Psalms
30/08/2020
Psalm 23 and 27 The Lord is my shepherd
The book of Psalms addresses all the feelings one could experience, challenges we might face and also offers guidance for serving the Lord. Let’s spend some time and discuss these over the next few days or weeks, depending on how the Lord leads us.”
“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not [lack] want.” (Ps 23 v 1)
Only God can provide us with enough to be content, while giving us rest for our weary souls. There is no other worldview that can offer this, where you don’t have to perform good deeds, in order to outweigh the bad ones, so that one can receive blessings in this life and as a result gain access to eternal life.
Regardless of our circumstances, He gives us peace and offers grace in abundance, should we allow Him to guide us in His paths of righteousness. I choose to follow after His Spirit, leading me into ALL truth, knowing His goodness and loving kindness will follow me, all the days of my life (vers 6)
“The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?” (Ps 27 v 1)
No fear for war, whether earthly or spiritual can overcome us, when the Lord is our defense. No enemy, plotting against you, will prevail when God is your refuge. There is nothing in this life, that can cause us to be shaken, if our confidence is in Christ.
Seek the Lord’s face, draw near to Him and wait for the Lord, i.e. wait for deliverance. He will never leave you, nor forsake you. He will not hide His face from you, when you meditate on His word(s) day and night. Our only purpose should be to know the Lord intimately, through fellowship with Him. He is the God of your salvation!
This concludes our study of Psalms, although there are many more topics to address at a later stage, it seemed fitting to finish with the well known and very popular Psalm 23. I trust this journey has been a blessing upon your life. Remember you purpose as a child of God. The only thing in this life that (really) matters is to know Him and to make Him known. AMEN
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, Life Application Study Bible, unless stated otherwise. Copyright by “The Lockman Foundation“
29/08/2020
Psalm 5 and 12 No liar will inherit the kingdom
The book of Psalms addresses all the feelings one could experience, challenges we might face and also offers guidance for serving the Lord. Let’s spend some time and discuss these over the next few days or weeks, depending on how the Lord leads us.”
“May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that speaks great things; who have said, ‘with our tongue we will prevail.’ Our lips are our own; who is lord over us?” (Ps 12 v 3 – 4)
How serious do we take lying? Is a “white lie” acceptable or the start of a greater problem? well, here’s what the Lord says about liars and He seems very clear about it, without distinction;
“……and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” (Rev 21 v 8) [ESV]
There are many things that we do not have control over, such as the rising living costs, decisions others make, e.g. governments bringing the world to a standstill and as a result, causing people to lose their jobs, people spreading rumours (aka lies) about you, etc.
There are a few things you can control and one of these is (always) telling the truth. Do not be deceived in thinking that a few lies here and there, that seemingly doesn’t hurt anyone is acceptable in the sight of the Lord. If people tell lies about you, that is between them and God and they have to explain one day, so let’s look at ourselves for a moment…
If you tell lies that don’t seem to affect anyone directly, according to your indicators, you are fooling yourself. Benjamin Franklin, apparently said “half a truth is often a great lie“, and that is the point. You can also argue that not revealing all the details does not constitute a lie.
I believe that the only way to be [fully] honest is to be transparent, and one can only be transparent if you are honest with yourself first and then as a result be honest with God and others. You have often heard the saying, “honesty is the best policy“, but what does this really mean? The problem with telling lies, is that you always have to back up one lie with another, shortly after and not before long you have to start keeping notes of what you told to whom.
Is this really how you want to live? A life based upon lies is an empty life, taking you down a path of self-destruction and will soon cause you to start living a double life, speaking with a double heart (Ps 12 v 2). If you struggle with telling the truth, my prayer is that the Lord will lead you in righteousness and make His way straight so that you will walk in His favour, blessed and safe (Ps 5 v 8 12).
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, Life Application Study Bible, unless stated otherwise. Copyright by “The Lockman Foundation“
27/08/2020
Psalm 24 and 30 Lest you fall
The book of Psalms addresses all the feelings one could experience, challenges we might face and also offers guidance for serving the Lord. Let’s spend some time and discuss these over the next few days or weeks, depending on how the Lord leads us.”
“Now as for me, I said in my prosperity, ‘I will never be moved.’ ” (Ps 30 v 6)
How often do we become proud and self-confident, thinking that our achievements and success is due to our own intellect and abilities? Losing sight of who we really are, can be very dangerous, “so, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” (1 Cor 10 v 12) [NIV].
Everything is the Lord’s and “all things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” (John 1 v 3) [NKJV]. He has no beginning and no end and exists outside of time and space, something we are bound to in this life and will only be able to perceive what that is like when we meet the Lord in the next life.
Back to the topic. Pride can cause us to rely on our own abilities and not before too long, we end up telling God how we see things and that He should bless our decisions. Sounds outrageous, doesn’t it? Do not be fooled. This is the norm today, even in the evangelical church where the mainstream thinking is based on what God can do for us and what I can get out of this relationship, if you can even call it that…
If you wish to be in right standing with the the Lord, relying on Him for every breath and acknowledging Him in everything you do, then pay attention to this passage where David asks the question in verse 3 (Ps 24), “…who may stand in His Holy place?” and then answers it himself in the very next verse. “He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood and has not sworn deceitfully.” (vers 4).
Do not be deceived, thinking you can make it, by relying on your own strength. Because of our nature, we are fallen and sinful, and this causes our compass to direct us in the wrong direction continually, without the guidance of the Lord. Let His Spirit show you the true north. Allow Him to guide you into His truth and you will live a fruitful life, knowing the Lord is the One, who sustains you and provides in your needs.
We are destined to perish, should we exercise our free will without God’s blessing. He doesn’t take away our free will when we choose to listen to Him. He blesses you when you are humble enough to use your free will to acknowledge Him and consult Him in every aspect of your life.
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, Life Application Study Bible, unless stated otherwise. Copyright by “The Lockman Foundation“
25/08/2020
Psalm 19 Learn to discern
The book of Psalms addresses all the feelings one could experience, challenges we might face and also offers guidance for serving the Lord. Let’s spend some time and discuss these over the next few days or weeks, depending on how the Lord leads us.”
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in your sight…” (vers 14)
Discernment: the quality of being able to grasp and comprehend what is obscure. [Merriam-Webster]
Spiritual discernment is a gift (1 Cor 12 v 10) and therefore David asks if we are [actually] able to simply discern our own errors and subsequently requests that the Lord “acquits” him of his unseen (hidden) faults and guard him against inappropriate behaviour.
How can we then be sure about our judgments when it comes to the things of God, being confident in discerning every spirit that seems to be from Him? The same also applies to our sins, off course.
David mentions six aspects that is crucial in assisting us with this important task as believers and notes that through them we are warned and in keeping them there is great reward:
1. God’s perfect law
2. The Lord’s sure testimony
3. His just precepts
4. God’s pure commandment
5. Fear of the Lord
6. The true judgments of God
If I were to sum up the above in one sentence, I would say that;
The only way to be sure about anything related to our christian life and relationship with God, is to interpret the Word of God correctly, and the only way to do this is to allow the Holy Spirit to remove the veil that blinds us, in order to teach us and illuminate the Scriptures for us.
