It’s A Jungle Out There – July 21, 2015

Psalm 23:3     He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Psalm 5:8     Lead me, LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies-- make your way straight before me.

Psalm 25:9     He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.

Psalm 31:3     Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me.

Psalm 143:10     Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.

Proverbs 4:11     I instruct you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths.

Proverbs 8:20     I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice,

For many people, life is—well, life is a jungle. Not a jungle of beasts and trees. Would that it were so simple. Our jungles are thickets of failing health, broken hearts, and empty wallets. Our forests are framed with hospital walls and divorce courts. It is a jungle out there. And for many, hope is in short supply.

Let’s see if we can brighten up the picture. The first answer would be a person. Someone to look you in the face and say, Don’t give up. There’s a better place and I’ll lead you there. David says in Psalm 23, “He restores my soul.” God is our good Shepherd and He majors in restoring hope to the soul. When God comes, your loneliness diminishes, your despair decreases, and your confusion begins to lift.  You haven’t left the jungle, but you have hope because you have someone who can lead you out.

Please and Thank You – July 20, 2015

1 Corinthians 11:23-24       For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread;  and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me."…

1 Corinthians 10:16     Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?

1 Thessalonians 5:17-19     …pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit;…

Daniel 6:10     Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.

Ephesians 5:20     always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Apostle Paul says, “Give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20).

You don’t have to name a child after God, but then again, you could. Or you could draft a letter listing all His blessings or write a song in His honor. You could sponsor an orphan or adopt a child just because God adopted you. The surest path out of a slump is marked by the road sign, “Thank you.”

But what of the disastrous days? Are you grateful then? Jesus was. “On the night when He was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it…” (1 Corinthians 11:23-24). Not often are the words betrayed and thanks in the same sentence, much less in the same heart. Anyone can thank God for the light. Jesus teaches us to thank God for the night!

Giving Thanks – July 19, 2015

Ephesians 5:20     And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Psalm 34:1     Of David. When he pretended to be insane before Abimelek, who drove him away, and he left. I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.

Ephesians 5:4     Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.

Colossians 3:17     And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

1 Thessalonians 5:18     give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Some things just weren’t made to coexist. Long-tailed cats and rocking chairs? Bulls in a china shop? Not a good idea. Blessings and bitterness? The mixture doesn’t go over well with God. Combine heavenly kindness with earthly ingratitude and expect a sour concoction. Perhaps you’ve sampled it. Gratitude doesn’t come naturally. Self-pity does. Bellyaches do. Grumbles and mumbles—no one has to remind us to offer them. Yet they don’t mix well with the kindness we’ve been given.

Gratitude gets us through the hard stuff. To reflect on your blessings is to rehearse God’s accomplishments. To rehearse His accomplishments is to discover His heart. Gratitude always leaves us looking at God and away from dread. “Give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20).

Open to God - July 18, 2015

Psalm 56:3     But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.

Deuteronomy 6:6     And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today.

Genesis 18:19    For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him."

Deuteronomy 11:18     Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.

2 Samuel 22:23     All his laws are before me; I have not turned away from his decrees.

Psalm 37:31     The law of their God is in their hearts; their feet do not slip.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary     56:1-7 Be merciful unto me, O God. This petition includes all the good for which we come to throne of grace. If we obtain mercy there, we need no more to make us happy. It implies likewise our best plea, not our merit, but God's mercy, his free, rich mercy. We may flee to, and trust the mercy of God, when surrounded on all sides by difficulties and dangers. His enemies were too hard for him, if God did not help him. He resolves to make God's promises the matter of his praises, and so we have reason to make them. As we must not trust an arm of flesh when engaged for us, so we must not be afraid of an arm of flesh when stretched out against us. The sin of sinners will never be their security. Who knows the power of God's anger; how high it can reach, how forcibly it can strike?

Make God’s presence your passion. How? Be more sponge and less rock. Put a rock in the ocean, and what happens? Its surface gets wet. The exterior may change color, but the interior remains untouched. Yet place a sponge in the ocean, and notice the change. It absorbs the water. The ocean penetrates every pore and alters the essence of the sponge. God surrounds us in the same way the Pacific surrounds an ocean floor pebble. He is everywhere—above, below, on all sides.

