.

…small enough to hold in my hands.

…nothing in comparison to You, Eternal One!

All human history is a short exhale and is gone.

What is the impact of my life?

This shadow of a man

only seen by Your light,

will one day simply fade

with only Your glory in sight,

…remembered no more.

What is the reason for my work?

…toiling in turmoil

…heaping up worldstuff

like mounds of sand.

But someone else will receive it at shadow’s fade.

What now should I wait for from my God?

…deliverance from transgression

…silence from the enemies He has shut up

…answered prayer from a God Who hears

I am a sojourner, a guest on this planet, in brevity, destined for eternity.

all our longing; all our sighing

O Lord, all my longing is before you;

my sighing is not hidden from you.

Psalm 38:9

Psalm 38 is a song of lament. It isn’t a sappy, happy-clappy, feel good poem fit for an inspirational poster. It is a psalm confessing sin, acknowledging that current troubles are directly related to past disobedience, and a song of soul sorrow recognizing God is both our Judge when we sin as well as the Deliverer of our souls in salvation. It would not be the kind of song to be repeated in catchy phrases in the fog-machined, mood-lit gatherings of pop culture influenced mega-Christianity. It’s all really a bit too depressing for today’s consumer Christian.

Bible scholars label this song as “penitential”. It means David is acknowledging his suffering is his own damned fault. Literally. He has offered his offering to God as the Law requires (the title suggests “for the memorial offering”), but he still feels the weight of his offense and the pains of his suffering. He vows before God to simply do one thing in his brokenness: “for you, O LORD, do I wait” (Psalm 38:15).

Meanwhile, the following effects of sin weigh on David’s heart and he pours them to God in prayer:

• His conscience knows God has punished him for sin. God’s arrows wound him and God’s hand presses down hard on him (Psalm 38:2).
• His soul feels so sorrowful over these things that his body is physically sick (Psalm 38:3-5, 7, 10).
• He is emotionally crushed and mourning over the foolishness of his sin (Psalm 38:5-8).
• Friends stand aloof and enemies gleefully plot to see David’s demise as he is in this condition (Psalm 39:11-12. 19-20).
• David’s most common response is simply silence in his brokenness (Psalm 38:13-14).

Sometimes the enormity of our sin will hit us as overwhelmingly as it did David. It should. It is the right response in that season to pour out the pain, the regret, the confession, and the sorrow to God. It may be the best thing a truly penitent person can do… to mourn over sin and eventually find comfort in Jesus. For Jesus does not forsake us (Psalm 38:21 contrasted with Matthew 28:20). Jesus is the Lord of salvation (Psalm 38:22 contrasted with Hebrews 2:10) who has suffered for our sin more deeply than we ever will!

Jesus knew.

From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.

Matthew 16:21

Jesus knew His mission. He was laser-focused on His work of redemption. He knew His ministry would culminate in His arrest, trial, crucifixion, and resurrection. And He openly prepared His disciples for that reality. And they got that message. Peter was so upset about it at first that he confronted Jesus over it, vowing that his Lord should never suffer such a fate. And Jesus rebuked him. The very notion of Jesus having some ministry that did not come into fruition with dying for sin was absolutely Satanic in its origin (see Matthew 16:22-23). No doubt about it… Jesus knew His mission.

So what should a disciple’s response be to a Master committed to die for the sins of the world? According to Jesus Himself, we follow Him carrying a cross as well (Matthew 16:24). He dies… we die. Just as Jesus was willing to give His life for the world, so we must be willing to lose our lives for His sake in order to find true eternal life. Discipleship is entered into in order to exchange my life and gain my soul… devoted to Jesus for eternity (Matthew 16:25-26). Jesus knew His followers would have to make a serious commitment.

In this light, the Christian life is all about Jesus… Who He is… what He has done… and what He will do when He comes again in His kingdom (Matthew 15:27-28). Jesus knew this. Jesus taught this. Jesus expected His followers to believe and to seriously commit to nothing less than a gospel of His sacrifice and resurrection, entrusting all their hope, all their lives, and their eternity in commitment to this soul-saving, gracious, glorious truth.

be unhurried and unworried

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;

fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,

over the man who carries out evil devices!

Psalm 37:7

This verse helps us have a faith filled and faithful perspective when we feel tensions that may cause us to doubt God is at work in the world. We are called into worshipful contemplation of God with the command to “be still before the Lord”. We are called into unhurried confidence in God with the call to “wait patiently for him.” Both are not easy when the observations of the world around us make it look like people sinfully succeed without God.