How do we put this into practice? Humble yourself before the Lord, acknowledge that you only see in part and therefore depend on His guidance. Pray for wisdom and understanding, that He may enable your spiritual eyes to see and ears to hear.
This will allow you to filter through all the deception, and only listen to His still, small voice, that whisper in the wind, instructing you to go left or right, to speak or keep silent and above all to share God’s truth with the world.
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, Life Application Study Bible, unless stated otherwise. Copyright by “The Lockman Foundation“
24/08/2020
Psalm 1 The righteous will prevail
The book of Psalms addresses all the feelings one could experience, challenges we might face and also offers guidance for serving the Lord. Let’s spend some time and discuss these over the next few days or weeks, depending on how the Lord leads us.”
“For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” (vers 1)
Have you reached a point in your life, where you have come to realize that there is a massive void, which you can’t seem to fill and no matter how hard you try to escape the emptiness you experience, in your inner being, while looking for some kind of purpose (in all the wrong places), everything seems to become meaningless and you blame God for your situation?
You have reached a cross road! You can either decide to choose the road that leads to “the assembly of the righteous” or you can continue on this path of destruction and even though you might think that things will get better in the future, they are only bound to get worse.
For if you continue in this path of sin, joining the counsel of the wicked and sitting down with the scoffers, You will end up in a lonely place, separated from God, without any hope and if you think it can’t get any worse than it already is, just speak to people who have gone down that thorny and bushy road and they will quickly give you perspective of what the final destination is like.
Should you choose to take the road less traveled, that leads to salvation and deliverance, and allow God to quench your hunger and thirst, He will fill that void with His grace and loving kindness. You will become like a tree, firmly planted by the water stream, flowing strongly with living water. You will bear fruits of righteousness and prosper in your relationship with the Lord and others.
Thank God that He has given you the opportunity to choose. Thank Him for your free will and use it wisely. Find delight in the law of the Lord and meditate on His word day and night and you will experience a blessed, spirit filled life, which surpasses all worldly knowledge and understanding, beyond that of what you could ever have imagined.
Seek the Lord while He may still be found. Choose His way! Choose the way of life! Choose Christ!
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, Life Application Study Bible, unless stated otherwise. Copyright by “The Lockman Foundation“
23/08/2020
Psalm 32 and 51 Great is my sin O Lord
The book of Psalms addresses all the feelings one could experience, challenges we might face and also offers guidance for serving the Lord. Let’s spend some time and discuss these over the next few days or weeks, depending on how the Lord leads us.”
“How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.” (PS 32 v 1)
Do you feel guilty about your sin? I am not talking about a single sinful act in a moment of weakness for which you repent and seek forgiveness, but a lifestyle that is riddled with sin, yet you choose to ignore your conscience, or should I rather say, the conviction of the Holy Spirit…
The Lord is clear that anything not done in faith is sin. How often do we justify certain things and simply say the Lord knows our heart? Make no mistake. He does know your heart and this should concern us, for the heart is desperately wicked and deceitful and it is here where all sinful desires originate from.
Reaching the point where you acknowledge your sinful nature before the Lord and asking for forgiveness is only the start of your sanctification process. Realizing that we have rebelled against God, enables us to confess our sins. Then, and only then, can God rid us of the burden we carry.
“Create in me a clean heart O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within in me.” (Ps 51 v 10)
How quick are we to pray that the Lord should forgive us our transgressions, as we forgive those who trespass against us, yet our minds are not renewed (Rom 12 v 1 – 2), for our battle is not against flesh and blood, as it may seem, but against the powers and principalities that govern this fallen world.
As a result we are exposed to the filth of this world and can so easily be dragged down if we do not “take capture our every thought” (2 Cor 10 v 4 – 5), that is not of God. Only the Lord is able to cleanse our hearts and minds, renew our spirit and heal our souls.
If you are going to bend the knee, kneel before the One and Only, living God, who is able to save us from our fallen nature. Only through the working of His Spirit, are we able to overcome sin and by His grace we can live a life dedicated to the One who gave His life to set us free from the bondage of sin, our Messiah, Jesus.
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, Life Application Study Bible, unless stated otherwise. Copyright by “The Lockman Foundation“
22/08/2020
Thought for today Pride comes before the fall
The reason for today’s thought relates to christians who seem to spend all their time, trying to expose those who do not seem to keep to biblical truth and at first glance this seems like the noble thing to do.
I have been spending quite a bit of time in the Word lately and the more I read the more I see a perfectly just and righteous God, who loved us so much that He would take on human form to teach us what it means to truly love God and others.
He made no exceptions and excluded no one when He died the most terrible death, in order that we may live, should we confess our sins and accept His death as penance. There are basic doctrines believers should adhere to, which are non-negotiable, and then there are secondary issues that doesn’t seem to relate to salvation, yet proclaiming christians would crucify you for not adhering to certain aspects of the law or disagreeing on their take of the “elect”, the rapture, etc.
Each day before posting a devotional I pray and ask the Lord to dictate what I should write, so that nothing comes from my own intellect. Not that I am claiming to be intelligent, but you understand where I am going with this… I firmly believe the Holy Spirit should guide your thoughts and press on your heart what you should publish when you have any form of ministry.
Off course this should be coherent with the Scriptures, but when the focus shifts to one’s knowledge and understanding of what you perceive to be truth you are treading on dangerous grounds. Just look at how the Lord Jesus, enabled the disciples to preach and also heal people and they were fishermen, who even struggled to fully grasp Jesus’ ministry.
I have heard and seen people say that they do not see the love of many who proclaim to have the truth, whether it be church leaders or the run of the mill individual, and their response would simply be “if you love people you will give them the truth” and I agree, but how do you perceive truth and what is your definition of love?
The point I am trying to make is this. There are many things in the bible we as christians will disagree on and you might be absolutely convinced that you have stumbled upon the truth. All I am asking is that you consider the other person’s opinion and respect their point of view if it seems they adhere to the basic doctrines of the Word, instead of throwing out the baby with the bath water.
It might be the issue of christians who shouldn’t eat pork or the keeping of the law as a child of God. It could even be your view of the timing of the rapture, which some believe is a false doctrine. You may not believe in the events of Revelation or the manner in which these events will play out or you consider infant baptism as the only biblical baptism.
The list goes on and on and on… It’s a pity that we allow the secondary “doctrines” some seem to build their faith around, cause believers to break fellowship. I am not referring to beliefs that are outright heresies, but it seems that pride can blur your view sometimes, and we already see in part, through a glass darkly.
I pray that you will leave room for someone else’s opinion on some of the above matters and rather join hands as children of God, who seek His heart and perfect will for His “Ecclesia”. He will show you and correct you if required, should you allow the Holy Spirit to be your teacher, leading you into ALL truth.
20/08/2020
Psalm 147 Humble yourselves before the Lord
The book of Psalms addresses all the feelings one could experience, challenges we might face and also offers guidance for serving the Lord. Let’s spend some time and discuss these over the next few days or weeks, depending on how the Lord leads us.”
