If you are like most Christians you have a few encouraging verses on the walls of your home, or the desk of your office or maybe even in your car. These verses have spoken to you at some point and you wanted to be reminded daily of their significance. Yet, we so often fail in going from being moved to being changed. The Word of God was never meant to make us feel good but has been given to be part of our transformation. Those verses must go from our walls to become part of who we are.
A few days ago I was writing about Psalm 73, pointing out that the awareness of the presence of the Lord changes everything. Today I want to pick it up again a little later in the psalm. Remember that this psalmist was struggling with why evil is permitted to exist in Yahweh's creation but standing in the presence of the Lord changed his perspective. The psalmist was repenting of his selfish perspective and then penned this:
Nevertheless I am continually with You;
You hold me by my right hand.
You will guide me with Your counsel,
And afterward receive me to glory. (Psalm 73:23-24)
To realize that no matter our attitude, the Lord is always with us, is a great place to be in our revelation of Yahweh. We have even the greater revelation that while we were still sinners Jesus died for us. The presence of the Lord has been promised to us in the same way of our salvation. Our foolishness, pride, vain ambitions do not frighten him away. He is at hand so that when we turn to seek his face he is right there. All he desires is to forgive so he can have intimacy with us. He holds our hand. He guides us and he waits to receive us into his glory.
It's as we walk in the reality of his presence, of his desire for intimacy, we too can begin to measure the worth of this relationship:
Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
My flesh and my heart fail;
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (v. 25-26)
It is a great sentiment but if that is all it is to us, something to hang on the wall to inspire us, we are missing the reality of the Lord's presence. Jesus has promised to never leave us, to be with us until the end of the age; not a sentiment but the reality we live every day. When we are open to him, seeking him, desiring him, turning to him, leaning on him, dependent on him, trusting him, we experience the reality of him holding our hand, the truth of him guiding us with his counsel, and we gain the assurance of him receiving us into his glory.
The presence of the Lord is our daily reality. When you live it the Word will come alive to you and your clouded reality in this place will be transformed into the living reality of our loving and awesome Father. More than a sentiment.
Showing posts with label God's presence. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God's presence. Show all posts
Monday, September 15, 2014
Friday, July 26, 2013
In The Face Of A Bad Day, I Rejoice
How was your day yesterday? Rough? I've been there too. Sometimes it leaves you wondering where God was in it. Where are all those benefits we are suppose to have as the children of God?
I guess these questions are similar to those asked by the world: "If God is so loving, why do bad things happen?" Why are there earth quakes, tornadoes, floods, wars? The short and simple answer is that we have done this to ourselves. Bad things exist because the heart of man is self-centered and evil (that which is contrary to God). But what about God's children? Are we not suppose to be blessed?
Well, we are blessed but it is also good to note the words of Jesus here. He was speaking about one of the key foundations to understanding God's love but it gives us a greater picture of how God sees things:
But I tell you to love your enemies and pray for anyone who mistreats you. Then you will be acting like your Father in heaven. He makes the sun rise on both good and bad people. And he sends rain for the ones who do right and for the ones who do wrong. If you love only those people who love you, will God reward you for that? Even tax collectors love their friends. (Matthew 5:44-46)
Sometimes the rain is not such a blessing. Sometimes believers and non-believers stand in the same storms, face the same disasters, walk through the same valleys. The difference is, our God protects us and strengthens us as we go through it. When we have a bad day we need to praise our God because we have no idea how bad it could have been. We seem to be missing this in our understanding these days but it was not lost on the psalmists:
You, Lord, are my shepherd.
I will never be in need.
2 You let me rest in fields
of green grass.
You lead me to streams
of peaceful water,
3 and you refresh my life. (Psalm 23:1-3)
This as true today as during David's time. When we allow the Shepherd to lead us we receive good things and are in a place of peace and rest; no worries, fears or anxieties. That is where we are suppose to be in Jesus so that we learn to trust. It is in that place of trust that we are able to praise him on the bad days:
You are true to your name,
and you lead me
along the right paths.
4 I may walk through valleys
as dark as death,
but I won’t be afraid.
You are with me,
and your shepherd’s rod
makes me feel safe. (vv. 3-4)
David certainly had his share of bad days but he saw them as mere shadows and there is no substance to shadows. No matter the storms, whatever fear they are trying to provoke in you, they are mere shadows, no substance.
If only we could capture the vision of this psalm, the peace, the trust, the righteous paths, then we would be able to accept God as our protector, especially on the bad days. Especially when things look dark. Especially when we don't have a clue which way to turn. It is not faith when we doubt God's promise to use everything for our benefit. It is not faith when we fear losing stuff and don't recognize his protection. It is not faith when we stare at the shadows and ignore the peaceful waters. It's only faith when we ignore the fears and rejoice in the peace.
I guess these questions are similar to those asked by the world: "If God is so loving, why do bad things happen?" Why are there earth quakes, tornadoes, floods, wars? The short and simple answer is that we have done this to ourselves. Bad things exist because the heart of man is self-centered and evil (that which is contrary to God). But what about God's children? Are we not suppose to be blessed?
Well, we are blessed but it is also good to note the words of Jesus here. He was speaking about one of the key foundations to understanding God's love but it gives us a greater picture of how God sees things:
But I tell you to love your enemies and pray for anyone who mistreats you. Then you will be acting like your Father in heaven. He makes the sun rise on both good and bad people. And he sends rain for the ones who do right and for the ones who do wrong. If you love only those people who love you, will God reward you for that? Even tax collectors love their friends. (Matthew 5:44-46)
Sometimes the rain is not such a blessing. Sometimes believers and non-believers stand in the same storms, face the same disasters, walk through the same valleys. The difference is, our God protects us and strengthens us as we go through it. When we have a bad day we need to praise our God because we have no idea how bad it could have been. We seem to be missing this in our understanding these days but it was not lost on the psalmists:
You, Lord, are my shepherd.
I will never be in need.
2 You let me rest in fields
of green grass.
You lead me to streams
of peaceful water,
3 and you refresh my life. (Psalm 23:1-3)
This as true today as during David's time. When we allow the Shepherd to lead us we receive good things and are in a place of peace and rest; no worries, fears or anxieties. That is where we are suppose to be in Jesus so that we learn to trust. It is in that place of trust that we are able to praise him on the bad days:
You are true to your name,
and you lead me
along the right paths.
4 I may walk through valleys
as dark as death,
but I won’t be afraid.
You are with me,
and your shepherd’s rod
makes me feel safe. (vv. 3-4)
David certainly had his share of bad days but he saw them as mere shadows and there is no substance to shadows. No matter the storms, whatever fear they are trying to provoke in you, they are mere shadows, no substance.
If only we could capture the vision of this psalm, the peace, the trust, the righteous paths, then we would be able to accept God as our protector, especially on the bad days. Especially when things look dark. Especially when we don't have a clue which way to turn. It is not faith when we doubt God's promise to use everything for our benefit. It is not faith when we fear losing stuff and don't recognize his protection. It is not faith when we stare at the shadows and ignore the peaceful waters. It's only faith when we ignore the fears and rejoice in the peace.
In the midst of the bad days, Jesus is there to encourage, strengthen, and defend us. In the midst of the storm he tells us to "trust". So, sing, dance, rejoice, be glad because God is good all the time and all the time God is good. No day is a bad day when you keep the promises of Jesus alive and well in your heart and mind.
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