From: Right Now:)
The other day as I was reading my Bible, the Lord pointed something out to me that I thought would be worth sharing.
In 2 Samuel Chapter 2 the writer records Hannah's prayer to God. I recognized a portion of this prayer to be the same as the verses 7-9 of Psalm 113. A couple weeks ago, we happened to hear a sermon on these verses, which is why I recognized it. The words of the verses in the Psalm are as follows:
Psalm 113:7-9 He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people. He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children. Praise the LORD! Compare that with 1 Samuel 2:1-10, if you like.
What struck me more than the actual words that were similar was the idea that this psalm very likely was Hannah's prayer that had been recorded and remembered in a psalm. I thought "Hannah had a psalm!" She wasn't really anybody of importance or one we would think of in connection with writing psalms, yet she poured out her heart from the fullness of what God had done and out came this psalm. Her words which were recorded for all time came from her wonderment of what God had done - for her. It was marvelous and it was personal and she wasn't trying to impress anyone in her correct analysis of the situation. She simply spoke what the Holy Spirit had welled up inside of her on seeing God do mighty works.
If Hannah had a psalm, doesn't everybody who knows God in Jesus have a psalm? I'm not talking about adding to God's Scripture. I'm talking about adding your voice to the many testimonies of God's great work and awesome character. What has God done for YOU? Don't count His faithfulness to you as a small thing but let others know of the mighty things He has done. What you have seen does not have to compare with the parting of the Red Sea.
People keep remaking the same hymns, and quoting the same old stories. They are wonderful testimonies of God's greatness and they should be shared, but, I wonder, are there any who have seen God for themselves? Where are their songs, their stories or paintings? Where is your song, your psalm?
Hannah said, as recorded in 1 Sam. 2 1, "My heart exults in the LORD; my strength is exalted in the LORD."
These words are helping me to see something important. Not only is there a connection with her exulting and her strength being exalted, but there is a connection between her exulting and my strength being exalted. Maybe that is why the Apostle Paul stresses "rejoice in the Lord". There is a reason this same apostle wrote about addressing one another with "psalms and hymns and spiritual songs". It is important.
Tuesday, July 31, 2018
Monday, July 16, 2018
Promising Commands
From February, 1998
I reflect on all that God expects from His own people. He commands us to love in truth, to be merciful and to worship in Spirit and truth and so much more - all of which He enables us to do in Christ. He has given us everything that we need to please Him. His Spirit in us creates the desire and will for us to obey God and delight in doing so.
It occurs to me that the commands of God are not directing us to muster up what we don't feel but rather to remind us of what He will do. By God's Spirit, because we are a new creation in Christ, we will do what He commands because the Holy Spirit, given by Jesus Christ cannot be disobedient to God.
God's words and commands should help us to grow in faith, knowing that we will accomplish all He has set for us providing we follow our guide, the Spirit of God in Christ. We need not read God's commands with guilt at what we have not done, but with joy at what the Spirit is working and will work in us.
I reflect on all that God expects from His own people. He commands us to love in truth, to be merciful and to worship in Spirit and truth and so much more - all of which He enables us to do in Christ. He has given us everything that we need to please Him. His Spirit in us creates the desire and will for us to obey God and delight in doing so.
It occurs to me that the commands of God are not directing us to muster up what we don't feel but rather to remind us of what He will do. By God's Spirit, because we are a new creation in Christ, we will do what He commands because the Holy Spirit, given by Jesus Christ cannot be disobedient to God.
God's words and commands should help us to grow in faith, knowing that we will accomplish all He has set for us providing we follow our guide, the Spirit of God in Christ. We need not read God's commands with guilt at what we have not done, but with joy at what the Spirit is working and will work in us.
Real Life, Real Family
From February, 1998
God Himself raises His children. Christ gives us the Holy Spirit, who is God - not a nanny. The Spirit teaches us all things.
When the full number of God's children are brought into the Kingdom, we will be a real family; God's family. What will it be like when God brings us home; when Christ comes for those he has purchased?
The true delight in something purchased is realized after it is brought home. What we think of as our end is the beginning of the fullness of life with God as He intended it to be from the beginning. The table has been set, the rolls are in the oven. We all wait for the Almighty to ring the dinner bell. I wonder what life will be like. I think it will be more exciting and active and challenging (in terms of fathoming all of God) than I can imagine.
Christ and His bride wait eagerly to be settled in their home. My heart rejoices!
Thank You, Jesus, for me real life. I trust, Holy Spirit, that you will take me home.
God Himself raises His children. Christ gives us the Holy Spirit, who is God - not a nanny. The Spirit teaches us all things.
When the full number of God's children are brought into the Kingdom, we will be a real family; God's family. What will it be like when God brings us home; when Christ comes for those he has purchased?
The true delight in something purchased is realized after it is brought home. What we think of as our end is the beginning of the fullness of life with God as He intended it to be from the beginning. The table has been set, the rolls are in the oven. We all wait for the Almighty to ring the dinner bell. I wonder what life will be like. I think it will be more exciting and active and challenging (in terms of fathoming all of God) than I can imagine.