“The Lord favours those who fear Him, those who wait for His loving kindness.” (vers 11)
How do you define humility? Is it just one single attribute or a combination of characteristics? We are sometimes quick to say that someone is humble, simply because of something they might have said or done, but humility entails more than that.
I believe humility starts with reverence for the Lord. Loving Him and fearing Him above all and acknowledging that you are dependent on Him for every breath. The natural result of your love for Him, will then allow you to love others, i.e. EVERYONE ELSE as you would want to be loved and treated.
God does not delight in our own skills and achievements, especially if it is for our own edification instead of His glory. He delights in genuine obedience, fellowship and a heart longing after Him. Have we become so busy with our work, that God no longer has a place in our lives, except for Sunday church service or the odd bible study?
It seems that if there ever was a time to humble ourselves before the Lord, it is now! We need to return back to the basics of what it means to be a child of God, seeking our First Love. Do you recall the time you were saved or baptized? It was a humbling experience, wasn’t it? That overwhelming realization that God is bigger than we could ever have imagined.
My prayer is that you will take the time… pause for a moment… and allow the Lord to penetrate your thoughts and heart, so that you can experience His loving kindness. He is the One who sustains you. He is the One who heals. He is faithful and steadfast.
Let us give God His rightful place in our lives again, relying on Him and not our own strength, for He maintains His creation and doesn’t require us to approve, yet He longs after fellowship with His sons and daughters.
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, Life Application Study Bible, unless stated otherwise. Copyright by “The Lockman Foundation“
19/08/2020
Psalm 26 Woe to you, hypocrites
The book of Psalms addresses all the feelings one could experience, challenges we might face and also offers guidance for serving the Lord. Let’s spend some time and discuss these over the next few days or weeks, depending on how the Lord leads us.”
“Examine me O Lord, and try me; Test my mind and my heart.” (vers 2)
Ever heard the saying, “Action speaks louder than words“? Surely you must have heard someone say this multiple times, yet not many seem to apply this notion. Have you grown tired of people’s lip service? You are not alone.
The Lord warns against those “who speak peace with their neighbours, while evil is in their hearts.” (Ps 28 v 3). He will not let their wicked dealings go by unnoticed, although it may seem like that, at least for the moment.
Unfortunately we are in the last days, approaching the end times, and it is evident that people have become “lovers of themselves [more than ever before], lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power.” (2 Timothy 3 v 2 – 5) [NIV]
I would like to stand still at vers 5 for a moment. What does it mean to have a “form of godliness“? Did not the pharisees and the scribes seem to serve God with their lips, yet their hearts were far [removed] from Him? They seemed to adhere to the law, prayed in public and sounded so holy, yet they “were like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so they also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside they are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” [paraphrase] (Matt 23 v 27 – 28) [NKJV]
It is time to reconsider how we look at God and how we serve Him and our fellow beings. If we are guilty of saying one thing, while doing the very opposite, we should seek the Lord’s forgiveness. Don’t be called out like the scribes and pharisees, thinking we can get away with hypocrisy.
The Lord will repay each one for their deeds and therefore it matters how we live in this life, for it will determine if we will spend an eternity with God or without Him. Ask the Lord to examine your heart and every thought and reveal to you the things that are not from Him.
Seek His forgiveness and He will cleanse you from all impurities so that you can stand blameless before Him on the day of reckoning. Show the world that you are who you say you are, because God’s law is engraved on your heart.
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, Life Application Study Bible, unless stated otherwise. Copyright by “The Lockman Foundation“
18/08/2020
Psalm 90 and 139 To dust I shall return
The book of Psalms addresses all the feelings one could experience, challenges we might face and also offers guidance for serving the Lord. Let’s spend some time and discuss these over the next few days or weeks, depending on how the Lord leads us.”
“For you formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb.” (Ps 139 v 13)
Do you feel like you are toiling in vain and that your days are filled with labour and sorrow? Do you feel lost, purposeless and unimportant? If this is the case, then today’s devotional is just for you!
What is the one achievement you can point out if you look back over the last 40, 50 or 60 years of your life? Is it your degree you obtained after studying furiously for years or that position you sought after for so many years in the company of your dreams? Could it be Provincial colours in your sporting code or even presenting the national team? The list goes on and on…
If I remain healthy, the Lord grants me 80 years, give or take. If this is the case I have recently passed the half-way mark and one thing I have learnt, especially in my adult life is that one reaches a point where none of the above achievements matter (as much as we initially thought it would).
Any life coach will tell you to set short, medium and long-term goals and in order to achieve those goals you would have to attain small victories along the way. Everything seems to go according to plan and then life happens. You end up doing what seems to be a regular job, simply to make ends meet. All those goals you set with the specific achievement in mind, are over shadowed by the realities of putting food on the table and raising your kids.
The above sounds like the average household, doesn’t it? Besides feeling lost due to the amount of stress you have to deal with at work and the tension you might have at home, you start feeling there is no purpose in your work and that what you do is not important and all of this doesn’t make sense. Your whole life flashes before your eyes, and you try to identify the moment where it all seemingly went wrong and everything becomes a blur.
Now, take a moment and read verse 13 again and “Give thanks to the Lord, For you are fearfully and wonderfully made.” (v 14). “Wonderful is His works, and your soul knows it very well.” Who you are and what you do, matters to God! He is not interested in your qualifications and achievements, for you qualified to enter His kingdom when Jesus died on the cross.
Look beyond your circumstances, realize that you work for the Lord and see that an eternity with God awaits you, should you decide to put your faith and your trust in Christ. Whether you are a believer or not, we are all beggars, but the difference is this – We can choose and if we choose God, we will not be disappointed, for His ways are not ours and He knows best, because He is God!
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, Life Application Study Bible, unless stated otherwise. Copyright by “The Lockman Foundation“
17/08/2020
Prayer for today Thank you for our free will
We had a discussion over the weekend regarding one’s free will and this is something not many people seem to (want to) talk about. I believe we were created with a free will, which was “taken away” due to the fall, when man was disobedient.
People were reliant on prophets and judges for guidance and even asked for a king, because they sought someone to lead them to the truth, which wasn’t always the case, because they didn’t listen to the word of the Lord, spoken through these men of God. Free will was restored at the cross and we were once again given the choice to serve and obey God.
This is my prayer:
I thank you Heavenly Father for restoring our free will, so that we can choose to obey you and love you as a child would choose to love their biological father. You loved us first and therefore created us in your image. You continued to love us by sacrificing part of yourself in the form of our Redeemer.
You are a sovereign God, who can do as you please, yet you granted us the choice to accept your grace, when Jesus paid the ultimate price for our freedom from the bondage of sin. You could have forced us to love you, but because of your nature, have given us the choice.
I come to you as a child would come to their earthly father and bring those before you who are still bound to the lusts of the flesh, in bondage to sin, with no way out, unless they choose life. Thank you that every single person you created, can come to you for forgiveness and you will not deny them.
May your love abound in us more and more so that we will also love others and treat them with compassion, kindness and gentleness. Thank you Lord, for the gift of grace we receive when we decide to turn away from our sinful nature. When we pick up our cross and follow you, we also die to self and our fleshly desires.
