Tag: Psalm 1

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Sin and Holiness cannot co-exist!

Numbers 33 God desires a holy people. As Israel’s people near the end of their wilderness wandering, Moses takes them aside to remind them to purge the land of the idolaters and their idols. “Destroy all their carved images, all their molten images, and demolish their high places.”[Num 33:52]Then God gave them a warning: “But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land before you, then those whom you allow to remain will be irritants in your eyes and thorns in your side, and will cause you trouble in the land where you will be living.” Further: if you do not do what I intended to do to them, I will do it to you. [Num 33:55,56]

Yes, when we do not purge the idols in our lives, they become irritants, a constant reminder of our unwillingness to get rid of sin. Paul reminded the Ephesians to imitate God, not the other way around. We must be holy people because God is holy. Psalm 1 reminds us of how to test ourselves. Do we walk in the ways of the ungodly? Do we stand in the way of sinners? Do we sit in the seat of the scoffers? Practically, what does that mean? We must choose our associations, the places we visit, and our companions.

What choices are before us today?

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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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There is a fountain….

ezek 47 deep and wide.2a

Ezekiel 47 “Deep and Wide”

As a young child in Sunday School, we were taught a little song complete with hand motions simply titled “Deep and Wide.”  It begins: Deep and Wide; Deep and Wide; there is a fountain flowing deep and wide. It is a picture of the believer’s faith.

Ezekiel saw a trickling stream flowing from under the new Temple’s threshold. It began as a trickle and then it grew until it was a mighty river. It was a river with healing powers and provided nourishment for the trees along its bank. Truly it was a fountain flowing deep and wide and along the river bank were trees with healing powers! In Psalm 1 the author likens a man to a tree planted by a flowing stream. Because of its healing power, the tree is able to produce fruit and healing leaves much like the ones Ezekiel saw. The gospel message heals and adds to the present trickling stream until it becomes a river; a river of men and women healed by its message.

When the Holy Spirit indwells us, our faith starts as a little trickle but then it expands and seeks to heal those waiting to hear the gospel message of healing. We can stop at the threshold of the Temple or we can let our love overflow and heal the “Dead Sea” filled with dead men with the gospel message.

Is your fountain deep and wide or still just a trickle?

 

 

 

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