Perseverance

Here are the first 12 verses of Psalm 37. 

Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. 
For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. 
Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. 
Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. 
Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. 
And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. 
Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him; fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. 
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. 
For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. 
For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. 
But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

Here are the first 11 verses of Psalm 40.

I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
He brought me up also out of the horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.
And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.
Blessed is that man that maketh not the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.
Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.
Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,
I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.
I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O Lord, thou knowest.
I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.
Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me.

This Sunday, my pastor talked about enduring and persevering in faith. If you are saved, then know that God will take care of you, despite seemingly bleak circumstances. If you’re not saved, I can hold no guarantees…

Hope Amidst Hopelessness (9/11/01)

Today was a day full of confusion in our nation. Flurries of news reports filled the airwaves all day long. Uncertainty reigned supreme in the hearts and minds of many Americans. Some of us were so filled with rushing torrents of emotion that we knew not what to do with it. Children cry out with questions while parents grasp for answers. With seemingly no solid informational sources to hold onto, panic and fear fill the lives of many.

Where does that leave us? What kind of a hope can we share with others? As Christians, we are reminded that we are indeed the light of the world! The picture of a lighthouse can be applied here, in that we are to serve as a beacon to those around us. Many men, women, and children are going through a storm of emotional insecurity as a result of the string of terrorist attacks. I pray that we disciples of Jesus Christ are not going through those storms with them!

The God who spoke the world into existence from nothing is the very same One who spoke “peace” to the winds and waves. He is the same God who has promised that He will never leave us nor forsake us. He has promised to send His Holy Spirit to us as a Comforter. The One who walked the hill of Golgotha is the same One who walks with us through the valley of the shadow of death. “And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).

By spending time with God, we are given a mere glimpse of His absolute wonderful nature! The more we sit at His feet as did Mary, the more of His awesome majesty we become partakers of.

As we listen to Him and study His Word, we are given what Peter calls “the pure milk of the word” (1 Peter 2:2), by which we may grow and take counsel from the Lord of lords.

When God calms the storms in our lives, He proves Himself mighty. “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according the to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:3-4).

“I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God” (Isaiah 44:6). “Listen to Me, O Jacob, And Israel, My called; I am He, I am the First, I am also the Last” (Isaiah 48:12). “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen” (Revelation 1:17-18). Throughout the Word of God, He clearly shows Himself to be everlasting!

With the realization and understanding of God’s glory, wisdom, power, and eternity, we can have the ultimate peace that passes all human comprehension. With this revelation, we can gladly and confidently sing with the angels, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen” (Revelation 7:12).

God is ultimately sovereign in all of the affairs of man. Last night, I was studying the letter to the church of Ephesus in Revelation. God specifically brought out to me the idea of the grave importance of not leaving my first love, as they did. It’s so easy to have all of the right external ingredients (Bible study, prayer, church attendance, ministry, etc.) and still become more and more distant from the throne of God. Indeed, knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. I don’t know about you, but I found myself listening more to news reports or looking on websites today than searching the Word of God for answers that truly matter.

When those in our lives who have no eternal hope look to us, how do they view us? Are they coming away with a taste of the Prince of Peace, or are they seeing someone who is just as worried about the things that don’t matter as they are? “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” I am again reminded that there is quickly coming a day where every knee will bow and acknowledge God, every tongue will confess Him as God. I pray that my light of hope will so shine before my friends and family that they will bow their knee to Him before that Day!

The Phone Call

Jesus asks, “what good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36). As we look around the world today, we see so many people who spend so much time seeking to gain wealth, popularity, right relationships, perfect jobs, the best education, the fastest computer, the largest CD collection, or whatever else. I don’t know about you, but I for one am guilty of far too many of these inane pursuits. As Christians, are we mistakenly striving to gain the whole world only to end up forfeiting our very souls? Are our priorities misplaced?

Life seems to be going to well and then it comes. The dreaded phone call. Your roommate’s brother was diagnosed with cancer. Your grandfather is having emergency surgery. Your mom’s car was hit by a reckless driver. In a moment of time, our world can be turned upside down. In the light of these things, how important are worldly possessions? “’Meaningless! Meaningless!’ says the teacher. Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless!’” (Ecclesiastes 1:2). Solomon’s wisdom comes all too clearly into focus and the words of Jesus echo again in our minds. “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world …” How selfish and shortsighted we have become!
Selfishness is common to us all. Paul lists selfish ambitions among the works of the flesh in Galatians 5:20. Jeremiah reminds us that, “the heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure” (Jeremiah 17:9). So why must we wait to change until we get the phone call? We have a deep desire to change! Why must we wait? Even though we are ready, willing, and able to change, our body does not want to come along for the ride. Jesus told His disciples, “the spirit is willing, but the body is weak” (Matthew 26:41). So often, we allow ourselves to be ruled by our sin nature rather than by the righteous standards of God’s Word. Must we always wait for the phone call?