There was so much good that I got out of the WV meeting this year, it's going to have to be a couple of parts. For one thing, some of the thoughts are separate from each other, and for another, I'm on a trip, so I don't have time to write out long posts.
One of the first things that I was blessed with came from a message Bro. Danny Adams preached titled "Spiders." He talked about how spiders catch their prey, then bite them, and suck the life out of them. He related it spiritually to how the devil can catch us in a vulnerable position, bite us, and suck out all the spiritual life that we have. We are weak when we have left the safety of dwelling with God. Spiders won't normally dwell in a well-kept, clean area, but they will dwell under a brush pile. Likewise, the devil doesn't usually lurk in the house of God, but he'll definitely be in places that aren't wholesome for our spiritual benefit.
These things make me cautious. I need to be careful where I allow myself to go and to what things I allow my affections go out. I don't want to give the devil more opportunity to wreak havoc in my life. I have to be watchful. There's a song in the ELS (#302) that says "My soul be on thy guard, 10,000 foes arise." There will be many foes that rise up against us, and many spiders that we'll see in life. We have to squish them before they have chance to become a problem.
That puts a challenge on me, though. If spiders lurk in places that are messy and unclean, what areas of my life are more susceptible to allowing spiders to live? I have to maintain my life and keep it clear and clean before God. I don't want to give room for spiders to make habitation, they're a danger to my soul. I want my spiritual life revitalized, not sucked out. There are several areas where I know I could use some "cleaning up." It's important to both recognize those areas but also to take action to prevent spiders from becoming a problem.
There are several different ways I can go about keeping my spiritual life intact and cleaned up, but one of the most important ways is reading and praying. There was a lot talked about reading and praying at the meeting this year, especially in young people's meeting. The Lord showed me a verse during the meeting that was a real encouragement to me. It's Joshua 1:8, and it says:
"This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success."
This verse gives much instruction. The book of law is the Bible. It should never be far from our conversation, and it should be the topic of our meditation all the time. If we are faithful to heed this instruction, and sow its seed, we'll reap the benefits and be blessed with GOOD success. Prosperity (of the soul) is appetizing. It doesn't sound like a prosperous soul would be infested with spiders and a zone dangerous to our spiritual walk. It sounds like a safe, comfortable place with an environment conducive to drawing closer to God and walking daily with Him.
I was talking to a friend at the meeting, and we both found that we were lacking in some areas of our spiritual walk. It's an encouragement to realize we are not the only ones who have struggled with a certain thing. We're not alone in needing to draw closer to God and being more faithful to consistently spend time with the Lord. We're all young people in a difficult world striving for Heaven. Sharing things with each other can be a way that we feel encouraged that we're not the only ones who have struggles, but we can also share ways that God has helped us with things. This is just a little bit of what God showed me during the meeting, and I hope to share more. Don't give up! This life is worth living.
Hey there! I just wanted to share something that the Lord has put on my heart in the last week. It is so amazing to see how God works, because I have seen this same message being shared recently among the young people and in the services I have been in. I have been reading and studying in the book of Psalms lately and the first chapter really stood out to me. As I read the word the Lord showed me the importance of this passage through a series of visuals. The passage of scriptures illustrates a blessed or righteous person and one that is not. The very first verse says “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful”. A blessed person is one that does not allow themselves to be accustomed to sin and succumb to the way of sinners. With the words walketh, standeth, and sitteth it is demonstrated of the progression of how sin can become comfortable. At first, one just walks by and looks at sin but doesn’t fully step into it. Then, one actually stands in areas where sin is clearly evident. Then, soon, if you are not careful one could be sitting completely immersed in the way of sin and being comfortable with it. The way of sin is a dark and miserable trap that we can fall into if we are not careful.
In the next verse it says “But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night”. The blessed one finds their delight in the word of God and he meditates on it both day and night. It says meditating day and night. This was the challenging part for me. This is a major part of our life that the devil will try to destroy by distracting us and making us put off reading and mediating the word of God like we should. When it says meditating day and night it doesn’t mean picking up your Bible and reading one scripture just because you feel like it is a duty that you have to cross off of your daily to-do list. But, it means to really dig deep into the word and to be continually thinking about it. To read it, think about it, connect it to other situations in the Bible and apply it to your life and your walk with God. We should be meditating all hours of the day on the things of the Lord because we want to. As a result, we are able to draw closer to God.
