Safetypinlove

Psalm 84:11 is clear, “The Lord knows the thoughts of man”…even those secret intentions, selfish, inconsiderate, and rude thoughts hidden away in our heart. Part of this comes from our corrupt heart, (Matthew 15:19) and part comes from our Spiritual immaturity, (I Corinthians 14:20) But regardless, we are told to get rid of our stinking thinking, judgmental thoughts, and careless muses… and learn to control our thoughts and attitudes…for God is listening.

Turning from sin is a sincere decision to forsake evil and begin to obey God. There is the initial repentance leading to true saving faith (Mark 1:15, Acts 3:19) but more importantly, there’s the ongoing turning from sin on a daily basis in the life of every Christian. David wrote of this in Psalm 51:12, when his spiritual dullness had lead to moral bankruptcy…taking him far from his first love of the Lord. “Restore to me the joy of Your Salvation and grant me a willing Spirit to sustain me.” Repentance is a change of mind that leads to a change of action on our part and promises restoration, or as Isaiah wrote, “In repentance and rest is Your Salvation, in quietness and trust is Your strength…” (Isaiah 30:15)

The well know Protestant Reformer, Martin Luther, wrote the famous hymn, “A Mighty Fortress is Our God”… the first verse attesting , “A mighty Fortress is our God. A Bulwark never failing. Our Helper He amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing.” Martin’s inspiration for the hymn came from Psalm 46 which tells of God’s Sovereignity & power over all earthly and spiritual forces, giving us the sure hope that He will protect, intervene, and deliver us. And so our faith can be as unshakable as Mount Zion…or as Psalm 46:5 states, “God is within her, she will not fall.”

When the troubles of the world have taken their toll on your life and your strength is waning, what or Who do you look to first? Do you reach for the bottle to drown your sorrows…do you numb your mind with drugs…do you immerse your being in social media? We can readily admit that all these are just distractions from reality and cannot change a thing. While on the other hand, if you go to God, you will quickly see that He is our strength in times of trouble. For as we experience His Presence, our dwindling ability to endure & resist is suddenly re-energized. You will also discover that whatever you’re going through is infinitesimal compared to the power & might of God. So go to God first, for He promises that, “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.” (Isaiah 40:31)

Our flesh has an endless fascination with everything but the cold, hard truth. We’d rather hear some warm, fuzzy, feel good sermon on Sunday than one that makes us squirm in the pew any day. II Timothy 4:3-4 tells us that there will come a time when men won’t put up anymore with the Truth of the Gospel Message but rather exclaim, “Tell us what our itching ears want to hear.” But their persistent desire they want is only eloquent & flattering rhetoric, devoid of substance and deceptive in nature. So as Christians we must learn not to be deceived by smooth talk and delusion.

Being an upright, virtuous & trustworthy servant of God is being faithful in the small things…the things no one else sees but you…the things that show your true character. It’s riding that roller coaster ride of emotions, suffering, and loss without losing your true bearings of God’s plan & purpose for your life. It’s never easy, never glamorous, never enjoyable…but it is God’s divine and sovereign Will… and so we need to remain loyal and focused no matter how tough it gets. Lord, help me keep my sorrow from collapsing into self-pity, for that benefits no one. Help keep my aching & weary heart soft, malleable, and patient as I serve others for You. Finally Lord, constantly remind me that in all I do… every bit of it… is to be done to glorify You…exhibiting Your love in every action, word, and deed, that I too someday will hear these words…”Well done, good and faithful servant.”

It’s easy to be pleasant & good natured to someone who is considerate & thoughtful back. But in this Scripture we are told to be kind to the thankless & hateful people we encounter daily. It goes on to tell us that we are commanded to be like the Lord…full of mercy & kindhearted to all rather than becoming mean & callous towards the unlovable among us. Lord, help me to show Your compassion to those who deserve it least.

As it tells us in Romans 2:28-29, our life should be so God-centered that seeking His approval is all we should desire. But pride & self like to sneak in and steal the show too many times, and the result is us compromising or watering down God’s Word just to please man. Our egos relish approval & acceptance from others, so we will conform our words in order to please rather than to speak the truth. But faith and obedience to God are not some such intellectual understanding that we can arbitrarily change God’s Word at will…No, rather pleasing God is an intentional, deliberate, and continuous day by day conduct of actively choosing who we will look to for praise.

The Jewish leaders wanted to be done with the Apostles once and for all. But Gamaliel, a renowned Teacher known for his wisdom and humane interpretations of the Old Testament Law, warned his colleagues not to kill them. Gamaliel very wisely pointed out that if what the Apostles were doing was of human origin – it would fail. But if it came from God – they’d never be able to stop it, and it would essentially become a fight against God Himself…and no one ever wins that battle. Unbeknownst to him, Gamaliel was being used by God to further embolden the Apostles to preach the Good News of the Gospel Message… and he also became a very unlikely harbinger of the words of Jesus to Peter in Matthew 16:18, when Jesus said, “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”

Everything we see around us has an expiration date on it…for everything is but temporary and limited in its nature. Psalm 102:26 tells us that God existed before His work of creation, and someday it will all perish, for it is destined to vanish and be replaced…but His Word & Salvation will last forever. (Isaiah 51:6) That’s because God’s Word is eternal & valid in its ability to speak to all people for all time. (Psalm 119:89) The Prophet Isaiah put it well when he wrote, “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God will stand forever.” (Isaiah 40:8) So just think of it…the Word of God, declared before its actual realization, will last forever into timeless eternity.