May those who choose to serve you Jesus, be strengthened in their walk with you, so that they will no longer long after the pleasures of the world and the desires of the flesh. Thank you for the hope we have in you when we put our trust in you. I know my Redeemer lives and we will never be disappointed when we choose to live for YOU. AMEN
16/08/2020
Psalm 60 Praying for a miracle
The book of Psalms addresses all the feelings one could experience, challenges we might face and also offers guidance for serving the Lord. Let’s spend some time and discuss these over the next few days or weeks, depending on how the Lord leads us.
“O give us help against the adversary, for deliverance by man is in vain.” (vers 11)
Do you feel broken and rejected, knowing that no man can save you from the dire situation you find yourself in? From a human perspective, David knew that defeat was eminent if God didn’t intervene and this is what he prayed for.
I recall a situation, where I knew that no single person would be able to salvage the disastrous outcome that was pending and unless God provided the break through, I wouldn’t be able to tell about it.
I would like to leave the following in your midst today. Should you be praying for a miracle, knowing that only the Lord is able to deliver you from the “snares of death”, bring your case before Him. Whether it is your critical financial situation or a loved one who is terminally ill or even your marriage that is on the rocks, petition to the Lord and ask Him to provide a miraculous break through.
There is something you need to consider though. Do not neglect to also ask that His will be done and then accept the outcome, knowing that it is for the best. Realizing that in this school of life, there are many lessons to learn for us to mature in our faith. Jesus knew that He had to give up His life and although He still asked the Father if the cup could pass Him by, He acknowledged the Father’s will and accepted His fate.
Our God is a God of miracles, yet He is also a God of logic, just and righteous and if we have to learn the lessons in order for our soul to be saved, trust me, we will learn the lesson, one way or another. Praying for a miracle, knowing you have erred, is like asking the judge to let you go, knowing you have committed the crime after overwhelming evidence have been presented. God is not to be tested, for He knows the intentions of our heart.
Forgive me if it sounds like I am preaching to you, but praying for a miracle, simply to ease our pain is not biblical. Also praying for a miracle, knowing well that you have sinned is not the way a child of God should respond. Therefore we should trust in the Lord, that regardless of the outcome, He will give us the grace to work through this difficulty we are facing.
We should, like David, be confident in the Lord, knowing He will not leave our side and if we remain faithful… absolutely faithful, who knows? God may just, in His goodness, grant our request for the glory and edification of His Holy Name. Be at peace with your situation, regardless of the outcome, because God is your rock and your salvation.
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, Life Application Study Bible, unless stated otherwise. Copyright by “The Lockman Foundation“
15/08/2020
Psalm 71 and 92 Old age
The book of Psalms addresses all the feelings one could experience, challenges we might face and also offers guidance for serving the Lord. Let’s spend some time and discuss these over the next few days or weeks, depending on how the Lord leads us.
“Do not cast me off in the time of old age; do not forsake me when my strength fails.” (Ps 71 v 9)
How many of us who have reached “retirement” age can truly say that we have served God a life time from our childhood? If you are reading this and smiling, you know exactly what I am talking about and seeing that I have only reached the forty year mark recently, having served the Lord a mere 17 years, I still have a long way to go.
I had this conversation with an elderly lady once, after she attended a close friend’s funeral. She mentioned that she only attended the church service and not the burial and the reason being is she couldn’t stand (to stand) next to an open grave, which begs the question… Why would you be afraid of standing next to someone else’s open grave? Unless… you are not certain about your final destination, I suppose.
It seems sad that someone in their 70’s or 80’s look back at their life and all they can take from it is the work they have done, the marriage(s) they had and the children they raised. Don’t take this the wrong way, because it is part of the journey during our short stay on earth in this life, but there must be more to life than that which occupies our every waking moment.
A life time without knowing God, makes all the above seem meaningless, although it should not be. God purposed for us to work and marry and raise children, but if this is done without Him being present, we miss out on the blessings He has to offer for those who allow Him into their workplace and marriage. Not to mention the blessings your children will receive if you raise them within the confinements of Scripture and I guess this is the point I am trying to make.
It is written that “the righteous man will flourish like a palm tree… and still yield fruit in old age.” [paraphrase] (Ps 92 v 12 – 14). Old age should not be a time of having regrets about poor decisions you have made during the course of your life. It should be a time of remembrance, thinking back at the joy your loved ones brought you. Memories of childhood adventures with your parents, who loved you and supported you during those uncertain times as a young boy or girl, finding your way in this cruel world.
Old age should be a blessing, especially if you are still young at heart. It should be a time of total devotion to the Lord, now that you have stopped working for the world, done with raising children and whether you are a widow or widower, devote every moment to God. Prepare yourself to “change location”, it might take many years, but do the necessary house-keeping and make sure your (heavenly) affairs are in order before you move over.
Many young people don’t have the opportunity to make things right, because their life is cut short due to illness or an accident. As an elderly person you have the privilege to teach younger people the ways of the Lord, encouraging them to seek Him and guide them to make better choices. Having said that you should still use the time you have, continuing to seek the Lord, willing to grow spiritually until such time that He brings you home.
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, Life Application Study Bible, unless stated otherwise. Copyright by “The Lockman Foundation“
14/08/2020
Psalm 11 Thou shall not commit murder
The book of Psalms addresses all the feelings one could experience, challenges we might face and also offers guidance for serving the Lord. Let’s spend some time and discuss these over the next few days or weeks, depending on how the Lord leads us.
“The Lord tests the righteous and the wicked, and the one who loves violence, His soul hates.” (vers 5)
Have you heard anyone say that they hated a person, when referring to someone who caused them harm or they disliked for some unknown reason? If this wasn’t enough, they would also say that they do not forget anything that has been done or said to them.
Just image if Jesus had this attitude and He was very clear when He said, “if you hate your brother you have committed murder in your heart.” [paraphrase]. I don’t think we fully understand the concept of what it means to hate another person and the consequences of unforgiveness.
How do you justify yourself for not forgiving another person, yet Jesus instructed us to pray the Lord’s prayer, which states that we should forgive others as we also seek forgiveness from God. You might also think the scriptures are contradictory, because it is written that the Lord hates those who do iniquity (PS 5 v 5), yet He expects us to love our enemies and even pray for them…
The response is actually very simple. Because God is Who He says He is, surely He can make the rules, can’t He? He created this beautiful planet and mankind after His image. We ignored His laws and disobeyed His instructions and fell away from the very thing He created us for, fellowship with Him. He restored this at the cross and even forgave those who persecuted and killed Jesus.
Who are we to say that we do not forget and that we hate another person. We are instructed to forgive 70 x 7 because God knows that when the wounds are opened we will remember the harm which was done to us, and then we should not forget to forgive those who have treated us badly.
Forgiveness sets you free from the bondage that hate creates, and the only thing coming between us and forgiveness is pride, which causes us to ignore this. Walking around with hate in your heart will eat away at you like a cancer. If you cannot “forgive and forget”, remember then to forgive each time you experience those hateful thoughts toward someone.
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, Life Application Study Bible, unless stated otherwise. Copyright by “The Lockman Foundation“
13/08/2020
Prayer for today We serve a living God
One thing I have learnt from the last couple of weeks, reading through the book of Psalms (although not done yet), is that we are dependent on the Lord in every regard and I feel an urge to pray this morning for those who have not yet come to the knowledge of this truth, which points to the living God who designed and created a fine tuned universe and earth for us to live on.