We choose our response—rock or sponge? Resist or receive? Hard hearts never heal. Spongy ones do. The Psalmist determined, “When I am afraid, I will trust in You.” Open every pore of your soul to God’s presence!

Hearing July 17, 2015

Daniel 10:12     Then he said, "Don't be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer.

Acts 10:30     Cornelius answered: "Three days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me

Leviticus 16:31     It is a day of sabbath rest, and you must deny yourselves; it is a lasting ordinance.

Isaiah 41:10     So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 65:24     Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.

I’m convinced the Sabbath was created for frantic souls like me, people who need a weekly reminder that the world will not stop if I do.

In one of the most dramatic examples of waiting in the Bible, Daniel prays for people who had been oppressed for seventy years. He abstained from food and drink for twenty-one days, as he labored in prayer, persisted, pleaded, and agonized. No response. On the twenty-second day an angel of God appeared. He revealed to Daniel that his prayer had been heard on the first day.

From an earthly perspective, nothing was happening. But from a heavenly perspective a battle was raging in the heavens. God was working! What if Daniel had given up…lost faith…or walked away from God? Consider these better questions: What if you give up? Lose faith? Walk away? Don’t! God is at work. Keep waiting!

Father Knows Best – July 16, 2015

Lamentations 3:33     For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone.

Hebrews 12:10     They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness.

Job 37:23     The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power; in his justice and great righteousness, he does not oppress.

Psalm 119:67     Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word.

Psalm 119:71     It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.

God is at work in each of us whether we know it or not, whether we want it or not. Lamentations 3:33 says, “He takes no pleasure in making life hard, in throwing roadblocks in the way.” He doesn’t delight in our sufferings, but He delights in our development. It’s what Paul pointed out in Philippians 1:6, “God began doing a good work in you, and I am sure He will continue it until it is finished when Jesus Christ comes again.”

Don’t see your struggle as an interruption to life but as preparation for life. No one said the road would be easy or painless. But God will use this mess for something good. This trouble you are in isn’t punishment; it’s training, the normal experience of children. God is doing what’s best for us, training us to live God’s holy best!

God Is Not “Sometimey” – July 15, 2015

Jeremiah 30:24     The fierce anger of the LORD will not diminish until it has finished all he has planned. In the days to come you will understand all this.

Jeremiah 4:28     Therefore the earth will mourn and the heavens above grow dark, because I have spoken and will not relent, I have decided and will not turn back."

Jeremiah 49:37     I will shatter Elam before their foes, before those who want to kill them; I will bring disaster on them, even my fierce anger," declares the LORD. "I will pursue them with the sword until I have made an end of them.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary     30:18-24 We have here further intimations of the favor of God for them after the days of their calamity have expired. The proper work and office of Christ, as Mediator, is to draw near unto God, for us, as the High Priest of our profession. His own undertaking, in compliance with his Father's will, and in compassion to fallen man, engaged him. Jesus Christ was, in all this, truly wonderful. They shall be taken again into covenant with the Lord, according to the covenant made with their fathers. I will be your God: it is his good-will to us, which is the summary of that part of the covenant. The wrath of God against the wicked is very terrible, like a whirlwind. The purposes of his wrath, as well as the purposes of his love, will all be fulfilled. God will comfort all that turn to him; but those who approach him must have their hearts engaged to do it with reverence, devotion, and faith. How will they escape who neglect so great salvation?

This season in which you find yourself may puzzle you, but it does not bewilder God. He can and will use it for His purpose. God is not sometimes sovereign. He is not occasionally victorious. Jeremiah 30:24 reminds us, “The Lord shall not turn back until He has executed and accomplished the thoughts and intents of His mind.”

Case in point. Joseph in prison. From an earthly viewpoint the Egyptian jail was the tragic conclusion of Joseph’s life. The devil had Joseph just where he wanted him. So did God. What Satan intended for evil, God used for testing. If you see your troubles as nothing more than isolated hassles and hurts, you will grow bitter and angry. But, if you see your troubles as tests used by God for his glory and your maturity—then even the smallest incidents take on significance!