Every time I read the Psalms of David I stand in awe of his flow of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord. He gives Him praise for who He is and thanksgiving for what He has done. As I go before the Lord to pray, it is my desire to give praise and thanksgiving to Him. It all sort of dries up in a hurry. I get a few things out and sit and think and then move on to the rest of my prayer which is full of petitions, petitions for others mostly, but full of petitions.
Then there are those times when we are invoked to give praise and thanksgiving to the Lord during times of worship or any gathering of God's people to pray. How often do we see that the room becomes quiet and all of a sudden our tongues are tied. When invoked for prayer requests we can go on and on. Those are very uncomfortable times for me because many times I find myself just as quiet as others.
James McDonald in his book "Lord, Change My Attitude (Before It's Too Late)" gives an exercise in his chapter on thanksgiving in which you take a little notebook and list five things you are thankful to the Lord for at the end of the day. He suggests doing it nightly. With excitement I bought a 4"x4" notebook to do this exercise. I used the first 5 pages and now confess this little notebook has turned into a place where I keep my passwords. Is praise and thanksgiving difficult for us because we are so full of ourselves and continue to look for what we can receive from Him?
This morning I read 1 Chronicles 16:7-36 where David gives a plethora of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord after the ark is placed in the Tabernacle. "Oh give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples!" If praise and thanksgiving does not always come easy for you, read these verses and give Him your own praise and thanksgiving. He ends with "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting! And all the people said, "Amen!"and praised the Lord."
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
Offering Willingly
When I was a little girl my grandmother would say, "What's yours is mine and what's mine is mine." I could never figure out what she meant and in my timidity I never asked.
In 1 Chronicles 29 we see David getting the people together to prepare to build the temple that would be built under Solomon's reign. David and the various leaders were collecting together all that would be needed for the building of the temple - gold, silver, bronze and iron. Here is the exciting part. It says three times they "offered willingly." How often do we struggle with giving what we believe is our tithe let alone giving above and beyond that? Yet these people gave willingly to build the temple which David says "is not for man but for the Lord."
The key to giving willingly was the fact that David and his people understood all they had to offer was really God's in the first place. In verses 10 through 18 David is praising God and says, "For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;" and then he says "For all things come from You, and of Your own we have given You." Verse 14 says, "But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to offer so willing as this? For all things come from You, and of Your own we have given You." In verse 18 David asks the Lord to "keep this forever in the intent of the thoughts of the heart of Your people, and fix their heart toward You." David wants them to remember forever that all we have belongs to Him. It is my prayer all of us would remember this truth.
I believe as we understand all we have is His we will be able to offer willingly. As the Lord brings opportunities in your life to give, remember you aren't giving things that belong to you but already belong to Him. It is very humbling in that when we do give, we cannot give ourselves credit for giving what is ours but give glory and praise to Him for giving what is His.
My grandmother had it right as I can hear the Lord saying "What's yours is mine and what's mine is mine." Let us praise and honor Him by offering willingly what He has given us.
In 1 Chronicles 29 we see David getting the people together to prepare to build the temple that would be built under Solomon's reign. David and the various leaders were collecting together all that would be needed for the building of the temple - gold, silver, bronze and iron. Here is the exciting part. It says three times they "offered willingly." How often do we struggle with giving what we believe is our tithe let alone giving above and beyond that? Yet these people gave willingly to build the temple which David says "is not for man but for the Lord."
The key to giving willingly was the fact that David and his people understood all they had to offer was really God's in the first place. In verses 10 through 18 David is praising God and says, "For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;" and then he says "For all things come from You, and of Your own we have given You." Verse 14 says, "But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to offer so willing as this? For all things come from You, and of Your own we have given You." In verse 18 David asks the Lord to "keep this forever in the intent of the thoughts of the heart of Your people, and fix their heart toward You." David wants them to remember forever that all we have belongs to Him. It is my prayer all of us would remember this truth.
I believe as we understand all we have is His we will be able to offer willingly. As the Lord brings opportunities in your life to give, remember you aren't giving things that belong to you but already belong to Him. It is very humbling in that when we do give, we cannot give ourselves credit for giving what is ours but give glory and praise to Him for giving what is His.