Christ and His bride wait eagerly to be settled in their home. My heart rejoices!
Thank You, Jesus, for me real life. I trust, Holy Spirit, that you will take me home.
Wednesday, July 11, 2018
God is pleased with God
From March, 1999
Only God can please God. I cannot add to the happiness of God. Anything that comes from me that is pleasing to God is from His Spirit in me. I think of God as a massive river - going on with or without us. In His mercy, He took pity on me and included me in the massive sweep. I am only a vessel and that only because of God's mercy. He overflows.
My flesh does not desire God or seek Him. On the contrary, it desires darkness. But God's Spirit is always drawn to Jesus Christ because God is only happy with God. Because of God's compassion in making a way for me to be included in the sweep of Himself, I will seek God through His Spirit in me. God's Spirit never fails; He is love and love never fails.
God has decided to include me and so is responsible to keep me according to His perfect will. Since God indwells me with His Spirit, it is impossible for me not to know God because His Spirit will always go to Jesus Christ. There is no other place for His Spirit to lead because God is only happy with God and His Spirit never fails. He is love and love never fails. The flesh may run from death and the enemy may try to separate me from God's Spirit, but God is more powerful and cannot be separated from Himself. The Holy Spirit will always go to Christ; the Spirit lives in me. The Spirit never fails. Amen.
Only God can please God. I cannot add to the happiness of God. Anything that comes from me that is pleasing to God is from His Spirit in me. I think of God as a massive river - going on with or without us. In His mercy, He took pity on me and included me in the massive sweep. I am only a vessel and that only because of God's mercy. He overflows.
My flesh does not desire God or seek Him. On the contrary, it desires darkness. But God's Spirit is always drawn to Jesus Christ because God is only happy with God. Because of God's compassion in making a way for me to be included in the sweep of Himself, I will seek God through His Spirit in me. God's Spirit never fails; He is love and love never fails.
God has decided to include me and so is responsible to keep me according to His perfect will. Since God indwells me with His Spirit, it is impossible for me not to know God because His Spirit will always go to Jesus Christ. There is no other place for His Spirit to lead because God is only happy with God and His Spirit never fails. He is love and love never fails. The flesh may run from death and the enemy may try to separate me from God's Spirit, but God is more powerful and cannot be separated from Himself. The Holy Spirit will always go to Christ; the Spirit lives in me. The Spirit never fails. Amen.
Fight Fear
From June 2018
Sometimes I am afraid of becoming what I hate - something lukewarm, false; a hypocrite. The Lord reminds me that in my natural self that is what I already am so I need not worry about it. In order for me to become something I hate, I must imagine that I am now something I could love. The painful truth to that is self love. Every wicked thing I see in others is in me also. I don't have to worry about being what I hate; I already am what I hate.
There have been times that I have been anxious about being able to become what God loves. The Lord reminds me that Jesus is already everything He loves so I need not be anxious about it. Jesus, You are my life. You are everything God loves and everything that I love. So if I have died and live in You, there is only You.
I can't get any worse. The old self is the worst, capable of every evil. But I have died to the old self. I can't get any better. All holiness and goodness is already achieved for me. There is no worst me or best me. There is no me, only Jesus. He has overcome the world. He has overcome all of the worst possibilities for me and has accomplished all the best possibilities for me.
Sometimes I am afraid of becoming what I hate - something lukewarm, false; a hypocrite. The Lord reminds me that in my natural self that is what I already am so I need not worry about it. In order for me to become something I hate, I must imagine that I am now something I could love. The painful truth to that is self love. Every wicked thing I see in others is in me also. I don't have to worry about being what I hate; I already am what I hate.
There have been times that I have been anxious about being able to become what God loves. The Lord reminds me that Jesus is already everything He loves so I need not be anxious about it. Jesus, You are my life. You are everything God loves and everything that I love. So if I have died and live in You, there is only You.
I can't get any worse. The old self is the worst, capable of every evil. But I have died to the old self. I can't get any better. All holiness and goodness is already achieved for me. There is no worst me or best me. There is no me, only Jesus. He has overcome the world. He has overcome all of the worst possibilities for me and has accomplished all the best possibilities for me.
Grace is Far Reaching
From August, 2017
Lord Jesus, Your treasure is your glory and your glory is your people.
1 Thess. 2:19-20 For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy.
The love of God in Christ Jesus is far reaching. It goes to places an through people that we never could have imagined it would. There have been times when I felt that all our work has been nothing but a drop in a bucket. But I see now that one drop commanded by the Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, is extremely powerful while a whole bucket by the hand of man is nothing.
Lord Jesus, Your treasure is your glory and your glory is your people.
1 Thess. 2:19-20 For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy.
The love of God in Christ Jesus is far reaching. It goes to places an through people that we never could have imagined it would. There have been times when I felt that all our work has been nothing but a drop in a bucket. But I see now that one drop commanded by the Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, is extremely powerful while a whole bucket by the hand of man is nothing.
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