This is my prayer:
Thank you Lord that we can know you personally, as a living God, who sustains His creation. An intelligent designer, who put in motion time and space. You designed everything to function exactly the way it should in order for us to survive. You made us in your image and your character is revealed in those who love You wholeheartedly.
You loved us so much that you gave up a part of yourself to become a man without losing your sovereignty so that through your Son, who came to reveal your heart to us, we could be redeemed. The price you paid, the cost of giving Yourself over to men to be punished and killed can never be measured in worldly terms and for that sacrifice I thank you with my whole being and offer my life as a living sacrifice, knowing that because you live I shall live also.
The times we live in, are uncertain for many, filled with concerns, worries about what tomorrow may bring. You give us the assurance that should we submit to Your perfect will, You will grant us the grace to persevere. You will provide in our needs and never leave us to face our trials and tribulations alone. Through the guidance of Your Spirit, You will teach us how to live according to your Word.
Thank you that we can find rest in You amidst the turmoil in our hearts. Thank you for your undeserved mercy every day and above all, I thank you for the opportunity to know You and make You known. AMEN
12/08/2020
Psalm 3 and 4 Grant us peace
The book of Psalms addresses all the feelings one could experience, challenges we might face and also offers guidance for serving the Lord. Let’s spend some time and discuss these over the next few days or weeks, depending on how the Lord leads us.
“In peace I will both lie down and sleep, For you alone, O Lord, make me to dwell in safety.” (Ps 4 v 8)
How is it possible to have true peace while a storm is raging in your soul and your heart is in turmoil?
David was honest with God in his writings and his continual cry for help did not fall on deaf ears. Remember how he used to play for Saul to calm him down, yet Saul never experienced true peace because of his disobedience to the Lord, while David solely relied on God.
True peace is only possible if we are in right standing with God, having turned away from our sinful nature and fully trusting in Him for our salvation. The world and all it offers cannot bring peace, because you will never be at rest, always wanting more of everything, chasing castles in the sky.
Remember that the God who spoke everything into existence and sustains the universe, knows your heart and the intentions thereof. He is also very familiar with your circumstances and knows exactly what you need. Turn to the God of our salvation for deliverance from your fears and worries.
He offers true peace (shalom) and rest for the weary and broken. Surrender to Him. Meditate upon His word, in your heart every waking moment and above all, call on His Name when darkness overwhelms you. Build your house on the rock of which the foundation is our Lord, Jesus and His Word and He will make you dwell in safety.
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, Life Application Study Bible, unless stated otherwise. Copyright by “The Lockman Foundation“
11/08/2020
Psalm 38 and 141 Lead us not into temptation
The book of Psalms addresses all the feelings one could experience, challenges we might face and also offers guidance for serving the Lord. Let’s spend some time and discuss these over the next few days or weeks, depending on how the Lord leads us.
“Do not incline my heart to any evil thing, to practice deeds of wickedness…” (Ps 141 v 4)
How often do you pray for guidance when leaving for work in the morning, asking the Lord to guard your heart and every thought, resulting in words of wisdom? It only takes a split second to fall into someone’s trap, enticing you to respond to a statement or question, having to deal with the regret of an emotional response afterwards.
Always be prepared to respond gently and with kindness so that whenever you speak, your words will be anointed. Do not be tempted to simply utter meaningless phrases for the sake of voicing your opinion and always be prepared to give a word of encouragement when required.
“For I confess my iniquity; I am full of anxiety because of my sin.” (Ps 38 v 18)
Sin causes us to drift further and further away from the Lord and the longer we wait to repent, the harder it is to approach God as the guilt starts to overwhelm you. It might start with a lie or undesired behaviour and before you know it, your whole lifestyle changes to accommodate the lies or the unwanted behaviour.
You become enslaved again, to the very thing God saved you from when He gave His life to pay for your sins! If there is one thing you can be hasty with, it is this – Confessing your sins before the Lord, repenting and turning away from it and He will make haste to forgive you.
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, Life Application Study Bible, unless stated otherwise. Copyright by “The Lockman Foundation“
10/08/2020
Psalm 13 Sadness of the heart
The book of Psalms addresses all the feelings one could experience, challenges we might face and also offers guidance for serving the Lord. Let’s spend some time and discuss these over the next few days or weeks, depending on how the Lord leads us.
“How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart all the day?” (vers 2)
What saddens you the most? Is it the poverty and hunger that has overtaken our planet, perhaps an abused child, broken marriage or is it your unanswered prayer for something you want? Are you sad, heart broken and disappointed, not having received what you expected from the Lord?
We are often overtaken by sadness, simply because things didn’t go our way, yet David experiences a deep felt sore in his heart, due to the relentless persecution from Saul and even questioning God’s faithfulness. How long… how long… how long, is David’s plea to the Lord.
We can learn much from David. Through his sadness and distress He trusted in the Lord for deliverance. Even though he became impatient an despondent, he didn’t give up and realized that God is faithful and deals “bountifully” (generously).
Instead of being sad about the things we want and can’t have, we should be grateful for the things we do have. Our hearts should rejoice, knowing God has bought us free from the bondage of sin and gives us everything we need to serve Him and live a life of gratitude.
Be honest with yourself and with God today regarding your wants and rather pray for the needs of others. Bring those who are truly heart broken, due to the loss of a loved one or an incurable disease before the Lord and pray for the healing of their souls amidst their tribulation.
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, Life Application Study Bible, unless stated otherwise. Copyright by “The Lockman Foundation“
09/08/2020
Psalm 41 Heal my soul, O Lord
The book of Psalms addresses all the feelings one could experience, challenges we might face and also offers guidance for serving the Lord. Let’s spend some time and discuss these over the next few days or weeks, depending on how the Lord leads us.
“As for me I said, “O Lord, be gracious to me Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You.” (vers 4)
I believe there are a few reasons why “bad things happen to good people” and when I refer to “good” it is only a manner of speaking from a worldly perspective, for NO ONE is good and ALL fall short of God’s glory.
- We are in a fallen world, and other people make decisions that affect us directly
A fallen world, filled with fallen people, destined to perish without God. This is what we face each day. People have to make decisions every day, all day long. This is necessary to survive, right? The problem comes in when those decisions directly affect your life and you have absolutely no control over it.
A good example would be when a marriage unexpectedly comes to an end and the one party is left out in the cold, so to speak. They have no where to go and do not have the means to make it on their own. They simply have to walk out with nothing and accept the cards they have been dealt. I have seen this happen and it causes so much heartache and damage to the person’s soul.
They have no choice but to move on and start a new life with the clothes on their backs. If this has happened to you, you know the hurt and pain accompanying you for many years to come. - God allows certain things to happen in order for us to mature in our faith
Can you think of a better example in the bible, than that of Job? There are a few more, but Job stands out. He was a righteous, God fearing man and the Lord allowed Satan to cause him harm. The kind of harm anyone with a conscience, would not wish for their biggest enemy.