My grandmother had it right as I can hear the Lord saying "What's yours is mine and what's mine is mine." Let us praise and honor Him by offering willingly what He has given us.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Same Shirt Different Day
I saw a young man wearing a t-shirt that had this slogan on it. We know it was the cleaned up version of what is normally said. I know it was meant to be funny but as with all humor there is an underlying truth. This slogan indicates to me that this person has little hope of getting up in the morning and finding things to be better than the day before. Unfortunately, I know Christians who have this same attitude. They may not say it as crassly but they feel the same. Life is tough for them in some fashion and it just doesn't get any better and they don't think it will be any better tomorrow.
There have been times when I have awakened in the morning with these same thoughts. Reading Lamentations 3: 22-24 I can hear the Lord saying "why do you wake up with no hope? My compassions fail not and they are new every morning including this morning". You may be thinking "Yes, I know the Lord is compassionate to me and I know He is faithful but is He going to change this difficult situation I am in"? In this 3rd chapter of Lamentations we have the prophet Jeremiah telling us "For the Lord will not cast off forever, though He causes grief" (Lamentations 3:31).
God in His mercy and compassion for us does not let us stay in difficult situations with no hope. He may not change the situation. If He does it may not be the way we expect or would like but we can always believe that He will do what brings glory to Him and is best for us and our growing sanctification. Somehow we mistake God's mercy and compassion for indulgence. We think for Him to be compassionate and merciful He has to give us exactly what we want. Just as we do not always give our children those things they want because it may not be the best thing for them, the Lord does not always give us exactly what we want, but what He chooses to give to us will always be good for us.
It is because of the Lord's mercies this day can be different even if the change is in you. The t-shirt should say "Same Mercies Different Day".
There have been times when I have awakened in the morning with these same thoughts. Reading Lamentations 3: 22-24 I can hear the Lord saying "why do you wake up with no hope? My compassions fail not and they are new every morning including this morning". You may be thinking "Yes, I know the Lord is compassionate to me and I know He is faithful but is He going to change this difficult situation I am in"? In this 3rd chapter of Lamentations we have the prophet Jeremiah telling us "For the Lord will not cast off forever, though He causes grief" (Lamentations 3:31).
God in His mercy and compassion for us does not let us stay in difficult situations with no hope. He may not change the situation. If He does it may not be the way we expect or would like but we can always believe that He will do what brings glory to Him and is best for us and our growing sanctification. Somehow we mistake God's mercy and compassion for indulgence. We think for Him to be compassionate and merciful He has to give us exactly what we want. Just as we do not always give our children those things they want because it may not be the best thing for them, the Lord does not always give us exactly what we want, but what He chooses to give to us will always be good for us.
It is because of the Lord's mercies this day can be different even if the change is in you. The t-shirt should say "Same Mercies Different Day".
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
New Things
We all like to get new things - new home, new car, new furniture, new clothes etc. However, these things eventually become old. There is no way they will stay new no matter how well we take care of them. They will eventually grow old.
If you are in Christ, you are a new thing or as Paul says "new creation". "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17). I find such joy in this promise. I was 21 when I came to faith in Christ. I really was a picture of old things passing away and all things becoming new. I understood the "junk" that filled me and defined who I was. I came to understand that I am not filled with "junk" because I am a new creature in Christ. The old sin patterns that were so much a part of my life had been replaced by the newness I had in Christ. It felt so good to be brand new at 21 years old. You may have grown up always knowing the Lord but hopefully at some point you became aware of your sinfulness and newness in Christ.
The good news is that we continue to be brand new every day. Many times we don't feel that way, myself included. As the difficulties of life "ping" at us we don't feel like new creatures and many times do not behave like new creatures. God has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:18). Our trespasses have not been imputed to us but to Christ (2 Corinthians 5 19). He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21). We need to realize every single morning when we wake up we are new creatures in Christ. We continue to have forgiveness for our sin by confessing our sin to Him (1 John 1: 9).
Unlike the new furniture or car we will always and forever be new creatures in Christ. Say to yourself right now "I am in Christ, therefore I am a new creation."
If you are in Christ, you are a new thing or as Paul says "new creation". "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17). I find such joy in this promise. I was 21 when I came to faith in Christ. I really was a picture of old things passing away and all things becoming new. I understood the "junk" that filled me and defined who I was. I came to understand that I am not filled with "junk" because I am a new creature in Christ. The old sin patterns that were so much a part of my life had been replaced by the newness I had in Christ. It felt so good to be brand new at 21 years old. You may have grown up always knowing the Lord but hopefully at some point you became aware of your sinfulness and newness in Christ.