In verse 3, it says “And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper”. By meditating on the law of the Lord continually we are like a tree that is planted by the rivers of water. When I think about a tree that is planted by water, I always envision one that is large, vibrant, covered in leaves, and has a strong structure. That is how we can be in our spiritual life when we continue to draw closer to the Lord through daily prayer and study in the word. When we create a solid foundation on the ways of Christ and aiming to become more like Him, we become rooted in Him and nothing can move us. Also, when we are planted by the rivers of water, our spiritual cup is always being filled and there is no room for spiritual dryness. This verse also mentions that it “bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither”. Whether we are in a good or dark season in life, through Him we can still grow and produce spiritual fruit. The blessed one prospers in all that he does! Even though sometimes we may not think that we’ve prospered in our actions, but both our successes and failures are prosperous to the Lord, for “we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).
In verse 4, it shows the opposite of a righteous person. The verse says “The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away”. Chaff is the outer casing or covering of grains that falls to the ground when the real grain begins to grow. When I was thinking about this verse, the Lord brought a thought to mind. When we are walking through life, there is a point where we will have to make a choice. This choice is whether we will serve and live for God or live a life in sin. This makes me think of the grain and how we choose whether to be the grain or the chaff. The chaff, like stated in the verse, falls to the ground and the wind driveth it away. If we fall in our spiritual faithfulness, we are placed in a position of weakness because God is our only source of strength. When we have fallen, we are vulnerable and can easily be taken advantage of by the enemy. To prevent this from happening, we have to be firmly rooted in the Lord and stay consistent in our walk with God at all times.
This passage of scriptures really challenged me to dig deeper into the word of God and to earnestly pray to the one who created me in every part of life. I hope that this is an encouragement to you.
The title is pretty much self-explanatory, and it's a thought that has really resonated in my mind the past few days. I just returned on Monday evening from the Guthrie campmeeting, and I received a lot of good from the meeting, hopefully some of which I will share later on. But this particular thought came to me following the meeting and has been a great challenge to me, so I've decided to share it with all of you, too.
What is a Christian? Of course, the simple definition of a Christian is someone justified of their sins by Christ's shed blood. But, I'd like to make the comparison to a sports fan. A sports fan is someone who enjoys sports and has an invested interest in a particular team or player. They have an enthusiasm for that. They pay close attention to what the team or athlete does. They often buy apparel that is representative of "their" team or player. As a Christian, we should share some of the same characteristics of a sports fan. We should have enthusiasm for our life of serving God. We should pay close attention to the things Jesus did on earth and the things he taught us. Likewise, we should be adorned with his characteristics, and should put on the whole armor of God.
Some fans have such an attachment to their team or player that that is the focal point of their life. Christ should be the primary focus of our lives as well, and it's important that we make Him our priority. There's a verse in 2 Corinthians 3:3 that says:
"Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart."
There is so much in this verse, but the part I would like to bring out is the way it indicates Christians should be identified. We are "manifestly declared" to be Christians or servants of God, but why? What causes that connection in the minds of those around us? Sure, going to church, saying "I'm a Christian," and putting a fish bumper sticker on your car are indicators. But this verse makes clear that is not what determines our faith. It isn't with ink that we are justified, but by the Spirit of the living God working in our lives. We have it written on the tables of our hearts. We are adorned by the characteristics of Christ. That is ultimately what makes us who we are. It's about the application of what we've learned making its way to the depths of our heart and finding a home there. Actively writing the truths and instruction we've received in our heart is how we can be manifestly declared epistles of Christ. In 2 Corinthians 3:1, it asks "Do we begin again to commend ourselves?" We don't celebrate ourselves, our life is a testimony in itself if our heart is filled with the things of God. It portrays Christ.