Job was tested to the extreme, when he basically lost everyone and everything dear to him, to the point where he cursed his own birth. Even his friends advised him to repent, seeing that something like that (according to them) couldn’t happen to a person that is in right standing with God.
The agony of losing a loved one, especially a child, is something any loving parent fear the most and the day that happens, everything else suddenly seem meaningless, including their own life. God eventually restored Job, for he remained faithful. He will also restore your soul even if it takes a life time. - We reap the unavoidable consequences of poor choices we have made
Now this is something everyone can relate to. Do you recall that one decision you made and if you could only turn back the hands of time…? You are not alone!
Unfortunately this is something many of us have to live with, knowing you shouldn’t have signed that contract or bought that car or even pursued that relationship. Can you honestly say you acknowledged the Lord before proceeding and if you did, were you impatient and couldn’t wait any longer for His response?
If this is the case and you are still paying for that hasty decision, bring it before the Lord in prayer. If you continued without seeking the Lord’s guidance, it is also not too late. Ultimately our poor decisions are due to disobedience on our part, but we don’t have to be ashamed. Approach His throne of grace today. He will heal your soul and renew your spirit to the point where you can “face” Him again.
Regardless of the reasons for your trials and tribulations, God knows the intentions of your heart. Without God’s supernatural healing, we will never be able to move on, knowing He makes everything work together for good for those who love Him (Rom 8 v 28).
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, Life Application Study Bible, unless stated otherwise. Copyright by “The Lockman Foundation“
08/08/2020
Psalm 34 No doubt
The book of Psalms addresses all the feelings one could experience, challenges we might face and also offers guidance for serving the Lord. Let’s spend some time and discuss these over the next few days or weeks, depending on how the Lord leads us.
“The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and His ears are open to their cry.” (vers 15)
How often do you doubt your faithfulness to the Lord or His ability to provide in your needs and sustain you? Can anyone say they have never had any doubt in times of trouble?
This Psalm gives us the confidence that the Lord will deliver us from our afflictions, should we seek Him and fear Him like David did. It is written that we should first seek the Kingdom of God and the rest will be added on. We will not want nor lack anything, for He will provide in our needs and because He is God, He might even spoil us every now and then with something unexpected.
If you have any doubt in the Lord’s ability and “anxious thoughts multiply within you” (Ps 94 v 19), look back at the times you made it through a difficult period in your life. Can you see how God helped you and how His loving kindness and grace carried you through. You might be having doubts right now about your future, the future of your children, friends and family.
Remember this. The Lord is your stronghold and your God, the Rock of your refuge [paraphrase] (Ps 94 v 22). He is a personal God, not some far off, distant being, pulling strings from where He sits on His throne. Talk to Him, like you would talk to your father. Share your deepest concerns and greatest worries with Him.
He planted the ear and formed the eye. Surely He knows our thoughts and doubts. He has always been around, just longing for us to call on Him. He is the God of our salvation. Allow Him to take away your fears and doubts, for He will not abandon you if you turn to Him for help.
Thank you Lord Jesus, for the confidence we can have in You, knowing You are capable of taking care of us and provide in our daily bread so that we will not lack any good thing.
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, Life Application Study Bible, unless stated otherwise. Copyright by “The Lockman Foundation“
07/08/2020
Psalm 63 Feeling "burned out?"
The book of Psalms addresses all the feelings one could experience, challenges we might face and also offers guidance for serving the Lord. Let’s spend some time and discuss these over the next few days or weeks, depending on how the Lord leads us.
“When I remember you on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches.” (vers 6)
Are you one of the countless many who have hit “rock-bottom” as a result of the events that have taken place over the last couple of months? Are you emotionally, spiritually and physically drained to the point of breaking down?
Do you lie awake at night, worried about how you will manage your finances and pay back your loans, etc? What will you do in a “dry and weary land where there is no water?” Who will you turn to? You are not alone. Join me in earnestly seeking the Lord, because “my soul thirsts for Him and my flesh yearns for Him.“
He is the only One who can give us true peace and rest for our weary souls, for His yoke is easy and His burden is light (Matt 11 v 28 – 30). Next time you lie awake, desperately seeking answers for your “financial burdens”, consider the above. No where does He promise a life without troubles, but He will grant you the grace to work through your challenges when you put your hope and trust in Him.
I know what it feels like to be completely “burned-out” to the point where you cannot get out of bed in the morning. You go to bed tired and wake up feeling exhausted as if all life has been sucked out of you. It seems the harder you try the more difficult it becomes to make it through a single day. You seek help from medical experts and they cannot find anything wrong after spending thousands on tests for every possible condition.
Then it strikes you! You are so busy trying to manage your (financial) affairs while pleasing others that you get left behind in the race, while they just seem to move on with their lives. At that moment of realization, you can either decide to let go and drown or grab onto the life line the Lord has provided.
I can look back and see where the Lord has provided an outcome and where He gave me the strength to persevere. May the Lord rejuvenate your soul and renew your spirit today. Turn to Him and rejoice in Him and you will be triumphant over your adversaries.
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, Life Application Study Bible, unless stated otherwise. Copyright by “The Lockman Foundation“
06/08/2020
Psalm 15 and 25 Guidance towards Godliness
This passage is a recap of a previous devotional titled “Righteousness according to God”
The book of Psalms addresses all the feelings one could experience, challenges we might face and also offers guidance for serving the Lord. Let’s spend some time and discuss these over the next few days or weeks, depending on how the Lord leads us.
How do we live a blameless and Godly life, if it is even possible?
Can we 1) walk with integrity 2) exercise righteousness 3) speak truth in our heart 4) refrain from slandering with our tongue 5) love our neighbour as ourselves?
The above already seems like a tall order, but wait, there is more;
Do you 6) easily take offense and get upset with a person if they have said or done something to someone else 7) despise those that have seemingly rejected the gospel 8) honor those who fear the Lord 9) Keep your word, even at your own “demise” 10) deal honestly and fairly in business?
Living a righteous and morally upright life according to God’s standards, while dealing honestly with others is only possible if we have accepted Christ as the only mediator between us and God, loving the Lord wholeheartedly, thus seeking Him with our whole being and longing after fellowship with Him.
Often points 6 & 7 manifest as a result of pride, causing us to become self-righteous and entitled.
The only way to overcome the above is through allowing the Lord to instruct you in His ways, for we are all sinners and in need of guidance. Humble yourself before the Lord and He will lead you and teach you according to His righteousness and remember above all that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life…
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, Life Application Study Bible, unless stated otherwise. Copyright by “The Lockman Foundation“
05/08/2020
Psalm 14 The heart of a fool
The book of Psalms addresses all the feelings one could experience, challenges we might face and also offers guidance for serving the Lord. Let’s spend some time and discuss these over the next few days or weeks, depending on how the Lord leads us.
“The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” (vers 1)
Don’t you think it’s time to be honest with God and the world? Those who do not believe in Him are honest enough to say that He does not exist. Why do we keep quiet and accept this heresy?
It often seems that we are so afraid of people’s opinions and that we are scared of making the necessary sacrifices as believers. Satan is using every possible means to keep us still as we are told of the consequences, should we quote the bible and offend another person.