The good news is that we continue to be brand new every day. Many times we don't feel that way, myself included. As the difficulties of life "ping" at us we don't feel like new creatures and many times do not behave like new creatures. God has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:18). Our trespasses have not been imputed to us but to Christ (2 Corinthians 5 19). He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21). We need to realize every single morning when we wake up we are new creatures in Christ. We continue to have forgiveness for our sin by confessing our sin to Him (1 John 1: 9).
Unlike the new furniture or car we will always and forever be new creatures in Christ. Say to yourself right now "I am in Christ, therefore I am a new creation."
Monday, January 11, 2010
Go Practice His Righteousness!
Perhaps you have said or had said to you "Go practice your piano, flute, violin, etc. It is pretty safe to say that those who were coerced or forced to practice probably did not become professional. Those people we see in concerts who play instruments so well they receive standing ovations are those who have loved the instrument. They probably practiced for many, many hours. Practicing was not as much of a chore as it would be for those who are just doing it because they had been told to do so. They did so because they loved what they were doing.
John in his first epistle tells us we are to practice righteousness (1 John 3:10). However, his way of saying it is if we do not practice righteousness we are not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. In verse 6 John says "Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him." This does not mean we do not sin once we come to faith in Christ because in the first chapter of 1 John he says "if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us (1 John 1: 8)". Paul himself speaks of our wrestling with sin in Romans 7 and this is after coming to faith in Him. I believe what John is saying is that if we are abiding in Him we will not be practicing sin. Instead, we will be practicing righteousness knowing we have forgiveness in Christ even though we still sin.
Just as the musician who loves his instrument will spend more time practicing to be more proficient, the believer who practices righteousness out of love for the Lord will be more proficient with the wrestling of sin in his life. It is interesting that John also says if we do not love our brother we are not of God. Practicing righteousness and loving our brother is the test as to whether or not we are abiding in Him. Keeping His commandments is the key to pleasing Him. How do we keep His commandments? By hiding His word in our hearts that we may not sin against Him (Psalm 119: 11). God gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit to do in us what we cannot do ourselves but we have a responsibility to practice righteousness so that we can be pleasing to Him. Please read 1 John 3 and go practice His righteousness.
John in his first epistle tells us we are to practice righteousness (1 John 3:10). However, his way of saying it is if we do not practice righteousness we are not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. In verse 6 John says "Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him." This does not mean we do not sin once we come to faith in Christ because in the first chapter of 1 John he says "if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us (1 John 1: 8)". Paul himself speaks of our wrestling with sin in Romans 7 and this is after coming to faith in Him. I believe what John is saying is that if we are abiding in Him we will not be practicing sin. Instead, we will be practicing righteousness knowing we have forgiveness in Christ even though we still sin.
Just as the musician who loves his instrument will spend more time practicing to be more proficient, the believer who practices righteousness out of love for the Lord will be more proficient with the wrestling of sin in his life. It is interesting that John also says if we do not love our brother we are not of God. Practicing righteousness and loving our brother is the test as to whether or not we are abiding in Him. Keeping His commandments is the key to pleasing Him. How do we keep His commandments? By hiding His word in our hearts that we may not sin against Him (Psalm 119: 11). God gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit to do in us what we cannot do ourselves but we have a responsibility to practice righteousness so that we can be pleasing to Him. Please read 1 John 3 and go practice His righteousness.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Checking the Fruit
One of the things I enjoy living in Florida is the oranges. We live close to a "u-pick" fruit place and during the season we will buy at least three 1/4 bushels of oranges that we often pick ourselves. Since I eat them more regularly than my husband does, I find I need to rearrange them around almost daily to keep them from becoming soft in spots which leads to their deterioration.
I was thinking about the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5. Paul tells us that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. I love this bag of fruit, however, sometimes I neglect it or certainly do not check it often enough to make sure that each one is staying fresh. I find I need to run through a "spiritual" fruit check to make sure they are not sitting in one spot going soft, therefore deteriorating.
We are to walk in the spirit so we do not fulfill the lust of the flesh. The works of the flesh are adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, drunkenness, revelries and the like. What a list! Most of us would read through this list quickly and assume we are not guilty of any of it. But if you really look at them slowly meditating on what they mean and their different forms we could probably see at any given time that we have fallen somewhere in this list. That is why Paul tells us that we are to walk in the Spirit. Then he goes on to tell us what that is.