This was a great challenge to me. I've returned from a meeting fully saturated with truth, wisdom, and instruction. I want to make the best use of that to write truth on the tables of my heart. So many times I have heard messages preached, taken notes, and thought "Wow, that was good." But ultimately, it means nothing for my spiritual exercise if I don't apply the principles to my life and in my heart. That's what it really means to be a Christian. Salvation is only the first step. God has real purpose for our lives, and to humble down to His perfect will and allow Him to work in our life is the plan He has for all of us, transforming our heart from a stony, legalistic, and life governed by law to a soft, fleshy, Spirit-filled life led by faith. It's a process I want to continue in, because I know that of my own strength, I can't keep myself saved and pleasing to the Lord. I'm comforted by this verse in 1 Corinthians 15:58 that says:
"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord."
We're instructed to be stable and unchanged by outside influences. We can only do that by letting the Spirit work in us. Our labor for Godly things and for His will are not without profit, reward, or importance. It's worth it. Christ has much in store for us, and if we remain "stedfast, unmovable" and "always abounding," we'll continue to write good things on the tables of our hearts. We'll continue to be a pleasing and acceptable servant to God, and He'll bless us for that. We are not in vain. I want campmeeting experiences to be a boost to my spiritual life, not just a crutch for my salvation. I want them to be a profit to my soul, and I know that sometimes takes adjusting my priorities. I desire your prayers to allow God to help me apply things I've learned to my heart so that I can be worthy of the label "Christian."
As many of you already know, graduation has come and gone for me. It's one of the first big milestones I have crossed in my life, and it has given me opportunity to reflect on my life so far and consider my future. None of that enters my mind without feeling an overwhelming thankfulness to God accompanied with an overwhelming need for Him and His direction. This last month has been very busy with several things going on in preparation for my graduation, so I haven't been able to write very much recently. But, I have a few thoughts I felt I should share now that the busyness from that has slowed down a little.
Last month, I was reading a devotional talking about a verse in 2 Kings, when Elisha was with his servant, and they became surrounded by the horses and chariots of the enemy.
2 Kings 6:16-17
"And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. [17] And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see..."
The servant was looking with his physical eyes. Observing the situation from what he could see in a natural sense -- and when he did that, the circumstance looked grim. They were surrounded by the enemy. There WERE forces who would try to oppose them. Yet, He didn't have the spiritual vision to comprehend that there was more than what first meets the eye. God's plan is not always apparent to our limited, short-sighted vision. We can't immediately see that God has a plan, an escape, or solution for us. We need to pray, as Elisha did, that he will open our eyes to His perfect way. Yes, situations can be dire, and we are certainly in need of God's provision sometimes. But our job is to trust the bigger picture, and have the faith to know that God is in control and will take care of us.
What struck me, though, was how Elisha, a man of God, was praying for his servant. Elisha could see that God was there, and had confidence the provision was enough. Are we not, as Christian's, men of God who can influence those who don't yet have a clear vision? We each have our own unique sphere of influences, whether that be at school, on the job, or just in our community. As citizens of the Kingdom, God has charged us to be a beacon of light to those who haven't come to know our Savior. Elisha prayed, and God opened the eyes of the servant, and he saw the miraculous help of God. I went to public school. I have been blessed with more knowledge and understanding of truth than many there will ever have in their lifetime. I need to have the burden to pray that they find clear vision of truth and of God -- the only truth.
It's remarkable how much we can learn when our time in a certain phase of life is nearly expired. In many ways, I regret not being a better vessel for God's use in an environment heavily lacking in morality and the things of God. But, I have to trust that, especially in my final year of school, I walked worthy of God's calling and that my life was an example in the way it was lived. I am a firm believer that God won't punish us for things we haven't learned yet, but that He expects us to continue to improve every time He teaches us something new. And in reflecting on these past few years, I recognize how much I've learned and how much more God desires to use me. I want to be faithful to that. I've seen firsthand the depravity of the world and how needy people are of God and truth. I've seen broken people whose circumstances have extended beyond their control. At the same time, I've witnessed lives dedicated to God, Spirit-filled campmeetings, and the incredible way God can transform a soul -- no matter their circumstance. It's been a valuable lesson to me, and I strongly desire to continue to be who God would have me to be and not let anything come between my devotion to the life I'm endeavoring to live for eternity.