If we let our souls get hurriedly drawn into this world and drift from our worship we will worry. It seems the options are clear here: we can rest in faith or we can be restless and fret. And two situations that we observe can pull us quickly into hurry and worry.

The first observation is seeing the temporary, apparent prosperity of the wicked. The wealthiest sinners among us tend to demonstrate the worst traits and it seems unfair for them to enjoy what looks like “the good life” while living such a bad one! But that is a very limited perspective. In fact, many of the wealthiest, the famous, the celebrities, or the powerful in terms of earthly prestige are woefully unhappy. They find worship of success to be disappointing.

The second observation comes from experiencing the evil actions of others. It was true in David’s day that sin led to abundant wrong in the world. It is equally true today, whether it is criminal activity, or just the cruelty which which people selfishly treat one another, people carry out evil actions. And if we only focus on all the compounded badness, we will lose the peace of being still before God and the joyful reward of faithfully trusting Him.

Lord,

Although sinful people appear to prosper, I know better. My soul only prospers in You! And although sin is still all over my culture and I expect to see it there, I will not worry. Jesus is still saving souls from it, and He is the Righteous Judge!

Amen

facets of His favor

Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens,

your faithfulness to the clouds.

Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;

your judgments are like the great deep;

man and beast you save, O LORD.

Psalm 36:5-6

These two verses of heartfelt worship call us to praise God for five facets of His favor shown to us.

1) God’s steadfast love (grace) is vast. In the poetry of this psalm it rises up into the atmosphere to transcend the stars. It’s like saying that the grace of God fills this universe. And so it indeed does. Grace is found everywhere when we repent and turn to God. There isn’t a sinner that can’t find it in Christ! It leads us to the joy of sins forgiven and worship from grateful hearts.

2) God’s faithfulness is our atmosphere. We live and breathe and enjoy all of life because God is faithful to us. And we can see it everywhere under the blue skies He gives. And even clouds show His faithful provision as His rains water and bring growth. God is always faithful to His children. Breathe it in! And speak it out again in praise!

3) God’s righteousness and holiness are firm mountains of truth. They will not crumble. They can be mined infinitely for the vast treasures of His wisdom. They shelter us. They tower over us. They invite us to hike on up and enjoy the view! They invigorate us with the climb as we live in and under His righteousness and worship Him in His holiness.

4) God’s judgments are deep. From the soaring summits of God’s righteousness, to the ocean depths of His judgment, to know God is to know a life of superlatives. We would judge sin superficially, given our own bent toward sinning. But not so with the all wise, all holy, all powerful God! His decrees, demands, and determinations are perfect, final, and complete. His judgment is without flaw, final, and without appeal.

5) God’s salvation is wonderful. He chooses to deliver those He calls into worshipful relationship with Him. And when God saves, it is also perfect and complete. The God Who is gracious, righteous, faithful, holy, and judging is also a God Who offers His salvation to His creation. In Jesus I experience the wonder of that great salvation daily! How great is our God!

praying under fire

Let those who delight in my righteousness

shout for joy and be glad

and say evermore,

“Great is the LORD,

who delights in the welfare of his servant!”

Psalm 35:27

Sometimes those who do right are not appreciated for their obedience to the Lord, but quite the opposite, they are hated for it. David’s appeals to God in this psalm are a language of prayer to be used to help the righteous endure when the wicked attack them for being faithful. So here are some prayer observations from this psalm to help those enduring such persecution:

• Appeal to God to be the One Who acts on your behalf. David asks God to content and fight for him (Psalm 35:1). He asks God to use both defensive and offensive means to protect him (Psalm 35:2-3). He trusts that God knows and has seen and then calls God to vindicate him in his situation (Psalm 35:22-25).
• Trust that God’s honor defends the honorable. Dishonor will befall all those who do evil (Psalm 35:4-6). Their own plans to destroy the righteous will defeat them. God has a record of judgment through plans of the wicked backfiring (Psalm 35:7-8)!
• God defends the powerless! This should lead to rejoicing for the righteous when they are attacked, knowing no situation is too big for God (Psalm 35:9-10).
• Don’t hold anything back in pouring out the situation and how you feel about it to God. He hears our prayers. Articulating our need in detail helps us trust God with the details (Psalm 35:11-16), and it is a way to prevent our souls from turning bitter as we acknowledge even our most difficult feelings to the Lord Who will do something about it all.
• God can handle the hard questions of the afflicted. Turn them to God, so that your heart is not against God (Psalm 35:17-21).
• Trust the ending that God has already revealed in His Word: The wicked are ultimately put to shame. The righteous rejoice together with God forever (Psalm 35:26-28).