I am not saying we should bombard people with our (version of the) truth and what we believe God is saying. What I am saying is that we should seek the Lord for guidance in order to understand His will and His truth. David felt that there was not even one who does good. This is true and we are no different.
Can God call us, who believe in Him for our salvation, sons and daughters of righteousness, men and woman after His own heart, like He referred to David, “…I have found that David, the son of Jesse, is a man after my own heart, who will carry out all my wishes.” (Acts 13 v 22) [ISV].
There are other religions that won’t tolerate this kind of unbelief. They are raised to belief there is but One God and He has no Son. We have an opportunity to “kill two birds with one stone” when we proclaim the living God and His Son who became one of us, walked among us and took our iniquities upon Him.
He became that of which the wages is death. The sin he bore for our sake, so that we may be justified and reconciled with God, was put to death on the cross and we are no longer slaves to sin and in bondage to the world, but we are set free from Adam’s curse as we become heirs with God and co-heirs with Christ of the promised eternal life through His death and resurrection.
Do not allow those who deny God to cause you to stumble, but instead use the opportunity to witness to them, “But in your hearts set Christ apart [as holy—acknowledging Him, giving Him first place in your lives] as Lord. Always be ready to give a [logical] defense to anyone who asks you to account for the hope and confident assurance [elicited by faith] that is within you, yet [do it] with gentleness and respect.” (1 Pet 3 v 15) [AMP]
May the Spirit of the One true God lead you into ALL truth and give you the confidence to stand firm during these last days before the return of Jesus.
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, Life Application Study Bible, unless stated otherwise. Copyright by “The Lockman Foundation“
04/08/2020
Psalm 10 and 12 Incline your ear Lord
The book of Psalms addresses all the feelings one could experience, challenges we might face and also offers guidance for serving the Lord. Let’s spend some time and discuss these over the next few days or weeks, depending on how the Lord leads us.
“Why do You stand afar off, O Lord?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?”
Have you thought about the difference between feeling lonely and being alone? You can be alone (all by yourself), content and happy with your life or feel lonely and confused, because it seems no one is interested nor cares about your well being. Did you ever stop to think how alone Jesus was and lonely He must have felt, shouting out “Father, why have you forsaken me?!”
Like I always say;
“your feelings may seem ligate, but it doesn’t mean they are.“
Feeling lonely and confused might be prescribed to poor decision making on your part and now you have to face the consequences. It could even be the result of another person’s choices, affecting your life to such a degree that you are left out in the dark with no where to turn to, or so you may think.
Being alone, all by yourself, can open up so many opportunities to serve the Lord and others. Whether you are alone of your own accord or due to unforeseen circumstances, you can use the time you would have spent with someone else lazing around and be productive in God’s Kingdom.
If you feel lonely, forgotten and confused, do not be dismayed, for the Lord has heard the desire of the humble and will strengthen your heart (Ps 10 v 17). Should you be alone and willing to work for the Lord, now is the time to make yourself available. Present yourself to God as a living sacrifice and commit yourself to Him.
Keep your heart pure and your hands innocent from any wrong doing. Desire after Him with your whole being and draw near to Him. He strengthens your feeble heart and steadies your weak knees. Make Him your refuge and you will never be alone.
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, Life Application Study Bible, unless stated otherwise. Copyright by “The Lockman Foundation“
03/08/2020
Psalm 11 and 42 Be courageous
The book of Psalms addresses all the feelings one could experience, challenges we might face and also offers guidance for serving the Lord. Let’s spend some time and discuss these over the next few days or weeks, depending on how the Lord leads us.
“Why are you in despair my soul?
And why have you become disturbed within me?“
It is written that suffering produces perseverance (Rom 5 v 3). You might be facing your biggest challenge in your adult life today, not knowing how you will overcome this mountain. You may feel that the Lord has abandoned you and their is no one you can turn to for help.
I want to say this to you today;
Do not be dismayed and do not fear. Go to your “inner room”, be still and know that He is God. Pour out your heart before Him. Make known to Him your greatest fears, although He knows your thoughts even before you do. He wants you to submit and give over to Him completely.
It is in times of great despair, during our biggest trials that we realize there is more to life than what meets the eye and only God can give us the grace to continue this race we are running. Nothing else makes sense. Think about it. There is so much evidence that point to God, yet many of us keep denying His existence and we still get angry at Him if things don’t go our way.
It actually takes courage to say you are not able to rely on your own strength. It takes courage to step down from your own little throne and allow God to take His rightful place. It takes courage to put your trust in someone we can apparently not see. It takes courage to hope in a life with the Lord after passing on.
At the end of the day, when we have lived our lives and look back over a life time of struggles, trying to make ends meet, what have we gained if we have not gained the Lord’s favour? Be courageous and take a leap of faith toward God today. He will make Himself known to you in ways you could never have imagined.
Take refuge in the Lord, the Rock of our salvation. He has not abandoned you. He is waiting for you to meet with Him so that He can make known to you the treasures of His kingdom, which is not of this world.
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, Life Application Study Bible, unless stated otherwise. Copyright by “The Lockman Foundation“
02/08/2020
Psalm 120 The deceitful tongue
The book of Psalms addresses all the feelings one could experience, challenges we might face and also offers guidance for serving the Lord. Let’s spend some time and discuss these over the next few days or weeks, depending on how the Lord leads us.
“Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue.” (vers 2)
Are you facing criticism, insults and verbal abuse on a daily basis? Are you for peace, but when you speak, others are for war? (vers 7). It could be a husband, wife, brother or sister and even a parent or a colleague. Sometimes it might even be your “best” friend, or so you may think – referring to the “best” part.
The tongue is probably the most powerful weapon one can use and abuse. You can use your tongue to compliment and at the same time criticize. You can use your tongue to worship the Lord and at the same time insult someone. You can make or break someone with the words you speak over them (Prov 12 v 18).
May it be said about us, that our conversation is full of grace, seasoned with salt (Col 4 v 6), building up others (Eph 4 v 29), while speaking wisdom (Prov 31 v 26). Always set a guard over your mouth (Ps 141 v 3) and keep your tongue from evil (Ps 34 v 13) and remember it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of their mouth (Matt 15 v 11).
May our lips overflow with praise and our tongue sing of God’s word (Ps 119 v 171 – 172).
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, Life Application Study Bible, unless stated otherwise. Copyright by “The Lockman Foundation“
01/08/2020
Psalm 25; 69 Overwhelmed and distressed
The book of Psalms addresses all the feelings one could experience, challenges we might face and also offers guidance for serving the Lord. Let’s spend some time and discuss these over the next few days or weeks, depending on how the Lord leads us.
“Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. The troubles of my heart are enlarged; bring me out of my distresses.” (Ps 25 v 16 – 17)
Do you feel overwhelmed and distressed to the point where the waters are threatening your life and the flood has overflown you? (Ps 69 v 1 – 2). You are weeping in your soul, afflicted and in pain, while pleading to be delivered from the deep waters you find yourself in. Yet it seems like the Lord is delaying your deliverance…
I was in a situation once that overwhelmed me and overtook my soul, causing unbearable distress to the point of almost breaking down and at that time the Lord felt so far away. I would pray and could feel the distance between us, as if there was a barrier put up between myself and God.