In Neosho, the town I graduated from, each year the seniors paint the road that goes right beside the high school as part of their senior activities. It's on a fairly steep incline, and it's been coined as "painting the hill." We each have a little spot where we can paint something to commemorate our time at the high school. The morning when we were supposed to turn in our drawing to be checked, I still hadn't fully decided what I wanted to paint. I knew I wanted to do something to reflect my love for the Lord and the life I lived, but I wasn't sure exactly how to do that. The verse of the day that morning was 1 Timothy 4:12:
"Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity."
When I read that, it was immediately clear what I should paint. Nothing better encapsulated the goal I had in mind in leaving a mark during my high school career than that verse. Of course, I feel like I lacked in some areas, but that was my goal -- and particularly in my senior year of high school, I feel like I lived up to what God required of me in that manner. A lot of times, kids in school are considered just that -- kids. We're not yet old and wise (if we ever reach that), and we're often not taken as seriously as people more learned and experienced. But this verse gives every indication that we can still be difference-makers for the Kingdom of Heaven. Don't let anyone despise our youth... we still have a job even though we are young. Our job is to be an EXAMPLE of the qualities a believer embodies, in every aspect of life -- in what we stand for, in what we say, in how we show love, in the spirit we portray, in the faith we have, and in the pure life we live. The legacy I left could have been better, but I am confident people could still notice the King I was living for in my life.
This time of reflection has made this verse even more prominent in my mind. Even though I'm a high school graduate(!!!), I'm not old yet. I still have time for this verse to be prominent in my life, and that is a great challenge. I still have the charge as a young man to be an example every day of a Christian, and to display the qualities of Christ in my life. I'm so thankful for how God has been with me through school, and especially in my last year of school. I would be foolish to claim any of the credit for the successes I've had or the life I have had. I'm very grateful to be a part of God's church and His people. It means so much.
Lord willing, there is a lot of life ahead of me. I need direction in my life to know how to do things the way God would have me to do them. This stage in my life has been one very difficult to discern God's will, but I am doing the best I can to do that. Bro. Curtis Williams held a revival here at the end of last month, and one of the messages he brought dealt with our desperate need of God. I feel that is so relevant to me and the time of life I'm in right now. I'm thankful that God is willing to provide challenges like that at the times we need them the most. It spoke to me and helped me realize that further dedication was necessary for me. It's my choice what to do with my life, and I want to live it for Jesus every step of the way. God has a plan for all of us young people! I want to maximize the potential God has for my life, because I know He gave it all when He died for me. I'm striving every day to live a life that is pleasing and acceptable to Him, and I desire your prayers for me. I love and pray for all of you.
The Lord inspired a verse to me this morning. I had a thought from last week to write about this evening, but God changed his mind and gave a different inspiration when I prepared to write. I hope this will be an encouragement and challenge to all of you.
God works in mysterious ways. Just like he changed my thoughts of I was planning to write about, he also reveals things to us in ways we may not sometimes understand. Today, I had an interview with someone from Crowder College where I plan to attend after I graduate. We were talking about different things in life that have been a challenge and a struggle to get through, and how ultimately, through those things, we are better equipped to handle life -- we learn from them. God can teach us things and work in us during those hardships, even if it's a circumstance we can't see working for good.
Last night, I was talking to one of my close friends about something difficult they've been enduring. Sometimes we don't see how God can possibly be in a situation that hurts us so bad and makes it hard for us to feel like praying. God sometimes doesn't resolve the issues we pray to fix, and that's a hard thing to swallow. Yet, bringing us to an extremely low place where ALL we can do is submit ourselves to God is sometimes the way he chooses to refine his children.
These are just a couple of examples of how God works in ways we might not always understand. Yet, God doesn't expect us to just endure things for the sake of enduring them. Everything in our life happens for a greater purpose. To glorify him, make faithful servants out of us, and to advance the gospel. There was a verse I read this morning that hit that point home to me, and as you'll see, I felt compelled to share it. The verse is Matthew 10:26-28, but particularly verse 27.
[26] Fear them not therefore; for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.
[27] What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.