truly You are

And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Matthew 14:32-33

I was bound by sin

to eternal ruin

unable to save myself

and my Hero suffered

punishing pain… rose again

truly You are my Savior

I am not left alone

for You came into

a world needing God

and Emmanuel… God with us

You presence here… always near

truly You are my Jesus

I was confused by lies

the devil told them

this world has bought them

others believed them

you You are living Word… Truth is heard

truly You are the Truth

A world now dead

I inhabit

yet You raised me up

You gave me hope

and no longer dead with You as my head

truly You are my Life

Power displayed in miracles

winds stilled and

waves now calm

I walk with You

Your hand assures… my Lord I adore

truly You are the Son of God

the wrong solution

Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.”

Matthew 14:15-16

In the face of a logistical and financial challenge, the disciples thought they had an acceptable solution. Thousands of men, women, and children had spontaneously assembled on the lakeshore where Jesus taught them and He compassionately healed the sick they brought to Him. Now, at the day’s end, the disciples realized feeding this crowd was an impossibility. They call on Jesus to make what seems a sensible announcement: “We’re sorry. Shop’s closed. Time to head back to your villages and buy some dinner for yourselves.” 

But Jesus would not accept their less than hospitable plan. He challenged them: “you give them something to eat.” Their answer to Jesus was meant to bolster the rationale for their modest proposal to dismiss the crowd: “we have only five loaves and two fish.” And we know from the other gospel accounts that the disciples only had that meager amount because they scrounged it up from a young man who volunteered to share his lunch. Jesus proceeds with His solution.

Jesus orders those meager provisions to be brought to Him. He asks the crowds to kindly take a seat on the ground. He prays an evening meal blessing and breaks the bread. And in His hands as the bread is broken, thousands were fed… with twelve baskets full of leftovers retrieved at the end of the meal.

I learn from the disciples not to be so quick with dismissive “solutions”. God loves to make His power known in improbably complex situations. Case in point in current ministry context: This pandemic and accompanying culture of bickering has been the most immensely difficult season of ministry I have seen. There has been so much heartbreaking loss of life from this viral disease… and so much heartbreaking disunity among Christians. There have been so many proposed political solutions, so much needless arguing over issues that seem to me to downplay spiritual needs, and so little appeal to God in many of the discussions upset Christians are having. Yet at the same time, I’ve seen in my ministry context, some of the most amazing conversion growth… something my church leaders and ministry partners have prayed for and sought for years! Imagine that… a death-bringing pandemic forcing people to consider the gospel. Given what is going on in society, the provisions for this growth seem meager. But Jesus is multiplying His Church for His glory! I’ll trust and follow His plan over man’s plan every time!

God provides the way.

Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.”

Exodus 24:7

God provides the way for people to be in relationship with Him. As Israel entered into covenant with God, the Lord gave a special “audience” to the leaders of the nation. There at Sinai, Moses gave the people all the words and rules of the Law of God, and they agreed to obey (Exodus 24:3). An altar was built at the foot of the mountain and offerings were given in worship of the Lord.

Then for a second time Moses read all of the Book of the Covenant to the assembled nation. For a second time they affirmed their willingness to obey and worship the Lord by committing to the terms and means God had provided. Moses then flung the blood of the sacrifices out in a spatter upon the crowd, as the blood of the sacrifices now bound them to their words (Exodus 24:8).

Moses and the leaders of Israel (at least 74 of them) then journeyed further up the mountain where God showed Himself in splendor to all of them. A pavement of sky blue sapphire-like stone lay under the feet of the Lord. “They beheld God and ate and drank” (Exodus 24:11). This meal with the Almighty showed His acceptance of Israel’s commitment to follow and obey Him and His Law.

Then God called Moses to the very top of Sinai, where a devouring fire marked the place of the glory of God, and where enshrouded in a cloud of glory, Moses was in communion with God for forty days and nights (Exodus 24:18). There the tablets of stone, written by the finger of God, were given to Moses and Joshua… the final sign that this covenant with Israel, the glorious work of God to enter into relationship with His chosen people, was accepted.