Many of us experience this “heartfelt pain” on a daily basis and cannot seem to find peace, while trying to figure out how we will solve the problem. Instead of turning to the Lord and bringing our case before Him, we attempt to resolve the issue ourselves. We are all guilty of that at one point in our lives.
Seek the Lord earnestly, while you wait for Him to fight the battle for you. This does not mean we take on a “bunker mentality“, but we continue our walk in the faith with our head held high and do what our hand finds to do.
We go about life and business as usual, standing on the rock of our salvation. When giving up is not an option and giving over to God is the only option. Trusting in Him for the outcome and even if it doesn’t play out the way we had hoped we will still praise Him and serve Him.
To the natural man (even in ourselves), this does not make sense. How can you just be calm about the situation when it seems like everything is falling apart around you. The bible says we are more than conquerors through Him that loves us [paraphrase] (Rom 8 v 37) and “we can do all things through Him that strengthens us” (Phil 4 v 13).
Hebrews 11 says “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen“. The kind of faith that would make one believe without having to see. Trust without having to feel. Hope without having to know the outcome. This is the faith we signed up for. Stand tall, knowing the Lord is who He says He is and allow His will to be done. He will not disappoint.
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, Life Application Study Bible, unless stated otherwise. Copyright by “The Lockman Foundation“
31/07/2020
Psalm 4 and 17 Why me Lord?
The book of Psalms addresses all the feelings one could experience, challenges we might face and also offers guidance for serving the Lord. Let’s spend some time and discuss these over the next few days or weeks, depending on how the Lord leads us.
Are you seeking answers for some of the toughest questions in life and is your first response to “bad” things that happen to you, “why me?”
In the very first verse of these chapters we notice David pleading with the Lord to hear his prayer, respond to him and answer him. Do you plead with the Lord to answer you when in distress, to “give heed to your cry” or do you blame Him for allowing adversity in your life?
If you feel you have held fast to the Lord and your feet have not slipped (17 v 5), you are in right standing with Him and have put your trust in Him (4 v 5) and still seem to suffer due to the challenges you are facing – bring your case before the Lord. Stand on the promise that when you ask (in His Name) you shall receive, although not always in the manner which you expect…
Ask Him to make it known to you why these things are happening. Ask Him to reveal the innermost parts of your heart, so that you can discern whether you are in the faith. Ask Him to convict you if you have sinned. The Lord will show you these things if you are sincere and in pursuit of the Truth.
Sometimes the Lord does not reveal to you the reasons for certain things and it might seem He is inconsistent and unreliable because you feel you have not done anything wrong and you may be right. Not that everything bad that happens should be seen as punishment, but you get my point, right?
Daniel and His friends trusted in the Lord to intervene, but was willing to pay the price and remain faithful, even when He didn’t save them. The Lord Jesus Himself, asked for the cup to pass Him by, but accepted the Father’s will. I believe that if we trust the Lord unconditionally, He will carry you through, but if there are lessons to be learnt, then be prepared to suffer as He did.
We get stuck and totally hung up on this life and lose perspective of what this life is about so easily. This is a school where we prepare for a life in eternity, in the presence of our Creator and Redeemer, when everything will be made clear to us.
Remember this, when in doubt… “For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known” (1 Cor 13 v 12) [NIV] or as the KJV would state “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known“.
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, Life Application Study Bible, unless stated otherwise. Copyright by “The Lockman Foundation“
30/07/2020
Psalm 6 In sickness and in health, till death do us part
The book of Psalms addresses all the feelings one could experience, challenges we might face and also offers guidance for serving the Lord. Let’s spend some time and discuss these over the next few days or weeks, depending on how the Lord leads us.
Are you struggling with illness or know someone who is ill and facing eminent death? This is something not often talked about due to the nature of this topic and the uncertainty among many, especially for those who either fear death for they do not know the Lord and their final destination, or they believe everything simply stops when one dies.
In Psalm 6 David prays for deliverance from his circumstances, but this passage can also relate to someone who is suffering and “pining away” from cancer, or any other life threatening illness, causing them to face the reality of death and it might be that they feel God is punishing them for whatever reason.
Unfortunately we live in a fallen world and this vessel, called our body is also fallen, fading away with age. It is reckoned that from the age of 25 onwards, cells die at a faster rate than new cells can be generated, which tells us one thing. Our body will sooner or later – 80 years, if we are blessed – no longer function as it would at a younger age and this is evident in the way we recover after an injury or surgery as we get older.
On the flip side, God is able to heal any illness, if He so wishes. The difficult part is when He does not intercede to heal your loved ones and they perish before your eyes. We don’t always understand in that moment what His reasons are, yet if we trust in Him, knowing He makes all things work for good for those who love Him (Rom 8 v 28), He will comfort you and give you peace.
Fortunately, as believers, we know that we die with Christ through baptism and are also raised with Him through His resurrection and this is when our life actually begins. Believers don’t die, they fall asleep and wake up in God’s presence.
For this reason we can have confidence that we are not separated from the Lord and even in our darkest hour when no man made medicine can heal us or our loved one(s), rest assured that there is an eternity that awaits us when passing from this life to the next.
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, Life Application Study Bible, unless stated otherwise. Copyright by “The Lockman Foundation“
29/07/2020
Psalm 37 Cultivate faithfulness
The book of Psalms addresses all the feelings one could experience, challenges we might face and also offers guidance for serving the Lord. Let’s spend some time and discuss these over the next few days or weeks, depending on how the Lord leads us.
There are so many emotions colliding inside us during these uncertain times that it seems appropriate to start off with Psalm 37 that addresses all kinds of worries, anxiety and even getting oneself in a “fret“, by constantly worrying so much that it almost eats away at you, like the “waves fret the seafront”.
The Lord is very clear that we should 1) trust in Him 2) delight ourselves in Him (exalt and pursue) 3) commit our way to Him 4) Rest in Him 5) wait patiently on Him. If we do this, He will give us the desires of our heart. What does this have to do with worrying, you may ask?
Is it not true that our biggest worry is usually our financial burdens? How we will be able to make it through another month and keep the creditors at bay. We worry about the material so much that it over shadows all the little miracles that take place on a daily basis. We worry about our health, our pension, our children and our parents. We worry about the corruption taking place everywhere, etc.
Shouldn’t we rather “worry” about our spiritual health, the state of our soul and the salvation of others, even our “enemies“? how we can help someone in need and leave the battle to the Lord? Easy for me to say, right?
How do we cultivate faithfulness? If you understand that faith and faithfulness means exactly the same thing, then we will better understand how to put our trust, hope and rest in the Lord and wait patiently on Him for an outcome, if that is what’s required and if that is what you are praying for, while you do what your hand finds to do.
I am speaking from experience. The Lord is faithful. He is in us if we are in Him and He will provide in all our needs if we live according to His will. Sometimes we are tested, just as Job was. Sometimes we are disciplined. Seek the Lord regardless of your circumstances. Remain faithful to Him and He will establish every step you take.
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, Life Application Study Bible, unless stated otherwise. Copyright by “The Lockman Foundation“
Pages: | Multi-Page