[28] And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Verse 26 speaks to the idea that we shouldn't fear persecutors or non-believers. God sees everything that happens, good and bad. This should be a consolation to believers who serve the Lord in spirit and in truth. Then, in verse 27, he says "what I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light." This was such a powerful portion of scripture to me when I read it. In those times we are downtrodden and everything seems dark, God is faithful to meet us in that place. He shows us things we didn't realize before. He's a faithful teacher. That darkness could be the solitude and silence of our prayer closet. It's a dark, quiet place for us to plead to the Father to abide with us and teach us things. Light makes it where everyone can see. It's more public. But darkness, hidden from the view of everyone, is where God can teach us better. He's faithful to reveal things to us. He's our teacher of spiritual things, and the Bible is our guide to those things. The way it was inspired to me is that in the darkness of our trials and the solitude of our studying, God reveals some of the most precious things. I have found it to be true for me. In my deepest struggles and when I'm taking extra time to be with God, he has opened up his word in a way that was amazing. Yet, I don't think he does it only to serve us.
The second part of that phrase says "that speak ye in light." Hold on, I thought God was teaching ME... right? That's true. But, God has a place for us to share some of the things he taught to us. That doesn't mean we have to share the personal struggles we faced, but the lessons he taught us through those experiences? That's how it reads to me. I have had some rough times, wondering why God had to take things from me that I thought were mine. But, he has shown me that it's not really mine. Everything is his to control, and I have to be willing to submit to whatever his will is. It's helped me mature quite a bit.
This may seem spontaneous and scattered, but it was a big challenge to me to be at the place where I can receive those things. He'll only reveal things to a teachable child. If we aren't pliable and willing to let him work, we can't learn the things has to teach us in secret. Distractions and modern conveniences (like my phone) can get in the way of me having contact with God in a way that I can get the revelation he has for me and the opening of his word to my heart. The speaking in light that is mentioned in this verse does not exist independently. It's reliant on us FIRST getting the teaching and what God tells us in the darkness, or outside of the public view. That's a challenge to me to have my heart conditioned to the place where I can learn these things. Am I distracted by other things? Do I give God enough time in my life? Am I humbled to a place that God can work with me? Only then can I fulfill the other part of the scripture that instructs us to speak in the light. God is truth. He teaches truth. We should be dispensing the truth to those who don't know it or who need encouragement in the truth. It's a great challenge to me.
As the final verse says, our enemy is the devil. Only he can destroy both our body and soul in hell. All others are of earth, and have no power of our spirituality. This gives me confidence that the truth all-powerful. It can't be taken down by people who disagree or who persecute me because of my belief. All of this has given me a renewed inspiration to keep writing for God. Keep speaking (or, in this case, typing) the truth God reveals to me and MAINTAIN a place where God can reveal things from his word. It's truly wonderful when God visits and refreshes our spirit, I'm so thankful for that. I'll be praying for all of you. I hope you all have a blessed week, and I'll leave you with this challenge:
Allow God to teach you in the darkness, and when it's over, don't be afraid to proclaim his greatness and faithful teachings.
I have been studying and meditating on the topic of praise recently after the Lord inspired me on a scripture in Hebrews (13:15). Again, this isn't an exhaustive study of the topic, but it's a collection of a few thoughts I was inspired by. I hope this will bless someone else, too.
Hebrews 13:13-16
“[13] Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. [14] For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come. [15] By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. [16] But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.”
We are instructed to leave the camp -- leave the refuge, and bear the reproach Jesus bore for our sake. Go out of the way of our convenience for his cause. The city we have here isn’t eternal. It will melt with fervent heat eventually, but we seek an everlasting one to come in heaven. Because of all of this, give the sacrifice of praise to God, continually, without ceasing, by giving thanks to his name. It’s a sacrifice of thanksgiving. It means we give up our emotions, despite the situation we are in, and offer him praise and gratitude for the love he’s shown for us, for the reproach he bore for us, for the heavenly home is preparing for us. Praise the Lord! Don’t be shy or quiet about it, have that continually be the fruit, or the production, of our lips. The fruits of the spirit are to govern our character. Our speech, and the fruit of our lips, should be praise and thanks unto God. Communication is Holy conversation as well as communicating to God our thankfulness and praise. Those are things a true Christian must offer to God: doing good and communicating praise, thanksgiving, and purity with others.
Psalm 50:23
“Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.”
