Author: kezha1

God chooses people for a relationship with Himself…this is the doctrine of Election or Predestination…but then think about this quote from Charles Spurgeon, “I am quite certain that, if God had not chosen me, I should never have chosen Him.” I would admit for me, that is a very true statement. In my broken and worldly condition, I was rebellious and selfish…concerned only for my own comfort & welfare, without regard for others. I self-indulged in things I only liked and was stubborn & hardheaded towards anyone who suggested otherwise. In other words, my last choice would have been to regret, repent, resolve, and reform my ways. But God had other ideas…

Think about this for a moment, instead of praying, “Lord, help me to live my life for You.” Rather pray, “Lord Jesus, live out Your life through me.” Can you see the stark difference in the two prayers? One is full of “me” with all its self-centeredness, self-promotion, and selfishness…while the other is a humble request for God’s Divine Will in my life. One is full of prideful self-will, while the other is a submissive desire to life in the middle of God’s plan & purpose. Throughout the New Testament the Apostle Paul admonished us to live a godly life worthy of the Lord’s calling… (Ephesians 4:1, Colossians 1:10, II Timothy 3:12) and that calling is His alone & not what I think it should be.

I had a Pastor once tell me that his most cherished funeral services were ones when he had the opportunity to preach out of the worn out, dog-eared, and marked up Bible of a dearly departed saint. He said it was like a treasure trove of inspiration, encouragement, and insight into that person’s walk with the Lord…with his memorial sermon many times coming directly from those tattered pages. Charles Spurgeon once penned this…”The Bible that’s falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn’t.” And this is so true. If your Bible has a place of honor on the coffee table, but the only time you touch it is to dust, know that God’s Word will not flow into you by osmosis. Or when you try everything on your own first before going to God’s Word, know that you could save yourself much heartache by digging into the Bible first, not as a last ditch effort. We need to hide God’s Word in our heart and allow it to dwell there… and that means regular & daily Bible reading/study. For we’ll find that just like God, His Word is true, upright, faithful, righteous, just, and steadfast…and exactly what we need for the day.

The two things that Jesus emphasizes here are – The whole of mankind’s sinfulness is presupposed, but that even as fallen human parents, we still know instinctively & by natural love how to give good gifts not harmful ones to our children. The other is, as Christians we have been given the wonderful gift of the Holy Spirit ( Who teaches, enlightens, and guides us in respect to faith & practice) in response to our faith-filled prayers by a loving & good Heavenly Father. So for those who call on Father God…have come to know Him and are reconciled to Him through His Son, Jesus Christ…we can confidently trust that our good God will only give good gifts.

The great Puritan Preacher, Charles Spurgeon, once penned, “Although we may not always be healthy or prosperous, yet God is always good, and therefore, there is always a sufficient argument for giving thanks.” No one is immune to poor health, financial needs, or other trauma in their lives…but this doesn’t mean God has somehow fallen down on His job, or has changed His mind. God promises to always remember His people, and He gives special attention to the cries of the oppressed, down-trodden, weak, and infirmed. The phrase, “poor & needy” is a fixed expression in the Old Testament where it can literally mean abject poverty…but these words are also used figuratively to express total dependance on God in whatever critical situation we find ourselves. Giving thanks to God then becomes the “even though” type of praise. It’s “Even though I’m going through this serious health problem right now, I will glorify & thank You, Father.” or “Even though I’m facing this huge financial problem today, I know You are there & working on my behalf, so I will praise Your Name. ” So remember, even though life can be very difficult at times…God is always good.

If you are a Believer in Christ Jesus…you know that He lives in you. For we read in John 14:20, “I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you.” And so by having Christ in you…you are therefore Christ’s ambassador. (II Corinthians 5:20) So it shouldn’t be odd for the Lord to expect you to represent and serve others in His Name on a daily basis. Or as it’s been said, “Life is ministry and ministry is life.” Which if you think about it has been the Lord’s intention from the beginning…a total involvement model… of all of His people, ministering all the time, to everyone God brings across their path. What does that look like? It may be engaging the cashier at the check-out in pleasant conversation rather than burying your face in your phone….or thanking the waitress personally for her good service…or showing the love of Jesus to the harried young mom waiting in line with you. Just look around, I guarantee God is placing people around you right now that need a word of encouragement, praise, thanks, comfort & hope…and by having Christ in you, you have the words of life.

This Scripture speaks specifically of waiting for the Second Coming of Christ Jesus…the object & basis of our longing & confident hope as we wait. But it can also apply to anytime we wait on the Lord for answers. Both implement the necessity to wait with confidence and quiet trust…even if it’s difficult to understand. We wait, though God may seem unfriendly, like the man in Luke 11:5-8 who appeared not to care for his friend. God may even seem unkind as you wait…but He is not. And as you patiently wait…the cloud of confusion will lift. Or then again, you may think that God is callous or indifferent as you wait…but remember, He is not. For even though you may see only the shadow of His face, ultimately He will give you a clear understanding of the turmoil you’re facing today. Waiting is hard, and waiting with hope can be harder…but our focus as we wait must always be deliberate & concentrated…or as Paul David Tripp wrote in his book “The Broken Down House”, “Waiting will always reveal where you have placed your hope. Your heart is always exposed by the way that you wait.”

Within this Psalm is the comparison of Divine & human kingship. On one side, are those who scheme and rebel against God…refusing to submit to His authority, power, and sovereignty. But Psalm 21:11 reminds them, “Though they plot evil against You and devise wicked schemes, they cannot succeed.” That’s because God reigns in ultimate judgment over both heaven and earth…and with that comes destruction or deliverance, punishment or purification of all peoples.

When life’s situations begin to disintegrate your rest, turn immediately to Jesus and ask Him to re-establish it. We need to fight against unrest, for it is not of God, but our own fallen nature of fear & anxiety. In Exodus 33:14 God replied to Moses, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” And that goes for us also. God’s Presence is always with us in the form of the indwelling Holy Spirit…offering shelter, support, peace, and a calm spirit…that we may recover our rest through Him. Thus in the middle of the turmoil, we need to remember that God is our all in all, He is Who He says He is, He does not change, and what He is now…He will be in the future. “Come to Me and I will give you rest.”

The Northern kingdom of Israel was not only in a political & social decline, but a deep state of religious decline during Hosea’s life. The Israelites had incorporated elements of the worship of Baal (a Canaanite fertility religion) into their orthodox faith…breaking their covenant with God. This religious corruption became very popular, even to perverting the religious leaders…leading to greed, corruption, and hardening of the hearts as they not only neglected to instruct the people in the true faith, but also tolerated and even condoned this wickedness. The people had walked so far away from God that their conscience wasn’t the least bit pricked when they engaged in this abomination. But here, God wanted them to know that He could recollect every sinful action and that, “Your wickedness will punish you; your backsliding will rebuke you.”