Month: May 2022

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The heavens and creation are God’s voice

The creation tells us about God

Psalm 19-20 “God in all of His Glory!”

In reflecting on this psalm, Dr. Henry Morris wrote: “The 19th psalm is one of the most magnificent writings in the Bible and indeed in all literature.” As we stop, ponder, and then meditate on the beauty of the world around us, we are without words to exclaim this marvelous beauty. We see the grandeur of the mountains, the raging rivers, the expanse of the plains and the desert, and we stand in awe. Just think, we have the privilege to live and move and exist here for one reason: His glory. [Acts 17:28]

God is sovereign, and He is revealed in the glorious expanse of the heavens. Thus the words of Paul resonate with our spirits: “For since the creation of the world his invisible attributes – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, because they are understood through what has been made.” [Rom 1:20] God has revealed himself that we may bow our knee in humble adoration and praise him for who he is and for his glorious majesty and we surrender all of ourselves to Him.

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How Good a Detective are you?

The Good Samaritan exhibited mercy

Ps 18:25 Detectives gather evidence by searching for clues.  The student of the Word is to do the same.  Jesus drew from the psalms to teach his disciples the principle that how men treat others is how God will treat them.  For example, the Psalmist reveals a clue about God’s mercy: Ps 18:25 ESV With the merciful you show yourself merciful; with the blameless man you show yourself blameless.  In Jesus’ often quoted Sermon on the Mount, he quoted this principle as part of the Beatitudes of Matthew 5:7 “Blessed are the merciful for they will receive mercy.”

Merciful is being compassionate, and mercy is helping the afflicted. In Luke 10:29-36 is an example of how this principle was lived out in living color. An injured man in need of compassion was left without help. It was not the priest or the Levite who passed by, but a “hated” Samaritan who came and offered help. Jesus used this to teach the principle of how we respond is how God will respond to us.

Where has God shown His compassion to you, and where are you demonstrating mercy to the afflicted? 

Remember: God treats us in the same way we treat others.

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Open the eyes of my heart Lord…

open the eyes of my heart Lord

Ps 13 to 15 “Through God’s Eyes”

Wouldn’t it be marvelous if we could see with God’s eyes? Instead, God says, trust me, for I see not as man sees. King David reflected on his world around him and viewed with a renewed vision exactly what God saw. He saw men like blameless Job who probably wondered ‘how long.’ In sharp contrast, he saw men who were fools because although the creation screams God’s power and majesty, they refuse to bow the knee to Him.

The psalmist understood this: God was faithful in the past and will be faithful in the future; therefore, trust Him. He also understood this about men: they are fools! They ignore the evidence before them. Yet, those who have chosen His way can say with assurance: He is our shelter. He ends this by saying, O God, I see it now! I know that I will enter your presence one day because I have chosen Your way, Your standards, Your path.

Beloved, are you asking God for help to see with His eyes? He will reveal to you Himself. He says seek me early and I will be found. [Prov 8:17] He also promises that even those not seeking Him, He will be found for He will reveal Himself to them. [Rom 10:20]

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God sees all, hears all…

God hears all, sees all

Psalm 9-12 Two Voices

The psalmist writes about the two voices; the voice of the wicked vs. the voice of the righteous. Listen in carefully: The righteous tell about all of God’s wondrous deeds while the wicked boasts because he gets what he wants, robbing and cursing. Today it seems that this is more true than ever! Today the media and news seem to concentrate on the wicked while those who praise and extol the virtues of God are defamed.

Today if you belong to the righteous, do not give up but continue to praise Him, for He alone is God of all. The righteous know this: God is in his holy temple, and nothing is hidden from his sight. Heb 4:13 “And no creature is hidden from God, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account.” God will have the last word one day.

Which voice is yours today?

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Chosen from Eternity Past for Eternity Future 

from eternity to eternity

Psalm 5-8 The psalmist is much like us: who are we that God would care so much for us? It is one of those questions that we struggle with off and on. God cares because we are His chosen from the foundation of the world. [Eph 1:4] He not only chose us, but He predestined us to be chosen that He might lavish His love upon us. He sent His Son to redeem us and the Holy Spirit to seal us. It is humbling to consider the works of His hand, His purpose, and his plan to redeem us from the enemy’s clutches. We heard the gospel of your salvation, and we chose Him. We no longer wonder why He would care so much for us as we also understand that part of that plan was to clothe us with honor and majesty. [Ps 8:5]

This is a humbling thought and one for which we need to praise Him because He chose us, redeemed us, and adopted us into His kingdom. 