Offering praise is glorifying got God. And ordering our conversation in a way that is glorifying and thankful and pure will cause God to show salvation to us. It gives him the liberty to exercise his saving keeping grace for us. Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice, so he deserves our praise.
Psalm 69:30-31
“[30] I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving. [31] This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs.”
Praise can be offered through song and thanksgiving. Both are important things which are pleasing to God. Also, praising through song and thanksgiving were practiced by exemplary Biblical characters who found favor with God. This was a Psalm of David. Giving praise is essential. More important, in fact, than an ox or bullock. These were the traditional sacrifices under Old Testament law. Now, our sacrifice to God is given in praise and the surrendering of our will. Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice, all we have to do now is praise God. He is pleased with it. Singing is a wonderful expression of love and gratitude to our maker and our Savior. Making a regular practice of being thankful to God and telling him that is likewise pleasing to him -- more than old, fleshly sacrifices of animals. These praises and songs are from the heart.
Hosea 14:2-4
“Take with you words, and turn to the Lord: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips. [3] Asshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses: neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods: for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy. [4] I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.”
Hosea was advocating here of using words to show penitence to God. Prayer for forgiveness was accompanied with the “calves of our lips.” This is an interesting phrasing, but it has a greatly revealing implication. Calves were generally used as offerings in repentance to God. The supplication they have here is using the calves, or more accurately, the sacrifice of their lips -- which is praise. They will render praise to the Lord to gain forgiveness. Just like the fruit of our lips should be praise, our lips should sacrifice praise to the Lord. They acknowledge that Asshur (which is in reference to Assyria) will not save them despite their positive diplomatic relationship of the time. They won’t fix their hopes on prestigious military horses, and they won’t turn to manmade idols or other fake gods. The I Am is their God. For everything they worship, all the gods they turn to, he is the only one complete. And in him is the way the fatherless, those lost without hope, find mercy. God promises to heal their fall and backslidden nature and love them because they turned away from wrong and offered their praise, or the calves of their lips, to him. It specifically highlights the dependency on God and the value of our words in praise to God.
Ephesians 5:19
“Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord.”
This is in reference to being filled with the Spirit. This praise is harmonious to the Spirit and well-pleasing to our Lord. It’s clear instruction to give honor and reverence to the King. In psalms, hymns, songs, all by singing. It is an instrumental (ha - get it?) part of our worship to the Lord.
Colossians 3:16
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”
This is another reference similar to Ephesians 5:19. The instruction is to give praise with our hearts in tune with the Lord.
Acts 16:25
“And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.”
We know the end of this story: deliverance. When we are in a difficult trial, our example is to pray and sing. Worshiping God is incredibly important. It’s a display to Christ of the contents of our inner man. Other people heard Paul and Silas, but that did not faze them. It’s a challenge to us to not be ashamed of our praise to the Lord. He deserves it. As with Paul and Silas, the Lord was pleased and saw fit to relieve them of the burden of imprisonment. Might he relieve burdens of our own if we are willing to humble down and offer the sacrifice of praise ourselves?
James 5:13
“Is there any among you afflicted? Let him pray. Is any merry? Let him sing psalms.”
When we have reason to be happy, let it show! Don’t hide your candle under a bushel. Let that positivity in the Lord glow. Praise the Lord for his mercy to you. It is of that mercy alone that we are not consumed, and that’s reason to praise the Lord! He’s asked for it in our good times. Here is the only time in these verses I’ve referenced that the prerequisite is being merry. All the other times, it just says to do it. Paul and Silas were under immense pressure and in a strenuous situation. Yet, they praised the Lord. He asks for our praise not ONLY when things are going well, but even when we don’t see the way out. Praising him for his goodness and faithful to us, and in the assurance that he has a plan of deliverance from whatever we’re facing, is something that pleases him. We’re sure to receive a blessing of some kind, even if we don’t get our answer immediately.