God did all the powerful work to covenant with Israel in Exodus. There on the high ground of Sinai, God came to earth to love His creation. And later, on a hill called Calvary, God did all the glorious work to bring through Jesus a new covenant, in Jesus’ own blood to the world. God’s glory on the mountain of Sinai foreshadowed the glorious freedom of a cross at Calvary and that covenant echoes forever in an empty tomb that has defeated death and hell and set us free! Thank God that He does the work and provides the way!

experiencing grace

I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love,

because you have seen my affliction;

you have known the distress of my soul,

and you have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy;

you have set my feet in a broad place.

Psalm 31:7-8

David’s praise is rooted in an appreciative experience of the grace (the steadfast love) of God. That grace was known in at least four confirming moments as David reflects on God’s care. And those four moments are also known for Christians in the work of Jesus.

• God sees our affliction. He knows when, where, and why we are hurting and He remedies it in grace. Jesus had compassion on us, while we were yet sinners, to die for us and deliver us from our affliction.
• God knows our deep, personal distress. David described it as “distress of the soul”. And the fact that God KNOWS we hurt deeply, both when we are sinned against and when we sin, should provide comfort to us. Our pain is never suffered solo. Jesus, as the Man of Sorrows, is also acquainted with grief that comes from living in a broken world. He suffered as well. He suffered well (something we rarely do). He knows our soul’s distress.
• God keeps our enemies at bay. David was not delivered over to those who sought his demise. And in Jesus, death and hell, and all of Satan’s strategies to destroy, are completely and competently defeated! We are led in a victory procession in Jesus’ salvation of our souls, with Christ, our conquering hero at the head of the parade! Our ultimate enemy is humiliated forever.
• God gives new freedom. David saw himself living in a broad, free, wide-open space of grace through the work of the God Who delivered him. And how much more freedom we now have in Jesus! If the Son sets us free, we are free indeed! …free to roam through golden fields of grace from horizon to horizon! …free to live beyond the confining restrictions of our narrow, sin-restricted, hell-locked former lives! …free to live now with an eternal periphery everywhere we look!

the good soil

As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.

Matthew 13:23

In the parable of the sower, Jesus anticipates various responses to Him and to the gospel. And the parable proves true. The ultimate desire of those who proclaim the gospel is for it to be received in “good soil”. Jesus describes three characteristics of those who respond to the good news in good soil.

1. They are attentive to what they hear. This is in contrast to those who do not understand the gospel because Satan has blinded their eyes. Others fail to be attentive because even though they initially realize the truths of the gospel, when difficulty comes, it proves they only wanted an easy religion. Still others try to mix the gospel with worldly pursuits, not quite repenting completely, but are quickly drawn into the deceitful appeal of materialism once again. But those who receive the gospel in good soil truly hear it, repent of sin, trust Christ, and seek to follow Him. They hear and they do.

2. They understand the gospel. These people realize the immense worth of salvation. They see the breadth of God’s saving work. They acknowledge Jesus as King and marvel at the glories of His kingdom. They understand the saving work of God in Jesus Christ. The bow to their King and Lord. They strive to live solely under His rulership.

3. They bear fruit. Not every believer in Jesus produces the same outcomes, but when Jesus transforms a sinner, the new saint does evidence that redeeming transformation. The kingdom focus of the new believer yield a new direction, a new love for the things of God, and a new goal to please the Master. And that growth yields fruit. Others see the change. The kingdom advances in the good soil.

I hear the voice of God.

The voice of the LORD is powerful;

the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.

Psalm 29:4

I know for certain that God speaks directly to me. I am confident it is His voice I hear. It isn’t audible or spooky or strangely mystical. God speaks with majesty and authority and I am as sure of His thoughts as if I had a conversation with a loved one face to face. And what is this “secret” to hearing God’s wonderful voice? I simply open my Bible and read. Period. God’s majestic and powerful voice rings out from its pages directly to my heart. It is a supernatural experience known in a very natural way.

Most days God’s voice speaks to me in the still of the pre-dawn. Not because that is a magical time, but it is because that is the best time for me to be fully alert and ready to hear Him. Bible open, heart centered prayerfully asking to hear from Him, and usually at the kitchen table with a cup of freshly brewed coffee, I listen to what God is saying as I read and think through the Bible. I pray for His Holy Spirit to press His truth into my life. I write out notes on what He is telling me in a journal so I can read more, reflect carefully, and find ways to carry God’s powerful voice through my days. Yes… God speaks to me. And He will speak loudly, clearly, personally, majestically, and powerfully to any person who will simply discipline themself to open His Word, read it naturally and prayerfully, and commit to believe and follow what He says there.