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Open the eyes of my heart, Lord

Open the eyes of my heart Lord

The rest of that praise song is what Job was singing; I want to see you high and lifted up shining in all of y our glory…

Job 41-42; Psalm 1

Psalm 1: The one who is blessed is the one who does not follow the advice of the wicked.  Job is an example because no matter how often his three friends counseled him to reject his righteousness and admit that he was a sinner, he did not capitulate to their demands.  He stood firm.   After 41 chapters, we find God telling those same friends that they were neither Job’s friends nor His!  God told them that what they had spoken about God was not right, but Job had, and that is why he is the blessed man of Psalm 1.

We can sit all day and ask the “why’s,” but God is looking and listening to see our hearts.  His desire is one thing: we recognize Him as the Almighty omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent God of the universe.  No plan is beyond his purpose, his understanding.  He desires that we come to the point that we see ourselves as Isaiah a contaminated sinful person in need of cleansing.[Is 6]  That first step is repentance before a holy God.  Then we become holy people who can stand in His presence and see Him face to face.

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The God of Creation!

God is creator, sustainer and more

Job 38-40 Twice in these chapters, God says to Job: prepare yourself as a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me. Then God reviews the history of His creation day by day, beginning with the earth was without form, and from that point on, God reveals to Job what He has done. Thus as Romans 1:20 says, “men are without excuse” for creation reveals His eternal attributes.

Today we hear over and over there is no God. Yet here God reveals Himself, and we stand guilty when we echo those words of our arch-enemy, Satan. Yes, there is a God and let me tell you about Him using Genesis 1 where “God saw all that he had made—and it was very good!” It was good because God is good, just as Jesus said: “no one is good except God.” [Mark 10:18]

Today may we honor God and share God with those who need to hear the words from His Word. He is the Word, and He was with the Word at creation, for He is better than the angels, better than Moses, better than anything we could use to compare. [see the book of Hebrews]

Praise His holy Name! He is Creator; He is sustainer. He is the Lord God Almighty.

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Truths and Half-Truths

Yes seek God early

Job 35-37 Dear, dear Elihu, you know much, but you know so little. Both are true; he knows much about God and reminds Job and us to magnify the Lord. So far, so good. However, he tarnishes what he knows with words that show his weakness in truth. “I still have words to speak on God’s behalf.” OUCH! Is this how we speak? Is this what we say? “With my knowledge I will speak comprehensively,” Another OUCH! This again sounds rather like the Pharisee of Luke 18 again! As to truths and half-truths: the Almighty–we cannot find Him; He is exalted in power. Clearly, Isaiah corrects that thinking: seek the Lord while he may be found, call to Him while He is nearby. [Is 55:6] Yet, Elihu has not had Isaiah to read and correct his thinking, yet if he is all-knowing as he surmises, he should have known that.

How often do I/we presume to speak for God? Elihu is a reminder to not assume where we have no firsthand knowledge.

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Choosing Words Carefully…

Choose words carefully

Job 32-34 and Luke 18 Self-Righteous Hypocrisy

For the first time, we hear from the young man Elihu. In reading this, one NT story comes to mind: the story of the self-righteous Pharisee and the humble Publican in Luke 18:9-14. It is amazing how the OT and the NT mirror each other. Enter Elihu, who has sat on the sidelines biding his time to speak, and he ‘humbly’ says I waited until you all had had your turn and Job as well. First, Elihu is angry because they could not find an answer, yet declared Job guilty. Then he becomes very angry! Elihu speaks for several chapters about how unrighteous Job is and how righteous he is. It sounds like the prayer of the Pharisee in Luke 18:11: I am so glad I am not like that other man, I do this, and I do that; indeed God is pleased. However, God said that it was not he, but the publican that went home justified.

Such hypocrisy! Do we become angry at one another? Are we much like the Pharisee? And so it goes. The lesson for us is this: we are not in the place of God; who are we to declare someone guilty before God? In this, we act like the Pharisee and not the Publican. Today, may we choose our words carefully for one day we will be held accountable for every word spoken! [Matt 12:36]

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The Past is the Past

The past is the past

Job 28-30 That was then; this is now

Job continues his soliloquy, and now he remembers what life was like when all was well. How often do men return to the past and resonate with memories of how well life was like “then.” But, now Job continues to try to understand the why of all of this. Why has God allowed all of this? In some ways, he is like Hezekiah as he lay on his sickbed telling God how he had been faithful. Job and Hezekiah are alike in that they both seek wisdom for what has befallen them. Hezekiah never tells us if he understands, but Job says this about wisdom. “The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.'” [Job 28:28]

That was then: when all was well, but now, life is burdensome, and Job finds little peace in this. He reminds God that he is ready to meet the grave. As I read that, I thought of my parent and wondered was that on her mind? Will that be me when I am nearing death? What will be my thoughts?

That was then; this is now. Capture that and run with it. Enjoy the now for tomorrow, for who knows what will be our path.

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