Our heart's condition is also important to note when we consider giving praise to God. Whether the condition of our heart be ungrateful, fearful, worried, bitter, jealous, or anything else, a remedy to those unhealthy feelings is praise. When we set aside those unprofitable emotions and focus more on the things that ARE working for our good (which is God, all the time), then we find ourselves conditioning our heart to a better state. It's a way of victory over temporary feelings. When we analyze a situation, we'll always find a few key things to be true: a) God is still on His throne, b) Jesus is still at his right hand, being our mediator, c) God's love remains, amidst any other changes. Those three things, however much they seem to directly make contact with our situation, are praiseworthy. God is still there, looking over the matters in my life! Jesus is still interceding on my behalf, petitioning for my well-being to the Father! God truly LOVES me, he hasn't withdrawn his affection! We'll find ourselves rejoicing in the trial instead of dreading the length of our battle.
He is so worthy of any praise we can muster, so we ought to give it to him. Most of the time when we pray, we bring needs of our own and petition him to undertake in circumstances that contradict our happiness in life. Yes, he asks us to cast our every care on him, but that’s not all he asks. He asks for praise and desires that we worship him.
The requirements were so much more tedious in the Old Testament, we ought to be thankful for how easy it is for us now. Praising God does not require us to be on the mountaintop, nor does it ensure that we are. But, it’s a sacrifice of ourselves that we can give to God to show him the gratitude he deserves. Jesus died as the ultimate sacrifice. It’s our duty to give back, even if the avenues opened to us to do so seem menial. God asks for the sacrifice of our lips, the humbling of our speech before his majesty. The challenge to me is great. I need to offer more praise to the one who gave EVERYTHING to me. I would appreciate you all praying for me. :)
This post will definitely be incomplete on the subject of patience, but I felt inspired to share a few thoughts I got a few days ago.
Patience is something that doesn't come to me. I normally like things to move consistently and quickly. I don't like to wait for things I think should happen immediately. Our world is inundated with instant gratification. It's fast-paced, and most things we do don't take us much time. We get frustrated if a website takes too long to load, if a video buffers, or if the drive-thru at McDonald's takes too long (side note: that's why you go to Chick-Fil-a, btw). I also don't like to wait for an answer... I want a yes or a no, and then like to move along. However, that's not always the way things work. The world doesn't spin to the whim of my desires. All that said, this is an area God has used to work on me.
Romans 8:25
"But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it."
Hoping in Christ is equivalent to having the patience to wait for it. We don't have a real hope if we aren't willing to wait and aren't patient about it. This spoke to me because I am often an impatient person. I expect things from people to be done quickly -- with my family, friends, peers, even people I don't really know. I expect them to operate based on the timetable I deem acceptable for myself... or perhaps even faster sometimes. But the act of impatience bears unpleasant fruits, and reveals some ugly traits as well. It can spur anger, discontentment, grumblings, murmurings, and so on. There are plenty of different things that can rise up from an instance of impatience with other people.
However, this isn't even the most important point. It made me think: If I'm impatient with other people, am I impatient with God?
We ask things of God all the time, but are we hoping for them and having the patience to WAIT for them, regardless of how long it takes, in God's perfect timing? That's a challenge. Being patient with God is absolutely essential to getting the right thing he has for us at the right time. This can be the case with anything. With education, job situations, relationships -- any of those things are things that require patience and a HOPE in God, regardless of what we see and don't see. Our vision of the future is not perfected like God's is. We have to be patient while we have HOPE in Christ that the right thing will work out for us in any circumstance, instead of getting upset that the answer doesn't come immediately. As I mentioned earlier, we are conditioned in our world today to expect instant gratification. Yet, God still requires the same thing he always has -- to wait on Him.
Psalm 27:14
"Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord."
I was reading in Streams in the Desert a few days ago, and one phrase particularly caught my attention.
"God's promise is equal to his presence."
What does that mean? In my interpretation, it means, independent of time, God's promise is just as good as his immediate, "now" presence or answer. If we don't feel like God has spoken or given us an answer right now, his promise remains unchanged. We shouldn't lose hope, it doesn't mean he has forsaken us. Just because we don't see him actively working or changing something in our favor doesn't mean he's not. He's promised to never leave us or forsake us. That doesn't change based on our human expectations or timeline of things. We just have to have the patience to wait, while hoping in Christ for the best outcome of whatever situation it is facing us. This thought was a real encouragement to me to know that our hope in Christ should not be dependent upon time or what we see. God's promise is sure. Living up to the first verse is a big challenge to hope in Christ while having the patience to wait.