Memorize Galatians 5: 22, 23 and check your fruit daily.
P.S. We are leaving tomorrow for a short trip. I will not be posting until January 11, 2010.
I was thinking about the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5. Paul tells us that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. I love this bag of fruit, however, sometimes I neglect it or certainly do not check it often enough to make sure that each one is staying fresh. I find I need to run through a "spiritual" fruit check to make sure they are not sitting in one spot going soft, therefore deteriorating.
We are to walk in the spirit so we do not fulfill the lust of the flesh. The works of the flesh are adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, drunkenness, revelries and the like. What a list! Most of us would read through this list quickly and assume we are not guilty of any of it. But if you really look at them slowly meditating on what they mean and their different forms we could probably see at any given time that we have fallen somewhere in this list. That is why Paul tells us that we are to walk in the Spirit. Then he goes on to tell us what that is.
Memorize Galatians 5: 22, 23 and check your fruit daily.
P.S. We are leaving tomorrow for a short trip. I will not be posting until January 11, 2010.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
2010
For many people 2009 was not a very good year. Many suffered because of illness, family deaths, poor relationships and the economy.
It was not a good year for me. After having a serious car accident in December of 2008, I spent the first four months of 2009 in occupational therapy for a bad hand injury that was not promised a 100% recovery. I confess, I spent a lot of days weeping and worrying that my hand would never be the same. I kept asking the Lord "why" it happened and what purpose it served. Because of the Lord's unchanging faithfulness and His constant hold on me I was able to praise Him for His faithfulness to me in spite of my faithlessness in Him.
I think it is biblical to say we shouldn't look back to the difficult times except to praise the Lord for His work of mercy in our lives. So let us look forward to 2010. Because we are not sovereign we do not know what 2010 will hold for us but we do know who holds 2010. God is faithful to His promises.
I was reading Psalm 103 this week and it gave me great hope as I go into 2010. Hope that focuses on Him and not circumstances. David said we are to bless the Lord and forget not all His benefits. He forgives all your iniquities, heals all your diseases, redeems your life from destruction, crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies and satisfies your mouth with good things. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. Many times we fall short of His holiness yet He continues to be faithful and He certainly does not give us the punishment we deserve. We deserve nothing but eternal death and separation from Him. "For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us (v. 11, 12)." David tells us in verse 17 "the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children's children."
Find comfort in this. His mercies are from everlasting to everlasting - in other words from one year to the next. He is merciful and His righteousness goes to us, our children and our grandchildren.
As we look to 2010 let us mediate on the words of this Psalm. If 2009 has not been a good year for you, be comforted about the future and not worried about the circumstances that will come in 2010. The title for this Psalm is "Praise for the Lord's Mercies." Let this year be a year of praise to Him for all His mercies and benefits to us.
It was not a good year for me. After having a serious car accident in December of 2008, I spent the first four months of 2009 in occupational therapy for a bad hand injury that was not promised a 100% recovery. I confess, I spent a lot of days weeping and worrying that my hand would never be the same. I kept asking the Lord "why" it happened and what purpose it served. Because of the Lord's unchanging faithfulness and His constant hold on me I was able to praise Him for His faithfulness to me in spite of my faithlessness in Him.
I think it is biblical to say we shouldn't look back to the difficult times except to praise the Lord for His work of mercy in our lives. So let us look forward to 2010. Because we are not sovereign we do not know what 2010 will hold for us but we do know who holds 2010. God is faithful to His promises.
I was reading Psalm 103 this week and it gave me great hope as I go into 2010. Hope that focuses on Him and not circumstances. David said we are to bless the Lord and forget not all His benefits. He forgives all your iniquities, heals all your diseases, redeems your life from destruction, crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies and satisfies your mouth with good things. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. Many times we fall short of His holiness yet He continues to be faithful and He certainly does not give us the punishment we deserve. We deserve nothing but eternal death and separation from Him. "For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us (v. 11, 12)." David tells us in verse 17 "the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children's children."
Find comfort in this. His mercies are from everlasting to everlasting - in other words from one year to the next. He is merciful and His righteousness goes to us, our children and our grandchildren.
As we look to 2010 let us mediate on the words of this Psalm. If 2009 has not been a good year for you, be comforted about the future and not worried about the circumstances that will come in 2010. The title for this Psalm is "Praise for the Lord's Mercies." Let this year be a year of praise to Him for all His mercies and benefits to us.
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