Thank You, Lord, for the priceless gift of Your Word! I hear Your voice in the pages. I know with confidence that You speak to me, love me, desire me to live holy and become more like Jesus, and will keep me with You forever! Your words are life. Your voice is powerful. Your voice is majestic! I worship You as You speak with me.

Amen

Control Center: centrality of the heart

You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

Matthew 12:34

We do what we do because we want what we want, and we want what we want because of what is in our hearts. Outward actions do not show themselves from a vacuum. They flow from the heart… from the inner person to the outer life… from the seat of the mind, will, and emotions will rise up all the activities of every day of our lives. We speak our words from that center. We relate to people from the heart. We do our actions motivated by what we commit to internally and are driven by what we desire from within.

Jesus clearly taught this on multiple occasions. It was a root teaching for the citizens of His kingdom in the Sermon on the Mount, emphasizing heart change over outward conformity to the law. And in this passage, Jesus talks about the centrality of the heart as a way to explain why some people opposed Him. For humans, the heart is the control center. And it is born with a serious sin defect in each one of us that keeps us from easily adopting holy motivations. Jesus must change the heart for us to be better.

Heart struggles with sin will inevitably lead me in wrong ways even today. Sinful expectations of personal pleasure, or desires for selfish motivations, or just plain lazy selfish motivations will all raise up in my heart. And out of these unfortunately all too abundant wrong motivations I may speak, or do, something quite wrong. It is why I need regular prayer, regular confession of sin to God and to other believers, and the work of the Holy Spirit to most importantly renew my thinking and change my perspective in the Word of God!

Jesus,

You see and know this heart. You redeemed it. You will change me as I forsake what is dark and twisted for the bright and straight way of Your Word! Change my heart, O Savior!

Amen

love where God lives

O LORD, I love the habitation of your house

and the place where your glory dwells.

Psalm 26:8

David’s worship of God was so personable that the tabernacle of God was where he felt most at home. His soul was secure, and his life was fully sheltered in the worship of the Lord. He longed to be celebrating the glory of His God. He lived to be living where God lives.

In the Old Testament, both in the tent of meeting, and later in the temple at Zion, God’s presence dwelt visibly and fearfully in the Most Holy Place. This part of the worship space was so sacred that only the High Priest could enter this chamber, and then only once per year on the Day of Atonement when a special sacrifice was offered before the Lord to atone for the entire nation of Israel.

Yet even with all the reverence and mystery around the Most Holy Place, every other part of God’s worship was accessible, and David delighted in the God Who dwelt in Israel, even as He kept His holy presence deeply shrouded in the Most Holy Place. God is both holy and approachable. He is revered and feared, trusted and accessible, and in a nod to C.S. Lewis, both dangerous and good.

Lord God,

Help me to love Your presence as dearly as King David does! No veil hides Your Presence now, as Your Holy Spirit indwells my own life. Believers are each a temple in which Your Spirit now lives. So I may approach You even now, in reverence, awe, and love for the fact that because Jesus is “God with us”, I can live where You live, and You live in me! I am astonished that I would be Your temple too! May I live in worship, glory in Your glory, and honor the sacred Presence of You today!

Amen

Always love, always mercy, always grace

Remember your mercy, O LORD, and your steadfast love,

for they have been from of old.

Psalm 25:6

I read the stories

     from Your book

about the lives

     that Your love took

from sin’s dominion

     and in mercy saved

You were their God

     gracious from cradle to grave

And today, I recognize

     sinner though I may be

in Christ I see my hope

     and cling to Your mercy

so from sin set me free

     I want to serve You

would you help me follow

     so others can know You too?

Following Jesus, led from above 

     I turn from my sin

and seek to know Your steadfast love

     Your Holy Spirit now within

there is more joy than I ever knew

     I am enjoying Your gift of grace

looking to my past, from old I see it

     looking ahead, I will see Your face

Stories written in the Bible

     of mercy, grace, and love

point me to the experience

     of knowing my God Who guides above

and a Savior so dear to me

     showers me with amazing grace

while His Spirit lives inside me

     guarding my soul, until I see His face